Apparently, the fairies guarding this pathway have fled now that the abandoned town has fallen. However, if I've learned one thing from this game, it's that it's a good idea to take a look at the side zones the instant they become unlocked, so as not to be even more comically overlevelled. With the Gap Map, at least, that's no longer much of a slog.
After a quick stop off at Kourindou (with no new stock that I notice) to sell off some junk, MC-kun begins going through the places where I remember being stopped by rocks in the past.
The first find is a novelty TM, hidden on the path to the Misty Lake.
Near the lake is a larger blocked path. After snapping it away, MC-kun proceeds. Running into a level 27 encounter in the blue grass just past them, he realises that this is, unbelievably, a lower-level zone than the Moriya Shrine, where he got the glove.
What follows doesn't differ all that much from the last episode: a broken old building. With a creak of the door, MC-kun enters.
The inside is far more grandiose than anything in the abandoned village.
Following his usual strategies, MC-kun walks through the first door he finds. He has an uneasy feeling as he enters the room, but still heads for the bed - even just teleporting everywhere through gaps is tiring at his level of fitness. How shocking, then, that he can't get any rest.
Before chatting with the apparition, MC-kun pauses to rifle through her dustbin.
No.
With that, it's straight into a fight with the poltergeist trumpeter.
Unfortunately, her whole team is critically weak to Wind, which Moon Wheat is more than ready to exploit.
There's no extra dialogue for leaving and re-entering the room. Perhaps it's for later in the game.
Another room on the ground floor exhibits both poltergeist activity and a Rare Candy in the bin. Leaving and returning reveals the source of the former.
Don't give up your day job, friendo.
Have you ever tried talking with a wastleland ghoul? Have you been accosted by one on Twitter?
Apparently Lunasa isn't quite as impressed with MC-kun as he is with himself.
Here we see the addition of style changes spicing things up a little. Power Merlin was a member of Merlin's team too and quickly falls to ToTheMoon.
Speed Lyrica, meanwhile, immediately lands a super-effective hit on ToTheMoon. Unfortunately for her, Charge Thief is a draining move.
Defence Lunasa is a change from the last fight, but doesn't get to show off any tricks of her own, as ToTheMoon reclaims her missing 7 HP.
Lunasa is as gracious in defeat as MC-kun isn't in victory, as he immediately starts spamming celebratory Tweets, many with clips of Ghostbusters 2016, one of his favourite classic movies, embedded.
With the ground floor fully explored, it's time to head upstairs. Strangely enough, the first floor seems larger than the one below it.
It's Superpower, in a type for which MC-kun has zero coverage. What's more, NoBadTactics can learn it. The only problem is that all four of her moves provide useful type coverage. Since forgetting a move has pretty much no consequences, Earth-coverage is left to Moon Wheat for now and NoBadTactics forgets one of her STAB moves for more edge case coverage.
Nothing spooky happens in the piano room.
However, a plate flings itself from the table as MC-kun enters this large room.
Psssh, of course not.
In a twist that might not surprise you, it's the third of the Prismriver sisters.
Gallantly refusing to exploit the 4x weakness to and STAB from Wind, Moon Wheat instead takes two turns to chip down a Defence Lunasa. The fights deserve some variety.
She's not so kind to Merlin.
Rather than just repeating the feat, she lets Godhotline close out the fight, taking only chip damage from the move that had previously hurt ToTheMoon quite substantially, before hitting back with her impotent laser.
All three sisters defeated, MC-kun returns to the piano room, where a picture floating in the air draws his attention. He takes a look before putting it down, entirely unstirred. It's gone once he leaves.
Left on the ground where it was, however, is something that moves MC-kun's heart: doubled loot. Given that all money in this game comes from vendor trash, he eagerly hands the amulet to Baka - she's overpowered enough not to need her cheat item at this stage.
That was all I could find after wandering the mansion for a while, so after that it's off to the next previously-locked spot.
Marisa still isn't home, but she's not why MC-kun was in the area. Instead, there are rocks to snap away in the southwestern forest.
It's a striking area that he reaches, overgrown with spider lilies. As you might expect, they act as tall grass.
I miss this ghost's pre-battle dialogue for screencap purposes. All he says is "I see a fire in your eyes...".
Against a striking background, we drop back below level 30 and face an unstyled Puppet. NoBadTactics eats a super-effective priority move, but barely notices.
As the ghost elaborates on his pre-fight words.
Across the river is an interesting TM. Deplorable can learn it and, with her burn chipping routine, would be able to make decent use of it, but I don't think it beats the utility of her current only attacking move getting rid of an item.
A rather lost fairy quickly lightens the tone.
Two Nazrins eat a 2x and 4x weakness respectively.
You should see this skill card I found.
The interesting things don't stop. Blow from Calamity is Baka's big laser and it's only okay if you can't give yourself a status.
It's a lucrative area, which makes sense given how far from the critical path it seems to be.
A sunflower fairy apparently prefers browns and yellows to reds.
The Watatsuki sisters collaborate to bring down a pair of Medicine.
And the fairy offers excuses.
There's an empty house to be found. MC-kun doesn't pass up on a chance to drink the alcohol that he finds.
A little further past the house, the smell of spider lilies becomes ever more overwhelming, with just a tint of cherry blossom to temper them.
Discarded possessions are simply strewn about in the open.
There are a bunch of Godstones to be found. Each increases the duration of a weather type.
There are also Puppets of humans to be found. Maribel Hearn is a normal university student who has absolutely no connection to any youkai with a similar appearance, powerset and name in common with Lafcadio Hearn (known later in life as Koizumi Yakumo). Renko, meanwhile, is her friend (and possibly the descendant of the similarly-dressed Sumireko currently roaming the clothing shop - the flow of time is convoluted in Gensokyo).
The TM for Protect can be found near the tree that dominates the area.
Amidst the forest of cherry blossoms, MC-kun has no clue how to proceed. He doesn't teleport away just yet, however. The Road of Reconsideration appeared to have a bottom loop and so he moves to explore that.
He's accosted by a fairy within a sea of lilies.
She uses a rare unstyled level 31, but it's to no effect.
MC-kun, not having realised his relationship with Reimu, Marisa and Sanae, has finally acquired a rival.
It looked as if there were nothing, but invisible items still obstruct pathing and so MC-kun stumbled onto a ruby pin hidden amongst the lillies. I think that's some thematic placement of what is a very mundane item.
There doesn't seem to be anything else to see in the sea of flowers.
Aside, that is, from a ghost asking if he's headed towards the place from which he's approaching.
NoBadTactics has little patience for Komachi.
A note on the fluff of the area - Muenzuka (translating as the Mound of the Nameless) is where the souls of the dead who don't have any relatives collect. This ghost will be waiting a long time.
After that, the loop in the path closes and all that's left is to gap away.
It's a region from the very start of the game, always tantalisingly inaccessible.
The surge of Marvel euphoria never really recedes.
And with that, it's a new route. Long dangled in front of MC-kun, it's now his to explore.
The first encounter of the route misjudges MC-kun's age. He's no spring chicken.
NoBadTactics swiftly gets a chance to try out her new skill. A 120 power move at 4x effectiveness is a sight to behold.
You've got that right, friendo. Let the Sega obsolescents go fast.
The next fight is with a youkai who makes her tastes extremely clear.
Immunity to Poison makes Godhotline seem like a good choice, but unfortunately Assist Hina has other tricks up her sleeve.
Things come to a close after that, however. Assist Hina gets one-shot, while Defence Hina gets in a chip after an attack misses before falling.
Spin those troubles away.
I imagine this whole exchange would be a lot more entertaining with a Jigsaw-like inflection
Another shrine at which to make an offering with a tip of MC-kun's fedora.
There are things to be found off the beaten path.
While the main road tires MC-kun out heading uphill until it hits a river. He soon finds himself in a fight with one of the two-mouthed youkai.
Parsee does what she can, and does it with the benefit of a style change, but she's no match for NoBadTactics.
MC-kun isn't setting his own plate at this cookout.
These two don't even want to fight, just to sing. MC-kun fancies himself a keen rapper, but they don't seem to approve.
As always, under the occasional rock it's possible to find a Hyper Potion.
A youkai guards the cave entrance, MC-kun fancies himself strong.
Chiyuri spams multi-hits and lands a total of nine hits, one of which was a crit, on ToTheMoon before retaliation can arrive.
At which point, all it takes is one.
With all that said, this strikes me as seemingly suspiciously like the critical path, especially after being warned that the Satori fight might be enjoyable, so it's off elsewhere to explore.
One spot immediately suggests itself: another breakable rock later on Route 1, equally taunting.
It leads to what the game tells me is Route 2, although it must be wholly disconnected from the other part.
MC-kun has been going around exterminating youkai for quite a while at this stage, but it makes sense for this NPC to have early-game dialogue like this: breakable rocks aside, he's a few seconds away from the Human Village.
A Puppeteer accosts MC-kun immediately afterwards, but at least she's not a youkai.
Yumemi puts the hurt on NoBadTactics without even having a type advantage, before Keine responds in kind.
The level difference speaks for itself.
There's gold in the fields.
Puppeteers too.
Banki opens, setting up weather with her passive. Given that the closest I have to a counter is Godhotline, she perfectly nullifies the situation and puts herself in a clear position of advantage.
Instead, it falls to Deplorable, who sets in for the long haul.
Only for the fight to end suddenly the following turn with an unexpected crit.
Power Banki follows Assist and forces a flinch until the weather clears, after which Deplorable lands her debuffs.
Hoping to grant an honourable defeat (now that the advantages have been largely nullified), a half-HP Godhotline switches into a super-effective barrage, but outspeeds Sekibanki and closes out the fight the following round.
Strange words for someone with two copies of one of the reddest.
After that, it's back to exposition and exploration. Vanished ruins sound exciting.
Locked behind water, this might have been the most conspicuous possible rock.
Nearby is the sister that the boy mentioned. MC-kun hates tomboys; they should just admit that they're stunning and beautiful transmen.
Speed Nazrin and Defence Momiji share a 4x weakness to Fighting, which Godhotline happily exploits.
The AI anticipates it, however. Defence Momiji, like Kisume, has the Indomitable trait, which prevents OHKOs. Recompensate is Endeavour and so the combo should be familiar to all readers.
Godhotline is faster, however.
On 1 HP and no longer having any advantage, she tags out to her sister. Moon Wheat does not encounter anything unexpected cleaning up Kyouko.
Not until you start T, you disgusting transphobe.
The path leads to a copse in the woods. There aren't any ruins, just as promised. They've vanished.
There's a leaflet, however.
Really makes you think.
There's also a TM to be found, for a weather synergy that we can't currently exploit.
What the grass patterns might symbolise is left as an exercise to the reader. Regardless, this seems to be a dead end for the moment, so it's off to the Youkai Mountain, to the path previously blocked by fairies. Apparently it isn't critical.
The path isn't fully devoid of PLF fairies.
This one is cheating. She has a level 29 Power Lily. It's not the sort of cheat that helps her at all, unfortunately.
MC-kun wouldn't either if he had something impossible.
It's a reminder of just how big the Youkai Mountain is after the last few areas. Found well out of the way, this kappa is willing to snitch.
We're still far from the ground.
Nearby, however, is a building.
This one isn't haunted or anything. It just contains a solid TM that no-one but NoBadTactics can learn. It's a shame, because Baka would appreciate it.
Things to be found abound.
As do challengers.
ToTheMoon doesn't think much of this one.
Some loot rocks are obvious. Others, like this one, demand that you leave no stone unturned.
We're finally near the bottom when we find a TM. Deplorable and Godhotline can learn it, but neither has the stats to make it useful.
Bold words for someone likely underlevelled.
More Charge Thief spam turns out to be the answer.
MC-kun has apparently ascended into a Gundam.
As competent as ever.
Missing an attack gets Godhotline hit, but it's not really a problem.
Give me all your money.
These two don't want to fight and just have some follow-ups to earlier areas of the mountain.
Deep within the grass, a weather synergy TM.
Sometimes, I wonder if rocks are worth it.
When suddenly, out of the way, a fight with a unique character appears out of nowhere.
Godhotline has a field day, using Clearing Mist against some opponents with a high enough cost to make it worthwhile.
Hatate ever getting involved and not just taking the Buzzfeed approach doesn't fit her typical non-canon portrayal, but maybe that's why she was just standing around out of the way.
I'm not paying your toll.
MC-kun's sudden libertarianism aside, he gets to battle. NoBadTactics suffers under some priority moves, but not as much as the opponents do.
All she guards is a one-way path back to the Misty Lake, so it's a teleport back to the rest stop and time to explore the river.
MC-kun is immediately awarded with a self-buffing TM for which he has no current applications.
A little distance later is a sign that he might be on the right track.
Along with an absolute wall of PLF goons.
The first falls easily enough to ToTheMoon's bag of tricks.
The next plays the Indomitable game with a Kisume, but doesn't have the follow-up.
Yamame, meanwhile, simply fares poorly.
The game continues to throw TMs at me, with this one following the now-familiar pattern of a spread attack only available to focused attackers - Godhotline and NoBadTactics, the latter of whom seems to have absolutely incredible TM coverage.
The last of the row of PLF fairies spouts the usual dogma.
Godhotline exhibits her variety of exciting Steel-type moves.
That leaves only one fairy blocking the way to the geyser. However, she's not the sort you can fight. I think this reads as a natural conclusion; the next episode will involve the storming of the Former Hell from Route 2.
Sonic the Hedgehog he isn't.
