We pick back up from last time with the party throwing strong attacks against Magami, though they have yet to bring him back to his senses. In fact, the counterblast his body gives off is pushing people back and making it harder to get close to him. The area lights up, which Thunderbird recognizes as the overworld shift advancing, and if things aren't dealt with soon he says you guys will be left behind in Takamagahara as well. No escape will be possible from the expanding zone until Magami is taken out from here.
Arachne groans and says she was prepared to fight, but she's still uncomfortable with trying to hurt a friend. Tajikarao says they still have to do this and make contact with Magami's mind, and the party is slowly backing off from Magami. Magami isn't saying anything, but Shiva asks if you've noticed that he's pushing the party into showing their moves. Shiva then describes Takamagahara as the world that spreads the power of the sun to every part of it and says Magami gets an advantage as long as you guys are fighting there. He's noted to be standing out front and proud as he tells you that.
You are alarmed at the idea that Magami is learning to read your movements. Thunderbird is concerned about that since that's very possible, and he says you guys need only a little bit more. Arachne suggests mixing things up by having her and Thunderbird back away to launch long range attacks, but the other half of the party (re: Shiva and Tajikarao) are fist fighters.
You ask if being a sword fighter here is bad, note that most of you are close range combatants, and/or say things are slowly getting worse for you guys. Magami says it's too late for you guys whatever you have planned, and any plans you guys have will be revealed by the light. Jugo starts worrying about how things are going, so a voice speaks up to say they can help.
You are surprised by the voice, and it turns out that the alchemists have come to help with Mushussu and the wyverns. The entire party is shocked by this, and Thunderbird asks about them still being around instead of running away. Arachne takes note of Mushussu and the wyverns, then asks if that means the alchemists used to last of the kemidango. Tajikarao demands to know what they're thinking, then points out which way the apparent exit is if they happen to be lost.
The panda laughs that he isn't lost and has logically concluded he can't just sit still, and he proceeds to command the wyverns to use their breath attacks. Shiva asks after a moment why the alchemists are helping up and if they're up to something. The panda is quiet for a moment before saying he's doing this because you guys have heard them out. The others also really want to help get Magami back to normal since he has promised to help another time with their work. They also really want to know what will happen with the wolf skull, so of course they'll help. Tajkarao is surprised, then wonders if Magami can hear the alchemists since he managed to connect to them. The panda reminds you guys that they can only buy time since their attacks don't work and the effect of the kemi dango will cut out soon. You say that's fine, so the alchemists urge the dragons on.
Magami is unimpressed by this new attack and responds by using some sort of light flash that disrupts the alchemists' control over the wyverns. The light of Takamagahara blazes upon everything, but by this time Jugo yells in pain as he finally manages to reach the river. He had been dragging himself over there while the the rest of the party has been covering for him and is close enough to touch the water. His curse has strengthened, and now his shadow is leaking hostility.
You call out to Jugo and ask if he's okay, say the Orochi is rampaging, and/or say the hostility is giving you chills as you run over to him. Jugo however holds his hand out to ward you off, then slowly reaches for the water with his other shaking hand. Jugo takes a moment to say he's really glad he met you, smiling sadly through his pain. You try to ask what Jugo is saying, why he sounds like he's saying goodbye, or what he's doing, and Magami asks what he's planning to do. When Jugo touches the water, his brand starts spewing out a ton of snakes that causes the river to reverse flow and create a tsunami that in turn creates shade cover.
Magami is taken by surprise as he recognizes the snake head popping out, and the giant water-snake head swallows him up. Jugo struggles with the pain he's been dealing with and tells everyone to get away from him and his curse, with his arms getting scratched as he attempts to hold back the snake rising from his chest. Shiva calls out to him, and Jugo starts saying he felt his destiny when he first touched your hand. He's awkward and not that smart, but he's willing to do anything for you regardless. He asks Shiva to handle Magami since if he himself is meant to be a sacrifice offered up, he's going to go down fighting and clawing at things as the last thing he can do for you.
You declare that you won't let Jugo throw his life away here because you don't want it to happen, and you reach out for him. Shiva is surprised and tries to talk you out of getting dragged into Jugo's curse as he grabs you. You however shake out of his hold and run to Jugo, and by the time you get there the surging curse looks like it's about to collapse. The instant you touch him, the curse starts rebounding on Magami and the water snake spits him out.
Jugo is surprised by what's happening, and Arachne declares she won't let him sacrifice himself as she'll make his Shadow and determination shine. She casts her NP and throws her threads out to bind the Mizuchi in a spiderweb pattern. Thunderbird is surprised by this at first but sees where she's going with that, so he follows up by throwing his whip out and making a circle with it to make a path for the floodwater towards Magami. Upon calling his NP, Thunderbird's whip fires off something that ties Magami up in the spider web and in turn binds him in a giant dream catcher.
Magami yells about feeling the party's feelings as the attacks pile up, and you can pick up a weird sense of joy underneath the pain. Tajikarao makes his move next, putting his shining finger arm on Magami's chest to activate his NP to move away the other memories put into Magami. This causes Magami's normal self to surface enough to recognize Tajikarao as his senpai, which Shiva realizes and decides is his cue to make Magami understand things better using his NP. Shiva's attack splits Magami into his past, present, and future self, causing the System to become unstable. The past version is a Guardian, and the present version is a police dog, and what connects them is a flickering shadowy version of Magami. The rest of the party signals for you to go, so you yell out and hold your fist out to punch Magami in the stomach.
A sinner was once brought out in front of a Guardian for the crime of bringing shame to Takamagahara. There was no where for the sinner to run, and the Guardian stepped forward. He spoke in an august voice, saying "if thou claims innocence, then strike my body with thy fist." The Guardian felt that if the sinner pulled their arm back in desperation to strike, then that was proof in itself that they were guilty. That is why judgment took the form of a duel, and when the crime was judged, it would be purged within the Guardian's mouth.
Magami however wasn't interested in making a value judgment, but rather what the sin itself was. Every time a sinner punched him, various emotions would fill him. A sense of inferiority, sadness, hunger, wrath, and at times, joy. Every time these emotions crossed over to him, he would think. In the pure, innocent System of Takamagahara, Magami would wonder why the sinner committed the sin they did. With every emotion that passed, he would look for a motive. In order to delve deeper and farther into these emotions, he would need more intense duels and resistance. Why? Why? Whywhywhy?
When those thoughts flooded back into Magami's head, he wouldn't eat just the sin. Instead, he ate everything. At that time he was flooded with many emotions. There wasn't any time to spare in examining them individually, so they passed straight into his body and left nothing behind. Magami understood nothing, and he remained that way when things were brought to an end. Those around him praised him for passing judgment on the sinners, saying what is right in Takamagahara was proven. His own emotions were engulfed by the System at this time, and he could feel nothing. But just before this, there was one last feeling he had: "do I know you well enough to judge you?"
We then tune back in inside Magami's mind where he says everything above was his past. He wanted to know people better than anyone, yet in the end he knew no one. In trying to understand, he hurt someone, and he learned nothing on top of that. He was waiting beyond the memories of his past self you went through, and you acknowledged that he tried to learn about people rather than do as he was told.
Magami sadly notes that he still ended up doing as he was told and deciding based on what others thought. If people thought something was embarrassing, it was judged a crime. But why was it considered shameful? And why were people attacked for it? Why did he feel sad, angry, and hurt when faced with those emotions put up to him. Magami wanted to know, but he suggests that maybe he learned too much. You note that he ended hurting people this way, getting hurt in kind as he got closer. The more he tried to learn, the less he understood.
Magami says he learns things quicker when things go through his body rather than his head. He wonders if others wanted him to know things if he said he wanted to know. Magami hangs his head, at which point a voice fills the two of you. Shiva tells Magami to keep asking questions then about why, and what point he's asking his questions for. Jugo talks about how in hurting one another, you start learning things about other people because you really want to know about them. Arachne says maybe the things you want to know are the things the other person wants to hide away, and maybe that's why they keep hiding it even when they get hurt. Thunderbird suggests that maybe there is a right way where people won't have to hurt one another, but before you can look for that in another person you need to question yourself first. Tajikarao says that's why people are always asking themselves what is right.
Everyone's words fill Magami from his stomach in down to his core, each bringing back a summer memory of the time he's spent with everyone. You note that these include memories of everyone, of summer, first meetings, times shared with Magami, and others. In your hand are the feelings you have that you can't quite put into words, and you offer them to Magami by extending your fist forward. Magami is surprised, but he happily accepts them from you, meeting your fist with his.
Back outside Magami's soulscape, the cherry trees blooming in the everlasting spring of Takamagahara start scattering their petals as the midsummer sun shines down. The area is already starting to flicker like a mirage, soon to be nothing more than a midsummer memory for everyone. Some time passes as Magami leads the party to a cave near the river, and once inside Arachne asks if Magami is fine and sure about this. Magami assures her he's fine as he currently knows this otherworld pretty well. The Takamagahara shift will disappear soon, but with a quick sniff to check he declares he's sure the place is just up ahead.
Jugo groans as he asks Shiva to put him down already, especially given that his wounds have somehow disappeared. Shiva however hmphs at him saying he's talking big for someone who's lost a lot of energy, telling him to be a good little weakling and shut up. Tajikarao comments his surprise that the goal area ended up being Takamagahara, and he also expresses some discomfort at how cramped the cave is. The alchemists have followed along, with the giraffe wondering excitedly what's going to happen with the wolf skull. Tajikarao orders them to be quiet and sighs about the wyverns leaving already. He also reminds them that they're going to be arrested and have to pay for their crimes. The panda alchemist says he knows, but logically speaking of course they'd be excited about this. Arachne then asks about Mushussu being gone, wondering if he actually went back to Marduk instead of getting lost or something. Shiva says there's nothing to worry about regarding Mushussu, figuring he must be back with Marduk and eating.
The party continues on a bit, and Thunderbird eventually notes that you guys seemed to have found your destination when he sees an altar with a bunch of animal bones on it. He makes an observation of how old the thing is and suggests it could be older than Takamagahara's faith. You notice something as well and point it out to the party, which turns out to be a headless skeleton. Magami agrees that it must be it, and he gently smiles as he pats the wolf skull head in his hands. You say it's time to return it and ask Magami to put it back, telling the skull you guys won't disturb its rest. Magami nods and proceeds to put the skull back, wishing it sweet dreams as he changes out from his old robes to his current day outfit.
Some time later, Arachne says that was touching and everything, but it's time to figure out how to actually leave the place. Since Mushussu has already flown off, there's no other apparent means of travel. Jugo starts worrying that everyone is going to fall out of the sky and splat against something, and Shiva in turn tells Jugo to get a grip on himself and not let his curse snake slip out. The panda alchemist starts commenting about feeling better about getting something off his chest, and Tajikarao says that while the ride has been bumpy going along with Magami's thing, it turned out alright. Thunderbird then points at something and says it looks like the ancient wolf has blessed you guys with good fortune.
Thunderbird points out to three modern boats floating in the water that streams into the cave all lined up together, and Tajikarao cheers about them belonging to the party. He also starts figuring out that their presence means that the overworld shift lifting is connecting back to the original mountain you guys were on. Magami figures the same thing and suggests taking the boats out before the shift disappears. Everyone climbs aboard and starts rowing out, and you lead the party by saying it's time to make your triumphant return back, end the adventure, and pass these summer memories down to legends. The party cheers back in response, and silence fills the cave as you all leave. This summer incident has come to a close, and what has transpired will rest peacefully in your memories. To be continued in the Epilogue!
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