> Ichirin: Check everyone's skills.That would take forever, so you just take a quick look at your own SKILL THICKET.
Your SKILL THICKET is pretty straightforward and nicely organized.
The RACE STONES in one's SKILL THICKET alter the cost of various SKILL TREES. Some SKILL TREES, such as Nue's SHAPETECH, are basically unaffordable without a relevant RACE STONE. You can't do anything to these stones, but they will automatically update if you somehow change your race. Being a normal human-shaped YOUKAI, you don't have many particular racial specializations.
EXPERIENCE MOSS grows when you don't fiddle around with your build by MULCHING BRANCHES from your SKILL TREES for a while. You've been very diligent with planning your build, so you have FULL MOSS, granting you a modest EXPERIENCE RATE BOOST.
BUDDHATECH is your main SKILL TREE, naturally, although it's not your oldest one. You're as advanced as Shou in it! Won't be long before you unlock the THREE JEWELS skillset, now.
DUOTECH is the SKILL TREE involved with having two party members function as one. It costs a lot of points and both members need to have it, but it makes you more powerful than a normal character of your level, although it does mean you and Unzan can't take individual turns. This is fine, since you usually have enough allies to fill the party anyway.
A neat feature of DUOTECH is that if you and Unzan get separated, you can join with anyone else that has DUOTECH, not just each other.
The two of you can split up and act on your own turns if you choose, but you're stronger together since you've both invested so heavily in this tree. In fact, you fully intend to put even more points into it, but before you can go any higher you need to have some more SKILL TREES besides DUOTECH in common. That's why Unzan has started on BUDDHATECH, while you're working on FISTTECH. When you master this, you'll be able to use all your skills twice per turn!
Your FISTTECH SKILL TREE has a long way to go, but Shou and Minamitsu have been helping you train your physical skills, so it should start becoming more robust shortly. You've gotten a nice HP boost, at least.
The last SKILL TREE you have is a FASHIONTECH SAPLING. You don't have any points in it, but it was much cheaper to plant than most SKILL SAPLINGS, so you did it to gain the FASHION SENSE and INSTANT OUTFIT CHANGE passives that come with it.
Investing further in FASHIONTECH would grant you abilities such as using your clothes as a weapon or gaining powers based on your current outfit. This sounds INCREDIBLY FUN, but Nazrin looked the tree over and did the numbers and insisted that it is a suboptimal choice.
Oh well. Maybe they'll buff it in a later patch.
> Ichirin: Wonder if Miko is a Saint too.You're pretty sure her sainthood is just a historical thing, and not even an accurate one, since she was actually a Taoist all along! You don't know what her class is, and you don't really care.
> Ichirin: Be like Byakuren.That's pretty much what you're already trying to do 24/7.
> Ichirin: Group hug.
You all gather round to comfort Byakuren, although a wound like this will heal pretty much instantly for her. Her magic-enhanced body is very sturdy.
Byakuren tells you that she is glad you gave peace a chance. You feel happy to receive Byakuren's praise, which is far more valuable than any amount of EXPERIENCE POINTS.
> Unzan: See if the troll dropped anything.
While the girls are busy TALKING ABOUT THEIR FEELINGS and whatnot, you notice what appears to be a note scribbled on a cocktail napkin.
> Unzan: Read.
According to this NAPKIN-SCRAWLED FRIENDLY THREATENING LETTER, the troll, PARSEE, is an acquaintance of YUUGI HOSHIGUMA herself. However, she seems to have gone against Yuugi's request and elected to FIGHT OFF every visitor she encountered instead. What an ungracious friend! She needs a THOROUGH SCOLDING.
Maybe you'll see her at the party if Yuugi intends to make good on her threat (HINT: Oni always make good on their threats).
> Ichirin: Get to the party!It doesn't take long to reach Former Hell from the bridge.
[
BGM ]
You've finally arrived, and BOY HOWDY, is that a huge party! With the number of people that have come and all the stands set up in the street, it's really more like a big festival. You can even see the stage they've set up for Yamame to perform on!
You are TOTALLY PSYCHED. What to do first!?
> _
