Ughhhh.

is someone unhappy

Well, obviously. Those dogs of the American military have committed an act of outright aggression. Who could be happy about something like that?

Also, my father's missing again. I'm worried about him.

You know that guy. He's a cockroach! The real question is what silly situation we'll find him in this time.

Perhaps he'll be underground this time? Casually ducking between... oh, I don't know. One of those dinosaurs with the shields?

Man I hope it's not one of the earthquake guys, being in their legs might be bad.

Hel-LOOOOO~

Ah. Hello, Mio. Richter.

We don't know when our next time to do it will be in all this business, so we have a request to evaluate how your abilities have changed since your...

Does that have a name?

The Bullshit Procedure, you mean?

Is that what it's called?

No, Richter, that's a joke. He hasn't named it yet. Perhaps something ostentatious like a, "Weber-style full-body bypass prevention?"

The point is, we've got you some kindling! You wanna burn some stuff?

Sure.

I'M NOT MISSING THIS ONE

yisssssssssssssssssssss.

Unremarkable Changes

Accuracy

Skill Changes

I suppose I should start by saying that since the fundamental underpinning of how my abilities interact with my body are now different, I've obviously lost a fair amount of precision in getting used to it again.

My body feels a bit more distinct in how my powers operate. Specifically, whereas before I could flex essentially the same 'muscle' to perform any manner of particle manipulation, there's more detail to it. Pyrokinesis happens one way, cryokinesis another.

Is that harder?

I would describe it as simply 'different'. Frankly, it seems as though it gives me a higher upper ceiling for skill. It means I can do those things simultaneously.

Psychics in 2020-II, broadly, build Exhaust slightly slower on single targets, and considerably slower on multiple targets. Hitting three enemies with a spell now gives 3% Exhaust, rather than 4.5%. Not a significant nerf, but still a nerf.

Decoy Mirror being an initial skill is a very nice quality-of-life thing, especially since it still retains the property of "the shield being overkilled doesn't affect the user."

Noteworthy Changes

Tier 1 Skills

Energy Pillar



Deals ranged MAT-based damage. Can target one enemy or all enemies.

New skill.

When I was getting used to these particular muscles in my mind again, I'd oftentimes practice with a simple lift—a temporary acceleration of an area's particles that wasn't strong enough to cause a fire, but still strong enough to deal damage to objects. You could call it a similar discipline to telekinesis.

Whoa! You have telekinesis now?

nah all she has is the power to throw me to the floor from our couch

I could do more than that. But I can do that.

It's not very tactically useful, but it was a good, low-investment way for me to get used to things again.

There is no reason to ever use this skill and I do not know why it exists. It's fundamentally the same as Flame and Freeze but costs more SP and can't hit weaknesses, and no enemies that resist both Fire and Ice exist in the period before you get to Tier 2.

It's utterly baffling. I almost wonder if the SP costs or damage values got accidentally copied from another skill or something.

Tier 2 Skills

Shock



Deals ranged MAT-based lightning damage. Can target one enemy or all enemies.

Changes:

Lightning's something I've had a bit more trouble re-learning, since it's obviously a bit more complex than simply lighting something on fire. It requires a few different skills for me to do properly, and I haven't yet mastered that.

The odd thing is, I've been getting the feeling from reading the reports on some of the more modern Dragon varieties, and they appear to be slightly less electrically conductive on average?

What? How does that make sense?

Lightning was basically non-elemental in the first game, but in the second game, more things resist it to varying degrees, and there are even a scant few enemies weak to it! As such, it's been nerfed slightly to account for it not just being the shoot gun button anymore.

Tier 3 Skills

Air Spear



Deals ranged MAT-based aerial damage. Can target one enemy or all enemies.

New skill.

That said, I have thought about using particle acceleration in some novel ways. I've been working on attempting projectiles of hardened wind.

What, like you pull out a spear made of air and you huck it at someone?

...That's not a bad idea, no. Might be good for the aerodynamics of keeping a vortex going.

It's like Plasma Jolt, but it traded some availability for a slightly higher damage cap and multi-target capabilities.

Preresurrection



Places a buff on one party member that, upon that party member taking fatal damage, will prevent them from dying, and set their LIFE to a certain value.

Preresurrection does not have a set duration, and will last until it activates. Upon activation, the buff is dispelled.

New skill.

Since my particle acceleration abilities have diversified, I've been practicing diversifying my healing portfolio as well. I believe I've managed to alter the placement of my 'veil' such that my cognitive energy may be able to take a blow or two for you all, as well.

Ah, I see. Cushioning the blow with an invisible overlay of cognitive energy?

...It's not in practice yet, mind you. But yes.

please cushion me with your cognitive energy

I can do that when we're not in polite company.

W-wait what is that a thing

This one's a nice little toy to have in your back pocket. It's basically the same as Youka's Death's Door, but like... targetable. Plus it's cheap as hell.

A meager 2000 SP cost and 2 MANA cost make this a no-brainer for psychics that are handling more support-ish duties.

Tier 4 Skills

Bolt Avenge



Deals ranged MAT-based lightning damage. Can target one enemy or all enemies.

Changes:

Ideally, I won't run out of gas completely like I did on our way to Niara again. Ensuring my body still has resources to work with is the whole reason I went through that process, so...

I don't know if I'll be doing much shooting lightning. I'd rather find better things to do.

With all due respect... such as?

Oh, I'm sure I'll find something or another.

Even if this skill hadn't been nerfed a bunch, it would still be utterly irrelevant because of a Very Normal skill they added.

Vortex



Deals ranged MAT-based aerial damage. Can target one enemy or all enemies.

New skill.

So this whole pressurized air thing. What's that good for, you think?

Beings without their feet on the ground. It would give me the precision I lack to ensure I hit my target.

I missed once, and it nearly got me killed. I'm not letting that happen.

Against Lore-A-Lua, you mean?

Yes.

Hit or miss, I guess she sometimes misses, huh?

This is the eighth time you've said that in relation to this subject since I started practicing it and you still won't tell me what it means.

correct

This skill is NOT invalidated by the next skill, and is in fact great for followups with Chisa on Aerial-weak enemies along with being a good damage spell. It's got some uses!

There's a good amount of enemies that are weak to aerial damage pretty much throughout the entire game. I honestly wish I had Vortex learned in my recent run, it would've been useful.

Frostburn



Deals ranged MAT-based damage to one enemy. Attempts to inflict burn, freeze, and paralysis on the target.

New skill.

So what were you thinking instead of that?

Well, since I have these separate muscles to twitch now, I was thinking perhaps I might attempt to cause damage to my enemies' bodies through the application of simultaneous particle acceleration and deceleration.

What?

I've been theorizing that by creating localized superheated and superchilled zones and applying them simultaneously to an enemy. A sudden and extreme change in temperature harms the body, you know.



Sumie?

Yes. She is attempting to learn how to cast Antipode Bomb in real life.

Oh my god. What?

Yes. It's awesome. I have the coolest girlfriend who exists.

I AM MOST POWAR HA HA HA

Anyway, so the downsides of Frostburn are that because it's non-elemental, it can't cause followups with Woodwind Duet. That's the downside. The upside is everything else.

This skill is ridiculously broken. It's the strongest skill in Koron's entire arsenal save Dark Invasion, being equal in power to Bolt Avenge in the first game... while costing 4 Mana to Avenge's 20... and having three separate status riders. Three! And look at those numbers! That's a fucked up Paralysis!

Once Koron unlocks this she's gonna be hurling it for the rest of the game, and if you play this game with a Psychic, you should do that, too. Frostburn is stupid. From the moment you unlock it it's stupid and it only becomes more stupid as you level up. It is patently absurd. Normal Skill. Very Normal Skill.

If whatever you're hitting doesn't have a weakness, then Frostburn is your best choice. Even if they have a weakness...look at that fucking chance for paralysis to nullify actions!

Hell, there's even an argument to be made that cycling through Concentrate into Frostburn is worse than just spamming Frostburn every turn, since while Concentrate would still overall boost your psychic's damage per turn, it means you're getting half the infliction attempts for all of Frostburn's ailments. It's also basically the only skill worth using with Concentrate that makes Concentrate massively MANA-negative, costing 20 MN for a cycle compared to 8 MN for just using Frostburn twice.

Still. I think I'd like to be able to do something a bit more effective for you all.

How do you mean? You're a greatly effective medic.

Sure, but when it comes to getting everyone back up on their feet, I'm usually playing second fiddle to you. And...

Well. I've had reason in recent times to reconsider my own attitude towards my abilities.

Namely, Sumie yells at me any time I put myself down for my past transgressions—

Ahp! You didn't do anything wrong.

See?

So as I've been relearning this all from scratch, I've been trying to have a bit of faith in her. See if perhaps I do have the capacity for some show of unadulterated kindness.

I haven't figured it out yet. I'm much better at causing explosions.

Whatever makes you happy, Koron.

I do enjoy burning Dragons.

Super EX Skill

Miracle Cure



Fully restores all party members' LIFE, revives any dead party members, and cures all ailments on all party members.

New skill.

Dark Invasion didn't take an offensive nerf at all, so it's just as effective as before—so Koron's new Exhaust toy is instead a 'get my party not dead' button. It does what it says on the tin. It heals Everything. It's a nice thing to have.

I grabbed Miracle Cure but did not use it. It probably combos well with Rescue React, since if your psychic is left standing while the other two party members bit it—probably through the use of Decoy Shield or something—you can burn the extra turn on getting both party members up, rather than only one, almost nullifying the action economy penalty associated with two player character deaths.

Alright, thank you, Koron. Let me go get these sorted properly and we can put them in the lockbox.

Of course. Happy to help.

Have fun, you crazy kids!



What do you suppose I'll be good for once all this fighting is over, Sumie?

What do you mean?

I have a more vindictive personality than might be proper for a 'hero'. I feel as though perhaps my kinder aspects may only be applicable in our unit itself. Once all this is over, I may just be an unpleasant old curmudgeon.

Koron. You're literally twenty-one years old.

And?

I'm older than you.

...Sometimes I forget that fact.

yeah same lol

But basically I think you have a lot more time left to figure out what you want to do with your life than you think you do? You've only really had your life for a few months now.

That's true. I was prepared to die as... something of a martyr, I suppose, so other patients with my condition could live and be free. But here I am.

Well, if nothing else occurs, I could always write philosophical tracts for some other enterprising young intellectual to find and obsess over, no?

Sounds great! Whoo!

Heh. You're a good person, Sumie. I don't think anyone could ever dispute that.

you're just biased 'cause you loooove meeee

We've managed to stay together this entire time, I should certainly hope I do.

...I'm really glad I have you.

You too.




...Do you... think everyone would be mad at me if I wasn't able to talk about all that yet? The Code, I mean. I'm sorry I haven't told you that story yet. It's kind of a long one.

Well. You know it's likely coming, yes? Once we re-obtain whatever form this thing takes, it's likely you'll have to say whatever it is you're not telling me.

Mmhm.

I think everyone understands. I do. You aren't keeping a secret out of malice. It'll come out when it comes out.

thank you. i'm glad you get it. i'll be ready when it's time.

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