Musubi Ending:

Learn how to navigate the Musubi Ending path in Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster, including optional boss fights against Mara and Black Rider.

Alright, so you're looking to wrap things up with the Musubi Ending, huh? First things first, you'll need to chat with Hijiri. But before we do that, we've got a couple of optional baddies to take down. Let's head over to Shibuya!

3.f. Shibuya

Over in Shibuya, specifically at the Hachiko Intersection, make your way to the far north. You'll find a door tucked away behind the central building (the Strip Mall). If you try to go in now, you'll get a message saying, "A ceremony is being prepared. It seems fishy..." and get kicked out. Just wander around until Kagutsuchi is at FULL, then head back to that door. A scene will play out with two Manikins and a Baphomet. If you pick the second dialogue option, you'll leave. But if you go for the first, you'll have to fight a special version of Mara!

Optional Boss: Tyrant Mara	HP: 2,300	MP: 3,000	Press Turns: 2
Skills:	Affinity:
- Dismal Tune	Phys - 100%
- Marin Karin	Fire - 50%
- Hades Blast	Ice - 50%
- Diarahan	Elec - 50%
- Hell Thrust	Force - 50%
- Dekaja	Almighty - 100%
- Mazanma	Expel - Null
- Makajamon	Death - Repel
	Mind - Null
	Nerve - Null
	Curse - Null

Note: Mara is immune to Shock and Freeze.

Mara gets 2 Press Turns, and he'll often blow one on Diarahan. This means you're basically trying to burn through his 2,300 HP in one go. That's tough if you're underleveled! Hades Blast is a super powerful Phys skill with a high crit chance, so bring something that resists Phys like Gaea, Vimana, or Murakumo. If you don't have those, Kamudo works, but it leaves you vulnerable to ailments from his Makajamon and Dismal Tune. Even with Gaea, I was taking around 350 damage from Hades Blast.

Dismal Tune might not be the flashiest skill, but it can still hit hard if you're weak, and it has a chance to inflict Mute. I was taking about 200 damage from it. Hell Thrust can be strong, but it misses a lot. If you use Sukunda or Fog Breath, he'll whiff on it most of the time. Bringing Daisoujou is a great idea here; he absorbs Dismal Tune and Marin Karin, and can heal any ailments.

Here are a couple of ways to make this fight easier when you're low level:

1. Use Taunt twice on Mara, then keep using Attack Mirror or Tetrakarn every turn. If he uses Hades Blast while Taunted twice, he'll hit himself for over 1,000 damage per hit. Since Hades Blast hits everyone, he'll take about 4,000 damage and go down fast.
2. Play defensively. Use Tarunda/War Cry and Sukunda/Fog Breath to lower his accuracy and attack. Then, just wait for him to run out of MP. Using Rakunda four times and then spamming Mana Drain, Life Drain, or Daisoujou's Meditation will help. Once his MP is gone, he'll waste turns trying to use Diarahan. Just attack until he's defeated. Don't let your guard down though, he can still get lucky with Hades Blast.

EXP: 5,000	Macca: 20,000	Drop: Great Chakra

Yep, that's 20,000 Macca! After you beat him, you'll get the Muspell Magatama. Head back to a terminal, save, heal up, and if you've already dealt with the Red Rider, let's move on to Shinjuku Medical Center for the next Fiend.

3.g. Shinjuku Medical Center

Make your way to the Annex 2F. From the terminal, go west through the door, then take the first corridor north. Room 204B is at the end of that hall.

Optional Boss: Fiend Black Rider	HP: 4,600	MP: 1,800	Press Turns: 2
Skills:	Affinity:
- Soul Divide	Phys - 100%
- Glacial Blast	Fire - 100%
- Megidola	Ice - Drain
- Megidolaon	Elec - 100%
- Dekaja	Force - 100%
- Dragon Eye	Almighty - 100%
- Call Souls	Expel - Null
	Death - Null
	Mind - Null
	Nerve - Null
	Curse - Null

Minion: Haunt Legion	HP: 456	MP: 180	Press Turns: 1
Skills:	Affinity:
- Hell Gaze	Phys - 100%
- Mamudoon	Fire - 100%
- Deathtouch	Ice - 100%
- Tetrakarn	Elec - 150%
- Tempest	Force - 100%
- Makakaja	Almighty - 100%
	Expel - 150%
	Death - Repel
	Mind - 20%
	Nerve - 20%
	Curse - 20%

You absolutely need Djed for this fight. Seriously, no other option. I hope you've been putting points into your Ma stat because Megidola hits hard, and Megidolaon is even worse. Soul Divide cuts everyone's current HP in half and has a 100% chance to Mute. Since it's Curse-type, Djed makes you immune. Glacial Blast is like the ice version of Red Rider's Bolt Storm – powerful and can inflict Freeze, which is way more annoying than Shock.

The Legions will spam Makakaja, so either Mute them or have someone with Dekaja/War Cry/Tarunda. When they're not buffing, they'll use Tempest, so bring someone who resists physical attacks or use War Cry. Fiends are great here since they're usually immune to Curse (Daisoujou even absorbs it!) and some learn Dekaja. Black Rider uses Dekaja sparingly, but he doesn't have Dekunda, so go wild with your debuffs. Two Fog Breaths are usually enough, but feel free to add Taunt or Rakunda if you want.