somewhat rough.

Guide yourself through the treacherous Nihilo headquarters, uncover Hikawa's plan, and face the consequences of your choices in Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster.

Alright, so you've made it to the main entrance of Nihilo headquarters. Don't expect any resistance here; the Mantra forces are already gone, and they're pretty sure Nihilo's toast. Nobody's seen the human leaders, though. Head down to B1F using the elevator to catch some more Mantra guys bragging, then take it down to B2F to push deeper into the complex. That corridor leading out of the main core area? Yeah, it's a mess – unstable and spinning. Just ignore it for now.

Once you enter the main core, you'll find Hijiri hanging out. He's sorry about trapping you in the Amara network, but hey, it led him right to this base! He explains that the Mantra army's attack was actually a good thing for him, letting him sneak in unnoticed. He'll ask if you've really joined the Mantra Army. Telling him 'yes' will shift your alignment 8 points towards Yosuga. If you say 'no', you'll get 4 points towards both Shijima and Musubi. Choose wisely!

Hijiri reveals that the entire room is actually a massive Magatsuhi collector, which was damaged in the attack. He figures the Mantra forces left without realizing it was a trap set by Hikawa. He also noticed something weird about the Magatsuhi flow, suspecting this isn't the true core and that Hikawa is likely holed up with the real source elsewhere in the building. Suddenly, the room shakes violently. Hijiri decides it's too dangerous to continue, and though he'd love to punch Hikawa himself, he knows he can't reach him. He tells you the lock on that spinning passage has just been opened and leaves you to deal with Hikawa if you choose to pursue him.

After that, take the elevator at the end of the now-accessible hall down to B10. Follow the tunnel, and you'll stumble upon a Koppa-Tengu chatting with an Incubus. They're having a good laugh at how easily the Mantra forces were fooled. The Incubus remarks that their obsession with power is useless without knowledge, and then they spot you. "I don't know where you came from, but it looks like there was someone with a working brain after all," the Incubus says. They assume you're here to bring Hikawa's head back. The Koppa-Tengu, who apparently never got a chance to fight, decides to take its frustration out on you.