The sidequests in Scarlet Nexus are rather unimaginative, but aren’t usually difficult either. There’s not too much trouble keeping on top of them throughout the standby phases, which also offer a good chance to stock up on materials and keep your levels ticking over.
That is, until the ‘Going to Togestu’ quest is unlocked in Standby Phase 8, requiring you to beat five Session Pounds whilst Brain Drive is active. The quest is undoubtedly one of the most difficult to complete at the time it becomes available, and is likely the first time you’ve ran into a serious problem with any of the sidequests – especially if you’re playing Yuito’s route.
Never fear – here is everything you need to know to beat five Session Pounds during Brain Drive and complete the ‘Going to Togetsu’ quest.
How do you unlock ‘Going to Togetsu’?
You’re likely here because you’ve already taken it on and realised how tricky it is. However, on the off-chance you’re on the lookout, this is unlocked in Musubi’s during Standby Phase 8 of either route. There’s a person around the far corner called ‘Togetsu Faith Hopeful’ who will give you the Session Pound quest.
Why aren’t my kills counting?
Session Pounds chase you down before exploding of their own accord, and for the purposes of the quest these kills do not count.
In order for them to register towards the quest completion, you have to kill the Session Pounds before they explode, which makes it considerably more difficult.
This is pretty annoying since the screen tells you you’ve killed them and rewards you with the EXP, but apparently this isn’t enough. Deaths recorded within Brain Field don’t count either, even if it was activated during Brain Drive.
Where is the best place to take on Session Pounds?
Since Brain Drive activates automatically, it can be difficult to pick out the best spot. Fortunately, there’s a perfect area that takes care of this.
Fast travel to Hieno Mountain and go to the ‘Around Togetsu’ area. Run forward into the clearing, where a bunch of Others will appear. None of these will be Session Pounds, but that’s OK.
There are actually just enough enemies here to charge up the Brain Drive gauge just below full capacity – whatever you do, do not let Brain Drive activate here. If you see it’s getting close, then lay off and just use standard attacks to finish off the final enemies.
Once you’ve beaten them, preferably with about 85-90% of your Brain Drive gauge filled, head forwards to the next narrow pathway and use psychokinesis to grab the gimmick item, which effectively acts as a surfboard. Fly through and kill as many of the enemies as possible. This should charge up Brain Drive to 100% but as long as you are on the board, it will not activate. By the end of this section, you will have a full Brain Drive gauge that is primed and ready to activate during the next fight.
There is a save point just ahead, followed by another clearing with plenty of Session Pounds. Save your game as the Brain Drive gauge stays exactly where it is when you reload. Now, as soon as you perform one psychokinesis attack you should commence Brain Drive and have the chance to complete the quest.
How to beat it during Standby Phase 8 of Yuito’s route
Firstly, it’s worth noting this quest is far more difficult on Yuito’s route and I would suggest leaving this altogether until the next phase (the quests carry over). During Standby Phase 8, you’ve got access to Pyrokinesis, Teleportation, Sclerokinesis and Clairvoyance. The only one of these powers of any use is clairvoyance, which can help deplete their crush gauge more effectively. Skip to the section below if you’re already past this point.
It’s possible to beat them, but at normal levels it’ll likely take many run-throughs of the above segment to rack up all five kills. It’ll also be virtually impossible without learning the Psychokinesis Finish ability in the Brain Map. Without spoiling anything, on the next standby phase you will have access to many powers that are more useful for this quest.
If you’re indeed determined to clear this during Standby Phase 8, the most effective way to take them down is to activate clairvoyance, then hit one of them with Yuito’s psychokinesis which should activate Brain Drive. As soon as they plummet to the ground, hit them with a psychokinesis finish (learned in the Brain Map). If this isn’t enough to reduce their crush gauge, you can just about fit in a Combo Vision to get it down to zero. Hammer the button to perform a brain crush as soon as the Combo Vision is activated, and you might just get there in time.
Now run away to collect yourself, charge up your psychokinesis and clairvoyance before tackling the next one. Since the Session Pounds come thick and fast, it is still going to be very difficult to get this done in one go. On a brighter note, it’s actually good way to gain some serious EXP and unlock some extra skills in the Brain Map.
Despite these tips, I will reiterate – on Yuito’s route, I recommend leaving this quest until the next standby phase.
The best tactics to clear the ‘Going to Togetsu’ quest
If you’re on Kasane’s route, or tackling this on phase 9 or beyond on Yuito’s route, the quest can be beaten far easier due to the specific powers available – invisibility, duplication and hypervelocity are all handy for this quest. It is also recommended to equip the Enhance Crush plug-in beforehand if you have it. Don’t fret if you haven’t got it though.
Follow the exact guidance above by travelling to ‘Around Togestu’ in Hieno Mountain and saving your game prior to the clearing with Session Pounds. There’ll be three waiting for you in plain sight.
By now, you should also have the ability to activate two SAS powers concurrently, but if not the quest is still achievable.
If you have learnt Concurrent SAS Activation
If you have access to multiple powers, activate Kagero’s invisibility and Kyoka’s duplication and approach the Session Pounds waiting in the clearing. Lock onto a Session Pound and hit them with a psychokinesis projectile, which will be duplicated and count as a surprise attack. Brain Drive should activate here.
Follow up with a duplicated Psychokinesis Finish and you should be able to Brain Crush them to death. If not, quickly activate Arashi’s hypervelocity before they explode and fit in as many psychokinesis attacks as possible. This should be ample opportunity to trigger a Brain Crush and finish them off. You could also opt for Shiden’s Electrokinesis and you should be able to shock them before Arashi’s power runs out, nabbing some extra time.
With four concurrent powers at your disposal, you can activate invisibility again for another surprise attack even when they’re knocked down. From phase 9 onwards (in either route) you’ll also have clairvoyance to give another boost to the brain crush damage. With invisibility, duplication, hypervelocity and clairvoyance, you should easily be able to destroy the Session Pounds.
Once your first Session Pound is beaten, run away until your SAS powers sufficiently charge back up. You probably won’t need to use too much of the gauge, and it’s also handy if you’ve learned the Brain Map ability to replenish SAS when a Brain Crush is performed.
If you have not learnt Concurrent SAS Activation
If you don’t have concurrent SAS abilities yet, then I would suggest prioritising this in the Brain Map going forward. Otherwise, I’d suggest the best way is to start with invisibility, hit with a surprise attack and then activate hypervelocity straight away. Attack with psychokinesis finish and follow up with as many psychokinesis projectiles as you can. A Combo Vision is also there to do the business if necessary (anyone but Arashi’s!).
The downside here is that hypervelocity runs out pretty fast, and you’ll likely need a full gauge to take down one Session Pound. As such, it’s worth activating invisibility again to let it charge back up as much as possible, or even a SAS refuelling drink if you’re living vicariously. Then spring a surprise attack on the next one and repeat.
Even with these tips it’s tough to clear it in one go, since the Brain Drive gauge will run down. If not, then simply fast travel to a different area outside of Hieno Mountain, and then straight back to the ‘Around Togetsu’ area, causing all of the enemies to respawn. Follow the exact same advice and you can probably get it done within two stints.
Conclusion
The ‘Going to Togestu’ Session Pound quest is a frustrating one, but it’s more than doable if you follow the above tips. You’ll be rewarded with Full-Face Mask, which is a cosmetic item that doesn’t exactly feel like it’s worth the effort, but nonetheless it’s another quest ticked off the list.
Check out our Scarlet Nexus review here.
