Rulez (Week 2, Day 1)

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or character details follow.

Joshua, Day 1
Title	Rulez
Protagonists	Neku, Joshua
In-Game Description	Neku, forced to replay the Game, scrambles to find another partner and a fighting chance...
Objective	x=30+74
Previous day	Shiki, Day 7
Next day	Joshua, Day 2

"Tradition? Tradition is garbage! CRUNCH! I'll add it to the heap! This is my Game. And I only allow two things. Flawless calculations... and beauty!"

— Sho Minamimoto on the second Game

Rulez is a day in The World Ends with You. For its corresponding episode in The Animation, see Reapers (Episode).

Events

• Neku, forced to play the Game for a second time, makes a pact with Joshua.
• The Reapers are ordered on standby.
• Neku and Joshua meet the Game Master, Sho Minamimoto. He recognizes Neku and speaks cryptically to them.

Plot

Neku gets the mission mail, worded like an algebra question. He's in his second Game after the Conductor Megumi Kitaniji only let his partner Shiki Misaki come back to life. Wanting to find a strong partner, Neku goes to the Statue of Hachiko.

Uzuki and Kariya discuss working two weeks in a row on a rooftop when they receive orders from the GM to stay put. Uzuki is furious over the GM's cryptic behaviour, but Kariya doesn't mind, saying he must have some crazy plan that requires them to be inactive.

Neku and Joshua's pact.

At Hachiko, Neku is attacked by Carcinofolk. Suddenly a pact he doesn't know about is confirmed, and he is thrown into battle. His new partner introduces himself as Yoshiya "Joshua" Kiryu - Neku finds him shady and insufferable. Joshua states he's been watching Neku despite being new to the UG, and Neku can Scan his thoughts about about Udagawa Back Streets when Players usually can't be scanned due to their Player Pins. Joshua teaches Neku the mission mail is asking them to reach 104 (30 plus 74 equals 104) and how his psychs work.

At 104, they find a massive junk heap. Someone starts yelling at the Players for being zetta slow and Neku sees it's Sho Minamimoto, the Game Master at the top of it, who immediately gives Neku a headache. He recognises Neku, yells cryptic math terms at both of them, and declares that his Game will go against tradition and rules when Joshua says its unconventional for Game Masters to appear on Day 1. After attacking them with Noise, Joshua asks Neku if he's excited, and assures him they'll cruise through the week with Neku's psychs, Joshua's intelligence, and their teamwork. Annoyed, Neku tells Shiki to hang in there and he'll do whatever it takes for her.

Walkthrough

When Neku resolves to find a strong partner, move from the Scramble to the Statue of Hachiko. There, Joshua makes a pact with Neku and they will be thrown into a fight with Carcinofolk; defeat them, then Joshua will talk to Neku, asking him to scan the area. Scan, then select Joshua's thought fragments.

After the cutscene, go to the Scramble and talk to the Reaper. He'll summon some Carcinofolk, which serves as a tutorial for Joshua's battle style and fusions. Defeat the Carcinofolk and choose "That's enough", and the Reaper will let down the wall to 104. At the 104 Building, the Game Master, Sho Minamimoto, appears. He attacks with a Dub Rhino. Defeat the Dub Rhino to finish the chapter.

Noise

No.	Pic.	Noise	Location
02		Bigbanfrog	Scramble Crossing
10		Bigbansprog	Scramble Crossing
15		Mosh Grizzly	Statue of Hachiko
20		Thrash Mink	Statue of Hachiko, Scramble Crossing
33		Hard Corehog	Scramble Crossing
51		Dub Rhino	104 Building (Boss)
53		Carcinofolk	Statue of Hachiko, Scramble Crossing
56		Carcinosamps	Scramble Crossing
58		Decadraven	Scramble Crossing

Rewards

Main Story Rewards

Event	First Playthrough	Replay
Win first battle with Joshua	(S) High & Low Cards (DS) (S) Joshua (Remix) (S) Sidestep (DS) (S) Gauge Extender Joshua (Remix) (S) Fusion Boost Joshua	500 Yen
Scan Joshua and see his tutorial	(S) Joshua: Co-op (Final Remix only)	None
Clear wall to 104 Building	(B) CONTROLS / Press Long Live the Ice 5,000 Yen	Long Live the Ice 5,000 Yen
Defeat the Dub Rhino	(S) Hard Scarletite	500 Yen

Extra Rewards

Event	Reward
Examine Hachiko	Secret Box (Replay only)

Secret Box

Initial	Subsequent
Potted Plant	500 Yen

Secret Reports

1. Get the Potted plant. (Meet up with the secret)

Trivia

• Joshua uses Neku's name twice before in the same cutscene before actually asking for his name. This could be possible foreshadowing that he already knows Neku, or could've been an error.
  • This only appears in the English version; in Japanese, Joshua only uses Neku's name after he introduces himself to Joshua. In the English localization of The World Ends With You: Final Remix, this is taken out, implying a translation error.