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As the protagonist heads north and takes the left path of the first fork encountered in Da'at (the Netherworld), they will find the first of many subquests in Shin Megami Tensei 5. If players go through a cavern just past a passive and seated Mokoi (who they can talk to for some non-essential dialogue), one can find a group of purple-skinned Preta demons.
The leader of these haunting humanoids will ask the player to seek out some other Pretas who went off to find some food. Accepting this request will begin the first subquest that most will encounter in Shin Megami Tensei 5, known as "A Preta Predicament". This mission can only be completed after exploring further into the right path of Da'at, so don't worry about it until finding a couple more Leyline Founts along that route.
Step 1 - Find The 1st Of The 2 Missing Petra
To find the 1st missing Petra that went out to find food, players will need to head to the area around the 2nd Leyline Fount in the Mita area. The Petra demon will be sitting down while facing a tree within sight of the Mita Leyline Fount. They will have a dialogue box above their head, which can also be seen on the minimap.
Talking to them will update the subquest and will give a hint regarding where to find the 2nd of the 2 missing Petra. This will involve players traveling even further into Da'at, so keep progressing through this location organically until the protagonist reaches the 3rd Leyline Fount in the area.
Step 2 - Find The 2nd Of The 2 Missing Petra
The other missing Petra will be found east of the 3rd Leyline Fount, which is in the Shiba area. The Petra demon, and many other passive ones of all kinds, will be hanging out in a cave-like area worshipping a more powerful demon: Aspara.
The Petra that's needed for the subquest will conveniently be by the entrance and have a dialogue box above their head. Talking to them will result in the protagonist getting an item called a Sake and Dango Medley. This is the food that the Petra was supposed to return with, however, they no longer wish to return to their brethren because they now want to spend their time worshipping Aspara.
After getting the Sake and Dango Medley, the player should head back to the Petra leader in that cave on the left path of Da'at. The quickest way would be to fast travel using the Leyline Founts.
Step 3 - Deliver The Food To The Petra Leader & Prepare For A Fight
Before talking with the Preta leader and giving them the Sake and Dango Medley, players should make sure to fully heal themselves and restore MP, as the haunting Petra demons will attack after some dialogue. The Pretas will happily accept the food, but will not be satisfied, so they will try to consume the player, which will initiate combat. In this battle, 6 Petra demons will attack at once, so be ready for a rumble.
How To Beat The Gang Of Petra Demons
Petras are weak to Electric and Force attacks, so use skills of these elements. Landing a successful strike on an enemy with an element that they are weak to will give players another turn in that round, which is very handy for dealing with large groups of foes. Be sure to take out as many of the Petras as possible on round 1, as their counterattack can be punishing if there are many of them remaining.
It would also be helpful to have at least 1 party member with a healing skill like Dia, as one's party will inevitably take a few hits in this battle due to how many enemies there are.
After Beating The Petra Demon Gang
Following the fight, players will receive 100 experience points for all party members as well as the Haunt Talisman as their subquest completion reward. The Petras will lay stunned near their campfire, no longer any threat. They will lament about their hunger once more, however, there's nothing left that the protagonist can do for them, so it would be best to move on.
Shin Megami Tensei 5 is available on the Nintendo Switch.