Uh, is sword fusion broken in SMTVX? Kusanagi + Sylph ain't working...took me a while to get that Sylph too...
Maybe a bug from the translation patch, idk.
>>532808086
Any time you see something about a pillar, or a body part of Masakado, make damn sure you make some sort of note on it, cause you WILL need to go back there later. Also, the factory overworld has bodyconians which give an abnormal amount of MAG, so it's a great grinding spot.
Dunno how to help with your immediate survival troubles. Maybe if it's a particular type of enemy giving you shit, try recruiting or fusing one of those so you can easily talk through those encounters?
2 is my favorite in the franchise world/atmosphere wise, though it's definitely a downgrade on the gameplay aspect unfortunately.