April 18
Monday
Early Morning
Sunny
"Kurusu-kun?"
"Ms. Kawakami. How can I help you?"
"Mr. Nanba is looking for you outside."
"Thank you for letting me know."
Akira stood up from his seat and went outside to meet a middle-aged teacher.
"Kurusu-kun, I apologize for taking up your free time, but have you given any thought to what we previously discussed?"
"I have."
"Fantastic! Come, let's discuss this in the guidance room."
As the pair walked, Koretomo Nanba politely asked Akira how classes were going and if he had made any friends.
"…That's great. I'm glad that you're quickly adapting to Shujin. Oh? That was fast. Here's the guidance room, after—"
"Ah. Mr. Nanba, and Kurusu. Did he cause you any trouble Mr. Nanba? Considering his history, I wouldn't be surprised."
"Huh? No. On the contrary Mr. Kamoshida, I am here to ask Kurusu-kun a favor."
Akira took a moment to make eye contact with a familiar red-headed student.
"Hello, Senpai. Thank you again for your help."
"Like I said before, I did it because I wanted to," responded Akira.
"Hehe, I figured you'd respond that way," remarked the first year as she lightly giggled.
"Oh, you know this guy, Yoshizawa?"
"Yes, he lent me a helping hand earlier."
"I recommend you steer clear of his likes if you have any consideration for your future. Remember the discussion we just had? There are several students in this school you shouldn't get involved with…This one's at the top of the list."
"Oh, the delinquent transfer student…?"
Akira could feel the tight grip on his roiling fury loosen, but Mr. Nanba interjected before Akira could even open his mouth.
"Mr. Kamoshida, we were explicitly told not to disclose Kurusu-kun's personal information, even to…specially recruited students…Not to mention that Kurusu-kun has taken full advantage of his fresh start and stayed out of trouble."
Kamoshida, let alone Akira were surprised by Nanba.
"Uh…right. Anyway, I'd still recommend that you stay clear of him. You know what they say. 'Bad associations spoil useful habits. Excuse us, Mr. Nanba.'"
With those parting words, Kamoshida, Yoshizawa, and the accompanying staff member left. As she walked by Yoshizawa gave Akira an unreadable look, which Akira all but ignored as he was giving Kamoshida a frigid glare.
"…Jeez. What was that all about? Anyway, let's go in."
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{He's surprisingly more sincere than you initially believed.}
{…Or perhaps I had been prejudiced towards him from the beginning?}
{…}
{You don't have to answer Kippōshi…I am…aware of my own biases. But—}
{Awareness is only half the problem.}
{…At times, I hate how you can read me so well.}
{Haha, I am in many ways a manifestation of your soul. So, anything you—}
{Find annoying about you is likely what others find annoying about me. Or something like that, right?}
{Hahahaha, yeah…Something like that.}
{I'm just frustrated.}
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After School
Cloudy
Heading inside the library, Akira picked up a few books before inconspicuously heading up to the roof.
- - -
"Sup' dude."
"Hey Akira!"
"Yo."
"I'm here too!!"
Morgana practically leaped out of Akira's bag.
"Oh! Hi, Morgana."
"Hello, Lady Ann."
"Sup' cat."
"I'm not a cat!!"
The argument certainly fell short when it came from the mouth of what certainly appeared to be a Felis catus.
"…Anyways. What's our plan," queried Ann.
"Considering how new the three of you are at using your abilities, we should make our goal to carefully explore the castle. If everything works out, we should be done by early May."
Ryuji and Ann took a moment to consider Morgana's strategy, while Akira decided to speak up.
"Actually, I would prefer that we fully explore the castle and reach the treasure today."
"Woah, what!? Don't you think that it would be too difficult?"
"Maybe, but I would rather be in a position to steal the Treasure than constantly have to be wary of what Kamoshida will do…He's capable of anything."
"…I agree with Akira. The faster, the better."
"Yeah…but before we keep going. What even is a Treasure?"
Seeing that both Ryuji and Ann preferred Akira's plan, Morgana took a moment to adjust his mentality before explaining.
"A Treasure is the physical form of the Palace ruler's distorted desires. In other words, it's the core of the Palace. Once we steal it; the Palace will crumble…I think. Having said all that, even I don't know what Kamoshida's Treasure is going to be."
"So, where can we find it?"
"Unfortunately, Lady Ann, there's no way of knowing that until we go in and find out. But if I had to guess, I'd say he has it locked up somewhere in the depths of the Palace."
"Ok, I get it. Find the Treasure Room, find the Treasure, yeah?"
"Pretty much. There's just a lot we won't know until we go in…Like Ryuji said, we need to find the location of the Treasure within the Palace. Since our strategy is to locate it today, we'll make sure to focus on getting there quickly but stealthily…I expect great things from you guys."
Akira propped himself up and made eye contact with Ryuji, Morgana, and Ann respectively.
"Let's move out."
- - -
The quartet now in the Metaverse, walked towards Kamoshida's palace. Eventually, their clothes burst into ghastly blue flames before morphing into their respective thief's attire. Once, at the drawbridge, Akira noticed how both Ryuji and Morgana were sneaking glances at Ann. In their defense, her outfit was something that drew attention, but he hoped that they could control themselves so that the newest member of their team could feel more comfortable.
"But daaamn…"
"Hm? What's up, Ryuji?"
"N-Nothing. I was just thinkin' we should choose a code name for you too."
"A code name?"
Akira was impressed by how easily Ryuji recovered and managed to change the subject.
"I'm Lieutenant, that's Merlin, and he's Ace."
"Judging by your costume, Lady Ann…"
"I mean, she got that tail and stuff, so…What you think, Ace?"
"…Rouge."
While Morgana immediately understood, Ann and Ryuji were left confused.
"Uh…What?"
"Rouge…It's French for red. It seems obvious considering that our new member is mainly dressed in red, but I think it's a reflection of her inner rebellion. You can see but you can't touch? Am I close?"
"Y-Yeah. I didn't know how to describe before but you're right. It's my body and I can do what I please with it, no one else can decide that for me."
"How eloquent, Lady Ann."
"This cat…Whatever, so Rouge is cool with you?"
"I love it. From now on, call me Rouge."
"Alright. Let's move."
Making up the rear, Akira walked towards the open vent when a glowing blue door appeared to his right. To his surprise, Justine was there too.
"My master would like a word with you."
Suppressing the desire to ask how she was even here, Akira walked towards the now-opened blue door. Despite his increasing suspicions about the Velvet Room and its residents, he had not achieved the power needed to simply ignore Igor and his summons.
- - -
As he entered, two distinct sensations occurred. First, the power from the Metaverse seemed to dissipate. Second, a different force, a restrictive one, tightened around his very being.
"The prisoner Akira Kurusu has returned," declared Caroline.
"Well done. It seems you have remembered my words…You truly make it worth it to rehabilitate yourself."
"Why have you called me, Igor?"
"Hmm, how direct. But before I explain why, it is vital that you understand the importance of your rehabilitation. Only by encountering allies who share in your ideals and discover your fate, will I finally explain it all to you. Judging from your progress, such a day should not be far off. This time, I wish to introduce you to the aid we are providing."
"Aid?"
"Due to your potential in wielding the power of the Wild Card, you can handle more than one Persona. That power holds infinite possibilities. We will assist you in nurturing that potential. To that end, we must execute your Persona…But do not be alarmed. Personas are personalities that exist within you. Thus, you will only be discarding old personalities to have them be reborn as new ones. Hence, we shall call this process "execution". Think of it as a fusion of your Personas.
In front of Akira, a floating screen showing the arcana, level, and name of his Personas appeared.
"Before you begin. Allow me to tell you something of great importance. Do you remember how I mentioned forming bonds with Confidants? Personas are the power of the heart, The stronger those bonds the stronger your Personas will be. In other words, the effects of your bonds on execution... or fusion, if you will, are quite substantial. When you fuse a Persona that shares its arcana with one of your bonds, it will gain great power. This will be a guiding principle for your forays into fusion… Try not to forget it. Moreover, there is one thing I must warn you about. You cannot create a Persona that surpasses your current level. This is because the resulting Persona would be too powerful for you to handle effectively…at least for now. Now then, check the fusion results and choose a Persona that suits your stature."
Akira carefully digested the information Igor provided. It was clear that Igor was hinting that he should make more bonds and make them as strong as possible, but why? Would each bond he formed be forced to explore the Metaverse?
Deciding to put those thoughts aside, Akira refocused on the fusion screen. After some deliberation, he chose to fuse Jack-o-Lantern and Pixie into Incubus. He selected the Rakunda skill which provides an ally with increased defense for three turns before finalizing his fusion.
The Velvet Room's floor moved as Igor's desk was swiveled to the side while two guillotines rose from the ground. From the screen, two beams of light shot out and became the aforementioned Personas. Caroline and Justine covered the Personas before wrapping them in chains and readying them for execution.
After the two blades slid downwards and beheaded the Personas Akira watched with intrigue as blue, white, and black light from both Personas gathered in the center of the room and formed a new Persona.
"I'm Incubus. Now that you've got me within your mask, you're never gonna get a wink of sleep again!"
Incubus transformed into a mask before disappearing.
"Ah, how impressive…A stronger persona is born from the body and blood of the old. It shall be your new strength."
"I assume it will be useful in the Metaverse."
"Correct. The worth of your new power can only be evaluated in battle," confirmed Justine.
"Gather Personas, and bring them here. Gather a great many, execute them, and continue to give birth to even stronger Personas. Developing your powers as such will play an integral in the stand against ruin."
"So that your rehabilitation goes well, we have a variety of rituals to choose in regard to execution."
"And depending on the effort you put in, our Master might consider further development of new rituals. Cry your tears of joy, Inmate," explained the ever-pleasant Caroline.
"Your heart is steadily gaining the strength of rebellion. It seems your rehabilitation is proceeding smoothly—a joyous fact indeed. In anticipation of this, I have prepared a gift for you. I hope you shall accept it."
Akira felt the familiar sensation of a bond, but this time it seemed to grow stronger. Then, in his left eye, he felt a mysterious power enter. Unlike the energy that came from Caroline, Justine, and the entire Velvet Room, this felt like a power exclusively from Igor.
"That is a thief's skill, allowing one to tap into their sixth sense and see what is hidden in the dark. I believe you can handle it now. May you continue devoting yourself to further rehabilitation.
"…Now then, if you have any requests, we will heed them."
Akira adjusted himself to the new power that was concentrated within his left eye. He already planned to explore its use later and use Pneuma to probe if it was dangerous. After calming himself, Akira talked to Justine, and after examining the Compendium, which was essentially a save file of all his Personas, he decided to fuse more Personas later.
Along with Kippōshi, Incubus, the recently fused Persona, and two resummoned Personas, Jack-o-Lantern, and Pixie, Akira was ready to leave.
"I want to go back."
"Go back and enjoy your break!"
- - -
With Caroline's words, Akira disappeared from the Velvet Room and reappeared at Kamoshida's Palace.
"Ace. Is something wrong? You were just standing around all of a sudden."
{…Kippōshi. At least 15 minutes passed in the Velvet Room.}
{That I can confirm, but judging by what I sense, only a few seconds if even that have passed here. It's possible that time comes to a halt or slows down dramatically when in the Velvet Room.}
{That only makes me more frustrated. If I could trust Igor and the twins, then I could request to use the Velvet Room as a place to train.}
"I'm fine. I'm just organizing a few ideas, and I needed to take a moment."
"Sounds about right. Whatever you got schemin' I'm pretty sure it'll be of use inside the Palace."
"Hm, seems like I was needlessly worried. You're our trump card, Ace. We're counting on you."
"So, where do we start?"
"Let's head to the Safe Room in the West Building and we can strategize more from there."
"Uh, what's a safe room," asked Ann.
"I'll explain later, first, Ace take us there."
"I think I know what you're talking about…Is it something like this…"
Akira swept his cloak and as he caught the raised hem a shadow fully enveloped the thieves. With a quick spin, the shadow receded to reveal the group of four now in the safe room on the 1st floor of the West Building.
"Wait?!! WHAT!"
"What the eff? How'd the hell you do that?"
"I'm not exactly sure…"
"It's a unique ability linked to the Safe Rooms known as Quick Travel. In theory, anyone can do it, but it requires a sharp memory, clear intent, and ideally a cloak or a cape…don't ask why."
"Okay, crazy teleportation powers aside, what is this place," implored Ann.
"This is a gap in the cognition, a Safe Room if you will."
"Yeah, still not getting it."
"Think of school, Rouge. Unlike the entrance, our classroom, the rooftop, and a few other places, the rest of the school doesn't really stick out in your memory. The same applies to Kamoshida, difference is that his influence doesn't spread to every room at Shujin, so all the Shadows within the castle collectively forget that these rooms exist."
"…That makes more sense, thanks."
"Morgana was the one who taught us."
"Then, thank you both."
"My pleasure, Lady Ann~"
As the quartet sat down, Morgana gave Akira an item that could be exclusively used in Safe Rooms as well as various infiltration and battle items. Akira laid out a simple but effective plan that prioritized reaching the Treasure Room as swiftly as possible. He also explained a few hand gestures he would use when they were required to stay silent while infiltrating.
"If everyone's clear, then let's move out."
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"Nice work. Let's use the next Shadow, and I'll teach you Baton Pass."
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"The importance of hiding is in the intent of your movements with the desire to be fast and unnoticeable."
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"Looks like you guys got the basics down," sincerely complimented Morgana. Akira, Ryuji, and Ann quickly adapted to the new information that Morgana gave them and were able to utilize them effectively.
"Ok…what's up with this room?"
"Seems like the way forward is blocked by the bars."
Now in a rectangular room, the group's only way forward was blocked by vertical metal bars.
"Morgana, what stops us from summoning our Personas and busting through?"
"…Well, nothing really, Lieutenant. Since we are thieves, we ideally want to solve problems quietly, but sometimes a brute force approach can work."
Akira took a moment to ponder on the situation and quickly realized that the goat statues mounted to the wall were key to solving their roadblock.
{Perhaps that new ability can be of help.}
{Agreed.}
With complete ease, Akira activated the Third Eye. The world turned dim and at his feet, Akira saw glowing light blue footsteps. He followed the steps to a specific goat statue and pulled the hanging lever, which turned off the glowing red eyes of the statue. He continued to follow the glowing steps to another statue where he again pulled the chain lever. This time, after the red eyes turned off, the metal bars also lifted, allowing them to continue.
"Whoa! How'd you know to do that, dude?"
"…Magic."
"S-Seriously…"
"Hehe, that sounds about right," tittered Ann.
"Magic or skill, whatever it is, it's effective. Let's keep going," urged Morgana.
On a nearby table previously protected by metal bars the group found a map. Though it did not reveal the location of the Treasure Room, it allowed the thieves to have a better grasp of the castle's layout.
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The more they explored the more fluid their movements became. Dashing from various hiding spots with cat-like agility, quickly identifying valuable items tucked away in the castle, and using effective baton passes to accelerate combat. After traversing various rooms, hallways, and corridors the quartet found themselves at an impasse.
"Uhh, I don't think we're goin' any further this way."
"Yeah, even with the physical boost that being in the Metaverse gives us, I doubt we could make it up there."
"The two of you are right. We'll ne—"
"Wait…I'm not sure about that. I mean, what really stops us from being able to jump hundreds of meters when in a world where our will manifests into power. When we change hiding places, we're moving faster than humanly possible. When I ambush Shadows, my agility and balance are beyond my normal body, so shouldn't the same apply here?"
"…Hmmm…You have a valid point, Ace…Just about everything we do in the Metaverse breaks some kind of fundamental law in the universe, but we barely bat an eye. So, it must be a question of mentality and will."
"Uh, what are the two of you talkin' about?"
"Yeah, I'm with Lieutenant on this one."
Neither Merlin nor Ace gave a verbal answer, but the latter walked closer to the collapsed staircase before crouching down as if to jump.
{It should be possible. Even without Pneuma, this should be possible.}
{In theory yes…but much like Pneuma you must be fully convinced, or the results will be subpar.}
Akira focused and thought simply that it was perfectly normal for him to jump tens of meters. After nearly a minute of concentration, the energy that usually only flared up when summoning his Persona surged towards his legs.
He pushed off the ground and, in a blur, he landed on the still intact part of the staircase.
"Whoa! Dude!"
"Ohh!"
"Incredible!"
Akira carefully recalled the sensation before leaping back down.
"You actually did it, you willed it…You continue to amaze me!"
"Ha, I do what I can to impress. Since it's possible, I figured I'd teach you guys, but maybe on a different day, since we still want to find the Treasure Room, and we've been in the Metaverse for just over an hour now if my timer is right."
"I'm really curious how you managed to pull it off, but time is of the essence."
From his own pocket space, Morgana revealed a sleek metallic wristband. Akira let Morgan attach it to his wrist.
"Seems like it fits properly."
"What exactly is this?"
"That's just a little something I've been working on in secret. The grappling hook lets you zip to hard-to-reach locations in a flash. You'll see what I'm talking about when you test it out. Go ahead, give it a try."
With a seemingly rehearsed movement from his wrist, Akira observed a metal projectile shot out from the gadget on his wrist. Subconsciously, he moved his wrists so that when the prongs of the hook extended out, it was securely latched onto the statue above.
"Hold on."
Again, with subconscious movements, Akira swept his cloak as if to Quick Travel but stopped before enveloping himself. The grappling hook pulled him upwards and right before arriving at the staircase, in a feat of superhuman reflexes and agility contorted his body into a spinning flip before gracefully landing on his feet. From his billowing cloak, the rest of the group emerged, each displaying their own amount of shock and awe.
"What was THAT! Dude! You were just like, sh-shyaaah!"
"Wow, so you really can do anything here if you think hard enough…"
"With complete poise, just as I expected!"
Akira was just as surprised, but a part of him knew that this was due to his mentality aligning more with the principles of the Metaverse. Willpower is what determines what is possible. He had assumed that whatever abilities he acquired in the Metaverse would pale to Pneuma. However, unlike Pneuma which required a higher threshold of focus and will, Spirit, the power granted by the Metaverse was significantly easier to access.
Climbing the stairs and unlocking a treasure chest, Akira mentally noted a few ideas. Going back down, they saw an entryway, but sneaking a glance while hidden, the quartet spotted a Shadow exuding an ominous red energy.
"That guy looks like bad news. What do you think, Ace?"
"Lieutenant is right. He looks pretty tough. Not to mention that unlike most of the Shadows, he seems much more aware of his environment than the others. We'll have to proceed with caution."
Ace nodded and took a moment when the guard was slightly distracted to flit to a new hiding spot. He made a sign for Lieutenant to watch their backs as he cautiously moved forward, but nearing a door, a peculiar fluctuation caught his attention and accompanied by the three, he walked in.
"A safe room…so the general feeling is consistent. Good to know."
Akira waited for the group to settle down before pulling out items from his pocket space.
"Dude, how did you bring food and water in here?"
"The pocket space."
"The what?"
"The place where your weapons mysteriously disappear to when you're not using them. I realized that I could store just about anything non-living in there and have been using it to carry stuff. It is why Morgana can even fit into my bag, otherwise, I'd need another bag for my school supplies."
"…What kind of powers did we get…"
"I wanna try it out!"
"Just take something. I like to think that I'm placing it in an invisible bag."
Ryuji and Ann watched with amazement as Akira took a water bottle with a gentle ripple, it disappeared.
"Just like that, try it out."
Needing no further encouragement, the two failed on their first few attempts, but after a while managed to pull it off.
"This is going to be so helpful when I go shopping…"
"Uh, seriously?! Shopping?"
Ace watched with amusement as the two blondes bickered.
"You know," started Morgana, "Your ability to so quickly adapt to the Metaverse and even explore the powers it grants you are…beyond my expectations. Honestly, it's scary how sharp you are, but at the same time, it's reassuring…"
"Hm. I wish I could take the compliment, but this is normal for me. So just consider it a personality quirk."
"…Hehe, yeah, that's the best way to approach it."
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"I'll reveal your true form."
Leaping off the back of the guard, Akira distanced himself while the rest of the thieves took their positions around him. The revealed shadow was a spear-wielding knight atop a red horse.
"As I said before, Savage Shadows are usually more violent and more powerful than other Shadows, so we'll need to be careful," reminded Morgana.
"Lieutenant, follow up."
"I'm right behind you!"
Akira sprinted towards the Shadow and steadily took its spear thrust while simultaneously distracting it. This allowed Ryuji to come in with his mace and strike the unguarded head of the horse. Immediately, the horse crumpled to the ground.
"Rouge!"
"On it! Carmen! Dormina!"
Unbalanced and unfocused the Shadow was put to sleep.
"Merlin!"
"At your command! Zoro, let's hit him with Garu!"
With the blast of wind, the status ailment, and a pinch of luck the Shadow was downed.
"Nice. Merlin, All-Out-Attack!"
The quartet became shadowy blurs, inflicting significant damage onto the shadow with Morgana landing the final blow and finishing the battle while leisurely sitting in a chair smoking a cigar.
"Nice work everyone. Let's keep going."
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"So, you think this room has something to do with the books we found?"
"I do, otherwise, why would they be left where they don't belong?"
"Sounds like a plausible reason, Ace."
Ace took the lead in scanning the large library trying to find the connection between the books.
"Why are the names of the volleyball team here…Wait. It's just the boys?"
"'Ryuji Sakamoto: The Vulgar Ape', talk about harsh" murmured Morgana.
"You don't have to read it out loud! Damn it, who does that bastard think he is!?"
"But there's an empty space here. Seems like a book we found before could fit in. What do you think Ace?"
"…You're right Rouge. Let's see…Probably the 'The Slave Book'.
The book slid in perfectly before making a soft clicking sound.
"Maybe there are more empty slots?"
Akira used the Third Eye and noticed two hazy white areas on the bookshelves. Using the surrounding books as reference, he returned 'The Queen Book' and 'The King Book'. Upon doing so, the four heard a series of mechanical movements before a bookcase slid out to reveal a room.
"Nice work Ace. Let's check it out."
Entering the hidden room the group was taken aback by what they saw.
"Ugh…What the hell is this room? There are tons of pictures of Suzui in here! Wait…It's all pics of her?"
At that point, Ryuji realized what this room meant.
"…Shiho…"
"We will get justice for her. I swear."
"I believe you…This only strengthens my motivation."
"…As awkward and as awful as it will feel, we'll need to search this room to try and find any clues."
Akira's intuition led him towards a shelf, and Third Eye confirmed his hunch.
"A medal…and a map."
"Lucky! And let's put it together with our first one…Now we have a complete map of the Palace."
"So, is it gonna tell us where the Treasure is?"
"Yeah, look. It has to be here…"
"That's a weird-shaped building. It looks like a tower—maybe?
"Good guess, Lady Ann, and considering that this is a castle, you're probably right…Considering our current position looks like we're about halfway there."
"So, let's hurry on over!"
"Normally, I'd say that we should pace ourselves, but considering the plan Ace has, we should keep going."
After giving the room a final scan, the team strode towards the door only for it to be forcefully opened and for a Shadow to appear.
"Dammit! Now of all time?"
"Tell me about it. We'll hafta go through this guy if we wanna head back."
Without any precursor Akira swiftly approached the guard, avoiding its sword before delivering a slash to its neck causing it to burst into the all too familiar inky pool of black and red, except…
"Is that one normal? It's acting kinda weird."
"Be careful, Rouge. If my prediction is correct, that one's a bit problematic for us."
"I'll take care of it."
"Just be careful, Lieutenant."
While Ryuji managed to land a solid attack, he had to embarrassingly roll out of the way due to the Shadow's immediate, and deadly counterattack. Fights between the thieves and Shadows had a modicum of order, but Shadows were intelligent enough to time their attacks properly and were unlikely to charge in recklessly.
"The eff?! Is this thing insane!?"
"It seems to only react to our attacks, just as I suspected. Then, maybe this is the way to handle it…"
Morgana jumped behind the unhinged Bicorn glowing purple and blue and flourished his cutlass to chop it down. Immediately, Morgana leaped backward and managed to avoid the explosion the Shadow caused as it was defeated.
"Disaster Shadows. They're completely unpredictable and can even use moves you wouldn't expect. Only by destroying them with a single attack can you limit their effectiveness. As a benefit, when they're defeated, they'll explode and deal damage to surrounding Shadows."
"Careful everyone, more are coming."
A second guard entered the library and immediately transformed into five Bicorns, one being a Disaster Shadow.
"We'll probably need to make it unable to act then deal massive damage."
"Right. Rouge, put it to sleep."
"I'm on it. Carmen, Dormina!"
With the Bicorn put to sleep, Ryuji hit it with Zio to deal massive damage. The consequent explosion cleared the rest of the Bicorns, and the battle came to an end.
"Morgana, is it normal for the library to be so intact? At first, I was unsure, but considering two bombs just went off, why is none of the furniture damaged."
"Huh? Well, it has to do with the cognition of the Palace ruler. Kamoshida believes that this room is a neat and tidy, grand library so even if we destroy it, it will return to what he believes it looks like."
"Interesting. The influence a Palace ruler has is remarkable…Well, let's keep moving."
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After clearing out the few remaining Shadows and fighting with another Savage, the quartet used the medal to unlock the door and move to the Safe Room in the East Building Annex.
"How's everyone?"
Seeing the nods and positive confirmations, Akira led the team out of the Safe Room, but as they went through a door, he stopped and moved into the shadows to hide himself. Unsure but obedient, the other three hid as well.
{Your senses are correct, there's danger up ahead.}
{Then I may need to use Pneuma to keep us safe.}
{Since you planned on practicing anyway, this will make for a proper test.}
"What is it, Ace," queried Merlin.
"Can you all feel it? Close your eyes, focus your senses, and channel the power of your Persona."
Though slightly confused, the rest of the team followed Akira's instructions. Morgana, followed by Ann and Ryuji opened their eyes in astonishment.
"I figured something fishy was up. The next area looks huge, but somehow there are no guards."
"But this is the way to the Treasure, right? So, we have to keep goin'."
"I agree with Lieutenant," said Ann, "we have to move forward even if there's danger."
"Lieutenant and Rouge are right…let's be careful."
With determined expressions, the group moved forward quietly but with urgency. As they were halfway across, the room, which resembled a church hall, distorted into the Shujin Academy volleyball gym.
"Wait, the gym? With the religious setting of this room…"
"That bastard really thinks he's a god, doesn't he. He thinks the gym is some kind of sacred ground," said Ryuji with a voice laced with disdain and disgust.
"That, ugh…he's arrogant and delusional. He believes that he's even after what he did to Shiho…"
"That sick bastard! We'll destroy everything he believes in soon enough!"
Despite keeping their voices low and hiding their presence to the greatest extent, the group was still discovered.
"I see…So you're the ones who tampered with the library. It seems my time waiting here has paid off. Just as that ape there said, this place is a holy ground for our great King Kamoshida. It is preposterous for miscreants like yourselves to come waltzing in like this!"
From the usually ½ inch-deep waters that seemed to exist everywhere in the Metaverse, a Guard Captain emerged. He burst into black and red ink before coalescing into the form of a winged knight.
"You will pay for foolishly defying King Kamoshida…with your lives!"
"Formation 2."
The thieves moved into action. Merlin went towards the rear while Rouge moved behind Akira and to his left. Once Lieutenant was behind him and to the right, Ace fully turned his attention to the Shadow who seemed to be charging.
"Careful Ace…Looks like he's preparing an attack."
Nodding in confirmation, Ace called forth Kippōshi and asked the Persona to perform Spirit Stab, while he also moved to attack the Shadow. Due to Charge, the Shadow could barely defend against one of the attacks and chose the seemingly more dangerous Spirit Stab.
As Kippōshi clashed with the Shadow, Lieutenant summoned Captain Kidd to aim a Zio at the Shadow's wings. Meanwhile, Merlin and Rouge readied themselves to launch a combination attack. However, the catalyst for all of this was Ace targeting the Shadow's other wing and managing to severely damage it with the added boost of Pneuma to his power.
The severed wind dissipated into black smoke but what remained attached hissed due to the burning effect of Ace's darkblade.
However, the hissing was completely drowned out by the screaming of the Shadow. Unfortunately, for it, the thieves were merciless. Zio struck and charred the other wing, and the combined power of Agi and Garu created a large fireball that blasted the Shadow head-on. While it seemed capable of resisting electric, and fire attacks in its debilitated state, the damage was still significant.
"Formation 3."
The thieves moved to their standard formation except for Morgana who stayed in the back to provide support and cover fire.
"H-How dare you, pests!!"
Despite the damage and the inability to fly, the Shadow lunged forward to successfully attack Lieutenant. Even with his guard up, the blonde was sent tumbling backward."
"Merlin, heal him. Rouge, use your ranged weapon to cover."
Not waiting for an answer, Ace called upon his Pneuma and entered close-quarters combat with the Shadow. Relying on his senses and Kippōshi's occasional warnings he was able to avoid or deflect nearly every attack while whittling down the Shadow, not to mention the timely intervention of Rouge with her submachine gun. As the Shadow's health dwindled, Ace feigned an error before evasively sliding underneath the Shadow. Before the Shadow could make sense of the situation, Lieutenant, now healed, had built a full head of steam and clobbered the Shadow's head with his mace, stunning it.
"Everyone, attack."
Agi, Garu, Zio, and Spirit Stab ended the fight as the Shadow dissipated into black smoke. Each member felt the exhilarating sensation of growing stronger.
"Christ, that was tough."
"Agreed. Ace, from the looks of it, we'll have to move much faster and efficiently. When we get to the next Safe Room, I'll give you a notebook about everything I know concerning combat."
Just as Merlin finished speaking, guards emerged from shallow water to surround them.
"Crap…More of 'em…"
"What should we do?"
"The Treasure is up ahead, so we have to keep moving forward. Look for anything to latch onto, then we—"
"Found it. Hold on."
A 360 spin gathered the other three into his cloak as Ace aimed the grappling hook at the statue of Kamoshida. He was pulled upwards at a startling pace but easily performed a series of flips while releasing the hook to gracefully land on the scaffolding of the church.
"Nice moves Ace. You got us out of there. Let's explore, but be careful of the guards, they may have a way of getting up here."
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"Wait Ace, do you feel that?"
"Hmm…Now that you mention it. What is that?"
"I'm not sure, why don't we try getting over there."
A quick grapple later, the team was staring at a door covered with vines.
"Am I tired from fighting the Shadows at the Church, or is anyone else feeling that?"
"I feel it too…What is that?"
"One way to find out."
Using his sword, Ace cut the vines and pushed the door open.
"This room seems different from everywhere else," noted Rouge.
"Yeah, and there's something super suspicious over there…"
"…Looks like my guess was correct…come on, follow me."
At the end of the room was a skull propped up on a platform of vines with its eyes and mouth glowing red.
"Just what I thought…A 'Will Seed.'"
"Would you mind explaining, Merlin?"
"Not at all, Rouge. As you know, Palaces are locations that grew distorted from their original forms due to their rulers' cognitions. When such distortions coalesce into form, this is the result—I call it a 'Will Seed.'"
Akira stayed back as the three chatted about the Will Seed, but a question came to mind.
"What is this supposed to represent? Coalescence? Does that mean if Will Seeds are left alone, they can become Treasures?"
"…I'm not sure, but I know that taking it is more likely to help us than harm us."
"…Ok."
Reaching out to grab the frankly creepy-looking skull, Akira felt a strange but familiar power. Keeping his expression slightly inquisitive, he stored it in his pocket space.
{Will…It almost feels like Pneuma.}
{It could be beneficial to strengthening your Pneuma in the Metaverse and in the real world, but you'll have to explore that possibility later.}
{Agreed.}
"Nice! The Will Seed is ours! There are more of these around here somewhere…As far as I can tell, there are two of them left."
"Huh? How can you tell? You smell 'em or somethin'," questioned Ryuji.
"Yeah, like how dogs can—Oh, but you're a cat," finished Ann, dealing super effective psychic damage to Morgana.
"I am NOT a cat!!"
"…Let's keep moving…There's more work to be done."
Rouge and Lieutenant followed behind Ace with Merlin still fuming behind.
"I just seem like a cat…"
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After clearing a platoon of Savage Shadows, grappling to the tower, and finding the Will Seed after crawling through a vent, the thieves discovered the mechanism to explore the hidden chamber and were confronting another Guard Captain.
Despite its resistance, the 'oddly' shaped Shadow was unable to attack. Akira's Persona, Kippōshi had learned the gun move, Dream Needle, and with guidance from Pneuma Kippōshi and Third Eye, learned a trick to consistently inflicting sleep. Chaining Kippōshi's Dream Needle and Carmen's Dormina, Akira, and Ann essentially sleep-locked the Shadow while Ryuji and Morgan easily delivered powerful technical damage. Soon enough, the Shadow dissipated, and the third Will Seed was acquired.
Feeling a tugging sensation from his pocket space, Akira pulled out the first two Will Seeds and watched as the three skulls merged.
Akira carefully observed the combined Will Seeds as Lieutenant and Merlin bickered while Rouge tried to mediate.
{It provides a decent skill in the Metaverse. I wonder what it will do in the real world if I use Pneuma?}
{I'm also curious.}
"…In the end, finding the Will Seeds is good for us," declared Ace to interrupt the arguing.
"I guess you're right…," grumbled Lieutenant.
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"How's everyone feeling?"
"A bit tired, but otherwise ok."
"Same here," said Rouge.
"I could use a quick break," responded Merlin.
"…If I'm correct then it's about 7:30pm. Let's rest for about 10 minutes and keep going. I have a feeling that the treasure is close.
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Just as he predicted the Treasure was close, but only after defeating two dozen shadows, including six Guard Captains did the thieves arrive at the final Safe Room, quickly restore their health and spirit, and climb the ledge to reach the elevated corridors of the throne room.
"Oh shit, it's Kamoshida!"
"And a ton of soldiers."
"Quiet down and keep yourselves well hidden. We don't want to have another battle when we're about to arrive at the Treasure Room."
They moved like phantoms from pillar to pillar and silently entered the doors behind the throne without attracting the least bit of attention from the guards or Kamoshida. Within the few hours in the Palace, the three teens had exponentially adapted to their powers and learned to hide their presence a skill that allowed them to hide in shadows and blind spots and completely eliminate their existence.
"Well, these sturdy look doors look promising."
"Agreed."
Pushing open the doors, the thieves were nearly blinded by the sea of gold. Akira made sure to close the door before moving forward with the other three.
"Whoa, what is this place!? Holy shit! That Treasure thing's gotta be in here."
"Hey, what is that thing? It's…floating in the air."
"Hehe," chuckled Merlin as he deftly jumped on a massive golden trophy filled with dinner plate-sized gold coins, "That's the treasure. We finally found it!"
"It's intangible…Is there a method to taking it?"
"Sharp as always Ace. Let me explain…Simply finding the Treasure isn't enough. We'll need to make it materialize before we can steal it."
"Uhh...whaddya mean by materialize?"
"Desires have no physical form by nature. Hence, we'll first need to make the real person aware that their desires are in fact a Treasure. Once they're conscious that their desires might be stolen, the Treasure will finally show itself."
"But how do we do that?"
"We warn them. Tell them, 'We're going to steal your heart.'"
"So, we're gonna send a calling card. Hell yeah! That's totally what a phantom thief would do!"
"Once we do that, the Treasure will appear for certain! ...I think."
"That again? Either way sounds like it's worth givin' it a shot."
"Our infiltration route is secure. All that's left now is to pump out a calling card in reality. Then, come back to take the Treasure."
"This is it, huh," asked Ann with a complicated expression.
"…Victory was the outcome from the very beginning. We will take Kamoshida's Treasure and get justice for…for everyone."
Ryuji and Ann looked at Akira with firm gazes. Deep down, they knew that Akira had no compelling reason to partake in this dangerous mission. It was their personal grudges against the vile volleyball coach that motivated them to find a solution through the Metaverse, but for some reason, the grey-eyed teen had taken on their problems as if they were his own. Both felt gratitude and a trace of guilt…
"Alright! Once we send out the calling card, there will be no turning back. Just let me know when you're ready. We'll head back to the hideout and send out that calling card!"
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"See you guys!"
"Goodbye, Lady Ann!"
"See ya!"
"Later."
Parting at the train station, Akira made his way to Yogen-Jaya.
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"You're back. A little late…Never mind, make sure to stay out of trouble."
"Sure, and thanks."
Akira noticed the crossword puzzle and quickly wrote 'Semesters' before heading upstairs. To drop his bag.
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After taking a bath and locking up the store, Akira made lockpicks and consulted with Kippōshi about battle tactics, alternative ways to use Pneuma, and the potential of the Will Seeds.