Author's Note: So, recent news on Persona 5R has confirmed Female MC! Along with new Social Links, new story content, and such! It's a good year!
TheStrangerThatCameFromNowhere: You know the answer now from that PM.
Gilgamesh The King of Heroes: I've never explained in any Digital Human Series about the whereabouts of the Moon Cell. Whether it moved to the same world or not as Hakuno did, who knows? I've never played P4, working on P3 PSP.
Student: Keep guessing, kouhai. Everyone's guessing!
Axel Fones: Thanks! I try my best with all the Digital Human stories.
Xirons20: Haha, it's like she has Rank 4 or 5 Knowledge already!
BraveWolf13: Implying she has a Palace in the first place.
Daemon of Crawling Tentacles: Nah, just using it as an explanation. And yeah, I've read all of Fate/Ixtella. Absolutely adorable, Altera and Hakuno (F) are the best scenes.
Dxhologram: Yep! They are called Servant Class Cards in all of Fate, after all, not just Kaleid.
Sakaewmatsui: It's a social link.
DMGmana: Thank you for the compliment! Glad it interests you! And yeah, I know the story of CCC.
Achen5041: Heh, I can see Ryuji as that.
What lies in the body, the heart, and the soul? Are they but physical and metaphysical? The flame caused by her actions now seeks to devour her, but the road to her deletion is yet to be paved. Can this Digital Human change her path?
Digital/Culmination
Chapter 4: First Glance Through Thieves' Eyes
A twisted delusion realm, running parallel to the real world, this metaverse world held the malformed distorted illusion of a large castle over Shujin Academy, every nook and cranny of the education facility turned into a perverted mockery. This medieval Palace served as the cognitive state of its ruler, Kamoshida, where his every desire and viewpoint hidden within his suppressed heart was made manifest.
Within this cruel truth, stealthy moving through its long corridors, a young man with frilly black hair garbed in a black suit and a white mask led a group of three others behind him.
His name was Ren Amamiya.
Code Name: Joker.
His goal was to steal the treasure of Kamoshida's world so to make the coach confess to crimes of physical and sexual abuse in reality done day after day; while none had stood up to Kamoshida, Joker and his comrades would.
"Hold up a minute!" A feminine voice exclaimed, halting the group's progress, his red devil latex suit matched suitably with their surroundings, providing to some degree, camouflage. Her skin was a fair white, with blond hair tied in twin-tails. The young girl's cerulean eyes had caught something.
Another member, Ryuji, now garbed in some sort of black pirate armor with a skull mask, spoke, "Did you spot something?"
"What is it, Panther?" The last member was far smaller, looking like a humanoid cat out of a comic book dressed in an atypical thief's outfit, named Morgana.
Panther, real name, Ann Takamaki, pointed to a peculiar door, "That wasn't there last time we were here. Joker, we should check it out!"
Joker nodded and moved towards the doorway, pushing it open and entering it along with the rest of his companions. He examined the new room, it was rather small and completely void of furniture save for one single chair in the center of the room where a young girl sat in, he vaguely recognized her.
"Hey, isn't that the new transfer student?" Panther questioned.
"This must be Kamoshida's cognitive version of her," Morgans explained.
Ryuji sighed in relief, "That's Hakuno, I think?" He recalled the name. "Looks like Kamoshida hasn't done anything to her, she's still in her uniform and looks fine."
"But why does he has her here?" Panther inquired. "Not every student is shown in the palace."
"She's new," Joker said.
"Right," Morgans agreed. "Like you are, she's a hot topic in the school. Kamoshida probably views her as a potential hog of his spotlight, but hasn't been able to touch her yet."
"She's was an honor student before," Ryuji said. "Unlike our guy, she probably doesn't have anything that bastard can use against her."
"Then we should steal his treasure before he does," Panther said. "Let's keeping going, Joker- What!"
The group became alarmed all the sudden when the floor suddenly became decorated with octagonal designs and the cognitive version of the brown-haired girl became like static on a lost-signal television before outright vanishing, the floor returning to normal with her disappearance.
"H-Hey, Morgana, could you explain what just happened?" Panther asked.
"Um… That's a new one," Morgana stated in surprise.
Ryuji looked at him, "What do you mean 'that's a new one'? She freakin vanished!"
"I guess, I think Kamoshida lost his cognition of her, perhaps she's just too new his version doesn't have a coherent form yet," Morgana explained.
Panther blinked, "So… Is that a good thing?"
"Should be," Morgana replied. "Essentially means he hasn't done anything."
"Then let's get going and stop him already!" Ryuji shouted.
"I can sense we're getting close to the treasure," Morgana commented.
Joker nodded and they left the confines of the room to continue their journey into thievery.
Hakuno Kishinami felt the trams to be quite cramped, it wasn't a feeling she'd really felt before and two days of this had done the least in getting accustomed to it. At the very least, everyone seemed to be distracted by their own thoughts and agendas to mind personal space. Once the tram had arrived at her destination, Hakuno Kishinami exited and appreciated the newfound sensation of her private metaphorical bubble.
Her eyes glanced around for the signs, but they caught the purple colors that Hakuno found quite out of place in the mass of people. If circumvented around a few people to get a better look, the magus's curiosity driving the teenage girl.
"Rani…?" Hakuno knew the complexion and hairstyle, the unmistaken doll-like expression on her friend's face, the alchemist homunculus that aided her in the Holy Grail War. She went to call out, but the girl having the appearance of her friend vanished behind the tram doors, the transportation vehicle heading out soon after.
She'd lost her chance. There was no way she could chase after her.
But that was alright.
However, was that truly Rani VIII? Although she had the same features as her friend, the clothing attire that the girl wore was a casual gray dress, very much contradicting the vibrant one within the Moon Cell. It's likely that it was rather this world's counterpart, as the limited information Hakuno gathered so far indicated that this wasn't the same Earth as the one which Rin talked about.
Does that mean Rin and other Masters had counterparts in this world? Would it be possible to meet with them? And was it wise too? There's a high chance they were not the same individuals she knew in the Moon Cell.
Perhaps Hakuno should head back to Yongen earlier in the day to catch Rani before she leaves for the tram.
A chiming noise brought Hakuno out of her thoughts, she retrieved the Portable Terminal from out a pocket. The magus headed out of the tram station, walking through Yongen district towards the direction of her current living place.
[Makoto: "Hey, I appreciate what you did. I realized it now. But you didn't have to keep me company."]
[Makoto: "I know we exchanged chat IDs under the pretense of helping you get used to Shujin Academy, however you don't need it."]
Hakuno blinked, then replied.
[Hakuno: "I wanted a friend that can help me."]
[Makoto: "You're still insisting that you need help? You're smart enough on your own."]
[Hakuno: "Perhaps, but I want your help specifically."]
[Makoto: "You're stubborn about this…"]
[Makoto: "Alright, then. I'll keep lecturing you about topics. But only after school and before evening."]
[Hakuno: "Thank you, Makoto."]
The Digital Human closed the app before she began to slip the device back in her pocket; Hakuno Kishinami spotted that her Matrix Information had a notification alerting her of newfound knowledge.
But… There were no Masters and Servants…?
She tapped it, all the prior information and written text worked on through the grueling weeks of the Holy Grail War had been completely erased. In its place, an empty list save for the top two slots, one of which was herself, the other… Makoto Niijima.
Confidant: Makoto Niijima. Rider Rank 1.
Confidant?
Right, something odd had occurred earlier in the day. It hadn't passed over her head, just Hakuno didn't have the time to think upon it. A vow, of some description, said by an unknown girl had spoken in her mind.
Now it came around to this, a change in her Matrix Information now detailing Confidants. Her acquaintance in Makoto had apparently been interpreted as something related to the Rider-Class Card, but what is with Ranks?
As usual of late, more questions with few answers.
There never seemed to be enough time in the day, at least there wasn't a deadline to an impending demise.
Hakuno closed the application, her eyes glanced at the day, April 26th, in a vivid reminder of a war not so long ago.
She put away the device, decidedly ignoring the nightmares that threatened to plague her mind. It was in the past, the entire event was not for her to blame.
The Holy Grail War had ended, there was nothing left in it now for her.
Hakuno Kishinami turned a corner into the backstreets, her head turned towards Leblanc, Miss Yuyi had mentioned it a relaxing place and it was certainly tempting now. But, with the absence of any currency, there was little point entering the restaurant. With that, Hakuno continued forward and make a few more turns before arriving at Miss Yuyi's residence… Which is also her own.
It felt strange to think that.
The Private Room in the Moon Cell had been assigned to her as a means to an end, while it certainly carried with it a comfortable and private place, it never felt like anything Hakuno could call a 'home'.
She wondered if this place would change that.
Another chime from her Portable Terminal.
Hakuno sighed and only briefly glanced to what the notification was on the screen.
Do you wish to change Private Room Location?
Yes/No/Decide Later?
A confused expression decorated Hakuno's face before she clicked 'Decide Later' to push back the option for another time. There wasn't any telling what the decision would do and she didn't wish for there to be any more problems right now. Afterward, Hakuno headed inside and went straight to her room.
She had homework, after all.
Some things never changed.
It began as a blazing memory, scorched and ashened buildings and concrete, melted steel and liquified iron, high heat temperature that charred away flesh and blackened bone. This was a reminder, the original and only scene burned into the one born from perdition. An eerily display of mankind's capability for destruction, caused by acts of terrorism.
Hakuno Kishinami opened her eyes, her sight greeted by the deep royal blues and cyberspace patterns identical to the Moon Cell. Her sat upright, taking not her bed had changed into a pile of desks, it didn't take her a second to know where she was.
The Velvet Room.
She stood up, her attention taken by the brief reminiscent scene just outside the Velvet Room's windows, only an emblazoned city likened to her real counterpart's scarred memory.
"About time, you shouldn't be so late to class, student!" A high pitched little girl's voice forced Hakuno's attention to the three other denizens of this strange room.
"Sorry, Caroline," She apologized.
"Good, you have manners at least," Caroline said.
"It's pleasant to make your acquaintance once more," Justine commented.
Hakuno looked at the twins' master, Igor, who sat at the center desk in the room, his expression remained impassive as ever, but his body language suggested exhaustion.
Still, he spoke with the same strength, "I welcome you back to the Velvet Room, Inheritor. As well as to congratulate on your newfound bond, you will need like-minded allies in your quest to avoid deletion."
"Bond? Please, explain," Hakuno asked kindly.
Justine answered, "The bonds you form in the real world are represented as power here. This power is used as a reagent to conduct the Alteration of the Heart."
Caroline continued, "Through that, you can perform Soul Attunement or Ascension to raise a Servant's combat prowess!"
Alteration of the Heart? Soul Attunement? Ascension?
Are those similar to Alteration of the Soul? A ritual provided in the church during the Holy Grail War to align a Master and Servant's magic circuit connection?
Igor began once again, "These bonds do not form from fleeting dialogue. They are vows taken between you and another with similar mindsets and purposes, those who believe in something you also hold to."
So it can't just be anyone, it's likely not so easily gained.
"I've taken the liberty of installing the Metaverse Navigator into your Private Terminal," Igor said. "However, I do not hold enough power to beseech it unto others you may wish to join you, so take heed in your travels alone."
"Okay…?" Hakuno found it all very vague and cryptic. "How do I meet my Servants?"
Caroline pointed her cane towards the seven doors, "The Paths have your Servants residing within them when they are summoned. Your Saber Servant is in the Extra Path!"
Justine continued, "You should only visit when you have free time in reality. Increasing the bonds with your Servants may present new opportunities."
"As I stated," Igor said. "Your Private Terminal holds the key to entering this parallel Velvet Room."
So, she should try the Velvet Room application to enter at a later point.
"My presence in this room is limited," Igor stated. "Only at the times I call for you at the day's end we shall meet. Until then, my assistants shall aid you in your quest to avoid deletion," He chuckled. "I look forward to how you shall change the game in an unexpected manner, will the distortion be able to see you?"
The school bell rang.
"This class period has ended, student," Justine said.
"Be sure to have memorized the lecture!" Caroline shouted.
Hakuno's grip on conscious faded away...
