Disclaimer: I do not own JoJo's Bizarre Adventure or Shin Megami Tensei: Persona Series.
Author's Notes: Apologies to extremely late update. Moving matters n' shit. BTW, this isn't an ordinary JoJo x Persona fanfic anymore. BTW, you are not dealing with the average Persona 3 crossover fanfic anymore! Peace!
Chapter 17: Training Day
~ CONTROL ROOM, IWATODAI DORMS, NEAR-MIDNIGHT, MAY 15TH
As the quintet of young {STANDSONA} users returned to the dorms, the tech maniac Minato Arisato was summoned, well more like commanded by the Ice Queen Redhead, Mitsuru Kirijo; or he'll face the sequel of her execution.
Not wanting to mess with her, he agreed to cooperate and get his crafty palms on some delicious data.
He purposely left the door unlocked to attract some other guys' curiosities, guiding them to this very room for massive payback for indirectly humiliating him.
Speak of the devil, the boys have arrived…
"Sneakin' in the command room, Bronato? Man, you're brave…"
"Bro, I don't want to see you executed. It's… (*Shivers) painfully traumatizing…"
"AGREED," {ACHILLES} the mechanical butler-bot addressed as it displayed a tablet from its eye sensors; containing data of Kazushi's health conditions from yesterday, "USER HAS BEEN IN CRITICAL CONDITION SINCE ATTACK LABELLED 'EXECUTION'."
"Not like we'd care…" The puppet named {ORPHEUS} connecting the wires spoke.
"No, you dumb blokes. I'm forced to fix this hunk of junk; but luckily, I fixed it up rather easily. It's outrageous I don't get tipped for fucking service…" Joked the Jestering Fool.
"That… actually sounds cruel." Spoke the innocent Kazsuhi.
"WE KALL THAT SLAVERY." The mechanical avian named {HERMES} squawked.
"Whatever," The emo found a file specifically labelled 'RECORDINGS'. "For payback, I'm taking away their privacy."
"Never hurts to be a guy, I guess."
"Ya got that right, Kaz! We're true men!" The capped idiot exclaimed, slapping the jock in the back.
"YOU'RE A MAN? YOU KAW-TTA BE JOKING!"
"Shut it, birdbrain!"
"Settle down; or else Bitchsuru's gonna shove icicles up our asses…!" The blue-haired emo scowled at the two.
With the press of a button, the large screens of the comms systems began playing the most recent recording…
The large monitor displayed the pun-loving chairman Ikutsuki, sitting on the comms with a notepad on the control panels; all the filing a report from the recent {HIGH PRIESTESS} skirmish for his Kirijo Group superiors.
"Hmm, a Shadow in the abandoned underground labs… It managed to take control of our security measures…" He toggled his glasses with a serious look on his face. "I must investigate whether this means it's finally begun…"
'Something smells suspicious…'
"Security… secure…" The chairman pondered on the word. "That was an… ob-secure intrusion! (*Giggles) Heehee… Ooh, I must make a note of that one…"
The emo and capped idiot groaned at the horrible excuse of a pun. The spiky-haired jock simply got confused.
"Teamwork played a large part in the victory. (*Tilts glasses) Especially towards the end, if he hadn't bulldozed his way out of the Shadow, things could've gone pretty bad."
'Bad…? We almost died, jackass!'
"For Shadows to work in a group to overrun large technical facilities is unprecedented…"
He continued to scribble on his notes.
"That was an… in-tech-tive move!"
The two groaned with even more visible frustration and exhaustion. Kazushi finally understood what he said and smirked a while until Junpei and Minato stared at him, confused by the humor in this.
"Hehehe! What's with me today!? I'm on a roll!" Ikutsuki quickly wiped off his happy tears, rushing to record his Satanic excuses of puns. "Oh yeah, better write that one down as well…"
After writing down his previous pun, he mysteriously hesitated for a second before saying, "One should always wear bright clothing at night…" The groaning teens braced themselves for another torturous pun attack. "Otherwise, the Shadows could make it dangerous to walk near traffic!"
That wasn't a pun at all!
"Whoa, I'm getting off traffic here; but who cares!?" Quickly calming himself, the chairman began scribbling on his notepad once more. "Hey, I should write these down and show 'em off the next time everyone gets together-"
The screen was immediately turned off by the mentally exhausted trio. The video of puns had left them in a state of mental fatigue undiscovered by professionals until now.
"That was brain-rotting…"
"AFFIRMATIVE."
"No shit. Now scram. Dark Hour's about to begin, plus we should get some sleep. I'm planning a Tartarus raid as soon as everyone's ready."
With that said, the two nodded at the blue-haired delinquent and quickly retreated to their rooms along with their {STANDSONA}s.
Minato followed suit shortly afterwards, calling it a day…
~ 2-F CLASSROOM, GEKKOUKAN HIGH, MORNING, MAY 16TH
It's another new day again. The S.E.E.S. members of class 2-F have gathered together like they used to.
"And that's how bread was made in the ancient times," Tutored the red-eyed auburnette. "Next, we'll be covering the history of bread-"
Her tutoring was interrupted by a groaning Junpei. Rubbing his chin, he tiredly asked, "Augh, why the hell do we have ta study about bread?! It's just grain mixed with water and y-ye-uh…"
"YEAST." Kazushi's towering {STANDSONA} coldly replied him.
"What he said!"
"Ugh, when'll you ever learn, Stupei?" The brunette in pink complained, pissing off the capped idiot, "AND STOP CALLING ME THAT!"
"It suits you." The rest of S.E.E.S. burst into laughter.
"I'll suit you all…" Muttered the insulted Junpei.
"Get over it, Stupei. Here's how yeast -"
The emo delinquent yawned loudly, interrupting whatever his twin sister said. "Sorry about that. I'm gonna go take a leak so don't follow me."
With that said, the emo-haired delinquent walked out of the classroom with his puppet partner. This left the remaining quartet to discuss further their studies once more.
~ HALLWAY, GEKKOUKAN HIGH, MORNING, MAY 16TH
The emo delinquent was rudely pushing through the crowds of students. Walking towards the 2-E classrooms, he spotted an unwelcoming sight: Ekoda.
He was apparently giving the class about some second-hand lecture about his boastful ego. Pathetic. But something has gone amidst…
A seat was empty.
'Hmm, Mother-Fuuka's missing… She never missed a class, according to personal experience; Looks like I'll have to dig deeper…'
"Want me to get info on this…?"
His master, however, declined the offer. "Not yet. The Ice Queen's got eyes everywhere. We'll do that after everyone's left. Now, we wait…"
With that said, the two continued to march for the restrooms.
~ RECEPTION AREA, IWATODAI DORMS, EVENING, MAY 17TH
The rest of S.E.E.S. gathered at the reception area for another emergency meeting; one regarding the return on the Ancient Evil, Nyarlathetop and his devious cult of world-ending lackeys.
Everyone, even Junpei, looked tense on the striped dining table; the only sound heard on their seats were the ticking sound of the clock…
Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Junpei Iori was there to cheer everyone up!
"An ancient enemy, huh? We'll just hafta beat 'em up like Suou-san and his friends did!"
"It's not that simple, Iori. What we're dealing with is the manifestation of ALL of humanity's negative emotions; simply put, the Shadows we killed were merely microscopic fragments compared to it…" Mitsuru sighed. She could really use a drink right now if she wasn't underage.
"Plus, uncle Tatsuya had to use some wacky spear to banish him into outer space. Last time we heard of it, it's inside the damned thing's chest… And for all we know, it might be its new owner now." A red-eyed auburnette analytically spoke.
"We could always ask Aka Manah," Boldly spoke the jock in tanktops. "He's our supplier, right?"
The seniors thought for a second before they nodded approvingly.
"A considered solution. Very well, we shall do so after exam week is over. In the meantime, you should all focus on your exams." The command made the juniors groan in annoyance and displeasure.
Noticing the dismay in the group, the Ice Queen made a proposal in hopes of motivating the group: a 'special' prize for students in the top 10 of the exam scores.
She never saw it coming…
~ AKA MANAH'S ROOM(S), MAY 23RD
The proposal went horribly wrong for Yukari and Junpei.
While they were sulking in the corner, Hamuko (Top 2) gained bragging rights and Minato (Top 1) got some weird card for his Shadows. He's also considered visiting the Velvet Room residents to help him forget about the whole Kenji-Kanou bullshit and the black eye he got from tactlessly calling Yuko fat from overeating.
His twin sister, on the other hand, babysitted Maiko's parental problems, was forced to join the school's health committee and found herself a Hermit Confidant. Since then, the red-eyed martial artist had been determined to help her get rid of her social awkwardness. You can say that progress has been smooth for her and Saori.
And now? They're both at Aka Manah's pocket dimension to seek additional 'guidance'.
"I see you desire otherworldly power?"
The nefarious Aka Manah rose up from his seat, looking down at the desperate members of S.E.E.S. with an eerie grin…
The demonic menace stood tall in front of them. "Hahahaha, you remind myself of the old days. A carefree peon who wandered realm to realm, never caring for consequence or drawback, since he cannot be held back. Tell me… is my assistance now not enough for you humans? Talk about greedy." He took out an ivory pocket watch, moving his cartoonish irises towards its swinging momentum. "I await your answer, humans…"
Before the Ice Queen could stand up against the malevolent force, a auburn-haired girl beat her to the action. Hamuko Arisato, without fear in her eyes, challenged the Daeva Prince to a word-off!
"How would we forge a contract?" The quick-witted auburnette sternly pointed out.
The comment caused the rest of S.E.E.S. (sans her twin brother) to widen their eyes in shock. That was a pro gamer's move!
The merchant raised an eye while putting aside his watch, "Come again?"
"I want to make a deal with you… on my own terms." That was Minato's moment to step it. "Make it OUR terms."
Everyone else turned their focus to the newly participating bargainer.
"This is getting interesting…" Aka Manah whistled to his eldritch assistant, revealing to them a well-aged scrap of paper. A pen materialized out of nowhere. "Now sign here, here, here, here annnnnnnnnnnd here. The, our deal shall come to fruition."
To our most profitable client,
By signing this age-forgotten contract, you will be included in the full allegiance of Aka Manah as well as any parties involved. In compensation, absolute loyalty is mandatory and secrecy is heavily discouraged, should you wish to forfeit your existence and soul to the owner of this contract. After said allegiance has ended, the signer shall pledge their souls to said legions, as compensation for their provided services.
We wish this bargain satisfactory for all involved parties.
A black goat's head was painted under the last sentence.
After passing the contract to the entire team, disapprovals were bombing the entire room. The loudest of them being Akihiko Sanada and Junpei Iori.
The twins gave him an obvious answer from the united team, "NO."
The demon raised a questioning eye at them. "Hmm, and why refuse my brilliant offer?"
"We made our own pact: everyone get rids of the Dark Hour. ALIVE. We're not gonna sacrifice ourselves for 'the greater good' nor sell our souls for it." The brunette in pink spoke.
Akihiko's turn. "No one should die for this damned Hour,"
Junpei's turn. "We won't abandon ourselves in pursuit for a greater goal,"
Mitsuru's turn. "We will destroy this accursed Hour as humans,"
Hamuko's turn. "Rather than become some god's pawn to gain power,"
Kazushi's turn. "Or gain purpose from its existence,"
Last but not least, Minato's turn. "And we'll be damned if we sell our souls to anyone just to end this. (*Walks away) If you wish to cut ties with us, so be it."
S.E.E.S. began to leave the wicked demon's room. No more lives have to be lost in order to end the Dark Hour. Noble, yet idiotic beliefs. Meh, they just have to clean this up by themselves…
Or do they?
Out of nowhere, a maniacal smirk and clapping sounds came from Akoman's side.
"(*Clapping sounds) Idiotically naïve brats, you all truly amuse me… If only your other guide was that helpful…"
The rumblings of an old man echoed through the twins' heads.
"You have proven your determined desires and have therefore earned my additional resources. (*Tears contract in two) We won't be needing this, and our tale… SHALL TRULY BEGIN!"
With the snap of a finger-bone, a whirlpool of arcane essences opened up in the middle of the room.
"Here's your free ticket."
"Can't you at least explain to us whatever the hell this thing is?" The capped idiot asked.
"Portal to your respective training grounds. Now less complaining, more training!" Aka Manah clones from behind kicked each of them into the vortex, sending them to destinations unknown.
Oh, did I mention the never-ending screaming?
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!H!"
"SEE YOU ALL ON THE OTHER SIDEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-"
~ ANCIENT JAPAN, MAY 23RD
Minato Arisato and Kazushi Miyamoto found themselves in a small dojo in the middle of nowhere. Cherry blossom petals littered the stone pedestals on the backyard, and onto a small pond next to the entrance of a traditionally built hut.
They were now being trained by the ancient samurai {PERSONA}, {SHINKAI} of the now-extinct Minamoto clan.
The samurai himself looked like a corpse wearing samurai armor from a lost age. His twin daisho blades on the back weren't in pristine condition either, despite the lack of insects and mold on the surfaces.
The undead samurai began his teachings like an 80-year old man, "Welcome, fresh pupils. I assume you two already know the basic techniques of kendo," He exhaled, "But there is still more to swordsmanship than just kendo and iaido! What I will bestow upon you, is the declining knowledge of Kenjutsu – THE TRUE WAY OF SWORDSMANSHIP!"
"But wasn't kenjutsu the predecessor of kendo and iaido?" Kazushi asked. The undead samurai turned his rotting head towards him. "Very good, now tell me: can you brew tea without water?"
'Getting Igor vibes here…'
"No…?"
{SHINKAI} went idle for a short moment, before taking out a zinnia and delicately sliced its pink-red petals off, exposing a pre-existing row of yellow flowers on the middle of it.
The two mentally gasped simultaneously. The samurai smirked arrogantly. It was like he knew what they were thinking just by a simple glance.
"Exactly. (*Sheathes sword) Discipline is a virtue, and virtue equals power. Master it well… and few shall ever rival oneself in terms of skill. For today's lesson, you must walk through this pond's surface…"
"Seems simple enough-"
"Without creating a single ripple."
~ AFTER AN UNSPECIFIED PERIOD OF TIME… ~
The two kendo experts were soaked in pond water. This has been their 36th failed attempt at accomplishing {SHINKAI}'s non-ripple walk task.
"You two still have much to learn. (*Walks on water surface) And if I were you, I would have maintained a calmer stance. (*Jumps back on surface) Consider my words when our lesson is over. Unfortunately for you, our lesson ends when your stamina is no more…"
While the undead samurai was still teaching, a single though bubble floated on top of the blue-haired emo's head.
'Wonder how Hamu and the others are holding out…'
~ HEAVENLY BATTLEGROUNDS, MAY 23RD
A minotaur-like, multi-eyed creature with green skin in colorful armor was striking a lightly armed Hamuko Arisato and Akihiko Sanada simultaneously with its many knuckles.
The bull-man unleashed a series Sonic Punches at Hamuko, who with {EURYDICE}'s help, parried a majority of them. While it was distracted by her rush attack, a Zio-imbued slash attack from {POLYDEUSES} made its way to the beast, despite the miniscule effect it had on the former's thick hide.
Unfazed by the recent attack, the bull-headed warrior unleashed a Heat Wave, forcing the duo to retreat. The auburnette summoned {MOCCUS}, who immediately spelled out an incantation to cast a Rakukaja for herself.
{POLYDEUSES} also backed his master up with a Tarunda towards the beast, weakening his attack power. The latter caused the last Vicious Strike to caused significantly less damage. However, the bull-man easily counteracted the weakening spell with a Dekunda, and casted Revolution with the stomp of a hoof.
Sensing the retreating fighters, it launched an Akasha Arts at them with significantly higher power, indicating a guaranteed critical strike.
After the latter two barely dodged it, it then Charged itself and nearly decimated the battleground's surroundings with a full-power God's Hand to the ground, sending the fighters' duo straight against the ends of the arena's walls.
"That is all? (*Puffs nose) You two lack strength and superb strategy. (*Walks towards duo) You must be able to improvise. (*Picks up rock) Even a tiny pebble can blind the most perceptive beings, as long as you can aim for the eyes." The bull-man tossed the rock at Akihiko, who caught it with his red, swollen hands.
{CHI YOU} continued as he fixed up the tattered arena. "If you wish to rival the great {CHI YOU}, both of you will have to do better than that Patty Cake child's play session just now."
Disappointed, the God of War sat down and began to meditate after restoring his glorious battlegrounds to its prior status. The boxer and martial artist were left resting on the recently restored floor.
'Wonder how Junpei and the others are holding out…'
~ COURTYARD, ITALIAN CASTLE, MAY 23RD
"GAH!"
Two longswords continuously collided with each other, with sparks scattering across the grass and marble floor in the pocket dimension. The capped idiot Junpei seemed to be sparring with a forked-bearded king in golden armor.
"Take this seriously!"
"I AM TAKING THIS SERIOUSLY!"
"Well, don't just stand there. Rebel, for Eldefrei's sake!"
The bearded knight skillfully forced his way through the capped idiot's defenses, causing him to drop his sword to the side and be held at swordpoint by the swordsman in gold.
He then offered the downed Junpei an arm and picked him back up.
"Phew, that's some great skill you displayed back there, sensei…" Junpei spoke as he tidied his behind. The armored master did a hearty laugh, "Tis all but hard work and practice, my lass! I'm sure you'll reach my level one day, (*Tosses new longsword at Junpei) but for now, you must master the flamboyancy of this steely beauty!"
He holstered his longsword with royalty and stomped his leg on the ground. "STANCE!"
Junpei immediately did a roof guard. It wasn't the wisest move but it's one he's familiar with from video game experience.
"ROOF GUARD, EH!? HAVE AT THEE, OR FACE THE WRATH OF {FIORE DE LIBERI}!"
{FIORE} dashed towards the capped idiot like a cannonball just fired from the bore of a cannon. The scared Junpei instinctively blocked all of {FIORE}'s Swift Strike, before they reached a sparkling standstill.
'I wonder how Yuka-tan and the others are doing…'
~ SWEDISH WOODS, MAY 23RD
In a dark forest of apple trees, Yukari Takeba was rapidly dashing, bush to bush to avoid the onslaught of Myraid Arrows befalling onto the brunette's head.
The leather armor she wore had several rips and tears, with blood seeping out of each of them.
Bad luck struck her like a knife in the back as she tripped onto the floor thanks to an extending twig from a random bush.
A faceless figurine made of worn-out papers jumped out of the trees. It wore a leather jacket in red, alongside a white dress, black cap and leather straps for boots. It was also holstering a wooden crossbow.
It walked up to the fallen brunette and carried her like luggage, much to Yukari's embarrassment.
"Even when you're runnin' for your life, you can't afford to be careless. (*Grabs apple & eats it) I'm not goin' to teach ya how to shoot arrows faster than bullets and speedier than an auto-rifle if ya don't even have the mobility and dexterity to dodge those arrows."
The faceless bowslinger continued, "To have an eye such as I, {WILLIAM TELL}, you must think faster than instinct, run swifter than diving eagles, and be stealthier than a squirrel in a golden grassfields. Run along now, we've got much more to do…"
The two left the forest of apple trees to a small cottage outside an illusionary city of medieval sculpture. During the hike to her resting place, Yukari was also wondering something else…
'I wonder how Mitsuru-senpai and the others are doing…'
~ RENAISSANCE SCULPTURE HOUSE, MAY 23RD
A pale figure in nothing but white robes was effortlessly parrying a slashing Mitsuru Kirijo's rapier thrusts and kicks. Before the redhead could do an upper slash, the robed man tripped her by the heels and snatched her rapier by the handle.
The man smugly posed, "Hmmm, even if you're of royal blood, you shouldn't think so lowly of people."
"I don't think of people like that," The Ice Queen spoke. "You know nothing of me."
"Pfft, please… I've read about the oldest kings, had a roommate who made sculptures of them, and it was I who simplified the art of fencing in the first place. You might act arrogant and cold-hearted, but deep down…"
A thrust from Mitsuru's rapier interrupted his speech, before the robed man dodged it with grace and returned the favor with a slash to the arm, rendering her sword-arm temporarily disabled.
"You're just a scared little girl. Easily taunted. Easily disarmed," The man picked Mitsuru up and healed him up with a Diarahan. "Shadows, my former identity, are negative emotions of humankind given form. Therefore, they also have a degree of emotion, albeit in a more… instinctive way."
He continued, "'Unless the enemy has studied his Agrippa… which I have!' Never be TOO afraid to exploit another's weakness for your personal gain, but loosen up in the moral restraints side, in case you ever join the Dark Side."
The recently healed Mitsuru chuckled, "Wise words from someone like you, {CAMILLO AGRIPPA}."
"Well, if you've got energy left to make jokes, I suppose there's more time for training your 'small talk skills'. If you catch my drift." {AGRIPPA} retorted.
The Ice Queen armed herself once more. "Shall we redo?"
"Ladies first, princess…"
~ AKA MANAH'S ROOM, MAY 23RD
A group of troubled teenagers were laying on the carpet floor, terribly exhausted from their extensive workout. Thanks to healing services, their previous injuries have disappeared without a trace.
If only it could restore stamina as well…
Aka Manah spoke, "Do remember that this is only the beginning of things. Nyarly-Gnarly's gonna give no fucks for chasing y'all down to end this world, and I won't let him destroy my entertainment sources for his own edgy indulgence," He then carried each of them out of his room before adding, "And try not ta die!"
After an exhausting day of supernatural training, S.E.E.S. dragged themselves back to their rooms with sheer willpower alone.
~ RECEPTION AREA, IWATODAI DORMS, MORNING, MAY 24TH
The Arisato twins and the other juniors sat lazily on a leathery couch, still exhausted from yesterday's dilemma…
Everyone was in sleepwear and was semi-aware of their own actions. So semi-aware, in fact, that Yukari was lying her head on Minato's abdomen. Another fact was Kazushi resting his entire wrist on Junpei's shoulder, the latter of which didn't even care.
Meanwhile, their {STANDSONA}s were doing their chores for them. {EURYDICE} and {ORPHEUS} was massaging the twins, while {IO} was dusting the floor by sucking up all the dust with her cow-shaped hover seat. {HERMES} was fruitlessly rebellious to do Junpei's lazy chores, and now he's
"I don't wanna go out…!" The capped idiot complained.
"We had to walk on water like Jesus did, without making any ripples being the hardest part." Spoke Minato, alongside the snoring Kazushi.
"At least you guys didn't have to run across bushes while avoiding arrows at the same time!" Shouted the brunette in pink.
"Pfft, I had to fight a green-skinned man-cow with nothing but my fists. Well, alongside Sanada-senpai, that's all…" The emo-haired delinquent frowned. "I'm gonna have a word with him later."
"Hey, who's that on TV?"
An irritatingly catchy song came from the speakers.
The commercial began with a middle-aged salesman (with body mass similar to Minato's) presented himself to the screen, "Hello everyone! Welcome to the home shopping show, 'Tanaka's Amazing Commodities'!"
"Granter of your desires!" Added the annoying backup singers.
"What the hell is up with that song?" The brunette in pajamas rhetorically asked.
The posing salesman continued, "I'm your host, Tanaka, with a live presentation of my Amazing Commodities! We'll show you great items at unbeatable prices!"
He did another gravity-defying pose, "Ooh, you won't be able to touch that dial! Let's bring out our item of the day: it's... an All-Purpose Apron! OH, MY GOD! I can't believe it! But wait, there's more! We'll throw in some Umugi Water for ONLY 4,980 YEN!"
{EURYDICE} instinctively grabbed the nearest phone and dialed the numbers displayed on the wide TV screen.
"Yes… okay, thanks." She cut off the line. The others looked at her and Hamuko. "What? My partner needs one of those."
The others shrugged it off and continued with their daily actions.
"That's it for today! We're all sold out! See you next Sunday, same time, same channel!"
Junpei took the opportunity to shut the TV off, laying back on the couch once more.
"Sooooo… Wanna go train in the room again?"
The others, seeing there's nothing better to do, got up and went to train in their respective realms.
'Wonder what that Mother-Fuuka's up to…'
AKA MANAH'S MIT BITS
~ UNSPECIFIED LOCATION, DARK HOUR, MAY 24TH
A shirtless man, geek in green and a gothic Lolita girl walk into a bar…
"Who are we even meeting here?" The nerdy-looking boy asked the shirtless man.
"Patience, Jin. Our client should arrive rightttttttttttttttt- (*Door slams open) Now."
An impatient Shinjiro entered the bar filled with transmogrified coffins. In his dirty-looking peacoat, he walked up to the trio with his grumpy face on.
"You know why I'm here, revolver Jesus. Gimme the goods." He demanded.
"Mind your tone, you cun-"
"Jin." The geek named Jin silenced himself at once. Revolver Jesus grabbed a handful of pills from his pockets and placed them onto the punk's oversized hands. "Pleasure doing business with you."
A "Tch" was all he got as the cold-hearted brute forced himself to leave. Before he could leave, however, someone called back for him.
"May I ask," Revolver Jesus continued. "What are those interlopers doing in the Black Tower?" Shinjiro pulled down his beanie. "Geez, if you're so interested, go ask them yourselves." He quickly left with the new batch of pills.
The gothic Lolita girl began to pursue him, but was stopped by a pale, muscular hand. "You know, I might just do that…"
Outside the bar, a featureless man-in-black had been spying on them. Watching their every move from the dark like a student learning from a teacher. Bearing a wicked smile of malformed teeth, he retreated into the abyssal dark…
~ SKILLS INFO (POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR FUTURE EVENTS) ~
ARCHERY (Yukari)
Rank 1: Swift Steps – Walking doesn't attract Shadows' attention. Increases Evasion rate (1.5x) against all attacks.
Rank 4: Eagle Eyes – Pierce attacks have a higher critical hit chance.
Rank 7: Quick on your Feet – Triple Evasion rate against all attacks.
Rank 10: Apple in the Middle – Pierce attacks never miss and ignore resistances.
MARTIAL ARTS (Hamuko/Akihiko)
Rank 1: Big-boned – Chance to automatically cast Rakukaja on self at start of battle.
Rank 3: Steely Resolve – Zero turn recovery after being downed.
Rank 6: Bestial Battlecry – Chance to automatically cast Marakunda at start of battle.
Rank 9: Resolve to Survive – Chance for Enduring Soul once in battle.
Rank 10: Emperor's Stance – Status effects grant additional beneficial effects.
Poison – Restore 3% SP at end of each turn
Charm – Higher chance of forfeiting turns instead
Panic/Fear/Distress – Doubled Evasion rate
Rage – No change in defense and accuracy
Freeze/Shock – Doubled defense
KENJUTSU (Minato/ Kazushi)
Rank 1: Ittoryu – Slash attacks deal more damage (1.25x).
Rank 4: Nitoryu – Able to equip two short swords. Slash damage increased (1.5x).
Rank 7: Santoryu – Able to equip three short swords. Slash damage increased (1.75x).
Rank 10: Shitoryu – Able to equip four short swords. Slash damage doubled (2.0x).
FENCING (Junpei)
Rank 1: Hauen – Slash attacks hit up to extra 1-2 hits.
Rank 3: Mittelhau – Increased Attack when fighting against 3 or more enemies.
Rank 6: Schielhau – Double Slash damage against downed enemies.
Rank 9: Zucken – Slash attacks now hit up to extra 1-3 hit.
Rank 10: Abschneiden – Single-target Slash attacks deal additional damage (30%) to other enemies as well.
FENCING (Mitsuru)
Rank 1: Vom Tach – Chance to Counter (15% counter physical) when facing 2 or less foes.
Rank 4: Eisenport – Chance to Counterstrike (30% counter physical) when about to take lethal damage.
Rank 7: Einhorn – Chance to block attacks () and attack afterwards.
Rank 10: Hengetort – Chance to intercept and repel attacks (10%) for another ally who is about to take fatal damage.