A giant, obese white Shadow on a silver rocking horse awaited them. It had two small arms jutting out of its chest that were handcuffed together. It had two ordinary and unbound arms too, but when it flexed them Ren could see yet another pair poking out of its back. Its front arms gripped the reins of its steed as it roared, raising its other four limbs. Huge white and black orbs appeared before it and burst into beams of Almighty energy, throwing the Thieves back. It formed a large arc of energy above it and threw that too. Ren deflected it with Fafnir, but the Shadow just absorbed it. He ordered his Persona to use a Nuclear attack, which made the Shadow stumble. The others also fired elemental Skills. Sumire's bounced off with no effect but the Shadow absorbed the others, its skin glowing red and green around their respective impact points.
"No way..." muttered Sumire. Ren bit his lip. All three of those elements did nothing? The Shadow fired more almighty energy.
"Dodge as best you can!" He yelled. The group scattered. Ren twisted as a beam of mixed light approached him but it hit his shoulder, sending him spinning into the ground. He rolled into a crouch and saw only Sumire left standing. She looked at them all, horrified.
"We're fine!" He felt Hanako heal and strengthen them as they got back onto their feet. This time the Shadow hurled a giant, shining spear at him. He repelled it with Fafnir, wincing as the spear headed directly for the Shadow. However, the Shadow didn't absorb it, instead skidding back with the impact, the base of its horse producing an ear-rending screech as it dragged against the floor. Morgana followed with four fists, but the Shadow didn't even try to block, its skin instead glowing where each punch landed. Morgana hissed. Ren touched his mask again and called Shiva, the purple-skinned diety blasting their foe with severe Psychic waves. The Shadow slid back again. At least that works...
"Be careful!" He yelled. "This thing's absorbing most of our attacks, they're healing it back up!"
"Senpai, I want to try something!"
"What? ...nevermind, go for it!"
"Thank you, Senpai! Cover me!" She darted forward and Ren cast another Psychic attack to stun the giant as she drew close, but it still managed to throw a giant spear at her. He shouted her name, but she simply spun away from the attack and kept running.
"What grace..." he heard Hanako mutter. He agreed.
Now within attacking range, Sumire jumped and plunged the tip of her rapier into the Shadow's chest. It screeched and tried to grab her but she kicked off of its thigh, tearing her blade out of its flesh as she flipped in the air and landed on the floor again. She flourished her sword. "I knew it! We need to be precise, everyone! It can't handle attacks like that! That's why the spear Joker-senpai deflected hurt it!"
"Great work, Violet!" said Morgana. Ren agreed with the sentiment, but before he could say anything the Shadow roared. The air filled with dust, clogging up his nose. He spluttered and saw the Shadow raise its arms, palms outward.
"Oh no, you don't!" Ren pulled out his pistol and fired. His first two shots missed, but the next four punched holes through its stomach. It bellowed. "Precision, huh? Use your guns, everyone!"
"Right!" He heard the distinctive thwip of Morgana's slingshot as large stones pelted the Shadow's skull. Ren forced air out of his stuffy nose and realized what the Shadow had been trying to do. He grinned and called on Shiva again. The god of destruction danced on the spot and the Shadow roared, rocking faster and faster as it shook its head and formed another spear. It hurled it at him, but Ren switched to Fafnir to knock the massive needle right back. The giant screamed as it crashed into its chest.
"Senpai? What did you do?" Sumire braced herself as the Shadow bellowed again.
"It made us weaker so I made it mad! It'll be more careless!"
"And more dangerous!" shouted Morgana as he dodged another spear, the Shadow's rocking becoming more and more erratic.
"I like those odds!" Hanako ran around the Shadow, searching for a clear angle before raising her now black gun and shooting it twice in the side of the head. It screeched and turned to her, but Ren had other plans.
"I'm not done with you yet!" Shiva danced again, this time buffeting the beast with another blast of mental energy. It clutched its head and screamed, the attack ravaging its already addled mind. It shook from side to side before sagging, gasping for breath. "Now, Violet!"
"Yes, Senpai?"
"It's weak to precision, yes? So, your rapier and my bullets?"
She only needed a split second to understand him. "Yes! Watch this, Melody-san!"
"Huh?"
Sumire ran towards Ren and jumped as he threw his grapple out to just above the giant's head. He shot forward, scooping her up out of the air and tossing her forward halfway through his ascent. He retracted the hook, letting momentum carry the two forward as he threw it out again to the same place, feeling Sumire grab onto his back as they reunited directly above the Shadow. Their original momentum carried them forward still, but the wire grew taut and them back into a circle. Ren opened fire on the dazed Shadow, the two completing a full orbit before he threw her up one more time. She flipped over and fell head first with her sword outstretched, tearing a straight line through the beast's body before she landed and darted all around, stabbing every inch of flesh she could reach before the Shadow gave out its loudest scream yet and sank into its chair. She felt Ren beside her as the Shadow's skin began to peel away and she pulled him to her, spinning into his arms as they heard the beast burst behind them.
"Senpai..." she murmured, looking up at him with a beaming smile. "I was hoping we could do that at some point."
"What, did you want to show off for Melody?"
"Uh!" A faint pink colored her cheeks before she pouted. "...yeah."
He chuckled and pulled her to her feet as Hanako and Morgana approached. "Violet always deals the final blow," he explained "...and she almost always pulls me into that pose, too."
"S - Senpai! You can't just say something like that!" But Hanako just clapped, a huge grin plastered on her face.
"That was incredible! Spectacular! And so romantic! You didn't do the pose last time, did you Violet-chan?"
"Huh? Well...no, it wasn't really appropriate to do it there...it was a really tough fight, after all."
"That's true. And I didn't really get to take it in properly then due to...you know, everything going on, so I'm glad you two put on a repeat performance now," she folded her arms. "I have to say though, you're a lot more confident in this world, aren't you?" She glanced from one teen to the other and smirked. "And much more proactive."
"H - huh?" Sumire jumped away from Ren - who'd still had his arm around her waist - and brushed her bangs out of her face. "U - um..!"
"Then again, your senpai is too, so I guess that's another thing you two can bond over."
"Wait - " Ren toyed with his hair " - I am?"
"Of course," Morgana laughed. "You seriously didn't notice? It's like night and day compared to how you are at school!"
"...huh. I didn't think I was that different." He thought for a moment before letting a second, quieter "Huh." He chuckled and tucked his hands in his pockets. "You hear that, Violet? There's another thing we have in common!" He pulled Sumire back to him and she blushed, looking away. "What, you don't like it?"
"What? No! Senpai, of course I do! Y - you just surprised me..!"
Ren laughed again and let her go. "I'm glad to hear it. Now!" He turned to the others. "Shall we continue?" Everyone nodded. "Alright. We had two big fights in the last area too, so hopefully this means we can go further now. Let's refuel while we can."
Everyone healed up. Once he was satisfied with their health he led them up the slope, sighing at the lack of feeling in his gut once they neared the top.
"I guess we really are doing this the old fashioned way..."
Ren counted nine more floors of the same crystalline walls as they fought through more of the Shadows they'd encountered thus far, including another grueling encounter with both types of minotaurs at once. Despite them only seeing two variations in the tower's aesthetic in their current excursion, Ren was almost certain they'd climbed as many floors as they had the day before, if not more: even Sumire was beginning to slow down by the time they reached the next slope. The party went up it and tensed at the sight of another open room before them. They exchanged nervous glances before creeping forwards, looking in all directions.
Nothing happened.
Even once they reached the middle of the room: nothing happened. Ren looked at the high ceiling. There weren't any birds waiting to ambush them either. They made their way to the slope at the other end and looked around again in the thick silence.
"Uh...what's going on?" Morgana frowned, grip still firm on his scimitar.
"This feels like a trap," muttered Sumire.
"Yeah," Ren nodded. "Morgana, you lead the way up. I'll keep an eye back here."
"Got it."
They proceeded single file to the next floor, Ren preparing for a floating sensation as they neared the top, but it never came. Sumire tapped his shoulder once they arrived and he turned around to see yet another arena.
"...what?"
They crept forward again, this time backed up in a diamond formation, eyes darting all around them. Ren cursed as he felt his heart rate skyrocket. Anticipating a threat was far more draining than actually fighting one! If that was what the Shadows had planned for them...well, it was working.
They continued to the centre of the room before Morgana hissed, but even then his voice boomed in the silence.
"Joker! Another Will Seed!"
Ren looked to his left to see a third corridor leading to marble double doors. He looked in the opposite direction but saw no teleporter accompanying it. He took a deep breath.
"Okay, everyone: brace yourselves. Melody, it's usually the third Seed that has a Shadow protecting it. We already fought a guardian though, so this next fight may be even worse."
"Got it."
Everyone nodded to one another before breaking formation. Ren led the way down the corridor, though the Thieves kept throwing glances above and behind them as they walked. He slashed the vessels covering the doors, stepping back to avoid the ensuing burst of blood, even keeping his sleeves clean this time. He looked around them. Still nothing. He grunted as he pushed the doors aside, then looked inside. It looked just like the other Seed rooms, silent and rotting. Even applying the enhanced senses the fake Igor had given him revealed no hidden Shadows or traps, yet he still pressed a finger to his lips as he led the others in. He kept his gaze locked on the Seed's plinth as he stepped up to it and a few seconds longer until, eventually, he took the Seed from it.
Nothing happened.
Ren looked outside. Nothing had spawned behind them either. He looked back at the Seed in his hand. Blue.
"I...guess this Palace messed with the natural order of these things too?" Morgana thought aloud.
"Perhaps," he replied as the Seed twitched. The other two Seeds materialized in the air and the blue one joined them. The spun around each other, emitting green, red and blue light.
"Is this normal?" asked Hanako.
"Yes," said Sumire as the Seeds spun faster and faster. Their lights blended, forming a pure white aura that expanded outward. The Thieves shielded their eyes until it faded and a three headed crystal skull landed in Ren's waiting palm.
"Uh...what is that?"
"This is something that happens with Will Seeds," explained Morgana. "Each Palace has three of them. Once we collect them all, they fuse into an item we can use to help us on our journey. Oh! But we also know someone who can tweak this to make it even better. So Joker, what is this one gonna do for us?"
Ren turned it over in his hands to appraise it and felt...nothing.
"Huh?"
He applied his enhanced senses. Usually that was enough to get a feeling for what benefit something would have for them in the Metaverse, but this still just...
"Feels like nothing." He finished the thought aloud. He gave it to Morgana who also examined it from multiple angles before handing it back with a frown.
"That's weird..." he looked at the dead vines on the walls. "Maybe it has something to do with why we haven't heard any voices from here? That implies that the Ruler is either incredibly secretive or simply doesn't understand their own feelings. But even Dr. Maruki understood on some level that not everyone would accept what he was doing, right?"
"So..." Sumire tilted her head. "We need to make the Ruler admit or realize why they have a Palace?"
"Either that or we just go straight for the change of heart, since most of the time that makes the Ruler confront their desires anyway," said Ren. "But even if that doesn't work, Jose may know something. I mean, studying something from as weird a Palace as this one would be a dream come true for the guy, right?"
"Uh, excuse me, who's Jose?" Hanako half raised her hand from the back of the group.
"We...actually don't know," Ren chuckled as the Crystal vanished in a smaller flash of light. "He looks and acts like a little kid, but he says he's not human and lives in the Metaverse, so - "
"Lives in the Metaverse?!" Hanako covered her mouth for an moment before composing herself. "Oh, I'm sorry for interrupting, but he lives here?" She looked around the room and the corridor outside. "You say he's just a little kid too...and here I thought I wouldn't get surprised anymore," she chuckled. "You really know all sorts of people."
Sumire giggled. "I thought the exact same thing when Senpai and the other Thieves introduced me to him!"
"Oh! Well, I guess we sisters think alike, huh?" Hanako winked, but the younger girl's eyes went wide and her jaw dropped.
"Um...yeah!" She looked away, cheeks flushed. Ren smiled and patted her on the back.
"You said it first, you know."
She nodded. "I - I know, it's just...you surprised me, Melody-san."
Melody's smile turned warm. "I didn't mean to put you on the spot like that, but I am happy we even have things like our reactions to stuff in common."
Sumire was quiet for a while before she looked at her. "...me too." She gave Hanako a shy smile before turning away again. Ren patted her on the back once more, then manoeuvred around the others to stand in front of the doorway. He led them back out, throwing more glances in all directions as they went, but there were still no Shadows ambushing them even once they returned to the centre of the room.
"Well, we still have more ground to cover everyone, so let's keep our guard up!" The women were still smiling at each other, but they turned back at his words and nodded.
"Right!"
"Lead the way, Joker."
"...actually," Morgana walked past him and looked up the stairs. "I think this is it."
"Huh?"
"The Treasure. I think the Will Seed was interfering with my senses, but now that it's gone I'm sure, the Treasure's almost right on top of us!"
"Really? That's great! Okay everyone, be extra careful here, let's go!"
"Yeah!" added Morgana. "There's still a chance we could get ambushed too. Everyone keep your eyes peeled!"
As they walked up the longest slope yet, Ren heard Sumire talking to Hanako. "Oh, that's right: this is your first time seeing a Treasure, isn't it?"
"That's right. What does it look like?" Ren looked back and nodded to himself: even though they were talking the girls were still looking around, hands on their weapons.
"They're different for each Palace. Actually, this is my first time seeing one before sending a calling card; apparently they only take a proper shape after you do that."
"A calling card, huh? I take it they're not all verbal like mine was?"
Sumire opened her mouth, but before she could reply they heard Morgana from the top of the 'stairwell'. "Woah..."
Ren was only a few steps behind and his jaw dropped too. "Woah..."
They'd exited onto a small landing on the outside of the tower. There was a flight of actual steps spiralling along the outside, but it had no railings. On the other hand, the fierce winds had died down so they could walk without fear of being blown away, though they still kept a hand pressed to the wall as they went up, trying not to look at the horizon - or rather, the void that had replaced it, so small now that they were so high up...
Ren shook his head and focused on simply putting one foot in front of the other.
After a minute of walking they reached the peak. The top of the tower was a flat circle that seemed to be made up of marble slabs, the edges of which formed what Ren assumed were random lines and shapes overlapping each other, all different shades of grey. Placed at regular intervals around the edge - with the exception of three rectangular platforms leading to stairs like those they'd just taken - were pillars with what appeared to be raven statues facing inward, though a seemingly infinite number of feathers were being plucked out of their spread wings by the breeze. And in the centre of all this...
"The Shadow!" Sumire cried.
Everyone gripped their weapons, but let out quiet breaths when they saw the living silhouette they had been following standing in the exact middle of the roof, staring at the sky. They walked onto the marble surface, though they all remained tense.
"I thought we were gonna have to fight," Ren muttered.
"As long as we don't pull a Ryuji here, we won't have to."
"...Mona-senpai?"
"Long story," Ren answered. Once they got close enough the Shadow glanced at them, then looked back at the sky. Curious, Ren followed its gaze. "Oh, wow."
The others looked up. There were still dark clouds surrounding them, but the sky directly above them was clear and illuminated by a now shining white moon.
Wait.
Shining?
"Joker! That's it! That's the Treasure!"
Ren looked again and noticed the familiar multicolored haze around the white orb. It wasn't the moon after all: the Treasure had appeared directly beneath it.
"So...this is our route?" asked Sumire. "But...it's so far up, I think even you would have trouble getting up there, Mona-senpai! Dr. Maruki gave us a path to get to his Treasure but how can we get up there? Oh, and do you know why we can see it now? We couldn't when we looked at the Palace from outside before..."
"Maybe we had to climb the tower manually to make the Treasure appear," said Morgana. Ren glanced at the Shadow, but it was still looking at the moon as if the talking cat wasn't even there. "Same for the wind, which means we can probably fly up and down from here from now on. As for getting to the Treasure, don't worry. We'll try the helicopter if we have to, but even if it's out of reach now, we'll be able to get it once we send the calling card...though we still don't know who to even give it to..."
The three exchanged glances. Hanako's silence drew their attention to her: she was still staring at the Shadow. "Um..." began Sumire "do you recognize it, Melody-san?"
"...no, but...I feel like I should." Even as the topic of conversation the Shadow didn't turn. "Um...excuse me?"
The Shadow simply glanced at her, then looked back at the moon. Now that it was saying still though, Ren could finally take a proper look at it. It was indeed feminine as they'd suspected before and was an inch or two shorter than Sumire. He wondered if she(?) was the Shadow of a teenager.
"Are you sure you don't recognize it?"
"No, I don't. Why, Mona?"
"It's just that this Palace also manifested inside yours so I thought..." Morgana shook his head. "Nevermind. More importantly, we have our route now and an easy way to get back up here. We've also found all three Will Seeds and met this Shadow girl again..." he paused and they turned to the unresponsive figure "...so we should be good to go, yeah?" He went back to the top of the stairwell and looked around before sighing as Ren and Hanako joined him. "There's not enough room to transform here without breaking my propellers against these pillars though. Too bad that Shadow isn't budging..."
"Well, maybe you could jump and transform in midair?" Hanako tapped her cheek.
"Are you serious?! How could you possibly think - "
"Um...excuse me, Shadow-san!"
The trio exchanged glances at the high-pitched voice and turned to see Sumire still standing where they'd been before, now lightly tapping the Shadow's shoulder.
"That idiot! What the heck is she doing?"
The Shadow turned her head to look at her as if she were a slow-moving automaton.
"Um...could you tell us whose Shadow you are, please?"
Silence.
Sumire took a step back and Ren knew she was wincing as she hugged herself.
"Um, then...could you, um...move a little, please? I'm sorry to bother you, but my friend Mona-senpai probably needs a little more space to transform so we can go home safely. Is that okay with you? You'll only need to move for a short while, I promise."
The Shadow stared at her for a few seconds.
Thenshe backed away.
The other three walked up to her with slack jaws as she bowed. "Thank you so much!"
"So. That Shadow can't talk, but it can still understand us, huh? Interesting," said Morgana.
"She's very kind."
Really? All it did was move when you asked it to."
"But she did, didn't she Mona-senpai?"
"Hmm..." Morgana crossed his arms but Ren patted Sumire on the back again.
"That's my girl." She blushed. Hanako smiled and folded her arms.
"Some people may call that kindness cliched, but I still think it's nice to have you." She winked.
"Th - thank you..." She frowned as a thought occurred to her. "Hey, don't you think...no, nevermind." She turned to the Shadow and back. "Let's not keep her waiting."
Morgana nodded and turned into a helicopter. The three of them got in and Morgana rose into the air. They all looked out of his open door to see the Shadow staring at them as they descended down the side of the tower. Before Ren could slide Morgana closed, Sumire held her arm out and waved.
"We'll be back soon!" She yelled. "Don't worry, we'll do our best to help you!"
The Shadow did nothing. Sumire sat back and Ren shut the door. The three humans kept their eyes on the Shadow through the window. She in turn watched them as she walked back to the centre of the roof, turning her eyes back to the moon just as they dropped out of sight.