Vangran: Hey, thanks. Well, with all what was said about Shinjuku I just figured exercising caution made sense.
As for your question, I did consider using Sumire more than once. But it was looking like I'd be handling too many characters. I'm considering making a P5 Twilight Strikers sequel and if I do go ahead with that, she'll be there. I'll be making a few changes to her story but I think I can work her into the story much better then. I already have an idea on how to integrate her character if it comes to that.
Defender31415: Thanks a bunch. Well, I intend to handle Makoto's confidant somewhat differently. It just seems like they focus so much on Eiko that it got a little boring, at least to me. I have a couple of ideas I'm looking forward to trying on that front. Hifumi's Mementos mission target is definitely her mom, she's the source of the trouble after all.
I'm going to use the 3rd tier Personas for sure, it'll be in the 3rd semeseter though. It doesn't really have to do with Namine hanging out with anyone, I mean there's no reason they wouldn't hang out anymore. They still do even if I don't always get around to mentioning it. The confidant numbers are just reminders for me so I can remember where I stand there for the most part.
With all the Phatom Thieves' preparations taken care of, the time had come to change President Okumura's heart...
Morgana ran down from Okumura Foods' HQ to the alley where his friends waited ''The Calling Card worked, you guys. Everyone's going crazy over there-we're good to go!''
''Then let's do it.'' Namine returned and the rest nodded, the girl proceeded to activated the Nav...
The first thing the rest of the team noticed about the Palace was that Mona was right. Things were proceeding at quite a fast necked pace. The workers were even busier than ever, even stranger, they didn't seem to notice the group at all.
''The hell? They're actually workin' even more?'' Skull stared.
''That is strange...'' Sage uttered, looking just as bewildered. ''...what exactly is going on? Is this because of the Calling Card?''
''Come on! Come on!'' One of the workers cried.
''We have to hurry! Let's not waste a single moment!''
''The President's plan is about to come to pass. Through all the struggles, he found a way to increase the family's power...''
Noir frowned ''I remember Father mentioning some sort of through breakthrough before...could this be related?''
Panther scowled ''What'd he do this time?''
The model wondered what his plans would cost Noir. She quickly dismissed the thought, knowing it was no use dwelling on it. ''Oracle, can you find him?''
As Oracle proceeded to search the area, she could hear some of the workers talking. They were going on about this being the last operation before the facility was taken care of...did that mean...?
A few groups of workers tried to get in their way but they were quickly defeated. Still, no one missed how...desperate the workers acted. As if they were just determined to obstruct their path...
''This is getting disturbing...'' Joker trailed off.
''Agreed, they seemed loyal before but this is...quite the extreme.'' Fox frowned.
Oracle stopped ''Guys, up there!'' She pointed at the big UFO flying above them. ''That's where Okumura is!''
The team hurried over without another word, seeing the UFO stop at a terminal. It didn't take them long to find Okumura's Shadow, who was standing with a pair of black clad managers bots.
''I've been expecting you.''
''Father...'' Noir steeled herself. Odds were, talking to him would do no good. She knew, this Palace wouldn't exist if things were that simple. Her friends were fine with backing her up on this but they also made it clear that she shouldn't expect much success. Talking may not do much good but she wanted...no, she needed to understand. How did he come to be like this?
The others didn't quite understand because they hadn't met him before but she never would've thought her father would sink to such despicable levels. ''...why would you do all this? You hurt so many people...and ruined lives-all because of this utopia? Does it mean so much that you'd give up everything for it?''
The Shadow scoffed ''What foolish words! I will do anything to achieve my utopia! It's the way to raise the family to the upper echelons of society and I would be truly happy. Nothing else matters, if I have to step over people so be it!''
''It's always about you, huh?'' Skull scowled. ''You're so damn selfish that it's sickening. Noir cares so much about you and look much you hurt her!''
S. Okumura seemed unimpressed ''My real daughter wouldn't go against me. She would do what it takes for the good of the family.''
''What family? You practically made it clear that it's all for you!'' Oracle countered, similarly outraged on Noir's behalf.
So was Panther ''You don't deserve a good and loving daughter like Noir!''
''As if I care what petty thieves say.'' He dismissed. ''Haru, if you truly do care then show it. I will give you a chance to join me. Your actions aside, I think it's admirable that you've grown so strong. I can see you're truly becoming an independent young woman-it'd be a shame to let all of that come to an end. As your father, I naturally want to see you grow. What do you say?''
Noir's face remained expressionless ''...I side with my father...'' S. Okmurua seemed pleased at this but she carried on. ''...my real father, that is. You're not him. I truly wished we could avoid a battle but I can tell you're far too gone to listen. That's why I will fight-to get my father back. The kind man who truly wanted the good of others, the one who taught me so much. I truly would be failing him if I side with you!''
''Yeah, you tell him!'' Oracle called.
S. Okumura scowled ''You fool...very well then, then you face elimination.'' He pressed a button on a nearby wall. Suddenly, they were pushed back by an invisible force before two energy barriers seperated them. Skull, Panther, Oracle and Queen were the furthest back while Sage and Fox were just before them, leaving Joker, Noir and Mona facing S. Okumura. The Shadow raised a hand and a number of enemies surrounded the team.
''Now then...'' The Shadow looked at Mona. ''...you don't have to fight. You could be on the winning side, I would think someone with your abilities could be rather useful. After all, you weren't with them before, were you?''
Mona glared back ''So you were spying on us...''
His next words confirmed that to be the case ''You said you wouldn't gain anything by siding with them. Well, you were absolutely right. Soon this place will be no more, I advise you to cut them off for your own gain. So, do we have a deal? I'll give you ten seconds to answer. Time is money, after all.''
Mona chuckled ''I was just lying to myself before but don't take me for a fool. Everything's gain and losses for you, isn't it? I almost pity you, Mr. CEO. You lived with Noir for 17 years and you still haven't realized? In this world, there are tons of things that money and fame can't buy! What point would there be in saving only myself?! Nobody can ever replace these guys! I will never turn my back on them again! You know what...'' He aimed his slingshot and fired a shot at the button, disabling the barriers. ''...your offer was no good from the start!''
He recoiled as the others stepped up ''What?!''
''Way to go, Mona!'' Joker smiled.
''Nicely done!'' Sage added.
''Wowza, you're so cool, Mona!'' Oracle ruffled his fur.
''Heh, you stole the show, man!'' Skull grinned.
The feline thief beamed. He had just been saying the truth but it felt really good to get that off his chest. He would always be proud to be a part of this group and nothing would change that.
''Fine, you rebels!'' S. Okumura spat. ''I'll take you all down now!''
He took out what looked like a remote control, Oracle started ''Joker, get that thing away from him!''
The older girl was about to question this but the urgency in their navigator's voice made her discard the notion. Thinking fast, she whipped out her revolver and aimed it at the president's hand. He tried to get away but Joker wasn't the best shot in the Phantom Thieves for nothing, it only took her a couple of bullets to knock the device out of his hands. The enemy's anger told her that this thing was important.
Oracle was thinking along similar lines, knowing her hunch had been correct. She remembered the snippets of conversation she overheard when searching with Necronomicon earlier. This thing could be likely something to get that started, if not, it was bound to cause something troublesome.
The Shadow growled. ''Get them!''
The enemies charged on command. Queen made sure to defend Oracle, kicking a robot away. Skull had Seiten Taisei charge his club with electricity before hurling it at a pair of robots, Goemon froze a number of enemies allowing Hecate to incinerate them.
Mona cut down a Decarabia, remaining unfazed as one of the managers jumped at him, dodging the attack. ''Nice try, more numbers doesn't mean better odds. We'll beat them down just like we did those who came before! We're a better team than anything you can muster, you won't stop us!''
He summoned Zorro but that was when the surprise occured. The top heavy swashbuckler began to glow and suddenly he was surrounded by white light and blue flames, blocking him from view.
''Whoa, Zorro's getting a huge power boost!'' Oracle exclaimed.
But there was more to it...
The light and flames faded, revealing a completely new presence in Zorro's place. A lean and agile looking figure, clad in an outfit that was mostly in shades of blue with a little gold. Its shoes had wide wings on the sides and brandished a staff in one hand.
''What just...?'' Mona's eyes widened while the others stared on in wonder.
This may have been unexpected but Panther knew what it meant ''You did it, Mona. That's like what happened with us, your Persona evolved!''
Mona was stunned, not even hearing Skull cheer as this sank in. This whole time, he wondered if this evolution would happen to him. For a while, he didn't believe it was possible, yet here it was. Did this mean he had found his new strength just like Panther and Skull?
His thought came to a halt as he felt a connection to his Persona, with information about it coming to his mind.
''And in such a good time too.'' Joker remarked with a growing smile. ''Care to show us your new abilities?''
Mona smirked ''Absolutely. Let's go, Mercurius!''
The Persona needed no further prompting, it was off like a flash. Mercurius seemed to disappear for a moment, reappearing behind a few enemies. When it reapppeared, all the enemies were blown away by fierce gales, destroying them. Mercurius thrust his staff forth, unleashing wind blades that tore through more enemies.
''Amazing.'' Queen smiled.
''Freaking cool!'' Skull exclaimed.
''You haven't seen anything yet.'' Mona returned, smirking. ''Garudyne!''
The powerful wind spell destroyed its target, forcing those nearby back. Mercurius was truly proving once again, the power of an evolved Persona.
The enemies weren't about to back down, be it Shadows or workers, all were relentless. The robots mostly attacked them physically while the Shadows unleashed some elemental magic on them. Luckily, given that those were all adversaries the team had dealt with while traversing the Palace, they knew exactly how to handle them.
Noir distracted a pair of executive robots with Milady's artillery before continuing the offensive with a Mapsio. This allowed Mercurius to plow through them with ease. Some enemies tried to lob bombs at them but Joker stopped this cold with the Song of Harmony, having Arsene throw her dagger to unleash a Fatal Circle afterwards. The attack scattered the intended targets as they strove to dodge but they were left vulnerable to Adam Kadmon's Megidola. One of the manager robots tried to weaken the party by making them hungry but the problem was immediately solved via Garuda's Amrita Shower.
A pair of Decarabia charged at Sage but he tanked one attack and fended them both with his staff. Both were rammed by Johanna as Queen continued attacking the enemies together with Joker as she summoned her newly obtained Valkyrie Persona. A pair of Thunderbirds tried to get the girls from above but they were handily defeated by Mona, who cut them down with Mercurius' help.
S. Okumura watched in growing dismay as the Phantom Thieves continued dismantling his forces. They were sustaining damage but it never kept them down for long. The party was handling the enemies with some excellent displays of teamwork. Joker took full advantage of her ability as a Wild Card, making sure to tackle whatever weaknesses she knew the enemy had. Healing his friends, Mona revealed that Mercurius' healing abilities had improved as well.
The Shadow snapped before long, utterly fed up ''You useless pieces of trash! All of you are completely worthless! I'll have to use 'it' then.''
''It?'' Panther's brow furrowed.
S. Okumura smirked, snapping his fingers. A black and red pillar appeared before him, revealing a Melchizidek towering above everyone. ''This is one of my finest work, I've finally made a good use out of those pests plaguing my factory. Let's see how you fare against it!''
Melchizidek charged, almost blowing past the entire group with sheer force. Mona quickly had Mercurius defend them when it made to attack again. The enemy countering by casting Megidola, making Joker stop it. Noir couldn't help but wince a little at seeing how the parts of the attacks hurt the workers and her father didn't even bat an eye. It was expected but that didn't make it any better.
The new enemy cast Masukukaja on itself before continuing the offense, using another Megidola. Joker tried to stop it again but the silver light hadn't fully former around the group due to the enemy's increased speed, thus it only reduced the damage somewhat. It dodged Fox and Skull's bullets and retaliated, swiftly punching the boys who tried to counter with their Personas and failed.
Oracle gave the whole group boosts in power, defense and speed. Melchizidek charged again but this time they were able to react better, guarding against its initial punch. Avoiding Seiten Taisei's lightning, it blew past Arsene and Milady's magics before using God Hand three times to target the whole group.
Queen pulled herself, holding back a wince. ''What power...Oracle, any info we can use?''
''Yeah!'' The hacker called back, having just finished her analysis. ''Oh, damn...guys, it's a lot like those super juiced up Shadow we fought before. No idea how but this one's actually under control. It's strong against psy attacks and it negates curse attacks, but it's weak to wind!''
Mona smirked ''Good to know-'' His eyes narrowed as the Shadow reared up a fist. ''-heads up!''
Melchizidek unleashed another God Hand, wasting no time in charging for a Megaton Raid afterwards. Joker stopped the first attack though the force of it pushed her back. Queen quickly summoned Johanna to help her, firing her most potent nuclear spell. Melchizidek flew back to dodge it-angered, S. Okumura ordered the rest of his minions to get back in there and fight. While they had clearly steered out of Melchizidek's range before, they were clearly far more frightened of their boss to keep doing so.
Oracle thought fast, using a number of her bombs to keep the enemies away. Queen was glad as this gave her a moment to think about how to handle this situation. ''Let's split up. Joker, Mona, we'll be counting on you guys to handle that thing. Panther and I will back you up. Everyone else, keep the other enemies away from us.''
''Right!''
''Before we get started then...'' Sage swiftly healed the group with Mediarama before they went on their way.
Melchizidek attacked its four adversaries with Makouga, Panther dodged the rays of light in her direction before trying to whip it. It fired up another ray in response, forcing her to guard. Mona used Mercurius' Garudyne once more, which the Shadow barely managed to avoid in time and charged at the cat. It was caught off guard when Queen shot bullets at it and the feline thief used the chance to attack with his new Persona's magic once more, knocking the enemy down.
''Come on!'' Mona called.
The party of four unleashed an All Out Attack, blowing the Shadow back. Melchizidek got back to its feet and tried to attack but it was clear that the battle was taking its toll for it was beginning to slow down. Its power had also lessened but it was still quite troublesome.
Mona scowled ''This thing's pretty resilient-I guess he put up all he learned from those other powerful Shadows altogether. We can't let this drag on.'' There was also the fact that dragging the battle on would only wear them down more. He didn't doubt that they realized this as well but none of them would back down now.
''Let's go full power.'' Panther decided. ''We've gotta help the others too, there's no telling what else the president's got up his sleeve.''
''I've got one attack that could definitely finish it off but it could dodge with those reflexes...'' The feline thief trailed off.
Joker got an idea ''Then let's make sure it doesn't. Mona, we'll distract it and give you an opening.'' She quickly explained her plan and the others agreed to go for it, preparing themselves.
Melchizidek charged up for another attack but Joker and Panther summoned Byakko and Hecate to strike. Both Personas used their respective magics, ice and fire collided to coat the area around Melchizidek in steam. Caught off guard, the unsuspecting Shadow was blasted by Johanna's Freila, with Queen seizing the change to kick its head hard, pushing it to a wall. The Shadow was about to retaliate but Joker had Byakko cast Bufudyne to block its path.
That was when Mona made his move. Riding on Johanna behind Queen, the cat leaped up ''Mercurius!''
The evolved Persona appeared next to him. The cat brandished his scimitar, preparing his new Overdrive ''Now, Emerald Squall!''
Mercurius waved his staff, unleashing a multitude of green wind blades from numerous angles. Mona thrust his sword forward, raising powerful gales that blew the Shadow into the air. In a second, the wind magic merged into a huge tornado that caught its target, finishing it off.
''What?!'' S. Okumura recoiled in shock and Mona smirked tauntingly in return.
Things were going similarly well on the rest of the group, with them certainly coming out on top despite the rising opposition. Fox summoned Goemon, unleashing his own Overdrive, Ethereal Malestrom. With each stroke of their weapons, both summoned ferocious icy winds that trapped the enemies in a huge maelstrom, freezing those who could endure it solid. It didn't matter though, Goemon merely snapped his fingers, the ice and everything within it was shattered.
S. Okumura growled ''I will not lose to your pests, least of all when I'm so close to achieving my utopia. This is far from over...''
''Well, you're right for once...'' A new voice spoke up, making them all start and look around for the source. ''...but you really are a disappointment.''
The next thing anyone knew, the enemy leader was blasted by a fast moving beam, much to everyone's surprise.
''Wha-where'd that come from?!'' Panther exclaimed.
They didn't wait long to find out, for the source made itself known soon.
A female in gold and white robes holding a long hooked staff with a jewel at an end walked to the scene. Her long hair reached past her back and her dark red eyes glittered with malice, she might've been mistaken for human had it not been for her skin, which was a pale purple color.
Accompanying her was a tall figure clad in black and red armor which had spiked shoulders, holding a huge sword. His hair was spiky and a dark shade of blue, almost black while his skin was white. His golden eyes were a similar shade to S. Okumura as he stared the Shadow down with a wicked smirk.
''The hell...?'' Skull uttered, voicing everyone's shock.
Oracle looked unnerved ''Guys, careful...those two are way, way tough...''
The woman flashed her an amused look ''Ah, you can tell already? Well, we thought to stop by and see how you'd fare.''
Queen's eyes narrowed ''Who are you supposed to be?''
''I'm glad you asked! My name is Circe...'' The former responded lightly. ''...and my associate is Pluto. We've had a couple of occasions to watch your group in occasion so a little test proved to be quite tempting.''
''At least you brats are proving to be far more entertaining than this blowhard.'' Pluto stated with a glance at S. Okumura. ''But watching got boring...so we've decided it's about time to get in on this!''
Circle lifted her staff, unleashing a powerful almighty spell that almost blew everyone back. Pluto quickly unleashed a frenzy of attacks, using Bloodbath to target everyone.
Joker was barely to stop him in time with the Song of Harmony. Oddly enough, this seemed to intrigue the two more than anything.
''This Wild Card is even more interesting than the other one. She doesn't shy away at all from her true potential...'' Circe smiled.
''Bah, that little fool's just a joke.'' Pluto spat, disgusted. ''It's only by pure luck that he lived so far.''
''What does that even mean?'' Noir wondered.
But no one had anytime to question the interlopers' mysterious words as Pluto attacked once more, casting Wild Thunder. The party hurried away to defend or dodge from the deluge of lightning that almost swept through the entire area repetitively. Joker idly noted how one of the robots leaped in to defend S. Okumura from a stray bolt. She didn't know how long she could hold the Song of Harmony against such an attack so it was best not to risk it.
Pluto fended the bullets Skull fired at him while Circe dodged Panther's whip and blocked Fox's sword with her staff, blowing him and Panther back with a Makouga. She swiftly cast Megidola afterwards but Sage responded with Adam Kadmon's own almighty magic. At first it looked like the attacks canceled each out but the force unleashed in the clash nearly blew them back.
Oracle tried to analyze them but she had never seen anything like this. It was like something muddled the usual data she would pick up from her targets. She could get something but the effect was slow...
Thinking fast, she unleased some of Necronomicon's bombs but Circe cast what looked like a shield to stop any damage cold. Pluto smirked ''You're just going to have to try harder brats, we're nothing like the trash you were fighting!''
Scowling, the navigator responded by helping heal her friends, noting how the shield could break from strong, fast impact. She warned her friends at once, with Joker and Queen shooting at it. Pluto laughed when it seemed to have no effect.
Circe, however, was more wary. It soon turned out that ''Clever...well then-Mapsiodyne!''
The spell blasted half the party but it was the worst on Queen, being her weakness. The girl cried out and fell to her knees. Pluto prepared to attack her but then Milady and Seiten Taisei blocked his path, unleashing some attacks which he tanked.
''Don't underestimate us!'' Skull snapped.
Pluto smirked ''You sure are spirited-let's see how long that lasts!''
As the battle continued, the new arrivals proved that they were far stronger than anything the Palace had to offer. It didn't help that the team had spent a good amount of time fighting so it was wearing on them. Still, even as Circe and Pluto were getting the advantage, the Phantom Thieves didn't give up and kept fighting hard...
S. Okumura's anger grew as he observed the battle, feeling as if they were looking down on him. This was his Palace, his world and yet here those two come, deciding he was nothing. That was unacceptable!
He looked at his remaining minions ''Well, what're you waiting for?! Keep this up and you will be destroyed-get rid of them!''
One executive director robot charged at the new arrivals with a fist at the ready. But Pluto blocked his punch with a single finger ''You're even more pathetic than I thought.''
Two general managers jumped to use Assault Dive but they were instantly obliterated when Circe cast Maiega. The curse magic even struck S. Okumura as she leveled a cold look at him ''We might as well have been doing you a favor-you really are deluded if you think those wastes of spaec could lay a scratch on us.''
Mona looked incredulous as the president merely had his workers keep attacking ''How much of an idiot is he?! What makes him think he can do any better against them if his robots hardly had a thing on us?''
''Pride, I suppose.'' Queen looked annoyed. Her eyes widened as S. Okumura was struck down again. ''Come on, we can't let them continue. If they keep it up, this'll be for nothing!''
The realization had sank in for the others too. S. Okumura had taken plenty of damage and if this kept up, he would have a mental shutdown.
''Milady!'' The noblewoman materialized before her User's father, casting Tetrakarn on command.
As S. Okumura looked up in surprise, Noir spared him a short glance ''Just stay there. We have bigger problems to deal with.''
''So someone in this family does have common sense.'' Pluto sneered, lunging at the girl with his fist. Noir deftly blocked the attack with her axe, countering with a Psiodyne afterwards. The attack seemed to jar him a little but he quickly shook it off and Noir guessed he might have a good resistance to her element but not enough to brush it off all together.
''Sarasvati!'' Joker summoned another of her new Personas, having her heal S. Okumura before she joined Noir. Both new enemies dodged her ice spells, jumping away in an instant. Pluto prepared a Garudyne on the president,only to be surprised when it was blocked by the Song of Harmony.
''You can even block like that?'' Pluto spluttered, after all they had seen her use the light when she was nearby her target. But S. Okumura was a fair bit away from her.
Joker made a mental note to thank Justine later as she and Noir defeated the robots that attacked them, recalling the advice the young warden shared with her before. Thanks to that, she had a couple of new ideas about how to handle the Song of Harmony.
''I must admit, I'm intrigued...'' Circle began. ''...why would you go so far for him? I can see that this girl...'' She gestured at Noir. ''...is attached to her only remaining family-which I frankly consider foolish, especially given his actions. But what about you, Trickster?'' She looked at Joker. ''Surely you must see what kind of person he really was. Someone who thinks nothing of sentencing others to death, even selling his own daughter for his gain. Such scum doesn't deserve to live, wouldn't you say?''
''...Well, you're right about one thing...'' Joker started. ''...he is scum. But whether he lives or dies-that's not our call to make. We're going to have face up to his actions. Anyone could have a chance to repent if they take it-even someone like him. It's about doing the right thing, about respecting a friend's wish.''
Noir smiled at her and the girl nodded back. Circe unexpectedly laughed, startling them ''That was definitely not what I expected...but it makes you all the more intriguing. There's more to you than what appears.''
Noir stepped up, her expression determined ''Maybe you consider my attachment to Father foolish but it doesn't matter. I can't just give up on him. I hesitated to take action for so long but no more. I will fight to get what I want-to stop him and end this madness, even if I have to go through you!''
The girl felt a surge of power almost like the day she fully awakened her Persona. She had no idea what this meant but suddenly a new power, a new skill flashed before her mind's eye.
Well, there was no better time to use it.
''Milady!'' Noir raised an arm as her Persona appeared, pointing at the enemies. ''Now! Majestic Fusillade!''
Milady's hidden artillery emerged once more, she was surrounded in an iridescent aura that seemed to flow into her weapons. They glowed as Milady gathered power within him, unleashing a massive hail of psy magic enforced bullets. The Overdrive burst forth, decimating almost all enemies in sight while forcing Circe and Pluto back.
''I've been wondering what hers would be like. Awesome, Noir!'' Mona exclaimed.
''Nice work.'' Joker added, the girl beamed in return.
S. Okumura watched in awe, Sage spared him a pointed look ''If this hasn't made it clear, Noir is doing all this to help you. She still wants to do the right thing by you even given how much you hurt her for so long. She never complained even when I know how hard fighting you must be.''
Sadly, not all the enemies were downed. Pluto incurred more damage, likely due to weakness but Circe managed to hold up well. Noticing the glow of healing magic, Joker shot her with a few bullets, making her go on the defensive instead. ''How do you know so much about us?''
''Oh, it's simple. We've been around the Metaverse much longer than you.'' Circe returned airily. ''Your growing fame affects this world as you well know. The fact that you, another Wild Card, was leading this group made it all the more poignant. I never thought we'd see two in such a short span of time. We simply had to keep an eye on you.''
''Wait, they're talking like...'' Queen started, could there be a Wild Card they hadn't known about before?
Joker, who was well aware that there were Wild Cards before thanks to Igor, merely raised an eye ''Does this have anything to do with this test you mentioned?''
''Oh, you're sharp! You already did pass one test that was supposed to be insurmountable back in July...''
''July?'' Noir blinked. ''What happened then?''
Panther blanched ''Wait, the Reaper!'' They looked at her. ''You're the reason we got stuck with that monstrosity?!''
''Why don't we let you find that out for yourself?'' Pluto sneered.
''...I get it now.'' Oracle pursed her lips. ''Something you creeps seemed familiar but I couldn't place it-you're the ones behind Mona's creepy doppelganger, huh?''
''Well, since you proved to be so engaging, there's no reason not to tell you. Yes, we were.'' Circle smiled. ''Although, that didn't quite go as planned. That one was given far too much free will, he was simply supposed to collect information before sowing chaos in your ranks.''
Pluto scoffed ''That little pest was a complete waste right from the start-it even managed to botch a simple mission so easily. Enough talk now!''
He threw his sword at the nearest target, who happened to be Skull. The ex-athlete quickly dodged it but the weapon let out a burst of fire that took him by surprise, forcing him to try and guard himself. Pluto cast Wild Thunder once more but Skull summoned Seiten Taisei to held ward off some the chaotic attack. Joker followed his lead and used Okuninushi, with both Personas' resistance against the electric element staving off the worst off it. Seiten Taisei unleashed a Deathbound attack while Okuninushi used Myriad Slashes, Pluto took the attack head on and seemingly brushed it off while Circe struggled to defend herself against Okuninushi's speedy attacks.
Pluto blocked Queen's oncoming punch and almost launched her back with his blade but Joker and Fox intervened in time to save her from his upcoming attack, locking their blades with his own. The enemy grunted, soon pushing the three back. Panther aimed Hecate's fire magic at Circe but the latter negated with a Bufudyne, smirking. Skull jumped to attack her then but she used wind magic which almost got him. He was quickly snatched out of the air by Mercurius, who struck with Lucky Punch.
Sage healed the group with Mediarama once more, casting Mafreila in tandem with Queen for additional damage. Following their lead, Joker, Skull and Mona used the same combination attack they had employed against E. Mona, creating a vortex of darkness, lightning and wind that trapped both enemies.
The battle came to a momentary halt when S. Okumura surprised everyone by grabbing the remote device he had lost earlier, activating it. Then they heard an automated voice.
''Self-destruct sequence activated...''
''What?!'' Several voices cried.
''Estimated time remaining: thirty minutes.''
''Oh, you've gotta be kidding me...'' Skull trailed off while both new enemies glared at S. Okumura in distinct annoyance.
The president tried to escape but Circe blasted him wih Garudyne. When it looked like she was about to attack again, she was stopped when a shield of silver light flared around him once more. Sage fired off Adam Kadmon's Megidola while Queen and Mona attacked in tandem, their respective Persona's strikes forcing the enemies back to dodge. The battle went on, with neither side giving an inch, though the interlopers were certainly proving their strength.
Circe sighed once she saw the timer advancing ''Come on, now. It's time-we might be able to recover from something like this but it's not worth the trouble to our master.''
Pluto scowled ''Fine...how annoying. It's enough for one day. Well, they weren't at full strength but I guess there'll be more chances to come...not half bad, Phantom Thieves. I hope this isn't all you've got!''
With their piece said, both teleported out of the Palace within a flash of light.
''What the heck...?'' Oracle stared.
''Just who were they?'' Panther wondered.
''I'd like to know myself but this isn't the time...'' Mona looked at S. Okumura. ''...hey, Mr. CEO. What're you gonna do now?''
''It...it doesn't matter. I lost after all this-I have nothing. Everything will fall apart when my treasure is taken...''
Fox scoffed ''You still don't understand? How can you be so blind?''
''You haven't lost everything-far from it. You can make a new start, with something you've been missing all along. Your family.'' Joker stated, making his eyes widen.
Noir walked closer ''...Father, I really wished it wasn't like this but I couldn't see any other way. I couldn't bear to see how far you've fallen. The father I knew would never condone these terrible things, the mental shutdowns, the treatment of the workers. Not to mention some of your deals.'' He remained silent and she went on. ''Why did you go so far? I feel fortunate to have been born into wealth but I never wanted it with such contemptible means. My happiest times are the days I septn with you and grandfather. That seemed to be true for you too-or are you ashamed of us now? Ashamed of your family?''
He flinched and looked away, shame coloring his expression before he spoke up ''You know how father's business was, Haru. I remember him being beleaguered with the debt collectors. How often we would struggle with money needs because of it and how often I wished my father would do something about it but he never did. It was so frustrating-all that weakness...I was just so desperate to get ouf of that state. To make sure I would never be there again. I still remember what it was like when Okumura Foods really took off, it felt incredible. To see all my hard work pay off, to see your mother so happy for me. You're a lot like her, Haru. She never complained about our situation, she was ever so patient with me. At the time I truly wanted to give my family all I felt they deserved.''
Now this came as a surprise to the rest of the Phantom Thieves. They had heard much about the president from Noir but these words were certainly helping them regard Okumura in a new light. All of this meshed with what Noir told them, making them really understand just how misguided he had become. He had meant well but had truly lost control of himself in the end...
''...We've heard talk about you being affiliated with an organization. They are utilizing a Persona User to take advantage of the mental shutdowns. Is that true?'' Queen inquired.
The Shadow appeared startled ''You know...?'' He shook his head, deciding to dimiss the question. ''...Yes, it's true.. When I heard of it and saw those people...how powerful they were, how untouchable. I wanted that for myself. So when that man approached me...''
''Is Masayoshi Shido a member of this group?'' She added.
''He's their leader.'' He informed, leaving the group stunned. ''He drew many like me with charisma and sweet promises, believing he will lead Japan to a better future. As you said, that criminal is the organization's asassin, he does whatever he is asked if it benefits him. I've only spoken to him over the phone but apparently he sees it as some sort of business.''
Joker bit her lip as this sank in. This whole time she had been hesitant on how to deal with Shido, even after what he did and it turned out he was those awful people's boss?! She never would have seen that coming...
''Sick bastard...'' Skull muttered darkly, the others looked just as disgusted at the thought.
''Haru-you kept trying to reach out to me...you protected me even after what I did to you. Why?'' The president asked at last.
''Is it so hard to believe that I care about you?'' She asked in return, stunning him. ''What you did really hurt but I can't give up on you. We can never go back to how things were but I wanted to stop you going down this terrible path. Unfortunately, this was all I could to make it happen. Please understand, remember how you used to be, Father.''
''I...I understand...'' He lowered his head. ''...I'll try to repent. Perhaps I'll start looking for a way to help the workers somehow. I'll admit the truth about what was happening with the company and explain about...them. And that criminal...''
''You can't do that!'' Noir cut in.
''We have reason to believe that admitting such a thing could lead to your death.'' Fox informed the surprised shadow.
''Look at those two creeps, they tried to kill you. The timing's a bit too much of a coincidence.'' Oracle added.
''Doing something to remedy the company's image and help the workers is a good idea, Father, but you have to be careful. We suspect that the criminal is awfully powerful and this plan could just set you up to be a target. We were told you were stepping out of line and they could easily get rid of you. This is why we took such a roundabout manner to get here.'' Noir went on.
S. Okumura's eyes widened, realizing that in a way, they had come to protect him.
''I...I truly didn't want to work with them. Some of the things I heard about Shido...'' He shook his head, looking pained. ''...I was too scared to go against them. To my knowledge, no one ever opposed them and lived...''
''Who are they?'' Panther asked.
''I can't tell you either.'' The shadow frowned. ''I realize how this sounds coming from me but you'd be in danger as well. I thought so highly of myself but I realized I was just above a mere backer to them so if what you say is true than odds are I had best be discreet and keep any dealings I had with them to a minimum.''
''Sounds about right. They'd get suspicious if you just cut ties with them at once and that would really make things worse.'' Joker nodded. ''What can you tell us now? Let's start with that.''
''They're...a powerful syndicate formed from select elite members. Their goal is to take over Japan and eventually make it a superpower.'' S. Okumura admitted. ''They spread their influence to many areas-even some of the police members mostly work for them.''
''For real...?'' Skull breathed while the others were absorbing all this.
''So this corruption even spread so far...'' Mona trailed off
''I've heard that they are using you to to further their plans. One of the members was behind the revived Medjed.'' The Shadow continued.
''What?!'' Oracle exclaimed. ''Why would they do that...?''
''I believe it has to do with using your fame to their advantage. But that's all I really knew of that plan.'' He admitted.
''Wait, so that's why the Phantom thieves' reputation increased so much...if this syndicate is that powerful...'' Fox realized.
Queen's fists clenched ''So they've been playing us this long...?''
Skull cursed ''They can't get away with this!''
S. Okumura frowned ''You're going to...?''
''I think it's safe to say that everyone here wants that criminal stopped.'' Joker stated. ''Which I guess means we'll have to face them too. At any rate, thank you. At least we have a much better idea of what we're up against.''
''Father...only you can follow through on your own responsiblities. That's what you taught me. Do what you must but please don't forget to be careful. Remember this. We'll do our best to make sure they are stopped. You can change back to the person you used to be, the kind father that I fought for.'' Noir implored.
''Haru...'' The man looked ashamed but he gave a sad smile. ''...your friends were correct. I don't deserve such a wonderful daughter. But it means I've done something right at least. Go on, the timer's about to go off. I'll return to my real self.''
Nodding, she saw him fade into the light before hurrying to her friends as Mona transformed...
The group returned safely to the alley, rightfully exhausted after such a day...
''We did it!'' Ryuji exclaimed. ''Come on, guys-show a little spirit. We pulled it off!''
''Sorry, Sakamoto-kun but I think I speak for everyone when I say we're all a little too weary for that.'' Takuto offered with a chuckle.
''...Fair enough.'' He returned sheepishly. Really, he was just as tired after all.
''We got some answers but we sure wound up with a whole lot of questions...'' Morgana mused.
''You can say that again-man, I'm so confused...'' Futaba sighed. ''...who the heck were those creeps? Some of what they said back there...isn't it kinda like someone helped them get there?''
The feline nodded ''They said something about a master too...''
''Come on, you two! There's no point worrying about this now, we're all worn out and like Ryuji said, we pulled it off. Let's just enjoy the moment now.'' Ann remarked.
''Yeah, let's deal with what we can handle. There's no point worrying about stuff we can't control.'' Namine added.
Makoto exhaled ''I suppose you're right. Well, we came this far-as promised, we'll get to the bottom of this someday.''
Later that night, Namine found herself back in the Velvet Room...
''My congratulations for expelling the one proud of their greed, Trickster.'' Igor praised. ''Caroline and Justine informed me of the precautions you too. That was very wise of you.''
''Well, we just tried to work the best of a bad situation.'' She returned. ''Igor, you wouldn't know anything about Circe and Pluto, would you? They're worse than everything we faced not counting the Reaper. We're lucky they weren't looking for anything more than a small fight.''
''I'm afraid not. I know for a fact that they are very unusual Shadows but that is all I am certain of. Though I do agree that they are frightening adversaries, it seems they work for someone as well, yes?'' She nodded and he went on. ''It's rather strange. I've come to know much about the Metaverse but nothing would help with them...'' He closed his eyes for a moment. ''...It may be needless to say I advise you to keep preceding with caution and apply that wisdom of yours, Trickster. You have done excellently so far, I have high faith in you.''
''Thanks.''
As he saw Namine return back to sleep, understandably weary after this day, Igor found himself thinking. Something about the interlopers tugged at his mind, as if reminding him of a lost memory...but that couldn't be, could it?
Well, let's stop here.
What do you think? I was looking forward to getting this chapter out so I hope it's good. I'm not going to always leave the Persona evolution until the confidants are finished. For one thing, Mona's takes way too long. For another, this moment felt perfect for Mercurius given what happened in this arc.
As I think you'd guess, Circe and Pluto's master is Yaldabaoth. They've mostly been keeping to the shadows because their boss thinks he can use the team, only testing them with the Reaper fiasco back and E. Mona. Today was also another test, which was why they left when they did. The only human they've had contact with before the Phantom Thieves is the Black Mask, who they helped before.
A little spoiler, they know about Crow but he hasn't seen them before-which is why they said that stuff about him. It's true. I didn't show much of them now but you'll see more eventually. Consider them the God of Control's enforcers, erm, for lack of a better word.
Confidants:
Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank Max)
Morgana (Magician Rank 7)
Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank Max)
Takemi Tae (Death Rank 9)
Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 6)
Igor (Aeon Rank 6)
Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 6)
Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 7)
Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank Max)
Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 7)
Caroline and Justine (Strength Rank 6)
The Phantom Thieves (Fool Rank 6)
Kitagawa Yusuke (Emperor Rank 7)
Akechi Goro (Justice Rank 4)
Ohya Ichiko (Devil Rank 4)
Nijima Makoto (Priestess Rank 4)
Mifune Chihaya (Wheel of Fortune Rank 5)
Togo Hifumi (Star Rank 4)
Iwai Munehisa(Hanged Man Rank 2)
Sakura Futaba (Hermit Rank 3)
Nijima Sae (Judgement Rank 2)
Maruki Takuto (Councillor Rank 1)