Before you go off hunting for Commendations, Nisekao asks you to scope out the area so he can make a proper map. In order to cover a larger area more quickly, he suggests that you split up.
"I know we've had some…problems doing that before, but as long as you make sure to avoid combat, you should be okay. D-Does that sound all right with you?"
Everyone seems apprehensive, but ultimately agrees that it's a good idea in the long run, especially since you'll need to figure out where the Dreamweaver's office is at some point.
"I'll go with Koharu-chan. Us girls will make short work of it, right?" says Mariko, shooting a subtle glance at Hayate that explains her intent.
"Right. C'mon, Hayate. We'll take the other direction. Anything special you want us to do, Nisekao?"
"Um…just cover as much ground as you can. Try to figure out how far this floor goes, and work your way inward. I'll be using your camera footage to put the map together later."
"Got it. Keep your wits about you, everyone. Don't get into any unnecessary fights, and if you hear the Enforcer coming, hide."
Mariko and Koharu nod in understanding, and take off.
After about twenty minutes or so of walking (and avoiding Shadows), what you discover is that the second floor's hallways appear to create a neat grid with blocks of classrooms in between. You make note of which ones are empty, in case you need somewhere to hide again.
You and Hayate also happen upon the stairs to the third floor, situated right in the grid's center. They're longer, and even more lavishly decorated. But like the others, a massive gate prevents you from going any further, and instead of a card reader, there are five little impressions the exact size and shape of a Commendation.
Nisekao lets you know that your half of the area is pretty much complete.
"Find one of those empty classrooms where you can wait. I'll go check back in with the girls and let them know where you are," he says, then goes silent.
On your way back down the stairs, the familiar sound of treads drifts from down the hall to your right.
"Shit. This way," you mutter, leaping down the last couple steps and sprinting into the nearest empty room. Within minutes, you can hear the Enforcer rumbling past in the direction you'd just come from. Hayate breathes a heavy sigh and falls back into a chair, running his fingers through his hair. You've actually been kind of impressed with him – he's held up better than you'd expected so far.
"Man, how can you stay so calm with all this going on? You're like a robot or something, y'know?" he says.
"You think so? I don't know about that," you say.
Hayate sits up. "I'm not trying to blow smoke up your ass, dude. We've been in all these near-death situations, and you just face up to it like you're taking out the trash. You're setting the bar way too high."
You think about that for a moment. I dunno what to tell you. I am scared. And worried. And a little paranoid, too, at this point. But when things get going, it's like…" You cast about for the right words. "…like everything kinda clicks, and I just trust my instincts. This'll probably sound crazy or something, but it actually feels good when my back's against the wall. I'm not used to feeling this capable."
A chuckle escapes Hayate's lips and he shakes his head. "Yeah, I guess that's where the difference is. Shit hits the fan, and I'm just trying not to crap myself."
"You're not, though. You got that going for you."
The two of you share a quick laugh.
"Seriously, though, you don't need to be comparing yourself to anyone here. When you get down to it, we're all just trying to survive. And, to be honest, I don't think I'd have made this far without you. I never really did say thanks for bailing me out in Cloud Three."
Hayate grunts quietly. "It's okay. You don't owe me anything. I know I've been an obnoxious asshat, so…I'm just trying to make things even."
You extend your hand. "Nah. We're solid. Just promise to keep watching my back, okay? I know I'm gonna mess up sooner or later."
He clasps your hand and gives it a firm shake. "I can handle that. And…thanks. For giving me another shot to begin with."
Thou art I...
And I am thou...
Thou hast established a new bond...
It shall grant you the strength to open thine eyes...
Thou shalt be blessed under the sign of the Magician Arcana…
• • • • •
By the time you finish talking, the Enforcer is long gone. Having completed your half of the survey, the two of you decide to stay put and wait for the girls to return. Sure enough, it doesn't take long for Mariko and Koharu to stride through the door. Koharu and Nisekao immediately get to work on making a rough sketch of the area using a notepad and pencil that Koharu produces from her bag. Once they finish, you all gather around.
"All right. So the Shadows on this floor stick to patrolling their own 'block'," you say, circling one of the classroom blocks with a finger. "Every now and then, they end up meeting where the hallways intersect. I think those should be the places we stake out."
"Why's that? Wouldn't we rather be dealing with fewer enemies?" asks Koharu.
You shake your head. "Not this time. Ideally, we wanna get this over with as quickly as possible because I get the feeling that the Enforcer's going to roll up on us whenever we shake down one of these Shadows. If we can get a couple of them together, we've got a better shot at more Commendations at once. And considering the resistance they've put up so far, I don't think a group of them is going to pose much of an issue. What do you guys think?"
"It's still leaving a lot to luck, but it probably will get us those Commendations more quickly. We should go with it," says Mariko, and the others nod.
"Speaking of the Enforcer, have we decided what we want to do about it?" asks Nisekao.
Hayate grimaces. "Man, I'd really rather not go up against that thing again, but I really don't want to face Shibutani's Shadow with that in his back pocket."
"We're…definitely going to have to deal with it before we meet the Dreamweaver," you agree. "Made any progress on a battle plan yet, Nisekao?"
"I've been focused on getting the map finished…b-but I'll make it my top priority! You can count on me."
"All right. Let's start here-" You point to a corner of the map. "-and work our way through these intersections. If the Enforcer gets too close, we bail for a little while. Let's get down to business."
At the first stakeout point, you and Hayate crouch down behind a column on one side of the hall, while Mariko and Koharu lie in wait on the other. Soon enough, two Shadows start coming towards one another from your left and right.
[They're both carrying Commendations, Master. Are you certain that you want to rob them of such hard-earned distinctions like this? It leaves a rather poor taste in my mouth.]
[Principality, you are easily the lamest part of me, you know that, right?]
[Master, it's called 'having a conscience.']
Ignoring that, you give the others a thumbs-up and ready your guitar.
"Now!"
The Shadows barely have time to react. Kay wraps its arms around one of them, allowing you to stove its head in with a vicious sideway swipe. Nyneve paralyzes the other with a jolt of electricity, and Le Fay unleashes a swarm of specters over it to finish the job. The Shadows burst into clouds of smoke, and two Commendations clatter to the floor.
You take them in your hand, turning them over. They're lighter than you expected, with a cheap and plasticky feel.
"All this hassle over this," you say, stashing them in your pocket. "Well done, though, guys. Three more to go, let's keep this up."
Finding those three proves to be something of a slog, however. The next couple pairs of patrolling Shadows don't have anything on them, and an errant sneeze from you forces you to fight one of them. The next pair proves a little more fruitful, netting you your third Commendation. But as you make your way towards the next junction, the familiar sound of a siren shatters the silence, this time, quite far off. The PA system comes on again, and its tone is significantly more agitated:
"ALERT! UNSOLICITED INTRUDERS HAVE BYPASSED THIRD FLOOR SECURITY. ALL AVAILABLE DISCIPLINARY OFFICERS, REPORT TO THE AREA AT ONCE. ALL AVAILABLE DISCIPLINARY OFFICERS, REPORT TO THE AREA AT ONCE!"
The four of you exchange bewildered glances.
"That's not us, right?" Hayate says.
Mariko says what you're thinking. "Nightmare must be here. They're going after the Dreamweaver already."
"Well, how'd they manage that? There's no way we wouldn't have run into them by now."
"Not unless they snuck in behind us while we were tied up with 'rehab'," says Koharu. "Why not let them take care of it? Obviously, they're better at this than we are."
It's a tempting idea, but you know it wouldn't be right.
"No. At least, we can't just turn around and leave. If they fight the Dreamweaver now, they'll probably end up forcing him to fuse with the Enforcer. They're strong, but…I don't know if they're that strong. Just the idea of fighting Shibutani's Shadow on its own was making me nervous," you say.
The others go quiet as they consider what you said.
"Then you're saying we need to beat the Enforcer for them," says Koharu finally.
"At the very least. I'd feel better about their chances if we did," you reply.
"Oh God…okay. If we have to, then we have to."
Mariko gives Koharu's hand a light squeeze. "It's all right. We've done this before, and we can do it again. You were great last time, Koharu-chan. You'll do fine this time, too."
"Nisekao, do we have a plan ready for the Enforcer?"
"I…I think so. I'd hoped we'd have a little more time, though, so we'll need some luck to pull it off."
"I don't like the idea of this having anything to do with luck," says Hayate.
"Yeah, well, whatever it is, we've got to make it work. Let's start by drawing the Enforcer our way. What'd the Dreamweaver ban last?"
"Oh, I remember! 'Using medicine is strictly prohibited.' I…don't remember which number it was, though," says Mariko.
"That's fine, I don't think it's relevant, anyways. Does anyone have any medicine on them?" you say. The others pat their pockets awkwardly.
"I have some aspirin if you think that counts," says Koharu, tossing you a travel-sized bottle of pills.
"Bottoms-up." You toss one into your mouth and swallow. Seconds pass. No alarms, PA announcements, or the sound of treads. Everyone glances up and down the halls, clutching their weapons tightly.
"Attention – the Student Code of Conduct has been updated to Amendment 56.3a – the use of close-range weaponry intended to batter, bludgeon, or cut is now strictly prohibited. Amendment 56.2d prohibiting the use of medicine has been stricken. Please continue to observe all other items detailed in the Student Code of Conduct. Good day."
"Gimme a break, he's changing the rules now?" says Hayate.
"But Testuo took the pill while the previous rule was still in effect. We should have been punished," says Mariko.
"If the Dreamweaver is under attack, it could be that it doesn't consider you a priority right now. For now, head to the next floor. If the Shadows are gathering there, the Enforcer might be going there, too. And now is the p-perfect opportunity – i-if you're going to beat it, this might be your best chance!" says Nisekao.
"Huh? How's that?" you ask.
"J-Just get going! I'll explain on the way!"
After a quick look at the map to orient yourselves, you take off towards the stairs, your heart beating out of your chest.
"Wh-What I was thinking is this: everyone in this Cloud has to keep up with the rules, r-right? When Koharu-san broke them, the Enforcer regained its power. S-So obviously, we have to be careful. But what if the Enforcer and all the Shadows here also have to follow the Code of Conduct? I paid r-really close attention to the Shadows you fought. It m-might have been coincidence, but they never did anything that would break the rules, even if it would have helped them. S-So I think there's something to that.
"Anyways, if the Enforcer does have to follow the same rules that we do, then this latest amendment is the best possible outcome for us! It means you don't have to worry about it running you over, or using its weapons up close! Sure, it still has the cannon, but you still get a massive advantage, right?"
"But you're not one-hundred percent sure about this?" says Hayate. Nisekao doesn't answer right away.
"N-No…but Tetsuo said it himself – you're going to have to fight it if you want to help Nightmare. I-I know it's easy for me to say…but you have to try. Stay up close, and I think it won't be able to charge you."
You're drawing closer to the stairs, and the sound of gears churning begins to echo down the corridors towards you. You're going to find out if Nisekao's plan works soon enough.
"If you think it'll work, that's good enough for me. Come on, everyone! Here we go!" you shout, hoisting your guitar and rounding the last corner.
"Hold it!"
Hayate grabs you by your jacket and yanks you back – and not a moment too soon. A massive, gilded shell the size of your head rockets through the air in front of you and explodes into a screaming ball of light several feet down the next hallway.
The Enforcer has positioned itself in front of the stairs, an imposing clockwork sentinel, with its cannon raised and streaming smoke.
"Th-Thanks," you gasp, trying very hard not to think about that round colliding with your skull.
Hayate flashes you a weak grin. "When you said you were gonna mess up, I didn't think it'd be so soon. Try not to get yourself blown up, man. I'm not ready to be the leader right now."
"Don't flatter yourself. Mariko-chan would be the next one up," says Koharu.
"Hey, this isn't the time!" says Mariko. "I'll slow it down so you can get in close – get ready to go!"
Nyneve springs forth at Mariko's command. Rings of green light twist around the Enforcer's frame, and its movements slow drastically.
"Here we go! Give it all you've got!" you shout.
The three of you rush down the Enforcer, getting as close as you possibly can. Hayate and Kay seize the canon, trying to wrest it from the Enforcer's grip. However, the flow of time around the enemy resumes, and it lashes out, pinning Kay against the wall with the length of the cannon. Hayate cries out and stumbles backwards, clutching his stomach.
The Enforcer levels the cannon at Hayate. A bright light starts swelling from the barrel, but before it can fire, an electric shock courses through the Enforcer's body, causing it to double over and convulse violently.
"Attention. You have committed an action in violation of current Amendment 56.3a – use of close-range weaponry. The recommended punishment for D.O. personnel is electric shock – please use proper discretion when representing the Disciplinary Order in the future."
"You called it, Nisekao! As long as we stay close, it can't do anything! Unload on it, but magic only!" you call out.
"All right, here goes! Le Fay, consume them!" cries Koharu.
Le Fay curses the Enforcer again, and this time, instead of springing back to life, the gears within shudder to a halt, and the ball of light atop its shoulders dims.
Launcelot, Nynenve, and Kay follow up by combining their magic – a swirling storm laced with razor sharp ice crystals and punctuated with bolts of lightning howls towards the Enforcer, tearing into it with wild fury. By the time it dissipates, its plate armor is covered in gashes, peeled open like an orange.
But despite the wounds, the Enforcer quickly whirs back to life like some engine of punishment hellbent on presenting your bodies to the Dreamweaver. The orb of light flashes with anger, and it scrapes its shield in a wide arc along the floor in front of you, not intending to make contact, but rather…
Instinctively, Koharu and Hayate leap backwards, putting some distance between them and the flailing behemoth.
"Wait! No! Don't back up!" you shout, watching helplessly as the Enforcer raises its cannon again. Mariko notices as well, and attempts to slow its movements, but there's no time. Another tank round erupts from the barrel with a flash of light, careening towards Hayate.
"Stop!"
Le Fay doesn't stand a chance. Koharu's Persona is suddenly there in front of Hayate, skeletal fingers twitching as the projectile digs into its torso. The shell splits open with the brilliance of a supernova. A flurry of paper tags surrounds Le Fay and pierces it with countless beams of light. There's an ear-splitting scream, Le Fay vanishes in a burst of blue flame, and Koharu collapses to the floor, her limbs splayed out like a broken doll.
"Koharu!"
Hayate sprints towards her, but Mariko motions him away.
"Let me take care of her! You need to help Tetsuo deal with the Enforcer!"
He turns back to you, his expression pained, but determined.
"We can do this," you tell him. Over his shoulder, you see the Enforcer readjusting the cannon for another shot. "Don't let it fire on them! Yaksini!"
Yaksini leaps towards your foe. Crossing her blades under the cannon, it uses them as leverage to force the trajectory away from your allies. The cannon fires and the shot detonates harmlessly into the high ceiling.
The light atop the Enforcer intensifies, and it brings its shield down on top of Yaksini with titanic force. Your muscles cry out in pain from the strain coursing through your Persona's limbs as it pushes back against being crushed. With Yaksini under control, the Enforcer starts lining up another shot.
"Hayate! Stop it!"
Hayate's breath is short and ragged, his eyes roaming wildly about as if searching for an answer. Eventually, he comes to it.
"Kay! Block it up!"
Kay flexes marvelously, and a thick sheet of ice forms over the barrel of the cannon. There's an audible thunk as the round hits the plug sealing the opening shut.
The hallway is swallowed in an ocean of brilliance as the cannon detonates, taking you off your feet and flinging you several meters away. It's several seconds before you're able to remove your arm from in front of your eyes and survey the damage.
Nothing but the treads remains of the Enforcer, their tops blown open and twisted like spent fireworks. Soon, they too, vanish into a plume of black butterflies. A vision of a stout, armored figure atop a motorized chariot appears amongst the cloud of dark wings, then fades as the butterflies turn blue and fly away.
"Koharu! Is she…?" Hayate's already kneeling next to Mariko and Nyneve. Koharu's body is still, her skin ashen and gray. However, Mariko gives him a wan smile.
"No. But she's completely unconscious at the very least. If there's anything else wrong, I don't know what it is. We need to get her some real medical attention as soon as we can."
Hayate stands. "Well we can't do that until someone beats some friggin' sense into Commander War Crimes up there. I dunno about you, but I don't feel like leaving all the fun stuff to Nightmare anymore."
"I was kind of thinking the same thing. What's wrong, Mariko?" you ask. She's fixing you with a concerned stare.
"Are you sure you're ready to fight again already? I know…I know you guys are angry, but it sounds stupid! I need to stay here with Koharu, so if something goes wrong, I won't be there to help! Nightmare is plenty strong, you know that. So…don't go off and do something irresponsible!"
"I get that. But what if this Dreamweaver is still too much for them? If something happens to them, we'll have to go up there anyways. Besides, it's not like we're taking this on by ourselves. We're just…backup. We'll be careful, I promise."
Mariko sighs and rubs her temples before turning back to Koharu.
"Fine. But you're coming back alive. You don't have a choice," she says without looking at you.
"I know," you say, and follow Hayate up the stairs towards the third floor.