Chapter 47: A Ruin of Rage
|Meguro Hotel|16:30 pm|
Barely any time had passed since the disaster at Ginumi, and yet a new disaster appeared to be encroaching. In the heart of the city, no less. When he received the urgent message from Shigeru, unlike the others, Shintaro felt a strange excitement. For he wouldn't have to wait for the next chance to slaughter Nisa Liat's minions. Perhaps she would appear in person. The thought of being there to ensure her execution was especially tantalising for him. For everything she had done, she deserved to be torn asunder, sliced apart, completely destroyed. That was the boy's thought process.
His parents took some convincing - it was futile to hide where he was truly going now. But he assured them he had fully recovered and would do whatever it took to save the city from its ruin. Even if they tried to stop him, however, they wouldn't be able to. He would not stop going to the Theio Kosmos until he pierced Nisa Liat's heart, and her arrogant, sneering face finally contorted into one of painful agony.
Shintaro had appeared there just after everyone else, from the looks of things. There was no sign of Toki, yet Noboru was there, already looking impatient. A feeling Shintaro shared.
We have a mission to do, and he knows that. Nothing else matters anymore. Dammit, why is Netuno looking at me? I don't have time for this -
"H-Hey, Nakahara. Good to see you, kid. You feeling okay -"
"Komatsu-san, what's the situation?" Shintaro said, cutting off the rock star and sitting straight down. He didn't want to waste time discussing his recovery. What mattered was that he had recovered, and was more than capable of slaughtering the armies of Shadows that Nisa Liat was in charge of. He didn't want to wait around any longer.
"Taro-kun…" Kohaku said, still nervous. Kei looked on, worried, but said nothing.
Kohaku, we can't waste time anymore. Studying, reading, whatever - it's pointless now. Nisa Liat has to die. That's all I care about now. So if we can move closer to that tonight, so be it.
Shigeru looked to Shiro and Rinaka, expectantly.
"I take it Hayashi isn't coming."
"No," Shiro said, flatly, with his arms crossed. "He knows we're here, but he doesn't have it in him to do this anymore."
Noboru, upon hearing this, had a melancholic look on his face, but did not speak up.
"I understand. Then we should get down to business. In the Theio Kosmos's version of the government building, Kibo-Jo, the environment has suddenly changed. Here are some photos we took earlier." Shigeru said, pointing to the projector. There it was, the slightly corrupted triangular complex. Consisting of three interconnected towers, it almost looked like a modern version of a shogun's castle. Shintaro had seen it often enough on TV and online, but had never been inside. It might not compare to the government buildings of Tokyo, but it was still an impressive construction.
"Clearly, something's happening in there. But what, we don't know." Novalie said, also in front of the projector. "In the Akartharto Kosmos, there haven't been any obvious changes, at least none supernatural. The staff are at low morale, due to the many crises that have befallen the city."
"Then we have to look into this right now, don't we?" Noboru said, clenching his fists.
"Hold on there, boy," Hiroyuki said, frowning. "We don't know what we might be walking into over there. We have to be prepared for anything."
Scowling, Shintaro stood up. "But we're not going to find anything out by just sitting here while Nisa Liat burns our city to ashes! We have to go now! Don't we, Komatsu-san?"
Shigeru, although somewhat taken aback, eventually nodded. "Are all we ready to leave?"
"Yes...let's go. But be careful, everyone." Kei said, as everyone teleported to Totsuka's government district.
|Kibo-Jo|16:45 pm|
The red aura around the area seemed even more intense than the photos. By now, it was clear that something truly unholy was taking place here. Even the air Shintaro breathed didn't feel normal. He could hear the cries of humans faintly in the distance, screaming for 'justice for Ginumi'. Indeed, there had been many people whose lives had been ruined by the disaster, and waiting for the Mayor to do something - anything - to help them get back on their feet. He shook his head, however, and the voices faded.
"Yoko...what are you going to do about this city's future?" Shigeru asked, to no one in particular.
"What's going on with the Mayor?" Novalie asked, gently. "She isn't coping well with all the stress, I hear…"
"...I feel the Yoko Ashikaga I used to know will never return. But never mind that for now. I'll worry about our Mayor later."
However, before the group could reach the front doors to the main tower, a white light appeared in front of them. It flashed momentarily, pulsating, until it became an angel. This one was somewhat robotic, with a purple and white body suit, dark metal wings and gold gauntlets and armoured boots. Its head was adored with a golden helmet as well.
Anticipating a fierce battle, Shintaro immediately withdraw his sword, eager to slay this Shadow. However, it did not take up an aggressive stance of his own, and instead raised his hands in the air.
"Please, I did not come here to fight. I am Melchizedek, the savior of angels. Or at least, I am in this body."
"What?! You're...the Theio Kosmos overseer? The one that was the eyeball?" Masato asked, confused.
"Yes, it is I who met you in that church that day. Yet I have been able to take over a second body. Behold…"
A darkness manifested to the right, and with a deep red flash, that became a demonic-looking priest, in dark green and blue robes. Its hands were pink with long black nails, but the head had long white and gold hairs, and a strange crown and mask. Behind this mask were red eyes.
"This Shadow is Lucifuge, prime minister of hell. Or rather...based on the human consciousness' perception of him. The Shadows may resemble deities and monsters of faiths all over the world, but are only aspects of humanity's knowledge and inner purity - or sin."
"Alright, but what are you doing here?" Shintaro asked, impatiently. "We have to investigate -"
"Yes, I know." Both Melchizedek and Lucifuge said in unison. One voice was deep pitched, the other much lighter and softer. The dissonance made Shintaro's spine shiver. "You've come to the place where the final Cognition Core will manifest. Her attention isn't as focused on me at the moment, so I can control two Shadows - albeit only briefly."
"We're listening," Kei said, arms crossed.
"Nisa Liat is hurriedly planning her next phase. She intends to shatter the hearts and minds of the people of this city even further. Even with her Anomalies destroyed, and her Aeons having abandoned her, she has lost none of her confidence. If anything, it has made her more arrogant than ever. After all, she was able to cause tragedy after tragedy alone - it has taught her that she never needed anyone but herself to begin with."
"What's the next phase?!" Shintaro demanded.
"Cool it, kid." Netuno uttered.
"She intends to bestow the EX-NIHILO onto a Gnosis one final time. This time, however, she doesn't want it to absorb the psyche of the one with the misfortune of using it. Rather, she wishes for it to grant that human immense power. So that, when all six Cognition Cores fall into her hands, she and that human will soar above all others and transform Shinshuto City into the centre of a new world."
"My god. Do you mean EX-NIHILO would act like a Persona?" Michiko asked.
"Yes, exactly. Nisa Liat has decided on this long ago, that the final use of my fragment would be in a controllable form, one that would be invincible in her eyes. And used in this form, EX-NIHILO truly would have staggering power. I fear you will not be able to defeat it this time."
How weak do you think we are? You condescending, insulting piece of -
"The Gnosis that would house the demonic fragment of myself would need to be powerful indeed. To that end, she has divided it, and EX-NIHILO, into three pieces - so that each can accumulate energy via the thoughts and emotions of the humans near it. That energy is intense indeed - hence the corruption of the building in front of you. I had no doubt you would sense that energy. That is why I had to come here...to tell you what I know."
"So where are these Gnosis pieces?" Natsumi asked.
"In each of the three towers...they look like the original Gnosis, except more 'ghostly'. If reunited, they will become the solid Gnosis you each possess. If one of them is destroyed, however, then the other two will become useless. They will not be able to recover enough to compensate for the missing 'sibling'. Of course...you will want to destroy all of them. To ensure the destruction of my soulless fragment, before it can go to -"
With that, however, the Shadows were suddenly whisked away, with a mighty flash of both red and blue energy. They were no doubt returned to whatever position they were in before. The entity that possessed them had not been strong enough to maintain them for longer than this, it seemed.
Shintaro felt his blood boil at the thought of this. The entity who had been subjugated by Nisa Liat herself, who had been unable to resist her insane plans - why was it so powerless to stop her? Was her will that strong? Or this deity that weak? If it could have resisted, none of this madness would have ever happened.
"We must hurry. Three teams, each one will take a tower, and destroy the 'ghost' Gnosis inside. And any other Shadows, of course." Kei said, clasping her hands together. She looked to her classmates from Kansei, as well as the Ginumi students. "You'll be with me, won't you?"
Kohaku nodded, happily.
"Then I'll take the Aeon Admins. If your team takes the left tower, Kakusa, we'll take the right." Shiro said. He seemed to be taking the leadership of his team, but neither of them seemed to be objecting to this.
"...I shall take the main tower. With Kita, Vinters, Suzuki, Fonseca, and Rimando." Shigeru said, stepping forward. "Good luck. Find the fragment, destroy it, and return here. Be very careful."
"...Careful of what? Do you think Nisa Liat's going to show up here?" Toshiaki asked.
"Perhaps. Or perhaps she has formidable Shadows at her side - even besides the Anomalies. We can't grow complacent. Never again."
The three teams went their separate ways, each ready to take on whatever entity awaited them.
|Left Tower|16:50 pm|
The team marched straight to the doorway, but before they could reach it, it was sent flying off its hinges, just narrowly missing a shocked Manami. She almost fell over, but Evelina caught her in time.
"Are you okay?!" She asked, holding her friend tightly.
"Y-Yes…" Manami said, red in the face. Evelina let her go, relieved. "But what on earth was that -?
Out of the tower came a squadron of four identical angels, each one a 'Dominion' according to the Gnosis.
"Begone, loathsome humans. You have no place here – ah?!"
Before the angel could finish making its threat, however, Shintaro had already slashed through the angel's neck, causing quite a lot of 'blood' to pour. It fell to the ground, still alive, but in shock from the brutality of the assault. The three companions, shocked, immediately flapped their wings, bombarding him with Kouga spells. Each one hurt quite badly, yet the boy did not care how much pain he was in. He was only focused on how much pain he could inflict.
"Go to hell!"
"That is where you belong, you abomination!"
Ogma manifested, with a very dour expression. Immediately, he concentrated the air around him, and a ferocious Magarula was launched. The downed Dominion was immediately destroyed, fading away, leaving the other three badly injured.
"Good work, Senpai!" Noboru cheered. With both his swords, he rushed at another of the angels, and slashed through its body. It too vanished, leaving its book and scales to fall to the ground, also to dissipate. "Aengus, finish them off!"
The Persona complied, and span around, both arms outstretched. With both swords, it quickly eliminated the surviving angels. In their last moments, their horrified faces gazed up at the heavens, and they faded away.
"...Shintaro-kun...um...that was a lot more violent than I expected from you," Manami said, anxiously.
Frowning, he turned to the blue-haired dancer.
"Sorry, senpai, but I'm not going to hold back any more. Every single Shadow that gets in my way is going to find that out." Shintaro said. "Noboru and I will destroy everything in our path if we need to. Right?"
"Damn right, Senpai. From now on, we're not afraid of anything. We can't afford to go easy on any enemy. Not after what Nisa Liat did to us!"
The two walked ahead, their weapons still ready. Shintaro's heart was still pounding. The minute he saw the Shadows, he knew he had to attack – no hesitation, no asking questions. Nothing was the same any more. There was no going back to his usual demeanour. If he had to be ruthless, even if his comrades were disturbed by his new outlook, he would fight to kill.
If I wait here anymore, Akari and Kaii will be ashamed of me. I'll be as merciless as I need to. All of us should be the same.
|Left Tower|17:20 pm|
After much fighting, Shintaro had finally seen a strange room in one of the larger rooms on the sixth floor. It was a conference room in the normal world, but here, it seemed more like a strangely demonic church, with black and red pillars. In the centre was a sleek, jet-black altar. It's futuristic appearance was like a computer server with all the wires and ports, as well as the glowing blue lines across the jet black body. Placed on top was a transparent Gnosis, just as that voice had described.
However, above it was Lucifuge himself, whose eyes became more intense as he glanced at the humans. His body seemed to be becoming redder as well, with many dark veins all over it, as if something unholier than itself had infested him. An affliction unlike any Shintaro had ever seen before.
"Huh. With all the angels, I was expecting Melky." Toshiaki said, amused.
"Let me guess, he's in the other tower - guarded by demons," Evelina said, already with her guns in her hands.
"Haha. Clever, aren't you? Angels being ordered to serve a devil, and demons forced to obey the whims of an angel? How bitterly ironic! No doubt Nisa Liat arranged this, to deceive you - or perhaps to vex me...even I am amazed by her cruelty!"
He's right about that. She's even worse than anything in hell. That place is too good for her.
"That accursed Pleroma Princess. Her 'enhancement' is only transforming me into her wretched pawn. Even being possessed by that...being before did not restore me. You've come here for this wretched piece of technological hubris, haven't you?"
"Yes." Kei said, katana in hands. "You don't intend to hand it over, do you?"
"Haha. If only it were that simple. Alas, I am under the Princess' thrall. I have no freedom in this world of chaos. If only that light that had taken me over had been able to free myself as well. As much as I would like to escape, and let you have this fragment, I'm afraid I have no choice but to destroy you."
"Or more likely, we tear you to pieces in seconds and leave with that fragment," Shintaro said, darkly.
Lucifuge laughed uproariously, and the room became buffeted with the red evil wind of his new power. Three other demons appeared around him. One of which was Bael, a strange chimeric being, with a spider's body, and three heads - of a human, a toad, and a cat. The second in this demonic trio was Agares, an old man with a bushy white beard in blue robes, riding a rather dangerous crocodile. The third was a Marbas, lightly armoured humanoid with a lion's head and white wings, carrying a sword.
"I shall at least enjoy this moment of freedom...in a battle to the death! Prepare yourselves, mortals! To have every inch of your body ripped to pieces, and your souls sent to the abyss of death!"
Using his unholy tome, the hellish Shadow called upon a gigantic Mazionga, a thunderstorm of great power. Shintaro felt his body howl with pain, as he was zapped by this. Normally, a storm of this intensity would have rendered him unconscious - but not this time. Despite the pain flowing through him, he had to carry on. He rushed forward and slashed - only to feel something slicing through him in return.
"W-What?!"
"That won't work on me, child…" Lucifuge declared. He chuckled, and with his somewhat scaly purple fists, punched the bookworm. The strength was unreal. It felt like his body was being broken apart.
"Damn...we're not going to be able to use our weapons here!" Evelina said. She looked at her guns, uncertain. "Unless…"
"Evelina-chan, wait! It might not -"
"Eat lead, you creepy demon priest!"
Ignoring Manami's caution, she fired the guns, but the bullets did not pierce its flesh. Rather, they were vaporised upon collision. Her guns were nullified. Swearing, she lowered her guns.
"What does work on this guy, then?!" Masato demanded.
"I don't know! Try everything!" Natsumi cried. "Don't forget about the other ones, too!" She eyed the feline Marbas, and let forth a burning Agidyne. In return, the lion demon roared and conjured a freezing Bufudyne.
Kohaku ran to Shintaro, in the chaos, and healed him quickly. The Diarahan worked wonders, alas it sapped her energy as well. Immediately upon recovering, however, Shintaro gazed at the nearest demon - Agares - and darted at him.
"Wait!" Kei cried.
Shintaro did not listen and slashed the demon in the back. At the same time, he called Ogma, who brought down his own blade in a Savant Slash. Alas, the trail of light from its sword was a blood-red this time, rather than the usual emerald green. The Persona was desperate to kill, it seemed.
Agares, however, fired a burning Agidyne at the boy, sending him to the floor. He then gazed down Manami, and began lunging at her, crocodile clamping down its sharp jaws - she was just barely fast enough to dance out of harm's way.
"Why do I have to fight this strange thing?" She asked.
"Manami-senpai, don't get distracted by thoughts like that!" Noboru cried. "Think only about destroying them all! It's all they fucking deserve!"
"Noboru, I…"
"Now!" He cried.
The creature was silent but kept dashing at her. Running away wasn't going to defeat it. Escaping from this thing wouldn't save anyone. And so, there was only one chance.
"Li Ban!"
With a graceful tap dance, a Baleful Brook broke over Agares' head, dousing him with waters of silence - sealing his magic. Not impressed, he steered his foul steed, and with Deathbound fangs, stuck the dancer where she stood.
"Manami-chan!" Evelina cried. Angry, she fired many bullets at the demon, breaking away several of its fangs. Manifesting, Aoife followed up with a Firing Squad, bullets striking all the Shadows within reach.
Bael's human head started to laugh dissonantly, as it unleashed a Psio, a psychotic burst of energy. It connected with Shintaro, and his head and body were blighted with an absolute agony unlike ever before. All his angry thoughts echoed in his mind. Especially those of Nisa Liat. The sight of Tanjoshima burning flared up in particular. Aggravated, he gazed at his sword - holding it tightly. It was a new model he had acquired, one specifically designed to absorb the energy of those it struck. Still standing, he jumped up from the ground and rushed at the three-headed creature.
"Die, you freak!"
He called Ogma, and a whirlwind of Garudyne crashed into the demon - just as a Magnadyne struck it from below. Kohaku had attacked the creature at the same time, and had leapt over with her naginata, hacking at the creature's bony legs.
"Shintaro! We must take out the weak ones! Then we go for their leader!"
As they continued to attack the three-headed abomination, Kei stared down the devilish priest, sword in hand. He had just sent Noboru hurtling to the ground, and Masato was by his side, ready with the healing items.
"...Wild Card. Do you honestly think you'll ever surpass Nisa Liat? Her powers are far too great to be contained anymore. Not even one Shadow doubts her dominance anymore. You should submit to her will if you want to be allowed to exist in her new world."
"I don't need anyone's permission to exist! No one does!" Kei shouted. With her katana useless against this foe, even with her kendo club training, she had only her Persona to fight with. And thus, via her Gnosis, Vivian materialised. A watery maiden of green hair and pale blue skin, she carried a divine sword in her hands, Excalibur itself. Coldly glaring at the demon before her, she conjured the waters of Aquadyne at it, forcing it backwards.
"Aengus, get him!" Noboru cried. A pillar of light hit the Shadow, which expanded rapidly - then disappeared in a flash. Masato whistled in amazement, but then summoned Camulus. Smirking, he raised his sword, and a giant thunderbolt struck the Shadow - a Ziodyne. Despite the thunder and lightning's intensity, enough to make the ground shake, Lucifuge seemed to be barely affected.
"Fool! If only there was someone among you that could have predicted how useless your thunder was…"
"Don't you dare even say her name!" Shintaro screamed, no longer focused on Bael. This proved dangerous, however, as the creature had plenty of strength left. Surging with electric power, it cast down a mighty Zionga, which made the entire room flash. Already weakened from the electric punishment from before, the boy was sent crashing onto the ground, unable to move. Sparks of electricity surged over his body.
"Well done, my friend…" Lucifuge chuckled. "I wonder how Melchizedek is handling the others…? Perhaps he's already murdered them all…"
"What?!" Kohaku cried. "You liar! That angel could never defeat the Aeon Admins!"
"Don't deceive yourself, girl. They will be executed, just as I will slaughter you all. No use fighting fate. Death comes to all humans. I'm just making it come a little faster!"
Shintaro, grinding his teeth, prepared to slash. He was not going to be deterred by this demon's premonition. Empty words, he told himself.
Ogma behind him, he charged straight into battle once more.
|Right Tower|17:25|
After battling many demonic Shadows, Shiro's team had finally reached their own fragment of the Gnosis, again placed upon a strange computer-like altar.. There, guarding it, was Melchizedek. Yet his colours had changed considerably. Strange red veins could be seen pulsating beneath its armoured body, and the rest of him had a darker, almost bloody glow. A powerful curse had taken over this angel.
"An angel leading demons?" Asami asked, confused. "I was expecting the other guy, the demonic priest."
"Leave it to Nisa Liat to deceive us…" Keiya said, shaking his head. "I should have expected this by now."
"For the greater good, I will co-operate with even loathsome, chaotic devils. All that matters is destroying you, for the sake of Nisa Liat. Her will is absolute. The end of the Theio Kosmos approaches!"
"Oh, does it?" Rinaka asked, guns in hand. "Not if we have anything to say about it."
The angel lacked a human face, but from the way it moved its head, it was clear it was angry.
"Scum, you cannot best us. Lucifuge will slaughter any who come his way. As will the guardian of the central tower. But enough of this! I summon thee!"
With a heavenly choir, several other angels descended from the fiery heavens - each of them prepared to cast down their judgments. Appearing again was Tzaphkiel, still as a feathered eyeball with angelic wings. Also descending was Camael, a pink-skinned angel in a suit of blood-red armour, with a dour face and a long sword of judgment. Finally, there was Remiel, a mostly naked angel with red feathered wings, green hair, and a long silver horn, bearing a blue cross flag.
Silent, Shiro stared at these angels for a moment, fully taking in the sight of them.
"What the matter? Are you scared, Koyanagi-sensei?"
Smirking, Shiro turned to his student.
"Hardly. My college professors were a thousand times scarier than this gang of divine weaklings."
Katashi chuckled. "And I bet your students find you scarier than any Anomaly…"
"Oh, I do," Asami said, grinning. "Which means I'm glad he's on our side!"
Celestine swept aside her hair, sword in hand. "It's time to deliver some divine punishment of our own. Don't you think, Aika-chan?"
"Right!" The singer said, readying her staff. "Cecilia, begin!"
Both her and Persona sang in harmony, unleashing a cluster of ice crystals that surrounded the room. They all exploded in a frigid blast, completing the Crystal Philarmonics.
Celestine whistled in admiration, then gracefully dodged Camael's sword. Smirking, she called upon Egeria, who focused on the armoured angel. Soon, he was trapped in a Lacrimosa Lagoon, where tears of dark despair rained down, drowning the angel in the sorrow of a thousand tortured souls. Screaming, Camael flew away, shaking.
"What the hell did you just do to him…?" Katashi said, jumping from side to side, to avoid Tzaphkiel's laser bursts.
"Oh, it's just like my book. Hail to the Blue Veil Society. You see, in the climax, the titular society's evil leaders are plotting to drown the entire world in the waters of this lagoon. Egeria here seems to take inspiration from my novels…"
"Saves me having to read the damn thing - ah!" Katashi's speed was incredible, alas it wasn't quite enough to evade all of Tzaphkiel's strikes. Angry, he leapt forward, and slashed through the feathered eyeball angel with his knives. Derzelas swiftly followed with a Garudyne, sending it high in the sky.
Asami and Keiya, however, were struggling with Remiel. His holy strength had already caused them quite a bit of pain, and his Makouga only added to their agony.
"What do we do?!" The girl screamed, supporting herself with her partisan.
Keiya stood back, and summoned Sin. His Bless skills would not serve him well here, for an angel consisted of blessing themselves. Yet Asami's fiery anger might just vanquish it.
"Your fury. Release it, now! I will aid you!" Keiya cried.
"Keiya…"
She knew what must be done. With Kaihime's power, she had ignited the Flaring Fury within her heart. The flames that surrounded her spear were blindingly bright, and upon seeing him, Remiel looked alarmed.
Screaming as loud as she could, Asami rushed at the angel, and pierced him as brutally as she could. There was no holding her back when she activated this anger. Every strike was intended to tear this angel to shreds. Every single thrust was guided at the angel's heart. Remiel screamed in horror, as his body was torn apart. Finally, unable to withstand this torment, his body disappeared.
"Now, Sin! Tranquil Pulse!"
Complying, the Persona sent the pulse of light at the nearest Shadow, Camael. While it did barely anything to him, it spread a soothing aurora that calmed Asami, and she regained composure.
"Thanks, Keiya…" She said, smiling. "Without that, I don't know if I'd be able to control that anger…"
"Think nothing of it." Keiya replied, happily. "I'm just glad that I could be useful here. Now, let's do what we can for our allies!"
Before long, Camael and Tzaphkiel succumbed to their injuries. Shiro and Rinaka had been fending off their leader, yet his powers were formidable. Whatever Nisa Liat had bestowed upon him was bolstering his strength tremendously.
"Cursed humans...perhaps I should have anticipated this. You have survived this long. Felled even the ungodly Anomalies. Even so, I shall not yield. There will be no mercy! Come, my angels! The battle is not over yet! Songs shall be written to herald our victory in the new Theio Kosmos!"
The angel unleashed his power, bolstered by a Concentrate earlier - in the form of an Almighty Megidola. The massive energy expanded across the room, leaving the former Admins badly wounded. Sent flying across the room, they were unable to resist this power.
"Ha! Your death draws near, you - what? You still challenge me, you loathsome 'teacher'?"
Against all odds, Shiro was still standing. Rinaka too. Despite the massive pain surging through their bodies, they remained defiant.
"You idiots! You should have just stayed down and died! Why must you struggle so much! No matter, only two of you are left. I can handle you wretched pair -"
Shiro interrupted this speech with a slash across the chest - just as Rinaka's bullets pierced the angel's heart. During this assault, Mergen and Breksta had appeared.
"Shall we finish this ourselves, Koyanagi-san?"
"...Let's."
Breskta, with a wicked smile, became cloaked in an aurora of dark purple, that seemed like mystical flames. This aurora became more and more intense, as Mergen charged himself up with the power over earth. Then, the time came to strike.
"Nightmare's Tor!"
The Persona of wisdom pierced the ground with his blade, and with it, summoned a gigantic rockfall, each boulder absorbing the dark energies generated by the goddess of twilight. Unable to move, and body badly mangled by this onslaught, Melchizedek could only just lift up its head to stare at his slayers.
"Destroyed...by you...I'm a disgrace! I'm pathetic...just like the humans whose thoughts created me...no wonder they seek Nisa Liat's guidance…! Remember that...even without the Cognition Cores, humans still depend on her for a true revolution...that is why you can't win…! Ha...haha...ha…"
With his dying laugh, the angel vanished, leaving only wisps of red smoke. The room quickly turned back to normal, and the other Admins got to their feet, still weary. But they were alive.
"Thanks, you two…" Celestine said.
Aika nodded. "I knew we would pull through, somehow…"
"So did I," Keiya said, leaning against the wall. "I think we've won more battles since we left Bythos."
"We can always count on Rinaka - the best police officer this city's ever known," Asami said, short of breath.
"Even the worst teacher in all of Shinshuto can do incredible stuff now and again...huh?" Katashi said, with a sly wink.
Shiro chuckled, as did the others. They were in good spirits, for the first time in quite a while. The teacher reached for the Gnosis fragment, and stared closely at it. The others came over to look at it, intrigued.
"Should we destroy it right here and now?" Celestine asked.
Thinking for a moment, Shiro almost went for his sword. Yet something in him hesitated. This Gnosis, when put together, could have something useful on it. Perhaps a way to reach Nisa Liat. After all, they no longer had the ability to reach the Citadel on their phones. This one might just have that power, however.
"Not yet...let's take it with us and discuss it with the whole group. Perhaps destroying this thing right away is a little hasty."
"You sure…?" Katashi said, raising an eyebrow. "Whatever. At least Nisa Liat can't get her slimy hands on it now. C'mon, let's go and see how everyone else is doing."
The team nodded, and left the tower - exhausted, yes, but now, it felt as if they could achieve anything.
|Central Tower|17:30 pm|
Shigeru's team were hard at work themselves. They had defeated many Shadows of both demonic and angelic origin, and some who were neither. As they ascended each floor, however, something seemed unusual. The numbers of Shadows were decreasing with every new area. At the sixth floor, only a pair of Turdak - skeletons wielding swords - were present, which Michiko easily vanquished alone.
"Why is it getting so empty as we go up these floors?" Netuno asked.
"It must be a trap. Don't get complacent." Reia said, scythe in hand.
Novalie nodded, silently. She walked on, keeping a close watch on her surroundings.
"...Is she alright?" Netuno asked.
"Is anyone 'alright' in these times?" Hiroyuki asked, frowning. "Novalie wanted to work towards fostering peace between nations someday. But look at what she's been forced to live through. A city torn apart by Nisa Liat. Her college friend was lured into joining Bythos, and killed by an Anomaly…"
"She was in the Goldenrod Squad?" Reia asked.
"Yes. The same one I saw die before my eyes. Nothing was left of their bodies. Just like the rest of the victims of Ginumi."
The team were silent at the thought of this. Not wanting to be left behind, the three moved to catch up to Novalie. Further ahead, however, were Michiko and Shigeru.
"How is Kaiyo coping?" The teacher asked.
Shigeru did not answer, and continued walking, focused straight ahead.
"I see. I...I had to tell Masaki-kun, of course. I know, you said to never let him know. To never get him involved. But after Ginumi, there was no hiding it anymore."
Finally stopping, the two looked at each other.
"How did he take it?"
"Not...well." Michiko said, despondently. "Having a Persona user for a wife is one thing, but for me to hide it from him so long, it...hurt him. We promised we'd share everything when we got married. So we could help each other. But I've fought Shadows for so long without him knowing. In this world, where I could be killed by monsters at any second. At least, that's how he described it. He's barely spoken to me the past week."
"...I'm sorry to hear that." Shigeru said, earnestly. "I thought he might have warmed up to it. Unlike…"
"Kaiyo...she knows about Toki, doesn't she?" Michiko asked. "Of course she'd still be terrified of him. Even after all this time. She can't just forget what he did to her and Noboru."
Shigeru sighed, as he moved towards the window. Leaning against the wall, he looked at the Theio Kosmos' twisted version of Shinshuto before him.
"She and Noboru are my life, Michiko. I...I devoted my life to my career after school. I never thought much about romance, or children, or anything like that. But then one evening, when I was visiting a school's parent-teacher association, I met the most beautiful, charming woman I've ever seen. And her timid, shy boy, hiding behind her. I wanted to get to know her...and so, we talked almost the whole night."
Michiko was silent, watching, as he continued to gaze upon the troubled world below.
"She was on her guard. But something in me didn't want to leave her. I wanted to find out why she was so cautious. One thing led to another...I started spending a lot more time with her, and her adorable little boy. I didn't mind her having a child at all. As she worried about him, I did too. And one night, after Yuko finally convinced me it was the right time...I proposed. I...I wanted to protect Kaiyo. Be the man that her first husband could never be. Be the father Noboru wanted."
"What will you do?" Michiko asked.
"I don't know. I just...don't know. I've already lost my best friend. Yoko has never been the same after losing Noriko. The warm, funny friend I met at college so long ago will never come back. If I lose Kaiyo...and Noboru has his real father...I...I have nothing, don't you see? All I can do is fight these damn Shadows and put an end to the fucking Pleroma Princess!"
Without hearing the others out, he stormed down the corridor. Michiko watched in shock, as the others reached her.
"What was that all about?" Hiroyuki asked.
"This is affecting Shigeru much worse than I thought…" Anxious, Michiko walked forward. "Whatever happens, I can't stop now. Not until Nisa Liat is gone. Come on, let's go."
When the group rejoined Shigeru, they were in a strange room with a black computer, that seemed to be serving as an altar. Upon it was the spectral Gnosis fragment, as expected.
"Wait. Is there nothing guarding it?" Novalie asked. "This can't be right. Nisa Liat wouldn't leave this tower alone. Would she?"
Shigeru ignored her, and grabbed the Gnosis. As he did, the room reverted to its ordinary form, a mundane meeting room with chairs and a coffee machine. Just like the one he had been in much of the past year.
"That didn't seem right." Netuno said, scratching his head. "First we fight like crazy, same old, same old. Next, nothing. Like someone turned on the no random encounters hack in a remastered RPG."
"I highly doubt that's what happened here. For one thing, that wouldn't delete a boss battle." Reia said, shaking her head. "It's strange. I keep feeling that something should be here. Something huge."
"Let's just get out of here. Waiting around won't do us any good." Hiroyuki said, frowning. "Shigeru, destroy that thing -"
"Wait a moment," Reia said, curious. "Perhaps there's data on the full Gnosis, beyond EX-NIHILO. Perhaps if we keep it and reassemble it ourselves, we can find out how to reach Nisa Liat."
"What? You think she'd just leave data like that for us to find?" Netuno said, confused. "That seems too obvious…"
"...What do you think, Komatsu-san?" Novalie asked.
Shigeru stared at it. The possibility of anything of use being stored on the Gnosis was remote. And anything associated with EX-NIHILO was never going to be trustworthy. But, there was a chance.
"Let's ask everyone else what they think. After all, they have as much right to choose as we do."
"Yes, that's the best idea. We must reach a consensus." Michiko said. "Come, let's go. Before Nisa Liat actually does remember to send a guardian here."
The team made their way out of the tower, back outdoors. It felt like a hollow victory, somehow. Why exactly had Nisa Liat left this one unguarded? Or had something happened to the Shadow she had intended to use? The more they thought about this, the more uneasy everyone felt...
|Right Tower|17:40 pm|
This battle was becoming an ordeal, Shintaro realised. Lucifuge, a demon of great power, had been given even further strength. The spells it unleashed were difficult to recover from. And rushing in to strike, before he could cast, wasn't working. Even if Pazuzu, King Frost and Bael were finally dead, the team were exhausted. There was a chance they might not pull through…
"Haha...is that it? You spent all your energy destroying my aides, but you don't have enough for me? Pathetic, aren't you? No wonder Nisa Liat isn't afraid of you anymore. If I can kill you all right here, right now, then the loss of her Aeon Admins, the Anomalies...it means absolutely nothing to her! She already has the power to change the planet!"
Just then, Shintaro began to have a thought. Racing at an enemy, attacking as viciously as possible - it may have worked fine for the weaklings prior to this, but here, it was failing him. Anger was fuelling him, yes, but it was also dooming him.
This wasn't the way he should be. The 'new' Shintaro he imagined, one that didn't cower before enemies - by acting on his instincts, and not his wits, he could never truly defeat the enemy. Akari and Kaii would not want this. Him to be destroyed while trying to defeat everything in a berserk rage. It was not the person he should be.
Ogma. I've lost sight of who I should be. Because of that, you've become weaker. We must change, but not by throwing the past away. We build on that, and make ourselves stronger. Right? You're my Persona. You are me. I am you. So let's finish this.
"Hahaha...you poor, simple fools. I can't be defeated that easily. Now, submit yourselves to a truly painful demise - what?"
"That's enough!" Shintaro yelled, swinging his sword defiantly. Both his blade and his Persona's had a green glow. Together, great power was swelling with them. The Shadow seemed to notice this, and it trembled, no longer taunting its foes.
"What are you doing? Do you really think you have what it takes to defeat me?!"
"I know I do. Don't even have to think about it anymore. Ogma, now's our time!"
A giant tornado swept through the room and sent Lucifuge soaring into the air. Then, came another vortex, that fused with the previous one, bearing a green glow. A third one came, resonating with the others. The Shadow trapped within was powerless to escape. It screamed, feebly trying to claw its way out - but it was useless. And Shintaro knew it. He had never felt such power within him. The strongest he had ever felt. The pinnacle of Ogma's power. And the Shadow before him was the first victim.
"Savant Cyclone!"
Shintaro's final gale absorbed the drastically weakened demon, who laughed weakly, as his body was slowly ripped apart. In his final moments, he gazed upon his conquerors, with eyes of blood red. Once, they would have haunted Shintaro's dreams. Now, they were nothing.
"So...it is me who will be torn apart...how long will it be until you all share this fate? Hahaha…! Farewell…"
Only dark wisps remained of him now, and those were soon dissipated by the ferocious winds. Finally, it was over, and the boy collapsed to his knees, exhausted, surrounded by a wrecked room.
"...Thank you, Ogma."
Kohaku knelt beside him, as he smiled. The rage within him was a roaring fire, one that threatened to burn his enemies to ash - but also himself. Now, however, he had managed to control that blaze. The Personification, the strongest power a Persona could reach, had been attained by him.
"That was...amazing, Taro-kun. Ogma's become so much stronger. No, you have." Kohaku said, in awe. "You...you're calmer now, right?"
He nodded. True, he still felt a lot of hatred at what had happened to the city over the past few months. But the rage that had blinded him seemed to have abated. For now, at least.
"We were worried about you...the way you were slashing at everything like a madman." Toshiaki said, anxiously. "But...you look like you've gotten a handle on things."
Shintaro's face went red, embarrassed. "Sorry, senpai. I got carried away. I wasn't myself. No wonder Ogma was so weak earlier. Now, about that fragment of the Gnosis…"
"That's right!" Natsumi said, moving closer to it. "We were supposed to destroy it. But if we were to take it with us, and fuse it with the other two…"
"...What are you getting at, sis?" Masato asked. "We don't need something like that around!"
"Hear me out. It might have data on it...data that Nisa Liat didn't want us to get. What if we were able to use it to get access to the Citadel again?"
"...Yes! That's right!" Noboru said, excitedly. "If we do that, we can reach Nisa Liat, and kill her once and for all! Otherwise, we might never be able to reach her! That's perfect, Natsumi-chan!"
Manami frowned, crossing her arms. "No. We can't do this. The EX-NIHILO is a dangerous presence. Just keeping a piece of it is dangerous. And there's no guarantee it'll have anything useful on it besides that horrible beast. Kei, please. Don't keep it!"
"No, Senpai!" Noboru said, pleadingly. "Don't destroy it, not yet! At least let Reia or someone else examine it! You got any other leads to get to the Citadel? No, I didn't think so!"
"Stop this, Noboru!" Kohaku cried. "You of all people know what EX-NIHILO is capable of! We can't let it be reborn! It can't be allowed to kill anyone else!"
Shintaro thought deeply. Keeping such a cursed Gnosis, expecting it to have valuable data on Nisa Liat's location, was perhaps unwise. The risk was tremendous. But the group had no other leads. They couldn't expect the Princess to just let them in to her castle. Perhaps Noboru was right.
"Kei, I think it's worth waiting until -"
Before he could finish, however, her sword swung in a flash. The spectral Gnosis was shattered into countless pieces, that were flung all over the room, melting like ice. Whatever data had been on the phone coalesced into a red ball of energy, that had exploded violently, briefly turning the room scarlet. Once the colour changed, however, the room returned to normal.
"Whoa!" Evelina cried. "You couldn't wait until we got outside and asked Komatsu-san about this?"
"...There would be no point. The Gnosis had nothing on it but a foul parasite only capable of causing misery. I don't need Reia or anyone else to tell me that. Let's go."
Despite the anguished look on Noboru's face, Kei quietly left the room, walking towards the exit.
"I...I didn't expect that at all." Shintaro said, stunned.
"Kei's changed a lot, too…" Kohaku remarked. "Perhaps more than we realised…"
|Outside|18:00 pm|
"So, we've all returned successfully." Shigeru said. "Kei, do you still have the fragment of the EX-NIHILO Gnosis?"
She shook her head.
"You already destroyed it?" Novalie asked.
"There was nothing on it but a parasite that killed innocent people. It wasn't worth keeping."
Shiro frowned. "That's...a pity. Rinaka suggested holding onto it, so we could analyse it before destroying it. I doubt we can do that without all three parts."
"Yes...I came to the same suggestion myself." Reia said, annoyed. "Still, perhaps getting rid of it is the best thing to do. Let's destroy the other two right here and now then."
And so, the other two parts were presented before Kei. Her sword swung through both of them, and just like the first, they were destroyed, leaving no trace of their existence. EX-NIHILO may be able to return, but at least its reappearance would be delayed.
The corruption that had ensnared the Kibo-Jo building was vanishing now, and before long, it was back to its former glory. Not a trace of the red aurora was visible anymore. Shintaro felt able to breathe much easier now - yet the weight of Kei's words still bore down on him.
"Well done, all of you." Shigeru said, with a small smile. "We still have to find and defeat Noriko - Nisa Liat. But we have at least thwarted her sadistic plan. Return home, everyone. And rest well."
One by one, everyone went home with their Gnosis. However, only Kei and Shintaro hesitated.
"You aren't leaving?" He asked.
"I know nothing is the same anymore. But please, don't lose sight of who you are again. The quiet guy who loves reading above all else. The one who welcomed me to this city so long ago. I don't want to lose him...not now. Not ever."
With that, she vanished, leaving him alone.
"I'll try."
He disappeared, and for a moment, all was quiet.
|Shintaro's Room|23:00 pm|
When he returned to his bedroom, he felt a strange shiver down his spine. Things seemed different, somehow. The blue book on his bed - had it been there before? He couldn't remember. And he wasn't sure if it had been the bright blue it was now. Perhaps, with all the chaos happening, he hadn't been keeping track of his belongings. Still, at least he was home now, and his parents were relieved to see him unhurt. He laid back on the bed, exhausted, and closed his eyes.
"...Huh?"
Alarmed, he felt his normal mobile vibrate. There was a text message, from another unknown sender. When he opened it, however, he gasped.
DO NOT TRUST KEI KAKUSA.
SHE IS AWARE OF FAR MORE THAN SHE SEEMS.
SHE HAS EVEN TRIED TO REWRITE HISTORY.
DO NOT ALLOW HER TO DEVIATE FROM DESTINY.
SHE WILL NEVER BE PART OF OUR TRUE REBIRTH.
"Huh? Don't trust Kei…?"
As soon as he read the message, a call came through. It was Kohaku, sounding frantic.
"Hello, Shintaro-kun? I got a strange message -"
"About not trusting Kei?"
"Wait, you too…?" She asked. "My god… I wonder if we all got this."
Shintaro had a hunch that everyone did. Who would have sent this, however, he didn't know. Unless it had something to do with that girl in his dreams. The mysterious one who couldn't even tell him her true name.
"Should we ask Kei about this?" Kohaku asked.
"No...it would only worry her. Right now, we need to focus on protecting Totsuka. We...can trust Kei."
As he said that, however, he began to doubt his own words. Was Kei really everything she said she was? Nothing seemed to surprise her. She seemed constantly distant, unable to say much about her past. Even what she had divulged seemed off to him now, he thought.
"...You're right." Kohaku sounded rather uncertain herself as she said this, Shintaro noted. "Well...good night."
She quickly hung up, as Shintaro sat down, on his bed. The anger that had been burning inside him...it was still there. Yet now doubt was seeping in. Memories of Kei were flooding back, and they all seemed different now.
He shut his eyes, to go back to the day they first met in Suzuki-sensei's classroom. But he kept seeing someone else at the front of the class, next to the teacher. A raven-haired young lady, with a kind smile. Her uniform was normal, but she had long purple stockings and a matching schoolbag. One her father had bought for her.
Wait a second. Her father - I don't even know the girl's name? Why do I know anything about her father?
"My parents bought me a ton of supplies before I left Yokohama. See this bag, Shintaro? My dad picked it out for me. It took him a long time to find one in purple he thought I'd like. But when he has his heart set on something, he never gives up. And my mother got me these earrings. You like them, don't you, Kohaku? Oh, and my little niece gave me her favourite snacks for the train journey, but I've still got them. Here you go, Akari!"
Shintaro opened his eyes, his heart pounding. This girl he had only truly seen in his dreams, the one that had the same face and hair as Nisa Liat, but spoke so differently. He was now recalling speaking to her in the homeroom. Her voice, her face, everything. Clear as day.
No, he told himself. This memory isn't real. It's a fake by Nisa Liat, to make you doubt Kei - doubt yourself. This isn't real. Or so he kept telling himself. But he found it hard to believe that this was false. It was too real to be false. But he could recall meeting Kei just as clearly, too. She stuck in his mind just as much as the mystery woman.
"Who...is she? Does she even exist…"
Unable to answer this question, Shintaro went to sleep. Even with his anger somewhat quelled, he would not rest easily. Not for a long time.