Author's Note: Persona 5 Royal is out! I bet I'm probably going to go on a Digital Culmination hype train when I start playing! Yes, I will include some Royal content in the future. Also, a short chapter, I was struggling with how to introduce the first Palace while also keeping to Hakuno's limited knowledge on the topic, considering there's no Morgana to explain how things work to her.
Daemon of the Crawling Tentacles: Yes, it is Aeon, at least for Joker's Confidant with her. It is what best represents her according to the Tarot Cards.
TheStrangerThatCameFromNowhere: Maybe.
Zakara: Hakuno's SL System is quite odd, as well as her Velvet Room's functions at that. Luckily, not all 21 Arcana are even in Persona 5 anyway, only 17, Royal increased it to 19.
Sakaewmatsui: Considering Joker fails the Harem Route, he ain't near Hakuno's level!
Just A Normal Human Being: Haha, that's funny. And yeah, Aeon fits the Digital Human Hakuno.
A Crashclown: There will be plenty of Servants.
VGBlackwing: UNCLASSED is some from Fate/Extra CCC.
What lies in the body, the heart, and the soul? Are they but physical and metaphysical? The flame caused by her actions now seeks to devour her, but the road to her deletion is yet to be paved. Can this Digital Human change her path?
Digital/Culmination
Chapter 15: Temple of Expectations
Hakuno Kishinami in casual wear stood just outside the large building that indicated the company headquarters of this world's Atlas Institute, or more accurately, the Atlas Corporation. Her gaze fell to the Portable Terminal in her hand, the Metanav app sat passively in the device's screen, ready to be utilized by its owner. If her theory is true, she'd access a sub-area of the metaverse, a 'Palace' which indicated particular individuals' cognitive mindscape, who would belong to Rani's mother.
An odd difference, Sialim was Rani's mother instead of her Professor in this world.
Of course, she didn't have too much to go on concerning the mysteries of the metaverse, only educated guesses based on past experiences and whatever information the residents of the Velvet Room explained.
The girl briefly glanced around, there were a few people, but it didn't appear they would notice her sudden disappearance. She was also not in range of any security cameras, so not to be caught in a recording of any supernatural occurrence.
Hakuno tapped the application.
"Beginning Route Guidance."
As the female voice echoed from the Portable Terminal's speakers, the world twisted and changed with the coming shades of red and black. The bustling metropolis of Tokyo shifted as color varieties returned. The headquarters of the Atlas Corporation had changed in its entirety into a massive temple of ancient Greek design, Hakuno Kishinami found herself at its entrance just before a small staircase leading up to the temple's open entrance.
It was staggering how reality had changed to such a degree as to reshape a skyscraper into a temple dedicated to Greek mythology.
Hakuno observed her surroundings with the exception of the temple. The rest of Tokyo still remained the same, surrounding the temple at all sides, but all lacking in colorations except black and white, as if they were unimportant. Of course, the magus girl knew that within the metaverse, the actual people around were just shadows…?
She blinked.
The individuals heading in and out of the Atlas Corporation-turned-Temple were now dressed in the stereotypical attire of white robes. Furthermore, of those who went inside, only adults left. Not a single minor her age or otherwise left the temple.
"Ruler," Hakuno called.
A manifestation of blue magical energy coated in data-like particles appeared next to her in the figure of a large man in a white trench coat and hat, Jotaro. He briefly examined the surroundings, his face remained passive but the Master could determine that his mind was figuring things out.
But outside of that, Hakuno Kishinami kept a keen awareness of the od that was draining away from her magic circuits. It felt… More than usual, as if the requirement to keep a Servant in the Palace was higher than within Mementos.
At this pace, it's perhaps more efficient only to call forth a Heroic Spirit during times of conflict, similar to how it was in the Moon Holy Grail War. Though that was done to keep information about her Servant hidden in the school rather than manage the consumption of magical energy.
She looked at Ruler, "It's costly to keep you here."
"I noticed. There's a strain placed on me," Ruler replied. "I'll return to the astralized state, you should investigate what is occurring to the kids."
"Then I'll call for you again if something happens," Hakuno replied.
He adjusted the tip of his hat, "Be careful," The Heroic Spirit said and vanished from the physical state.
Hakuno Kishinami made her way up the wide stairway and followed behind the shadows or 'fake people' that represented other minors around her age into the temple. Once she entered, there was a large stone front desk with three dividing lines for the elderly, adults, and minors being attended by what appeared to be the greek mythological satyrs.
She stood in line with the minors, who were redirected into the entryway of a dark corridor. After a brief moment, Hakuno approaches the attending male satyr.
"Name?" The satyr inquired.
"Digital Human," Hakuno gave an alias instead, as she did not know whether or not her name might carry over in some negative aspect to the real world if given carelessly.
He wrote something down on parchment then handed her over a different one. She took it and examined its contents which had a partial map available to see, likely indicating the current area. There were multiple floors if the staircases were any indication, perhaps more to this Palace would be revealed if she went to the underground levels.
"Head into the corridor. Meet the expectations for the goddess," The satyr said.
Hakuno arched a brow at that, a goddess? What expectations?
The Digital Human decided to head into the dark corridor which was dimly lit only by small torchlights along the hall. She only had to follow behind the false individuals in front of her, which led her into a waiting room of some sort, though its contents were shocking.
A satyr dressed in bronze armor was marking each minor with paint and brush, coating their wrists with a mark. These marks differed in color, most obtained a white hue, some yellow, and a few select painted a crimson red. However, Hakuno couldn't distinguish the method behind why specific individuals were giving specific colors over others.
The disguised shadow approached her; but appeared confused.
She arched a brow at this deviation of routine.
"You are the next one," It suddenly said. "Please proceed ahead of the others. The goddess has high expectations of you." It finished as it brought out a blue paint and made a small stripe along the top of her left wrist, a sharp contrast to the rose hues of the Command Seals above them.
That's the second time a shadow mentioned the word 'goddess'. But also, another time it was occupied by the meaning of expectation. Likely a connection.
Still, Hakuno Kishinami cut through the line and entered through a door.
She did not expect to find such a horrendous scene.
The door had opened up to a massive room the size of a warehouse. Hakuno stood on a second floor, looking downward to see rows upon rows of objects in the appearance of execution electric chairs. It was a sharp contrast to the ancient greek surroundings. The minors were placed on the chairs while the shadow satyrs operated them, murdering them while recording results on parchment. They would be electrocuted and some sort of energy would flow downward underground.
It was sickening, they were being used for some sort of experimentation.
Yet she could tell this was just one chamber, as this room only contained the most commonly marked individuals.
A hand grabbed her arm, it was a satyr.
"This way to your chamber," It said.
Hakuno could not just head with the Palace's denizens any longer. It would be dangerous to continue onward along with whatever was planned for her, likely her demise. Not to mention, the Digital Human needed to find an escape route to leave the Palace, as the Portable Terminal's Metanav refused to let her leave while inside.
As such…
The brief memory of a city lit ablaze flashed in her mind as magic circuits surged with magical energy.
"Code Cast: Hack!" The magus shouted with the use of the magecraft. A burst of golden electricity occupied by square data particles paralyzed the shadow, which proceeded to melt into a cesspool of red and black before reforming into a flying pixie the nearly the same size as the girl.
Hakuno Kishinami backed away towards the open-side of the floor, instead of against the door. It was only a lone shadow, but she did not have any weapons besides her own capabilities as a Spirit Hacker. Suddenly, battle instincts alerted her and she narrowly avoided a dangerous bright yellow bolt of lightning by doing a long side-step.
She raised a hand at the pixie shadow, "Saber!" Hakuno called out by habit, only to realize that her Roman Servant was unable to respond to her Master's order due to the Velvet Room's restrictions.
Out of all the times-
Another bolt of lightning, but this time, Hakuno could not avoid it and it struck her body. It felt as if her entire nervous system got jolted and jumbled, but it only lasted a single moment. She quickly recovered, though not without feeling numb.
"Ruler," She said in correction from her earlier blunder.
It was a bit odd to have to manually call out the Servant and would have to be further practiced if she would have access to multiple Heroic Spirits.
But regardless, the white-garbed Servant appeared with a display of motes of cerulean light. He didn't so much as call forth that strange entity rather than using his own fist to punch the shadow. It notably didn't do as much damage, but the drain of magical energy was cheaper than if he summoned Star Platinum. Hakuno reasoned that using the spiritual-like entity was akin to a Skill, more effective but at a greater cost.
As Ruler had probably figured out beforehand in Mementos, yet didn't inform her.
Regardless, the physical force behind a Servant was substantial. The pixie was knocked back against the wall and burst apart into the increasingly familiar black-red liquid substance that shortly thereafter vanished entirely.
"Thank you," Hakuno said. She moved her appendages a bit, checking her own condition. The attack from the shadow did little to injure her, just shock her body for a bit. "I'm okay."
The Heroic Spirit's gaze wandered along the constant, continuous events occurring below. His gaze seemed impassive, but the Master could determine the hint of disapproval and disgust in the expression. He moved his attention to the surroundings and pointed towards an opened square within the wall.
"There's your exit. You're small so you can fit through," He said.
She looked at it, it appeared similar to some sort of air duct, "Alright…" Hakuno replied and glanced back to
Ruler only to find he had already vanished back into his astralized state.
He wasn't talkative, even Archer would have had more to say, but Ruler remained calculatingly silent.
In any case, Hakuno Kishinami squeezed into the open air duct and crawled her way through the shafts. She took a number of turns before turning up outside after having lifted a grate above. Free from the entrapped state that lies inside, Hakuno patted her clothes of dust that gathered then grabbed her Portable Terminal.
But before opening the Metavav, Hakuno observed her newfound surroundings. She was at the side of the temple, where none of the satyrs or people could see. It would prove an easy access point in the future without having to do potential risks with the entrance.
There were many questions that she needed answers too.
Were the people actually the shadows of the real individuals?
How come the shadows took the appearance and role of the Palace?
What exactly was a Palace? It surely represented some more than just a place in Mementos now. It was stunning how different the place was from the subway station design.
That's not to mention what happened inside the Palace meant for Rani's mother. If what Hakuno Kishinami knew so far, this entire place must represent some sort of mental perspective that influenced the cognitive world.
Many questions… But perhaps a manual visit to the Velvet Room to ask about it from the Twins could shed some light. She had never fully delved into the topic with them, mostly collecting information from the brief conversations when Igor was there.
She tapped the app.
"Returning to the Real World from Sialim Eltnam Rey-Atlasia's Palace. Thank you for your hard work!"