Next up was the armory. It was a one story building, but it was also carved into a mountain. Entering, they found themselves in a rather small room, and were soon greeted by another woman dressed in Samurai armor.
"Greetings. I am Emiko. Have you come to take the Trail of Sages?"
"We have."
"Very well."
Emiko threw down a smoke bomb and vanished as the door behind her opened, revealing a flight of stairs. As the team walked down, they heard Emiko speak.
"There will be three obstacles standing in your way as you attempt to make your way to me, which I will explain as we reach them. The first will be a maze. In this maze, there is a door that is the exit, but it is locked. Somewhere in the maze is the key, and it will be on you to find it. But you and your friends won't be alone down there. Prowling the maze are the Shogun's troopers, and it's their job to hunt you down and skewer your heart on a pike. Are there any questions?"
The four reached the bottom of the stairs, where a paper door was opening up.
"No? In that case, you may begin!"
The four entered the maze, and Yu pulled out his phone, hoping that he would be able to cheat his way through. But he had no such luck, as his phone returned only blackness with a purple circle and four arrows; one red, one yellow, one blue, and one pink. The maze itself had steel walls, and decorating those walls were a wide variety of weapons; swords, axes, bows, everything from feudal Japan. Yu and the others began to navigate the labyrinth before them.
"We can't afford to wander aimlessly. That's just asking to get lost." Morgana pointed out.
"Maybe we could mark down spots we've been at? Like make an arrow pointing to where we went, and if it leads to a dead end, we could mark an "X" on it." Shiho suggested.
"That's a great idea Pariah."
"Someone's coming. Everyone get ready." Yu ordered as he crouched behind a wall, ready to ambush the incoming Shadow dressed in Samurai armor. Once it was close enough, Yu jumped on.
"I'll witness your true form!" Yu declared as he tore off the mask.
Another Shadow battle had passed. This was about the sixth in the maze, and the toll of these skirmishes was starting to become more and more severe. Case in point; Shiho was panting with both hands on her knees, Akechi's prince-like outfit was completely soaked with sweat, and Morgana was sitting with her back against the wall. Even Yu was becoming exhausted by the whole ordeal. They had been trying to navigate the maze for hours now, using Shiho's idea in order to mark their progress, but every time they got in a battle, they would hear the sound of gears turning, and when they went back, they saw some of their arrows out of place or outright gone. The only good thing that's happened so far was that they found some chests and got some goodies as a result.
"Seeker, we've been at this for hours. We can't keep this up." Morgana said.
"Carmen's right. This is getting us nowhere." Akechi added.
"Yea I know Ace. But I can't think of how we can…" Yu started, only to be cut off by the gears turning again. But this time, he saw something out of the corner of his eye. Turning his full attention to the sound, he finally saw what was the source of the noise; a wall was shifting and altering itself.
The walls move whenever we're distracted by fighting, of course!
Yu sprinted towards the wall. Right now, the moving parts had made it so that the wall was smaller than the ones around it. Using Izanagi to boost his jump, Yu was able to land on top of the wall. By the time the other Tricksters had reached him, the wall returned to its original height, and Izanagi ferried them up one by one to Yu.
"Good thinking. We should be able to find the key easily from up here." Akechi complimented as they started walking on the walls. From their new view, the maze was far more massive than they thought, with there was an absence of walls in the center, with instead four pillars.
"That's cheating!" Emiko yelled.
"So is moving the walls!" Shiho reminded.
"Look! Over there! I think that's the key!" Morgana yelled, pointing to a yellow gleam shooting upwards off in the corner. Jumping and leaping to different walls, they reached the glow easily, and it was guarded on all sides by four Shadows.
"We're in no condition for a drawn-out battle. We have to find a way to draw them away." Yu whispered, wiping some sweat off his brow.
"How?" Morgana asked.
"I have an idea." Akechi said, summoning Robin Hood. The Persona took aim at a wall and let loose an arrow, reducing it to rubble rather quickly. The resulting commotion forced the four Shadows to leave their post and investigate. Morgana, taking advantage of Akechi's distraction, reached into her utility belt, pulled out a grapple gun, and used it to snatch the key.
"Perfect. Now, we need to get to the exit." Yu said with a smile.
"My money's on the center." Shiho stated.
With a nod, the Phantoms went back to the center of the maze. Waiting for them was a hatch with an ornate lock. Morgana inserted the key and turned. There were several noises as the gears in the room activated. The walls began to sink into the floor, revealing dozens upon dozens of Shadows, all of which bowed to the infiltrators as soon as they saw them. Next, the hatch swallowed the key and opened up, revealing a black pit, which was later filled by a rising platform. Once it reached them, the four stepped on, and the platform began to descend, the hatch closing as soon as they were far down enough. Once all the sunlight was gone, orange crystals began to glow, bathing the four in a dim light that looked downright romantic.
"Wow. This is pretty." Shiho pointed out.
"Not as pretty as you." Yu muttered.
"What'd you say Seeker?" Akechi asked.
"I said I hope there's a Safe Room soon."
"Me too. That maze really did a number on us." Morgana said.
"Look on the bright side. If that maze was the worst this trial could throw at us, then the others should be easier." Akechi said with a smile.
"And if the maze was the easiest?" Shiho asked.
"Then we get past them the same way we got past the maze; using our heads." Yu answered.
Suddenly, the platform came to a stop, and a door opened, illuminated by more of the same crystals. As the Team walked down, they saw a pair of doors that shimmered. Entering the Safe Room, the whole group just collapsed on the furniture.
"Never before has something fake felt so good." Shiho said as she rested on a couch.
"I knooooooow." Morgana added.
"The Safe Rooms always looked like the perfect spot to relax, but only now am I taking advantage of the fact. What a mistake I've been making." Akechi sighed out.
"Hey Seeker, why don't you sit down?" Shiho asked, patting the spot next to her on the couch. Yu smiled, silently accepting her invitation as he sat down next to her. Pulling out her pink hairband, Shiho gave a soft murmur of bliss as her raven-colored locks cascaded down her shoulders.
"You know, in spite of everything we've been through in the Metaverse, I can't wait for summer so we can work on Palaces all the time." Shiho pointed out.
"I'm surprised you're enjoying this so much Pariah. You always seemed very timid." Akechi added.
"It's because I'm very timid that I enjoy this so much. All my life, I've been told to make myself small, to accept the world for how it is, and all that other stuff. For my whole life, I've been abused, whether by my peers or by my parents, and all I've done is try to be nice."
"And being nice has its perks. None of us would've meet you if you weren't nice. And I'm certainly glad that's the case." Yu pointed out, causing Shiho to smile sweetly and blush, though no one could tell because of the poor lighting.
"Thanks Seeker. Though, I guess what I'm trying to say is that it just feels good to hit back. The blood on my face, the sound of bones crunching, the broken bodies turning to ash. It's all so therapeutic." Shiho said with obvious glee.
"Should we be worried about how much fun you have about beating up Shadows?" Akechi asked.
"Don't worry Ace. Better Shadows than actual people. I would never hurt anyone in the real world. Especially none of you."
"I believe you Pariah. But back to the matter at hand. I know that maze took a lot out of us, so I have to know if you guys can keep going."
"You're the boss Seeker. Whatever you decide, we'll follow."
"What Carmen said."
"Agreed Pariah."
"Alright. In that case, let's rest for about five minutes, then continue." Yu stated, earning a sigh of relief from the others.
After 15 minutes had passed in the Safe Room, Yu finally managed to drag his team out. Walking down the hall, they soon entered a room with several doors on the side, while directly in front of them were three chairs, and one of them had a Shadow dressed in peasant's clothes strapped in.
"Welcome infiltrators, to the second obstacle! The peasant sitting in the chair is the only one who knows which door leads to me. Now, all you have to do is find him. Once you're ready to begin, three cups will descend on all the chairs, then begin to move. Your job is to keep your eyes on the cup that has the man. Succeed, and you'll be able to open the way to me. Fail, and he dies. Any questions?"
"Will you cheat again?" Akechi asked.
"Depends. Will you?" Emiko replied.
Shiho opened her mouth, but Yu raised his hand to stop her. Arguing with Emiko would get them nowhere.
"No. We're ready." Yu said.
"Excellent."
The three cups covered up the chairs, and began to move, shifting around and taking the chairs with them. For a few minutes, they kept moving, and Yu could tell that Shiho and Morgana had given up on trying to keep track of the man, while Akechi kept his gaze razor sharp with focus. Finally, the cups stopped.
"Alright, the time has come! Choose! Which cup is your only hope hiding behind?"
"That-"
"Wait a moment Ace." Yu interrupted in a gentle whisper.
"What is it?" Akechi replied with an equally gentle whisper.
"Emiko has cheated before. I don't see why she wouldn't cheat again."
"Good point. But I don't see how to cheat ourselves."
"Watch." He whispered.
Stepping forward, Yu activated his Third Eye and smiled. He was right. If Emiko had played by the rules, the man should have ended up on the right side of the room, but Yu's Third Eye was telling him that the man was in the middle. He pointed dead center.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
The cup was raised, revealing the man. The three cheered, and Emiko sputtered.
"W-what?! HOW?! I made sure it was rigg-I-I mean, congratulations on the victory! Now, all that remains is the final obstacle." Emiko said, though the venom in her words were palatable. The man, now released from his chair, got straight to work, going to the various doors and doing something to them, whether it be turning knobs, locking them a certain way, or just pushing a certain part. By the time he was done, the room rumbled, and the wall behind the chairs collapsed, revealing a tunnel. As they started walking through it, Akechi spoke up.
"How did you know where he was Seeker?"
"I used my Third Eye." Yu answered nonchalantly.
"Third… Eye?" Morgana questioned.
"Its a power I can use when Izanagi and I… merge, for lack of a better word."
"What do you mean?" Shiho asked.
"Well, in the real world, I can kinda summon Izanagi. He can't alter the world, not like here, but he does affect how the world affects me. I can use him to listen in and spy on people through walls, far away, so forth. But in the real world, he can give me some of his power and let me see the Metaverse differently. Specifically, if there's something that might be useful for me to have, he can highlight it for me with the Third Eye ability."
"And you didn't tell us this before because…" Akechi asked.
"Actually, he kinda did. For me, at least." Shiho started.
"What?" Morgana asked.
"Back when we went on the trip to Mitsuyo's news studio, he wanted me to be the one to infiltrate Mitsuyo's office, but since we didn't have a blueprint or map of any kind, I didn't know where to go. Seeker told me to send out Boudicca, but I couldn't do it, so he had to go. Though, he neglected to tell me anything about this Third Eye ability." She grumbled.
"After that, I figured that it must be unique to me, since I'm a Wild Card." Yu explained.
"You'll have to tell us how it's done once we get out." Akechi said.
"Hey look, we're here." Morgana pointed out.
Climbing up through the tunnel, they saw Shogi pieces placed on a pedestal.
"This is too easy." Akechi said.
"This is some kind of trap." Shiho added.
"She's planning something." Morgana finished.
"Yea. All of you, head back. I think I know what she's planning." Yu said.
"Are you sure?" Shiho asked.
"Trust me. I know where this is going." Yu said as he approached the Shogi pieces.
The Team, albeit reluctantly, complied, leaving Yu to do whatever he was planning. He approached the pieces, scooped them up, shoved them in his pocket, and ran. Behind him a loud crunch was heard. The Trickster dared to look back, and what he saw confirmed his suspicions.
There was a giant boulder heading straight for him
Music: Indiana Jones theme
Yu wasted no time running for dear life, though despite the circumstances, he was having fun. The boulder was starting to gain on him, and up ahead, he heard sounds of a brawl and his fun suddenly evaporated. If Shadows had managed to get the jump on his friends, they might not be able to escape. Running back to the cup room, he saw that it wasn't Shadows, but Emiko that was fighting them. He pulled out his pistol and shot her in the leg, screaming at his fellow Tricksters.
"RUN! THERE'S A BOULDER COMING!"
The others, seeing what was headed their way, sprinted as fast as their legs could carry them. Yu ran to Emiko, who tried to grab him or stop him in some other way, but Izanagi emerged, punching her right in the face. Yu ran right past her, and she didn't even have a chance to scream before the boulder squashed her. Shiho held the Safe Room's door open, ready and waiting for her leader. Yu didn't dare turn around, because he knew the boulder was meer inches away from him. Shiho reached out as soon as she could, and grabbed him, heaving with all her considerable strength. As he was pulled to safety, Yu found himself face-first in Shiho's bust. The boy and girl blushed madly as the Wild Card scrambled to get off. Outside, they heard the boulder come and gone, failing to achieve its mission
"Seeker! Are you alright?" Morgana asked
"I'm fine. What about you guys?" Yu asked as he and Shiho got up.
"We're fine. That boulder gave us quite the scare." Akechi said with a faint smile.
"Good. I got the pieces." Yu said, reaching into his pockets and pulling out the tiny slabs.
"Excellent. Now all that's left is the princess' chambers." Akechi said.
"Actually, I just realized something; a lot of time has passed both in here and in the waking world. We should head back soon." Morgana reminded.
"Carmen has a point. We should go back soon." Shiho agreed.
"Fine. But first, I want to at least scope out the chambers. That way, we'll at least be prepared for whatever comes next." Yu argued.
"Alright."
With that, the Team teleported out of the armory, and back to the tower. As they made their way back outside, Kaito noticed them and gave them a small wave and a greeting. They went across the courtyard and to the entrance of the castle itself. But there was a problem. The whole palace was shielded by a yellow shield. On the front door, there was some writing.
"To whoever ye may be, know that only our glorious Shogun is allowed past this holy barrier, and that this barrier in invincible to all forms of harm and covers all forms of entry. Any who try to enter the Shogun's daughter's private sanctuary will be put to the sword."
It took awhile for the four to process this new information.
"Shit." They all cursed simultaneously.
"Does this mean only Shadow Mitsuyo can get us in here?" Akechi asked.
"If that's the case, this infiltration got a lot more tricky." Yu pointed out.
"Actually no. You guys remember when I told you about how the Metaverse is affected by cognition?" Morgana asked.
"Kinda." Shiho answered.
"Well, the only reason this force field says its invincible is only true because the waking world Mitsuyo thinks so."
"What's that mean?" Akechi asked.
"It means that she only thinks that only she's allowed in… whatever the waking world's equivalent of this building is."
"The Shogun's daughter... Hifumi's room. What are you getting at Carmen?" Yu questioned.
"I think what she's saying is that, if we show her that anyone can get in Hifumi's room, then her cognition of it will change, which will let us get in." Shiho answered.
"Exactly! Thank you Pariah."
"Alright. During school tomorrow, we'll discuss who gets to do it. For now, however, let's go back." Yu suggested, and the others nodded in agreement, quickly returning to the waking world for whatever tomorrow held in store for them.