Makoto ran through an alleyway that is littered all over with debris, the shadows behind him were following closely behind. But much like how he killed the shadows before this group, they are now unable to freely move, and have little to no access for any consecutive attacks without being slowed down.
Orpheus, I'm counting on you. He thought as he get into position.
Orpheus materialized behind him and hovered above the densely packed shadows. Strumming the lyre on its hand, the shadows that are now moving to flank Makoto were suddenly engulfed in powerful flames one after another. Making the other passages clear for now, and free for him to take during a sudden increase in numbers.
Suddenly halting in his tracks, Makoto summoned a katana from the pocket dimension and struck the shadow that was about to claw at him. The blade pierced through its chest, before cleaving halfway through its body. Leaving a half split corpse of a shadow on the ground.
Instantaneously, the katana on his hand vanished and is replaced by a bow. Makoto pulled the string and rapidly fired arrows towards the next, killing it by the time the third arrow landed, right before it even manages to get any close.
This had gone on for a while. Makoto either remained standing, or pushing back and forth in the middle of an intersection, switching between three weapons when necessary.
There was, at some point, a moment where Makoto wanted to run because of an unavoidable heavy damage he received. But escaping the battle is not exactly allowed... Or at least, not an option he could take. He have already committed to culling a large number of shadows, he just have to survive till the end.
There's still a lot of them. If only I could tell how many they are... Makoto thought as he landed on the ground with a short sword in hand. Cleaving another shadow in front of him. Should I risk it? Nothing's approaching from the other sides... Alright!
Orpheus reappeared above him and strummed its lyre once again. Sending a barrage of [Agi] spells on the alley, engulfing it and the shadows until it reached the end.
It was like a blazing inferno materialised in front of him. Devouring every shadow in its fiery path. The wooden part of some building around it were now caught in flames.
Makoto could feel his reserves going past the last quarter, but this is fine. It's not like he'll be fighting shadows in an open space like a fool. His low reserves is exactly why he is doing this tactic in the first place.
The armoured variants were the only ones left alive after the barrage, and each of them eyed him warily. But with how little space their body allows them, they could only enter the wrecked alleyway one by one. Though, it didn't make a difference, all of them eventually succumbed to their basest instinct and fell to the ground lifeless after being cleaved with his blade.
They were completely outmatched by his tactic. Even those that entered after the alley has been cleared or destroyed, didn't fare any better than those before them. It is only a matter of time until he clears this abandoned town of shadows.
After killing shadows for another hour, or half an hour. Makoto finally saw the end of this battle with a lot of experience coming his and Orpheus' way. Further boosting their reward after selecting a minor wand arcana in his mind.
It was like a breath of fresh air. It has been a while since both Makoto and Orpheus gained an excessive amount of experience. The first of which is during their first encounter when he is still too weak. After walking in the wilderness for more than two weeks, he found out that shadows in the open world were so abundant, that it is almost impossible to reach the peak of his potential in only a short amount of time. The only saving grace for his situation is the fact that the shadows are congregated into large groups. But even that is a chance encounter that appears only every once in a while.
Finally, I have reached the fourteenth level... Makoto thought. Pleased with the large boost in levels gained by defeating a whole nest of shadows.
Mitsuru-senpai would execute me if she learned how risky I was... But there's no other choice. The world is too large, it's impossible to find a living civilization at this point. Makoto sighed as he took a sit on the pile of debris.
Makoto have been walking in the exact same direction — which is south — for two weeks, and not a single sign of civilization is present until earlier today.
Knowing how dangerous it is to attack a nest of shadows, Makoto have initially decided to ignore this town and hoped to stumble across a better settlement later on his way. However, hoping for something to happen isn't exactly reliable. Especially when there's a threat looming over him.
Right. I should probably start looking for that map.
Looking around. Not a single building were left standing unscathed from the shadow's occupation. However, that is not the only reason why this place is in such a state.
It is difficult to find a good area to execute the isolation tactic he have used throughout the whole encounter, and it is even more difficult to maintain that same position for very long, until he needed to change locations.
Because of that, this town have been left with more damages than when he first came in. There's even evidence of smoke rising to the sky as a sign of fire, burning several building from afar.
"It will probably take a long time to find a single map like this." Makoto sighed for the second time as he stood up and walked with purpose.
Most of the buildings here are still left intact, so it shouldn't be too hard to find one of the buildings housing the map he needed at this moment.
There were holes and other kinds of debris littering the ground. The grass were scorched and still burning. This place have definitely saw a lot of change over the span of time it was abandoned.
Not including the chaos made here of course.
His eyes darted around the town square to find a specific building he saw earlier, and eventually found a particular building that is more preserved than the rest.
During the chaos, Makoto has specifically kept himself away from this particular building. Of course, that's not to say he was able to steer clear from it until after realizing what is inside.
Confirming that no shadows are lurking around to attack him anymore, Orpheus disappeared along with the sword in his hand. He went towards the building and opened the door.
What waited from inside didn't shock him, as he is more than accustomed to seeing this kind of place in the past.
The walls were lined with several shelved and stacked books, most of which were already covered in thick layers of dust. Even the air is filled with it, but the dust wouldn't affect him as much as it should have. A few stacks of books were blocking a select few paths, which makes the room look like a maze of its own.
Picking up a random book, Makoto swiped the dust off its cover and read the title that is surprisingly, or unsurprisingly written in English.
"2nd Grade Dust Combustion Mechanics..." Makoto hummed in thought. "I guess it would make sense for them to discover a way to weaponize dust?"
It sounds inefficient though. But it's still interesting to find the world weaponizing such a worthless, flammable particle nonetheless. It begs the question what kind of place do they use to generate large amounts of dust. But that's a question he will not bother to answer until after his mission is complete.
The book also have the '2nd Grade' in its title, meaning they already have several applications and technology based around it.
Makoto stored the book where he picked it up, and picked another book after and read the title.
"Intermediate Weapons Engineering, and Assembly. I assume this is for making guns since they live on a medieval setting?"
It sounded interesting, but he wasn't exactly fond of guns despite having bought them in the past. Actually, all of those are modified and ready to be installed for Aigis, so he have never actually bought one to try for himself. Either way, just remembering the weight of said weapons already discouraged him from using a real one. Not to mention how heavy their Evokers already are to simulate an actual hand gun.
Makoto placed the book back to its shelf, and took the next.
"Weapon Fusion Hybrids... What?" Makoto raised a brow as he read the title.
He have initially thought he's reading the title wrong and decided to read it again. But so far, the only conclusion he had were the same.
The book is probably connected with the previous one, so it's likely to be about guns again. Shaking his head, Makoto placed the book back to where he got it and took a different book from the opposite shelf.
It doesn't make any sense how this kind of book is stored in here. I'd assume the civilians are allowed to carry weapons if this place is still active. unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case.
It is common knowledge even back when he was still alive, that anything regarding military weapons and their mechanics is not allowed to be seen by the general public, especially at large scale. Doing so would mean several illegal manufacturers would begin selling weapons given enough time. It doesn't take a genius to know why this kind of information is not supposed to be found in a local library.
However, given the situation this world is in right now, it should make sense for civilians to carry guns with them. But that doesn't seems the case here, since he have found not a single kind of weapon during his short stay here, nor are there any weapons like a sword present.
"4th Grade Mathematics." Makoto frowned after reading the title, immediately placing it back to where he took it from.
He have been expecting another outlandish title that he became disappointed when he found the most generic kind of book in the library. He have been expecting something like this book in the library, of course. But Makoto thought this kind of book shouldn't be near books that are about making guns and their modifications. Who in their right mind would let children read about making weapons of destruction anyway?
"I should probably get back to my original business here and get out." Makoto told himself and began making his way towards what he assumes to be an office room.
The door wasn't locked, but something heavy is blocking the door from the other side. Probably a way the staffs thought in order defend themselves against shadows, if only a little bit.
Fortunately, Makoto simply needed to use his persona's strength with his own to push the door open. Letting him enter the blocked office without a hitch.
The inside is covered in thick layers of dust, just like the main library room. But what's different is the number of books and paperwork scattered on the ground, as if the staff or owner no longer cared about keeping everything in order.
There were three skeletons leaning on a wall side by side, each of which have one visible bullet hole in their temple. In front of them is another skeleton holding a revolver, the right side of its head had been shot.
"Sorry for intruding." Makoto muttered with a bow, before walking towards the rows of desks.
Most of the drawers doesn't contain anything other than more papers, with only a few holding supplies for other things related to office work. No signs of any kind of map.
What he didn't know is that, the item he have been looking for is in a device each skeletons in the room have on their pockets. A device that looks insignificant to someone unfamiliar with it, but works exactly like a cell phone.
Makoto looked for the map in many places. Behind the piles of paperwork, under it, and at times, reading what they're about. When he couldn't find what he needed, he began shuffling through the books in the main library room to look for something like an atlas, or anything resembling it. But unfortunately, despite the amount of unconventional, an unfamiliar books he found, the one book he needed is something they do not have.
After several hours of searching, he eventually made his exit and looked for a building that may have previously been used as a town hall. But when he actually found the building, what stood before him — or rather, what remained of it — is a demolished building.
What the hell...? Makoto internally cursed. His brows twitching at his wasted efforts, a deep frown marking his face.
By this point, it is clearly obvious he will not find any sort of map in this place, much to his annoyance.
With a long sigh, Makoto decided to give up and wondered which direction he would take from here.
Maybe I should change directions this time? I've been walking straight south for a while now, and if it turns out to be a dead end, I could just easily turn back now that there's a road to follow... At that thought, Makoto shrugged and began walking towards the second gate leading west, if he based it on the direction the sun is going.
As he passed the gate, Makoto looked back one last time as an idea suddenly sprung in his mind.
There's a proven theory he have learned from Mitsuru in the past about shadow's attraction towards negative emotions. The shadows they encountered back in the past no doubt targeted those who are easily disoriented and agitated during the dark hour. Meaning, they will congregate into a certain area as long as someone is generating enough negative emotions.
But if that's the case, why are multiple shadows still occupying this abandoned area when there's no one left alive? This town already looks as if it had been abandoned for a long time, so it's a wonder why they didn't scatter to hunt humans after.
I would have to come back to check and confirm my suspicion. For now, my objective takes priority.
"We can't detain someone just because they don't know what to answer to your questions. Just order a surveillance on the kid for a few weeks. Now get out of here, we're kind of busy as of now." Kevin told the officer before him before going back to his tasks.
So far, nothing extraordinary is going on in the borders, as per usual. Not that it's bad since having no grimm in their radar for a while is as good as any time to relax, but it could also be a bad thing.
It's been a week since the last sighting. He worriedly thought. Not liking how little to no signs of grimm activity there was in their borders. I know they are on edge right now, but should they really bother us like this for a problem they are supposed to have no problem handling by themselves?
Kevin is actually annoyed for the fourth time today, as several issues unrelated to their office have reached them in the most absurd ways possible. At this point, he and the commander would have to reassign some people just to replace these incompetent idiots out of their current positions.
Re-adjusting his glasses, Kevin went back to work and read through the piles of data about the newly bought robots from Atlas.
About two to four of these robots will be assigned on a rotation cycle, day and night. None of them here want to risk these robots getting an error or a system failure during its operation hours during a grimm, or god forbid, a terrorist attack. So this became the solution he and the Commander came up with to reduce the loss, and to appease the Council's demands.
This alone already tells how terrible this decision is. The frown on his face only deepened as he finished the last few details of his task.
"This is stupid." He muttered as he leaned back on his chair.
"I know, but we can't do anything about with the Council breathing down our necks. No matter how terrible their decision is." The other occupant of this office replied with an equal amount of tiredness in their voice.
"How dumb can our General get? You should be the one sitting there if this is how it's going to be."
"Are you kidding me? There are several reasons why I would rather be posted here than sit on the chair as a Council member." The Commander replied with an annoyed look. "Besides, none of them would accept a woman in the General's position."
Kevin sighed and placed his glasses on the table in front of him. "The dabbles of politics. Damn Council and their incompetence. Who the hell keeps voting these idiots anyway?"
"You know how easy the answer for that is Major, money."
Kevin's frown deepened even further at her reply. "That reminds me, how much did these robots cost us anyway? There's no doubt about it. They've cut our funds again. Not to mention, it would have been better if our all so glorious General could see the glaring issues with these machines."
"The mechanics and engineers in the R department made their complaints to the Council too, last I heard. Just like ours, they were immediately given more cuts in their funding for wasting their time." The Commander shook her head and sighed.
"Like what we're doing right now isn't a waste of our time." Kevin scoffed. "Give it enough time and someone from Atlas will hack these robots to destroy our defence line."
The Commander sighed again and leaned on the back of her chair. "At least we can easily dispatch them if that ever happens."
That, Kevin can agree with. The two of them have several countermeasures for when such a time comes up. But this line of thought relies on Atlas attacking from the eastern border instead the north. They have only limited influence even with their rank, much to their disappointment.
"We should probably pack up before someone extends our working hours again. We've already been an hour longer than we should be."
Unfortunately, just as Kevin finished saying that, someone opened the door loudly and began panting like a dog. As if he ran from a far distance to get her as soon as possible.
Actually, now that Kevin is sizing the man up, he recognized him as someone from the recon squad assigned to oversee the situation of the road heading to Vale.
This person probably forgot that he could just pass the message to someone guarding the main office building, but it must be urgent for him to do so.
"The Council... The Council is arriving..." He said in-between his gasping breath.
Kevin immediately stood from his seat and took a note sticking on a board to check the schedule for inspection. It is written that it should happen a week from now, but they will usually be later than what is scheduled. Which means, something urgent has come up, and they needed to treat it with the highest priority.
"Tell the nearest squad to get in line and welcome the Council." Kevin told the still gasping soldier who immediately followed his order.
Looking towards the Commander, he found her already standing near the window, overlooking the garrison grounds like a hawk.
"Their urgency brings grave news. What do you think, Kevin?"
"It is as you say. We already have several problems here because of them. It's no wonder they'll bring another."
"Indeed. I'll be counting on you."
"You don't have to tell me. I'm going off." Kevin gave a salute towards his Commander before turning for the door.
This is really worrying him. Whatever kind of problem the Council is bringing in their table this time, he hoped it wouldn't be something he and the Commander could not manage. They are already having problems about where to store most of the robots being sent their way, and how to minimize the damage they predicted the robots may cause in the future. How much more if it is something they could not control?
If only we could leave without making the condition of our military worse than it already is. Kevin thought and sighed.
Knowing how the chain of command isn't doing anything to tip the scales to their advantage, the Atlas military can easily destroy them once they decide to take over Vale. That kind of future isn't too hard to think about, given how Atlas' technology have already surpassed them exponentially. Unfortunately, they are following the most incompetent rulers to ever exist in the history of this world, and will be suffering because of the choices they imposed upon everyone.
They certainly cannot leave now, now that they've seen how unprotected they are from all sides. One wrong move in the political side of the Kingdom, and a war will begin shortly after. Just a simple mistake, and they'll be wiped out.
Kevin eventually arrived at his destination and stood in front of the squad, lined up in ceremony to meet the Council member. Just in time before the car is led to turn and slowly drive towards them.
Kevin and the squad behind him raised their right hand to give a salute, and waited for the Council member to step out of the vehicle. The driver stepped out first and hastily went to the other side of the car, opening the door for the passenger to exit.
This action is a bit too formal that it immediately prompted Kevin to raise an eyebrow. This is not the normal procedures the Council does when arriving to their garrison. Whoever this is, they are probably one of those rich individuals who imposes their wealth in front of everyone. Like the nobles of the old political structure. But who?
There are a lot of rich individuals living in Vale to conduct their business, but none of them have any reason to come here. Not that he knew of.
The passenger of the car eventually revealed themselves, and who came out is someone he doesn't recognize. No, it should be more appropriate to say that this person does not have any insignia or any kind of mark that symbolizes their origin.
It was a blonde girl. Maybe somewhere at the age of eighteen to twenty years old, he's not sure. What she wore is definitely something a rich person would wear. She wore a short, black laced frilly dress that only reaches up to her abdomen, partnered with a white silk blouse that has frills in place of buttons.
There's a different air around her that Kevin could not comprehend, but he's certain it's not the air of nobility she is displaying in front of them. It made him tense and feel a sudden heavy feeling from just merely standing in front of her.
"This is the Eastern Border Garrison. State your business." Kevin stated. Loud enough for her to hear, but not aggressive to not create a misunderstanding. The last thing he would need is another cut due to his attitude towards a potentially important partner of the Council.
The girl simply gave a curtsy before replying. "I apologize if my unannounced visit have caused some inconveniences. We are merely here to take someone currently in your custody." Kevin mentally nodded at her answer.
I see, so she's really not sent by the Council then. But who's child is this?
There are a lot of people in their custody here for them to search anyone of any suspicious activity, but not a single person that is so important would ever choose to enter through one of the border gates. It is simply impossible.
But then again, this girl looks exactly like someone rich and highly important, so that might be the case this time.
We'll have to deal with a lot of complaints by the end of next week, aren't we? Kevin could already imagine himself listening to the General, or worse, the Council, about their reception towards a person of higher stature. I'll think of that later.
"I see. You may not want to enter, so could your driver follow me instead?" Kevin offered.
"It's fine." She casually replied, making Kevin raise an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?"
"There's no problem with me going." She replied.
"Ah. Then this way please."
Kevin pointed towards a certain building where a few civilians can be seen standing around in wait. He wanted the girl to understand that it may not be something she would like to be near in, but with how she walked towards him, her eyes casually looking towards the building he is pointing his arms at. It seems that his worries for her opinions were unneeded.
"I'm not like most nobles or other important figures you may have met before, so rest assured I will not feel disgusted." She reassured him as they began to walk towards the registration building.
"If you say so." Kevin was glad. Glad that he would not be expecting several paperwork waiting for him by the next day.
"On another note. This place is much larger than the others. If I may, can I ask what your rank is?"
"Why the sudden question?"
"I'm curious." She answered.
"I see... You're right, this garrison is much larger than the others, mainly because we're facing a larger threat that could reach Vale at any given time."
"You mean Mt. Glenn?"
"Yes. Because of that, the Council have sent ranks higher than a Colonel to oversee command in this garrison. I am a Major General."
The girl hummed before asking another question. "If your rank is that high, then why are you personally standing here?"
"We originally thought you were a Council member, mainly because no one else arrives here in a luxurious vehicle other than them. We simply followed the protocol." He explained.
"I see. I apologize."
"Its all right. At the very least, we're actually lucky we mistook you for a Council member."
"Why?"
"If we didn't, someone may not know how to deal with the situation and make a lot of mess for me to deal with."
"Is it that terrible?"
"Yes."
The conversation died at that point. Kevin would have wanted to leave the girl be once they entered the building, but decided to wait and see who she is here for, so he could fix whatever problem that may have come up later.
Thankfully he wouldn't need to find an excuse to stay, as the girl immediately walked towards someone exiting the restricted zone.
It is a blue haired boy. Most likely the one that the irritating personnel from earlier went to ask him about for his opinion.
There doesn't seem to be anything note worthy on the boy's person aside from the strange devices hanging down his neck. But if he's with her, then that means he have been hiding something important, which made this a bit suspicious.
"Yuki Makoto, it is a pleasure to finally meet someone of your calibre. Please, follow me." The girl greeted with the same curtsy she gave them earlier.
As if being relieved of a heavy burden, Kevin felt the heavy feeling he have been sensing disappear as both of them vacated the area. His eyes narrowing as at the words the girl said.
Someone of his calibre... An assassin? No, he's too young. But maybe a privately trained body guard? I need to keep this on a mental note.
Walking out of the registration building, Kevin made his way back to the main office where the Commander is undoubtedly waiting.
It is only when he neared the entrance did he noticed her inconspicuously waiting behind a pillar, holding a clipboard in her arms for him to take and read.
"Alice von Yorsheir . At least that's what they gathered from her identity. She apparently appeared out of nowhere and began to buy property with that name. No suspicious activities other than her group appearing suddenly without notice." She explained as Kevin read through the files.
Kevin flipped through the pages and found pictures, with their activities written in complete detail. There are five of them. Two males and three females, including the person posing as a driver. None of them have been found or heard to ever use a name aside from the girl that is now named Alice.
Actually, now that he thought about it. The girl didn't even introduce herself earlier when she arrived, but he merely chalked it up earlier as something she forgot, or due to a lack of etiquette on his part.
Based on what is written in the assortment of files. None of them have entered the Kingdom via airship or border passage. Meaning, they probably smuggled themselves in. But somehow, after inquiring about this to the police undercover on the black market and other such establishments that smuggle immigrants, none of them have also found records of this group using their services.
Which begs the question, who are these people and how did they get in?
There's a possibility that they have scaled the walls to enter. But with the five of them? That would be impossible. They may have had their budgets cut in half, but their security remains competent to this day. Unless someone had been neglecting their duties while away from their observing eye, then climbing the wall is not possible. Besides, it would require them to have a lot of equipment to do so. If not that, they could potentially have an unregistered airship in use. But that could also easily be detected by their sensors, unless someone really is neglecting their duties.
There's also the matter of their blank existence. Apparently, the police have also thought of the idea to search for information from other Kingdoms. Which is the best course of action to take in this situation, in his honest opinion. However, that did nothing but solidify their existence as an enigma.
So far, aside from their suspiciously large amount of wealth that have been recorded after the girl named Alice made herself a bank account. The group have done nothing suspicious outside of their sudden appearance.
"It's either someone is not doing their job properly on the other borders, or there is an exploit to escape the security net. I'm leaning towards negligence because we at least have someone new to add in this list." Kevin told the Commander after reading.
"Oh? Do tell."
"It's the blank kid from earlier."
"Blank kid? You mean the boy named Yuki? I see. So at least one of the statements in the file is clear."
If none of the first five have any recorded files anywhere, then it is not that difficult to conclude that the boy may have no records as well. However, that is not the issue here. If that is true, then how the hell did someone with large amounts of wealth escaped the system for so long?
He may have only a slight concept of how businesses works, but it is absolutely impossible to escape the notice of any travelling merchants, nor could they avoid trading from any of the four Kingdoms for such a long time. If it is, then that would mean they have full autonomy and independence over their domain. But there is no record of that ever happening. Not even the Schnees can function outside the domains controlled by Atlas.
"Their wealth is still a huge question to this issue. But in the end, it is not our job to fix something like this."
"I agree." The Commander passed him his coat, much to his surprise, and took the clipboard from him. "For now, We should probably leave. I'm tired..."
"What time is it?" Kevin asked.
"About 2100, why?"
"I reserved a dinner for tonight, remember?" The Commander didn't respond for a few seconds until she released a sigh.
"Right. I forgot."
"We should probably get out of her now before anyone brings us another problem."
"Stop jinxing it, will you. This is why they always do."
Everything have been silent for a while now, but it's not something unwelcome given his nature. Not even the muffled sound of the roaring engine can be heard, aside from the occasional clinking of glass coming from the girl who is currently making her own concoction of alcohol.
Makoto doesn't know where exactly he's being led to, but it's probably to where Elizabeth is waiting.
He was actually relieved that Elizabeth have been making connections with other people, instead of just trying to help him. He couldn't wait to see what kind of strange things she have picked up whilst exploring the world on her own.
"We're here." The driver told them as the car began to slow down in front of a large building. A lot of people lined up appropriately under the gaze of a large security guard.
The girl audible made a soft sigh as she eyed the drink she was unable to finish making. "Oh well. Are you going to wait here?"
"This is my role. Besides, it's not like I could just leave the car alone."
"Very well."
The car stopped in front of the crowd where the driver immediately went to open their door, exactly like how Mitsuru-senpai would be treated as the heir of the Kirijo Group.
Unsurprisingly, or rather, as expected. The attention of everyone lining to get inside the building were now directed at their direction. Makoto doesn't actually care what they think, but the detail still didn't escape his notice. It's actually hard to ignore when half of them are either complaining for them cutting in line, or in awe of the girl in front of him — which he admits resembles Alice of the Death Arcana, only a lot more mature.
There's a sudden pang at the back of his head at that thought. Making him wonder what that is until he shrugged and followed the girl inside.
The tinted glass in front of them slid open as they approached, the sound of upbeat and sporadic music immediately reaching their ears. Now it's no wonder why a lot of people are lining up to get in. This place is quite large and have a lot of room, that not even a quarter of the people lined up outside could completely occupy the entire place into full capacity.
Makoto was led to the side where several tables lined up near the walls. There, he found himself standing in front of a blue haired man wearing a blank white mask. His eyes were covered by his messy hair, but with his left eye being covered completely, while the other, open to see from the hole carved in the mask. Other than his neck, his skin is covered from head to toe. Black long coat, black vest, and black pants. This person obviously wanted to avoid being noticed most of the time.
"Anything of note?" The masked man asked. His voice, dry and devoid of any emotion.
"None, aside from confirming our breakthrough."
"I see." Thee girl simply hummed after and took a sit, leaving the two men staring at each other until the masked man spoke again. "Yuki Makoto. You took longer than expected. A week and a half days late, actually... Now, let's not waste any more time and take a seat." The masked man greeted in fluent Japanese.
It's surprising to find someone still speaking his language in this unfamiliar country. No, it's probably because of Elizabeth's consideration for him that this had been possible.
The masked man sat beside the girl resembling Alice and continued. "I know this is not the appropriate place to meet, but I have arranged something for you tonight. Therefore, I have requested to meet you in here for our convenience." Makoto simply gave a nod of understanding. "Now then, I'm sure you're already aware of the changes and difficulties you will face in this unfamiliar world. Compared to when you're still alive, the services you have been entitled to in the past is now unavailable. That is why, I will have to extend the same services you have been provided in the past for the first stage."
The masked man pulled out three items he easily recognised out of thin air. Snuff Soul, a Chewing Soul, and a Precious Egg. Each one were able to restore large amounts of SP when consumed. Unsurprisingly, the masked man didn't provide a Soma, but that's within his expectations.
It's already surprising that they were able to produce the same item with how inconspicuous these should be, but the manner in which he brought the items out is what really surprised him. Similar to how Makoto was able to store and take items from a pocket dimension, the masked man in front of him casually made a hole in the fabric of reality, and took the item out with only small amount of movement. Makoto have previously assumed it as a unique skill he could do, but it seems he have actually been wrong.
"Based on how these items are exchanged in your past, and the supposed value of each gems, I will have to charge you with large sums of money for each item. However, by limiting how much you could buy each month, it would be fine to let you buy them for a small price. I will allow you to buy ten Snuff Souls for twenty five lien, five Chewing Souls for fifty, and a single Precious Egg for one hundred." The masked man paused for a second before continuing. "In order to balance the price, I will have to include tasks for you to fulfil as a part of the price. Those tasks, however, can be discussed later."
"If I may, the school year is about to start now, is it?" The girl beside the masked suddenly asked, prompting the other to turn to her.
"A week from now, yes."
"Then wouldn't it be beneficial to increase their deck early rather than wait?"
"You're right. What do you propose then?" The girl didn't respond immediately, and instead, turned towards Makoto with an inquisitive look on her eyes.
"have you not acquired a new ability to compliment your strategies?" She asked. Leaving Makoto thinking for a while.
They certainly know everything about personas and what he could do with them. That much, he already noticed by how they speak. So this means she is asking about something he is now able to do that is not a part of his abilities in the past.
The question is about a new ability that compliments my strategies. But everything, including the pocket dimension, were all abilities that drastically improves my strategies... Maybe I should list it down... No, wait. She mentioned about increasing someone's deck, right? It's too vague, but the deck could mean advantages or abilities. If that's the case then... But could it be used by someone else? I guess I'll have to find out.
Makoto teared a small fabric of reality in front of him to take an item he have not used ever since it landed on his possession. The item in particular is the [Agi] Skill Card he obtained from Orpheus.
"Excellent. I'm quite sure you wouldn't want to re-summon and train your personas over and over again to multiply these cards. If you would let me, I can copy this card after... Lets say three days from now." The girl told Makoto as she inspected the card in her hands.
Makoto simply gave a nod as he doesn't exactly have any use for the card right now. A dark flame suddenly appeared and devoured the card from her hand in an instant, making it disappear as if the card didn't exist. The sudden destruction itself caught Makoto off-guard.
"Moving on." The masked man said, as if that flame didn't just destroy his card. "There is also the matter about Nihil weapons. I'm certain you can now fuse a Persona onto a Nihil Weapon on your own, but without the weapon, such ability is useless. Normally, you can simply place an order for a blacksmith to make you a nameless weapon, but acquiring weapons remains illegal unless you are attending the Mercenary System. Not like that's a good idea either..." The masked man then pulled what looks to be a skull from a shadow currently prowling the outside world. "Therefore, in order to make you one of such items, I would like you to collect a certain amount of skulls or shadow pieces later. Of course, the details shall be added to the tasks we will discuss later."
The masked man took every item he revealed earlier, back towards the pocket dimension he have opened right under his palm, having full control as to when it moves and how the item enters.
I should probably practice doing that too. Makoto thought.
"With that, as of 0800 hours tomorrow, our services will be available. Alice, give back his card. You can start drawing tomorrow morning." The masked man announced with the girl — now named Alice — making a slight pout on her cheeks.
"You're no fun. Have I told you that before?"
"Constantly. Now give it." Reluctantly, she held out her hand and another sudden burst of black flame manifested in her palm. Along came the card he thought she have destroyed earlier.
"I shall hope for your early rise to give me something to entertain myself with." She told him in a haughty manner.
"Now before we proceed to the reason why we're here, I would like to ask—"
The masked man was interrupted by a sudden gunshot coming from the dancefloor, followed by civilians shouting and running for the exit. Makoto caught a blur of someone sailing through the air for an instant, but was unable to identify it due to the people blocking his sight.
"How inconvenient... I specifically asked to meet here so we could gauge your tactics, but it seems those I requested to do that are currently occupied. A change of plans is in order." Makoto heard the masked man flick his fingers before all the noise around them became muted. "As I was saying. I would like to ask you something. Do you think reaching your full potential is possible?"
Makoto's brows furrowed at the question, it should have been obvious he could, as long as he finds an appropriately large area infested with shadows. However, the question did sound pointless, but it may have been about something else.
Maybe he's asking me how long until reaching it? Probably. Makoto gave a nod as he concluded that thought.
"Are you certain? I don't think you understand the question at all. I'm not asking about your ability to wield a persona, but instead, your ability to wield the Universe Arcana..."
"What do you mean?"
"What does the word 'infinite possibilities' mean to you? Is it your unlimited growth? Is it the ability to defeat the undefeated? Sadly, you do not comprehend it well enough. If only you obtained that power sooner, the same miracle can be achieved without sacrificing your own life. However, that is based on the assumption you have obtained this power, and have been honing your ability to wield it for years. Miracles are something it can provide, but such power holds more than merely fulfilling one's wish. It is a power that gravely holds you responsible for the consequences of wielding it, but when utilized appropriately..." The masked trailed off, most likely to make it vague like how Igor does.
Vague as he might be, he still gave him insight about the dangers of using the Universe Arcana. Makoto couldn't find any problems with the methods that improves his ability to wield Personas, but it may as well have consequences he cannot comprehend. After all, even just wielding the power of Persona have consequences that no one can ignore. What more if it is a power that can perform miracles on its own? His death was already a glaring example to anyone who seeks to wield it.
"If you were to accept this invitation, I could extend the services we would provide by teaching you everything that is necessary. Of course, that would only be for the technicalities. However you wield it depends on you... So, what shall it be...?"
"I accept." Makoto immediately answered, not seeing any reason to decline the guidance they would provide.
"Very well... Now, time is of the essence. Your first task shall be this..." Both Alice and the Masked man stood up from their seat, and beckoned him to follow.
Makoto haven't noticed since he is so focused on listening to the masked man's words, but it seems the fight is already reaching its end.
A large man is fighting against a blonde girl with some kind of combination between a bat and a rocket launcher, while the girl on the other hand, had a metal knuckle hybrid that launches flares and, what it sounds to be, shotgun rounds.
Is this what that Weapon Hybrid book meant?
It is absurd, something unimaginable to find even from the Kirjo Group's laboratories. They still seem to be using conventional weapons, but this is no doubt a level higher than the weapons in his past.
The blonde girl is obviously winning the fight, and have even caused an explosive wave of energy behind her, before dashing forward and launching her enemy towards the window near the club's high ceiling.
The girl propelled herself up into the air to follow after the large man, but was inevitably caught by gravity and landed to the ground face first...
No, her knuckles launched her easily into the air, and should have no problem reaching the broken window. But with how she fell back into the ground, it seems something have interrupted and messed with her trajectory.
"Your enemy will be that girl. Restrictions will be up for you to decide, but I would like to see how you will restrain yourself whilst also ensuring your victory at the same time." Makoto simply gave a nod in reply, and summoned his sword from the pocket dimension.
The girl quickly dusted her clothes of dust as she stood back up, looking around for a potential enemy until she found him walking down the flight of stairs leading to the dancefloor. She smirked and quickly launched herself towards him, similar to how he saw her do against the large man earlier.
Makoto already knew she cannot change her direction without releasing another burst from her knuckle cannon hybrid, but her speed is quite fast, and made it possible to reach him in just a matter of seconds. Dodging to the side, Makoto easily evaded her and made his own attack.
Makoto didn't put too much strength on his attack to reduce the chances of accidentally killing her. But it seems his worry were unneeded as felt some kind of barrier protecting her skin from being slashed. However, despite this layer of protection, it is quite obvious she have still felt the attack when it landed.
The girl yelped in pain as she was caught off guard, but she simply let the momentum carry her away before, rolling back and launching herself towards him again.
Their distance against each other are now shorter, so Makoto didn't have the chance to avoid her attack this time. Unfortunately for her, Makoto realised this immediately and hopped away whilst slashing into the air.
Right before the blade made contact with her again, however. She was able to show her agility, as she stepped aside before spinning to give him a sideward kick, putting him off balance.
Makoto immediately rolled to stand up and summoned a bow and three sets of arrows ready to be fired. One by one, he let loose a series of projectiles towards the girl who was able to deflect two of his arrows aside from the last, which struck her on her chest, pulling the air out of her in that instant.
Restraining and ensuring my strength. Should I summon Orpheus? Makoto thought as he watched the girl clearly turning more frustrated at him. No, I can clearly handle her as long as I take the speed and distance into account.
The girl fired a flare at him which exploded upon impact. They weren't too fast however, so avoiding them isn't too difficult.
"Grrr... Stop moving will ya!!!" The girl barked in frustration as she launched herself again.
Knowing the previous scenario will only repeat itself, Makoto decided to discard his weapons and engage her in a close quarter combat. After avoiding her launching strategy again, Makoto immediately approached her and adapted a boxing stance.
His actions obviously caught her off-guard, but was still able to quickly recover and aggressively attack. Waiting for the opportune moment, Makoto didn't make an attack until he found an opening amidst the flurry of heavy punches and a few kicks. Eventually, his patience paid off and secured a way for his combo to be executed, and letting him stun her for a few seconds. Their fight turned into a stalemate after that, which left him no choice but to summon a Persona.
However, just as he was about to call for a Persona, he decided against it. Instead, he chose to do something he have been experimenting over in these past few weeks, which he should have no problem doing right now.
Channelling Orpheus' ability to conjure fire, Makoto brought an explosion where the girl is standing. The unexpected attack launched her away, and sapped her off of her protective barrier.
It is no surprise when Makoto found her exhausted at this point. The fight have begun a few minutes ago against the club's guards, and surely, it should have already took a toll on her stamina just by constantly attacking. Even with a cannon launching her forward, it is still inevitable for her to become tired.
Makoto heard a clapping noise coming from behind and saw both Alice and the masked man applauding him slowly.
"You passed the test. Now then..." The masked simply said, before turning towards the exhausted girl.
Threads as thin as hair manifested out of her shadow and bound her to the ground. Despite its thin appearance, it seems the strength of each thread is comparable to that of a rope, making her struggling pointless.
"Let me go, you bastard!" She roared, prying herself free from her binding.
"It's useless. [Shadow Bind] cannot be restricted by merely struggling." Alice mentioned nonchalantly, but was ultimately ignored as the girl continued to struggle.
Hearing those words however, Makoto realised that the threads binding her are actually her own shadow. Which is both interesting and quite bothering. Who knows what else they could do by manipulating shadows?
"Someone call a doctor, quick!" Makoto heard someone shout behind a broken glass pillar and found someone sitting on the floor, clutching someone laying on the ground.
It was a girl dressed in white with a girl dressed in red clearly bleeding in front of her. Makoto saw one of the guards standing near the bar hastily move to pull a device from his pocket and follow her demand, but the person they're calling probably wouldn't make it in time. So without thinking any further, Makoto walked towards the two girls and eyed the condition of the girl.
The red clad girl seems to be unconscious at the moment, and have shards of broken glass piercing through her exposed skin. Her neck is what worried him, however, as she seems to have already lost quite a lot of blood from the wound itself, and it's not stopping anytime soon.
"What are you doing here? We need a doctor, not an asshole!" The girl in white told him with clear frustration. Tears welled from her eyes as she attempted to halt the bleeding.
Makoto couldn't feel offended at her words. She have probably thought him as one of those who only watches during these kinds of scenarios instead of calling for help.
"Jack Frost." A small figure manifested in front of him as he muttered the persona's name.
Not needing any verbal command, Jack Frost immediately went to cast multiple [Dia] spells on the unconscious girl. Disregarding the costs on his side as the girl requires the most immediate attention.
The white clad girl gasped as she watched her friend's wounds heal instantly, almost in the blink of an eye. Carefully, she began to feel for her friend's neck as if checking for some kind of illusion, but haven't found any.
"Her condition should be stable now, but it would probably take a while before she wakes up." Makoto told the white clad girl. "Do you have any wounds that need healing too?" The girl turned to him with conflicted eyes. She didn't say anything for a while until she manages to notice she had already been staring for too long.
"Uh! ...No, I'm fine. Thank you..." She replied with a weak voice.
Makoto nodded and dispelled Jack Frost to rest in his mind before turning back towards where Alice and the masked man is.
It seems a few of the club's staff were starting to get back to their senses and surrounded the restrained girl. Each of them have deep scowls in their faces with how the girl trashed the establishment. Whoever the owner of this place would probably start yelling once he hears what happened here tonight.
Alice and the masked man are still standing there, for some reason, and doesn't look like they plan on leaving the establishment anytime soon. Perhaps it's due to the ability they used on the girl? He doesn't know, and it's inappropriate to ask how it works in front of an enemy.
So he remained in silence alongside them, fiddling with the selection on his Mp3 player. The replicas he used to imitate his former ensemble had been replaced by the actual item, and is now playing a song of his choosing.
Eventually, the large man who have been sent flying out of the club earlier arrived, along with several other staff members and the white clad girl from earlier. The way they gave way for the larger man to get closer already prompted him who the owner is and turned off his player.
"I'm hoping you had the time of your life tonight blondie, because this is going to be the end of it." The large man told the bound girl with a low voice, undoubtedly reigning in his anger.
However, it seems the other didn't notice yet, or rather, didn't care at all for the consequences waiting for her.
"Who are you trying to scare Junior? You can't do anything against me. And I'm sure you won't do anything once you learn who's behind me?"
"Oh? So you mean I should care about Beacon's Headmaster and Qrow Branwen? You think I don't know you are?" The blonde's eyes widened at the mention of the two. "I suggest you stop bluffing your way out of this and accept the consequences before my patience runs out."
"Ha ha..." The girl nervously laughed, trying to frantically struggle on the binds again. "We can talk about this Junior. Don't have to bring uncle here."
"Why not? Surely, the people responsible for you should know about what you did tonight, right?"
"No, no, please. I'll do anything. Just please, don't let any of this get out—" Her plea were interrupted when the ground shook as Junior stomped one of his foot down.
"Do you have any idea how much this will cost me? You think you can do anything to pay for all of these?" Junior yelled, his voice echoing throughout the empty club. "My men are injured and need to be brought to hospital because of you! And my daughter is soaked in her own blood because of your stunt! But then you have the audacity to demand for mercy?!"
"Oh shut up!! If only you've answered my question earlier, none of this would have happened in the first place!" The girl yelled back, already losing her sense of preservation.
Makoto could only shake his head from the display he is seeing right now. Several of the staff members began making space between the two parties as their boss lost his patience.
At this point, listening to their bickering would be pointless. Pressing the play button, Makoto resumed his Mp3 player, and let the scene before him become muted.
Clearly, the blonde girl doesn't understand the consequences waiting for her. Especially now when he realised the girl bleeding earlier is actually the owner's daughter. If the society here worked in a similar way to his past, then the only place waiting for her is a juvenile prison. She looked under aged, which is probably why she had the guts to do something this extreme in the first place. But with damages like these and varying degrees of injuries, there's not much she could do to avoid facing charges against her.
The police and paramedics arrived at some point and took the girl in cuffs. Unsurprisingly enough, the blonde girl began to struggle harder after the effects of [Shadow Bind] ended, and tried to resist being cuffed by the police. She's definitely yelling a lot of things, but Makoto didn't bother to try and listen on anything she said. Not that it matters anyway.
The paramedics on the other hand, took the owner's daughter with them. Probably to make sure she will wake up after this whole ordeal.
When he noticed the owner approaching them, Makoto immediately turned his player off and unclipped his headphones from his ears.
"Thank you! I don't know how else I could do to express my gratitude for helping me with this problem. Please, accept this as a token of my thanks." Junior told the three of them with a deep bow. A staff member walked over with a suitcase containing what he could only guess as money.
The masked man held out his hand in refusal, before pointing towards Makoto. "You should be thanking the boy, not us who did nothing."
"But, you did help—"
"I did nothing but restrain the girl until the authorities arrive."
"I-I see. Then—"
The boss was interrupted again, this time by Makoto. "Thanking me is enough. Besides, you probably need the money more than I do right now."
"Are you sure kid? This could change your life forever." Makoto shook his head at the second offer, not intending on taking it.
"I'm fine."
"O-ok, but if you have anything you need help with. You can contact me with this number." The owner produced a calling card from his breast pocket before bowing for the second time. "Thank you again for saving my daughter's life. If it wasn't for you, I would have already lost her there."
Makoto could only nod and accept the card he was being given after that, not seeing any reason to decline this time. If anything, Makoto could simply forget the favour later so he wouldn't become a bother to them in the future.
"If you'll excuse me, I have to start calling for my lawyer." None of them voiced any disagreement with that, and let the large man leave.
"Should we go then?" Alice asked with mirth in her voice. The masked man simply humming with a nod at her question.
Passing through the wreckage of what was left of the club, they quietly exited the establishment and found their vehicle already in wait by the door. Waiting by the open car was the driver from earlier, holding the door open for them to enter.
"Sorry if it took so long." Alice told the driver who simply smirked.
"If you think what I did here is only to wait, then you're wrong." He paused before looking towards Makoto. "I'll tell you what I found later."
"Oh? Give me a clue at least."
"I admit, it wasn't as easy as I expected it to be. But still too easy for someone experienced like me." Alice began to giggle in amusement as she entered the luxurious car.
"I hope you at least left a surprise." Alice said, a hint of mischievousness in her voice.
"Heh! With how incompetent everyone is? They'll never find what I left in store for them."
Everything became silent again after that. The road didn't seem too busy at this hour, and was almost empty if not for a few cars they were passing by. Just like last time, Makoto doesn't have a single clue where they were taking him this time, but he could guess that they'll be going to their base of operations, now that their business have been dealt with.
Shortly after, the car began to slow down as it entered what looks to be a residential area. The car eventually stopped in front of a building that looks much different than the rest surrounding it, but was familiar to him specifically. He have been asleep in the entire duration of the Great Seal's existence, after all, so it only felt to him like he was only gone for a month.
"To provide you the most comfortable accommodation, we have specifically made the blueprint of this building similar to your previous home." The masked man confirmed his suspicion.
Right, my home... Makoto thought absentmindedly as he was reminded how he never considered any other place aside from the Iwatodai Dorm as his home, nothing else after losing his parents in that car accident.
"Thank you. I appreciate it." He said as he exited the car and slowly made his way towards the familiar door.
"I know this could not replace the original, we'd like you to at least see this as a token of appreciation." Alice told him from an open window before they began to drive off.
He doesn't know what to say as he remain standing in front of the building. Makoto have no idea what Elizabeth did to earn such a favour, nor did he know how they managed to capture it to the tiniest of detail.
But if there is one thing he is certain about, that would be...
I will probably fail to stop myself from mourning this time. Damn it Elizabeth. Makoto thought with a thin smile. Tears already starting to form in his eyes.
Alice savoured the taste of wine as she swirled the liquid in her mouth. It pales in comparison to the beverages available in her realm, but it's not like she is actively comparing between the two, nor is she actively pursuing such beverages in the first place.
Boredom beginning to set in as she sat beside her partner in silence. Something she was reminded of during her time as the abandoned noble, the girl protecting her home against anyone who dare desecrate its tranquillity. The days before she made a deal with the devil. Something that changed the course of her fate in a single meeting.
A playful smirk formed in her lips as she leaned against the masked man's shoulders. "How long are you going to wear that mask?" The masked man released a soft sigh and took off his mask. An apathetic, yet, fierce looking eye she grew used to met her own. "You know, it's difficult to address you without using your name. I know you wanted to obscure it with your titles, but dear me. How did Kohaku and the rest managed to live by simply calling you 'Unknown' every time they address you?"
"I'm telling you right now. Extremely difficult." Kohaku joined in her teasing as he drove towards their destination. "We can't really call him Unknown outside of our circle either. If we did, we'd be hunted down in no time."
"See? Even that, 'Unknown' of yours is infamous." She wanted to call a checkmate at that. But clearly, no one ever manages to do something close to making Unknown flustered, making it a challenge to accomplish for eternity.
"Kohaku, I would like to receive your report now." Unknown told the driver who immediately pulled a laptop from the passenger seat. Unknown took the device from him and read most of the important details.
Realizing how Unknown steered the conversation towards their mission, she decided to silence herself and simply listen. But not without a slight pout on her cheeks and a few careful nudges to show how much she hated what he did.
"I wouldn't say they're advanced in their development, but we all start from somewhere. They're clearly too focused on the mechanized tech tree line, and were currently in its intermediate stage. Unfortunately, even with how big some of them are and how much functions they have at this point, their operating system is subpar to its technological level. So I'd say they aren't as much of a threat against us." Kohaku reported. Alice could already imagine how disappointed he must have looked after obtaining these data. Especially when Ayame reported how advanced the Kingdom is, in comparison to the other three.
"They're too dependent on dust." Unknown said as he read through the complex strings of data Kohaku procured.
Alice couldn't imagine herself being able to understand even a quarter of what those codes meant. No matter what kind of world she went to with Unknown, these kinds of things makes her immediately give up trying. It's awful. How they manage to understand it when the lines only shows up on the screen for only a few seconds is a question that will haunt he for eternity.
"Obviously. None of them even knows what oil or uranium does. It's best to consider them as a civilization in the industrial era, only with dust as their primary power source instead of oil or coal for combustion." Kohaku mentioned. "But, despite the glaring drawbacks. Their tech as it is, already have the qualification to be considered a MagiTech. If they could improve their utilization for each dust type to power their techs, we could see them advancing in a century."
"I see. Too slow... What about yours? Care to give me the full detail?" Alice raised a brow at the question before shaking her head.
"There's really nothing of note to say." Unknown simply gave a nod at her report. Not that he doesn't already know what she meant in the first place.
Silence took over the vehicle once more as they concluded their tasks. From what little she have gathered from Unknown and Kohaku's conversation. It seems not even the Military focused nation in this world will be able to do anything. Not against the ordeal this world will face soon.
They are too focused on preserving lives when it could provide them enough opportunity to cultivate experienced warriors. Their decision may look good on paper, but if they are relying too much on mass produced machines who would not even keep up with the enemy, their fates are already sealed.
On the brighter side, they suspected those machines will be able to operate freely once the Dark Hour descends onto this world again. Their group have concluded these dusts as fragments of Nyx's body a few weeks ago, and with how the Kirijo Group created their Mechanical Maidens in the past, the results have already been concluded.
"Are you certain we should release it this early?" She asked Unknown, who have been staring ahead blankly like he always did.
"I believe now would be a good time."
"but wouldn't its progress be too fast? We're dropping it on that desert nation after all."
"No. It should be fine. That place is riddled with corruption. A level greater beyond what the other three were capable of. If they were promised power, they will most likely contain the information and bring themselves to war."
"I see... So it's another example of your study about human nature then."
"Indeed..."
The car stopped in front of a warehouse were an a small airship was privately held. Courtesy of their fast, steady rising influence in the world of economics.
"This is where I leave then." Kohaku said as he got off the car.
"Make it clear in that entity's head that we would be watching its every move." Unknown told Kohaku before he leaves.
"I know that already. Nothing escapes your observing eye, after all." With that, he disappeared towards the large warehouse.
Unknown took Kohaku's place in the driver seat and began driving them towards the next destination.
"Now then. I believe we'll have to open a few gates." Alice smirked at his words, knowing what he meant by gates.
"I believe my hounds shall suffice for now." Unknown didn't respond immediately at her proposal and began contemplating the effect it would bring.
"Not bad... It's decided then..."
A/N: Greetings, and apologies. It has been a month and a half... No. Almost two months since I last uploaded a chapter, and I think it is only appropriate for you to know why it took so long, despite the deadline being set initially to only 1 to 2 weeks.
I have been too busy looking for a job, actually, and have tried to enter several jobs. Unfortunately, it seems I am the most unlucky person when it comes to the selection process every single time. Right now, I'm still unemployed. For fuck's sake... So yeah, it's been on and off when writing this chapter.
Anyway. This should have actually been release by last weak. But with how worthless Blake's presence here is meaningless aside from being a guide, I ultimately decided to cut her scenes out of this chapter and rewrite the structure of the chapter entirely. Another thing to apologize. My bad...
Now I'm sure you're asking; "Nova, why is there OC's here? And what's with the Universe Arcana?"
Well, as the title suggests. We are branching off of the Persona Mechanics, and will be unleashing the full potential of the Universe Arcana. Actually scratch that, that title is a word play I came up with when comparing the Power of the Void from my Main Project, to Makoto's Universe Arcana. We're not just going to improve his ability to wield Personas, but instead, explore the rule breaking mechanics of his Ultimate Arcana. By this point, it should already be clear that Makoto is going to be overpowered. Not soon, but by the end of this fic. I don't plan on abandoning this, so don't worry, I already have the ending planned in my google notes. It's going to be a long way for me though. Half-assing it would be an insult to my many attempts to start Void Awakening, only to renew my progress over for an entire year... Ah... Fuck! I remember I haven't started writing the first chapter yet. Again!!
Anyhow, In terms of the OC's written in this chapter. I have plans for the two soldiers for future chapters, while the enigmatic group is obviously from my Main Project. Should be obvious by now with how much i could write about them. Actually, for me, that last part is actually the most easy to write in this whole chapter.
I didn't expect to reach 11617 words when planning this chapter. I was actually surprised when I just breezed through the document after the first half. Excluding this A/N, of course. I am adding this in the app's document editor.
Again, I would appreciate the feedback about my writing. Did I do something wrong? Is it difficult to read? Please, I need your feedback. As I said in the previous A/N, I don't want to repeat what I did with my Main Project here.
If the one who wrote the first feedback is here. Can you please tell me if this is more fluid? I understand that I've been too focused on establishing Makoto in a dangerous situation, and have made the previous chapters filled with expository content. But I hope it changed in this chapter.
For the difference between HP and SP, I specifically wanted his HP to disappear, so he could have an exploitable weakness for the enemy to use. Besides...
Anyway, I cannot express enough how much I appreciate your feedback. Please give me more. Thanks.
Again! Thank You for reading. Your comments motivate me to keep pursuing a writing career. Unlike a particular novel site and their deserted community... I have plans for the next chapter. This time, I promise to provide it sooner than over a month. I am actually quite ashamed writing this A/N right now...
I hope to see you next time.