War Arc:
Chapter 57: Operation R'lyeh Fall
Maya Amano
Rainy - Morning - ?/3/200X - Train station, Sumaru City
(A few years earlier)
Maya was comfortable with this life. She got a good pay grade at work, and her future was bright. Yukino was her usual self, and Ulala was so busy with her work with Baofu that she rarely contacted her. Katsuya Suou often called her with concern, but she was fine, just like everyone else in this city. Her past, her bitter memories, she was ready to move on from it all. Boarding the train in the morning reminded her of how much potential her life could turn. Adults walking around to work, kids going to school, and teenagers enjoying their young days with their friends like tomorrow doesn't exist.
However, there's still just one thing that struck a sense of anxiety on her. It frequented every morning, ever since that one visit to the police station. Maya walked out of the train station and began to follow the flow of the hordes of passengers until when she reached the staircase that led to the exit of the station, she saw one young man seemly waiting for her. She wondered when it started, that the man greeted her every day at the station, or when she guiltily began to accept the sweet innocence of his face every morning.
The young man was quiet and said nothing, for she warned not to greet her every day like a stalker. He was humbled to her request, but that didn't change his presence at the station. It was almost as if he was satisfied with watching from afar, regardless of day or season. His eyes looked at her like he was waiting, waiting for her to accept him. She swore not to cross path again with him, even denying friendship with the excuse like 'married to her work'. And yet he stood there by the exit gate, sometimes next to his bike, and somehow his day was made.
She knew it was for the best; both for the world and for herself. She was accepting the inevitable fate. But for how long will she kept him waiting? Until that man give up? She knew he was stubborn. Until she had to scold him herself? She was not that harsh. Until she moves on to someone else? That was optimistic.
The risks she was about to take might condemned her to a lifetime of regret. But the cherry blossom of spring was blooming beautifully today, and a mere gaze of it was enough to soothe her heart. She cracked a small smile, and that man, although clueless, returned a smile. In the end, she took a deep breath and approached him at last at the end of the staircase. She fake coughed a few times before standing directly in front of him.
"Friend," Maya spoke, "We'll be friends, and that is all. Nothing to do with our past and not because you are Katsuya's brother. Right now, we are two strangers getting to know each other."
The man smiled, "Then, let me re-introduced myself: Tatsuya Suou."
"Maya, Maya Amano."
Sunny – Before Dawn – 30/11/2012(Friday) – Nanjo's Memorial Hospital, Sumaru City
(Friday of War)
Why did those memories return to her? The prophecy, the Horsemen, the 'vessel' and 'sacrifice'; none of it matters anymore. She just lost her only child, and she will soon be offered up to War. She heard Tatsuya's comfort, but it felt more like a lie. Perhaps she had begun to regret the decision she made a long time ago. Deep inside, she wanted to blame Tatsuya for what happened.
She rose from her bed as per instructed by Ulala next to her bed and stood up. She wasn't so weak to be carried, but Ulala helped her repacked her bags and prepared to move out with the rest of the patient. Not just her, everyone in the hospital will move out of the city because of the threat by the war submarine. It was a last minute evacuation too, which was why everyone was in a rush. Still, she hardly cared and just followed along.
"Sorry, Maya," Ulala suddenly said with gloominess expression.
"What for?" Maya turned to her in curiosity.
"...No, nothing. Sorry," Ulala shook her head and changed the topic, "You know? Your husband is still alive. So lean on him for comfort. I mean after he finishes his job. Not sure where he is, but I heard they have a big plan of attacking the submarine today. Baofu should be with the other patients, but..."
"Hmmm?" Maya raised her eyebrows in curiosity.
"Most of the comatose patients who suffered from Limbo Recall were in critical conditions since last night. I don't know what else to say."
Maya widened her eyes in shock and said, "Is Nanjo...?"
"He's still alive, but I don't think we can evacuate him with his condition."
After walking for a while, Maya reached the Nanjo's room and saw that his face was indeed losing color. Hidehiko was there as well, begging for the doctors to do something.
"Maya! Nanjo is..." Hidehiko cried when he saw Maya and Ulala.
"What happened?" Maya asked.
"I don't know! It's just too sudden! The doctors won't move him out, said it's too dangerous! I... I'm staying too! Someone needs to watch over him!"
"That won't be necessary."
They all turned to the voice and saw none other than Mitsuru Kirijo, armed herself with a small handgun in her pocket as if she was ready to enter a battlefield.
"I will have my people watching over him. In the meantime, you need to evacuate yourself from the hospital. Leave Nanjo to my people," Mitsuru said with a firm voice, "Maya Suou, your husband and his team will be invading the submarine with stealth. We, the Kirijo Group, will give all our support to him and his team, but not without entrusting us to watch over you."
"Me? But why?" Maya asked.
"Today is Friday. You know what I mean, Ms. Suou. People will come after you. If they are overconfident with their power to not take you away sooner, we will prove their foolishness. You will be coming with us."
"Good for you, Maya," Ulala cheered her up, "As for me, I will not be coming along. There's something I need to do first. Send Baofu my regards."
"Are you going to that submarine too?" Hidehiko asked, "But that's crazy!"
"Don't worry, I won't be long," Ulala smiled.
"Well, I'm still staying here, Kirijo-chan, whether you like it or not," Hidehiko insisted, "Don't underestimate me! Haha!"
Hidehiko suddenly threw away his walking stick and showed himself able to stand straight. He revealed a thumb up with a smile, while Mitsuru seemed annoyed to be referred to as 'chan'. It seemed everyone had their own destination. However, just as Maya was walking away, Maki Sonomura, in her doctor uniform, rushed towards Maya with a joy clearly exposed on her face.
"Maya! Maya!" Maki called her out, watched by Mitsuru and Ulala by her side.
"Maki? What's the excitement?" Maya asked.
Maki's lips began to twitch, but she bowed first as if it was a form of apology.
"Firstly, I want to apologize about hiding this from you and everyone else. Even Tatsuya only find out about it yesterday's evening. And I want you to know that we never intend to hurt you, or make you cry, or-"
"Woah, Woah! Slow down!" Ulala paused Maki's outburst, "Take a deep breath and talk slowly. Now speak."
As Maki began to talk, Maya became lost in confusion. She didn't know what to feel current. Was Maki trying to cheer her up with this terrible lies?
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Ulala responded, as if furious, "We know he was shot yesterday, and you said so yourself. We all saw his body!"
"It was fake, and I'm sorry," Maki tried ever harder to explain, "But I will explain everything later. Trust me on this, Maya!"
Maya still couldn't believe what she just heard. Matsuya, her son, is alive?
Sunny – Before Dawn – 30/11/2012(Friday) – Mishina Residence
Matsuya Suou took his earliest morning shower today. But he was embarrassed, seeing as bandage covered most of his torso, and the pain on his back could still be felt today. Every time he looked at the mirror, he wanted to cry about how 'ugly' he looked like. Today, he decided to enter the bathroom by himself, as he hated the thoughts of someone else looking at him. Doctor Sonomura said that there will be a scar on his back, but he was thankful that he never have to see it himself.
Yesterday's event still haunted him until now. Even after the doctor explained carefully, he didn't understand what happened. He felt like he was too young to understand the adult world. They said he had to fake his death, for reasons his father refused to explain detailly. However, his mind was strangely at peace, because he was able to see his father well and safe. They said his mother hasn't been informed of his condition. For the first time in a long time, he was excited to talk to his mother. He didn't see his father in the morning because doctor Sonomura said that his father had an important mission today.
"I wondered why I am calm..." Matsuya mused before his thoughts were cut short by his door being opened by someone. To his shock, he swore he was mistaking her for someone else. With his eyes wide open, he called out, "Mom?"
By the door was a woman dressed in casual house clothes, with her sleeves carefully rolled to her armpit and her hair tied up. The moment she saw him, a bright smile was visible on her face. Matsuya remembered the family photo his mother showed him, and he was certain that she looked exactly like his mother when she was young.
"Are you having trouble bathing? I can help you out," She smiled, "After all, your mother still helps you in the shower, didn't she? Here, I'll help remove the bandage."
"How did you know that? And that was only when I'm sick," Matsuya asked, but she didn't answer. She kneeled down and gently removed his bandage. Not knowing who she was, Matsuya felt embarrassed and tried to run out of the bathroom, but the woman quickly grabbed him.
"It's okay, I can do it myself!"
"I don't think it's wrong to ask for help, Matsu-kun."
"But I don't know you... Eh? Did you just..." Matsuya locked eyes with her in surprise. The woman giggled and patted his head.
"You're right. I'm the only one who called you that," She said, "It's me, Mia-chan."
Mia took a long time to explain to him about who she was. Matsuya was again didn't quite grasp the truth, but he believed that the woman didn't lie. He allowed her to put on the new bandage but refused any help in dressing himself up. They both sat on the sofa in the living room as they shared a conversation that strangely reminiscence their usual conversation as classmates and friends. Then, Mia explained a lot about the concept of persona and shadow, something that he felt like he should learn in high school but at his age. Apparently, he realized for the first time that he didn't know his parents at all.
"Are you saying that both of my mom and dad are persona users all this time?" Matsuya responded, "All this time, they have the power that dangerous?"
"Yes, and so are you."
"But I... What if I can't be a persona user like my parents? Can I even live normally after this?"
"Having a persona is not a responsibility. If you really want to keep your power away, then it's alright. Your parents have lived their life just fine. They are good people. They never use it for selfish wishes."
"Yeah, I know," Matsuya laughed, "I was just thinking that my parents are way cooler than I thought they were. Makes me feel proud."
"Oh?" Mia responded bewilderedly, "Have you noticed that you change? You're not even the same boy from yesterday."
"I did? Huh, I guess I never thought of that," Matsuya crossed his fingers together with a small sense of pride, "So, if your story is true, then you're also counted as my mom?"
"Hehe, almost. I'm your mother's shadow self," She said, "But please don't stop calling me Mia-chan. I like that nickname."
"If you don't mind," Matsuya smiled, "Can we be friends again after everything is over?"
Gloominess covered Mia's face when she heard it.
"I'm sorry," Mia answered, "But I don't think I can."
"Why not-"
"Hey, Matsuya-kun!"
From the upstairs, he heard the voice of Eikichi calling his name. Seconds later, he walked out of his room with a few bags and phone on his hand. Doctor Sonomura's family had already been evacuated earlier, leaving Eikichi entrusted with both Matsuya and Mia.
"Uncle Eikichi!"
"It's your mommy," Eikichi said in excitement, "Don't forget to say how happy you are!"
Matsuya quickly dashed to him, watched closely by Mia who shared his happiness.
"Okay, Maya! Here he is!" Eikichi said before handed him the phone. The moment he placed the phone on his ear, he could hear his mother's weep.
"Mom...?"
The weeping continued on, but he knew it was not tears of sorrow, but the tears when one shed when she realized it was not too late. He could feel his heartbeats as he waited for his mother to speak.
"Matsuya-kun... Oh, Matsuya..." His mother cried, "I don't know what to do without you... I want to see you so bad, but I thought that you're gone forever... *sob* Matsuya-kun... Please don't leave me again. I can't live on like this, without you... Promise me, promise that you won't leave me again."
Without him even noticed, his own tears started to roll.
"Me too, mom. I can't wait to see you and dad again," Matsuya wiped away his tears as he sniffed his nose, "I won't leave you anymore. I promised."
"Thank you. Oh, thank you..." Maya repeatedly said it. To who she was thanking for he didn't know, but he was glad that his mother was alive. There's so much he wanted to tell, but he saw that Eikichi wanted to hurry up as he stood by the door.
"Where are you right now, Matsuya-kun?" His mother asked.
"I'm at the uncle Eikichi's house, but we're leaving soon."
"Alright, dear. I'll be at the evacuation point east from Yumezaki ward. There's a huge bridge that will take us out of the city. Ask uncle Eikichi, he knows."
"I'll see you there, mom. Love you."
"I know, love you too..."
Not long after the conversation ended, the three of them locked the door behind them and prepared to leave, not before Mia stopped them.
"Matsu-kun, here," Mia took out something from her bag. She revealed Mr. Bunbun, messily sewed on the chest and a few parts to cover the holes around its body. Mia looked apologetic about it when she said it, "I'm really sorry. I tried to make it look good, but it just wasn't good enough."
Mr. Bunbun, indeed, was almost unrecognizable. But Matsuya didn't blame Mia or anyone for that matter. He took the doll from her and gently caressed it.
"Mr. Bunbun is already dead."
Eikichi and Mia both widened their eyes in surprise at Matsuya's words.
"He saved me, and I believe that he saved mom too long ago. Let's not make him suffer anymore by saving me again. I want to bury him so that he can rest in peace for good."
"W-Wow," Eikichi exclaimed, "That's very thoughtful of you. He's already messed up. I'm sure you'll get a new doll soon."
"No," Matsuya shook his head, "I'm not using anymore doll for me to run away. I won't cry anymore, because I know I have no reason too."
Eikichi literally left his mouth opened agape, as if he had just witnessed something incredible. Mia too was impressed by his words. Matsuya turned to Eikichi as if pleading.
"Uncle Eikichi, can we stop by somewhere first? I want to bury Mr. Bunbun."
"You want to go somewhere? But the faster we go, the better-" Eikichi said, but he paused himself when he saw Matsuya's determined eyes, "Fine, but only for a while."
"Where do you want to go?" Mia asked curiously.
"Don't worry," Matsuya answered, "It's not far from here."
Sunny – Before Dawn – 30/11/2012(Friday) – Highway to Morimoto Sanitorium, Mount Mifune
Three long trucks painted in black and traveled in a straight line continued to accelerate beyond the deep mountain. The Sanitorium was still not on sight, but the trucks should be at the destination in less than an hour. The drivers were constantly listening to the radio about the news of Sudou's action, and they seemed delighted to be out of any of the cannon's range from the submarine.
The back driver was the first to notice the high-speed car approaching the line of trucks. It appeared to be a police car with its siren on, signaling them to stop. They all conversed through the walkie-talkie, and slowly the trucks began to slow down.
When all the cars were parked at the sideway, the first person to exit the police car was none other than Shiori Miyashiro, the head of the elite force of police department. Two representatives approached the car fully armed, but Shiori raised her hand and revealed no weapon on her.
"What is your purpose here?" One of the men asked.
"I've come bringing a visitor to talk with Naoya Toudou," Shiori answered confidently.
The two men turned to each other and shook their head as one of them spoke, "No, this is a direct authority from the prime minister himself to not let anyone making contact with him. You don't have-"
"I have the authority of two heads of the police department supporting my action, with a warranty," Shiori revealed a paper and flipped it open to let them see, "Besides, to escort a dangerous criminal without the assistance of the trusted police who saved the hostages of Koukai Ward? Are you truly that incompetent?"
"What did you say?! You think we wouldn't dare to cuff you?!" One of the men shouted, but Shiori continued.
"Even if it is a direct order from the prime minister, we have evidence to tie the link between Tatsuya Sudou and the prime minister. Seeing as you escorted such criminal carelessly, I think my suspicion was right about prime minister connected to Sudou. What? Do you want to kill me here? The crime scene is going to be messy and it might give your boss... trouble."
They both hissed before turning away to discuss with the rest of the escort team. They return a minute later and agreed to allow five minutes meeting.
"Who is the visitor?" One of the men asked. Shiori turned to the car and knocked on the window.
"Please excuse me."
It was Eriko Kirishima leaving the car, wearing a thick dark blue short sleeves, with a black inner shirt. She was escorted to the inside of the middle truck, where sitting between two guards was 'Naoya' with a shock expression to see her.
"Eriko?" 'Naoya' said, but Eriko was throughout disgusted, for she now knew who was the man in front of her. She turned to the two guards and sighed.
"Can we have some private moment?" Eriko said. The guards stared at her in disbelief, but the prisoner himself supported her.
"You heard the lady. We need some privacy, lovers stuff, you know?" 'Naoya' said, glancing at a small CCTV at the ceiling of the truck, "It's not like I'm going anywhere."
After agreeing to leave them alone, everyone waited outside the truck as they finally have time for themselves to speak their mind. 'Naoya' was the first to speak.
"Eriko, you're here," 'Naoya' happily said, "I thought you don't want to see me anymore."
"I thought I don't want to see Naoya, but I know I just had to see you, Kazuya Toudou."
Kazuya paused and remained silent for a while as if he was impressed to see her deduction. Slowly, his frown turned to a wide smile as he crossed his legs and clapped his cuffed hands.
"Bravo, miss Eriko," He praised, "Enlightened me, how did you, or the police, found out?"
"You told the Revelation to steal Kandori's diary, didn't you? Sorry to disappoint you, but the book was never with Shiori," Eriko smiled victoriously, "Seeing as you're the only one supposedly know it other than the Suou Devils, it makes sense that it's you. Although, we still can't figure out how you relayed the information to your boss..."
"Well, let's keep it a secret for now, shall we?" Kazuya laughed, "Now, tell me. Why are you here?"
Eriko's face suddenly turned serious. She sat on the seat opposite of Kazuya and decided to be brief.
"Tell me about Prime Anima and Animus."
"Oh, interested now?" Kazuya snickered at her question, "Well, I only heard this from Conquest, so don't blame me if I got it wrong."
Kazuya stared at his hands before palming his face with light force. He breathed deeply and his face twitched painfully before he became relax.
"Do god create us, or we create god?" Kazuya tapped his forehead, "Question that became the debate for so long about the existence of God, Yahweh, the Great Will, the Creator, or whatever you called it. What about us, persona users? Do we worship Philemon as our god? Trust me, Sudou totally see Nyarlathotep as a god, but I'm not that delusional. So, is it right to say that Philemon and Nyarlathotep as the gods of the Sea of Souls, the great collective unconsciousness?"
"Just keep it short," Eriko said. She wasn't impatient, but she knew her time was limited.
"Right, right. So, what's the correct answer? I'll tell you. Philemon and Nyarlathotep are gods, but we're the one who created them! All the gods came from humanity themselves! But then... who created the Sea of Soul before all the other deities appeared?"
"I thought the Sea of Soul has always existed as part of the world," Eriko responded.
"Ah, but there must be a first person to create that image, the face of deities like Philemon. So who was it? It was none other than Adam and Eve themselves."
Eriko was visibly baffled, but he didn't stop.
"I meant what I said that day. Prime Anima and Animus have a role to play. Supposedly, they will be the creators of the new world, where they will create new Philemon and many other deities after the world had ended."
"At Garden of Eden..."
"Exactly!" Kazuya laughed, "But the only way for these two creators to fulfill their role is to have an unbreakable bond with each other. You know what I'm talking about. Unless you love 'Naoya', you can't fulfill your role."
"I cared not about my role, but I won't forgive you for dragging my sister. She will never accept you."
"Lord Nyarlathotep's idea, not mine. Still, do you still love him, that Naoya? Or my words from that day shaken your resolve?"
Eriko was quiet as she glanced at her watch and saw that her time is running out.
"That depends on this question," Eriko said. Kazuya sat waiting.
"Where's Naoya Toudou?"
"Hopefully at that submarine, though I doubt you can get close. One rocket launcher from that thing can travel over 50 kilometers. Its aim reach everywhere. Try and be positive and pray that your sister is in that submarine as well. But I don't think that's your question..."
Eriko breathed in and memorized the words from Maki yesterday, "If the description from the Limbo Recall is right, along with Tatsuya's deduction, then am I wrong to assume that you are one of Naoya's many 'other self' created from the drug?"
Kazuya's smile turned upside down, indicating that she was right.
"Naoya... was a victim of Limbo Recall too, wasn't he? Last night, Maki told me..."
23/11/2012(Friday) - Altar of Grand Pyramid, Ankh Desert
(1 week earlier)
Maki stared in shock over what she saw inside the sarcophagus at the top of that pyramid. Inside was a man heavily wrapped in thick linen robe. The man was sleeping or at least appeared so. His face was exactly the same as her friend who was not far from her. Seeing two of them was confusing, but three of them?
The 'sacrifice' for Conquest was none other than Naoya Toudou himself?
Maki told Ryoji Mochizuki that night about the incident, but Ryoji was somehow unsurprised.
"If Kazuya is Naoya's Shadow, then it made sense that there will be more of Naoya's 'self'," Ryoji said, "You need to ask Naoya confirmed your suspicion."
Highway to Morimoto Sanitorium, Mount Mifune
"Naoya is the 'sacrifice' for Conquest, even though he's already a man of prophecy. How is that possible?"
"So she told you..." Kazuya said, "Believe me when I said none of us want Naoya as a 'sacrifice'. Chizuru Ishigami was the original 'sacrifice', compatible with Takahisa Kandori as the 'vessel'. That was the plan. But Conquest, for some reason, picked Naoya. Are you satisfied? Because I think you're out of time."
Eriko turned to her back and exited the truck, only to see everyone's eyes locked upon the sky above the city. She turned to the sky as well, and she gasped in shock.
The red cloud at the sky was spiraling like a whirlpool on top of Sumaru City. From the distant, it seemed as though eclipse had enveloped the city. It was a scene one saw near the end of the world.
"What... is that thing?"
Celephais, Limbo
"Master, I can't hold on any longer!" Yamaoka screamed through the noise, "I'm slipping!"
One by one, including Yamaoka, the residents of the city were consumed by the strange tentacle coming from the tower. There was no longer any doubt that a giant monster lived in that place. But what it truly was was something he couldn't comprehend. The sky was 'screaming' with deafening noise, and the 'people' were losing numbers as the edge of the city slowly broke apart.
"Yamaoka!" Nanjo screamed in horror when he saw his butler succumbed to the mysterious creature. He searched for Shinjiro and saw him still resisting the force from the tower.
"Go to the outskirt of the city, the place you first arrived!" Shinjiro screamed, "Forget about me, just go!"
"Like hell!" Nanjo said, "We're getting out of this place, we just have to stay strong-"
"Hey, look out!"
Cue to Shinjiro's word, a sizable brick came out of nowhere and slammed Nanjo's head, knocking him half conscious. As his grip was loosened, he was thrown aback by the strong gust of wind all the way out of the Celephais, into the supposed abyss at the realm of Limbo.
However, as his consciousness fading, he felt as though he was being carried by someone who moved at inhuman speed. He tried to lift his head and glanced at the face of the creature who save him. His eyes were wide opened when he recognized the identity of his savior.
"Considered my actions redeemed."
"You're that guy who poisoned me!" Nanjo shouted.
It was Shu, the god of air who poisoned him days ago, the one who killed him. He landed him at the concrete floor beyond the main gate of the city. He saw Shinjiro landed next to him, who had been saved by Shu as well. He turned to the being who was his killer and his savior with several nerves visible on his forehead.
"What are you doing here? Come to kill me again?" Nanjo harshly said, but Shu didn't budge from his place. Instead, he merely stared at the city with absolute silence.
"The red rider has almost awakened, after eons..." Shu spoke. He pointed at the sky above the city, and the curious Nanjo and Shinjiro followed his line of vision.
"Who the hell is that?" Shinjiro back away in shock. Nanjo was speechless, not only because he was awestruck by the presence of that being, but because he knew who that was.
"Conquest..."
As it was floating in the air, a white horse with Egyptian ornament was neighing as it watched the creature. Sitting above the horse was a heavily armored knight with a mix of a white and gold palette. Nanjo recognized him as Conquest, the white rider.
He did that move again, where he combined his ankh and rod to become a longbow. An ethereal arrow emerged on the string, aiming for the creature at the center.
"He's attacking that monster?" Shinjiro said, "You know that rider?"
"I don't think 'know' is the right word..." Nanjo answered. The white rider slowly pulled the bowstring as his body glowed in bright light.
Ethereal All Arrows- Conquest released the arrow, which the arrow then duplicated into thousands of smaller arrows and struck the creature from all angle continuously. The creature let out a huge cry, who then tried to shove away the arrows with a louder roar but failed. The arrows shot down all concretes and metal from the tower, then building, then all the ground in the city. Those who were still in the city were seemly killed by the arrows.
When the city was all gone, they both watched in horror at the eldritch truth of the city that they're staying all this time. There was no city, no tower, and no place at all. It was a giant monster trapped in the concrete. Nanjo and Shinjiro were both safe from the range of the creature, but the concretes below them was cracking as well.
"Damn!" Shinjiro cursed, "Go back! Go back, or we'll get caught!"
"What the hell is that thing?!" Nanjo said as they both made a run backward. He began to see the outline of the monster more clearly when suddenly Shu came by and grabbed both of them again to save them.
At the sky, the white rider stared at the abomination with patience. It appeared as though a mass of Lovecraftian creatures sewed together to form a massive, colossal shape of a flower. Its roots were tentacle, its leaves were fangs, its petals were skin, and covering the eight blooming petals were wild eyes lining up and spread like a vein. It shaped like a rafflesia flower, where at the center was a huge fanged mouth, swamped above it a group of red butterflies dancing in a circle. The smell it emitted was like a rotten corpse. Its color was a mix of black, red, greenish, and some color difficult to describe. Upon the creature, Conquest uttered only one word.
"War..."
After eons, the creator of Nyarlathotep, the negative emotions of humanity, had started to awaken.
Meanwhile, Nanjo and Shinjiro had escaped far from the creature's reach, where they landed safely after Shu had carried them.
"What a monster..." Nanjo said.
"It is War, the red rider himself, finally freed after what seemed to be an eternity in Limbo," Shu said.
"No way..." Nanjo muttered. Despite his height, Conquest was at least sizable. But that creature, who was supposed to be the size of a city, was War?
"And that is not all..." Shu continued, pointing his finger at the area below the gigantic creature. At first, Nanjo only saw smoke and debris falling into the abyss. But when the smoke and dust was out of sight, Nanjo found himself half-screamed at the scenery below the creature.
"Sumaru City?!"
Just as Nanjo had said, it was the familiar city of Sumaru in the form of a spaceship. Although the rings orbiting the city was different from his memories, he was certain it was the city where his friends were.
"Why?! Why are the city here in Limbo?!" Nanjo faced Shu with rage and confusion, "Tell me they're not dead too!"
"No, that is not your city. That is the city from the other timeline. The city, after years of venturing, had entered the border of Sea of Soul and slipped into the Limbo. But they are all alive, at the moment," Shu answered, bending down his head (or mask?) at him, "In truth, you are not dead yet. The poison I gave you was not lethal."
Nanjo blinked several times as he thought he misheard it. But he was sure Shu was serious when he said it. He was still alive?
"I'm alive?" Nanjo repeated Shu's word. He didn't notice he was laughing at the realization, "Turns out I still have something left to do... But Yamaoka..."
He turned to the War and his laugh faded, "What happened to him and everyone?"
"Souls cannot die, only alter and merge into the Sea of Soul. They are trapped in the belly of the monster, but not dead. You are not supposed to be here. It is time to return you to the reality."
As Shu said this, Nanjo found himself lifted up again.
"Hey, watch it! Aragaki, it's time we part way. Though our time is short..."
"Yeah, good for you," Shinjiro said, "I know I'm still a stranger to you. But if you can tell something to my friends who are still alive, tell them my thanks for everything."
"I don't mind," Nanjo chuckled, "Just tell me their names, and I'll find them for you."
Shinjiro leaned close to Nanjo's ear and began listing out the names of his friends and the messages he wanted to give them. Nanjo widened his eyes in surprise, for he recognized them very well.
"I know them. I know most of them," Nanjo smiled, "Don't you worry. I will relay that message."
Afterward, in a flash, he felt like he was moving away from the realm in the speed of light, with lights fading away along with his consciousness.
Araya Shrine, Rengedai
They reached the front of the shrine after a short walk from Eikichi's home. Matsuya insisted on climbing up the big stairs alone without a guide, for he believed it was appropriate for Mr. Bunbun. The reality was he simply refused to let anyone saw him crying. Mia accepted his decision and let him have his walk that he promised to be short.
Holding Mr. Bunbun tightly in his arms, Matsuya walked up the long stairs to the shrine, giving as much gratitude and words of goodbye to his doll as he could. When he reached the shrine, which seemed empty, he knew his time was up. He remembered his mother telling him of the history of this place, and how it was one of the most important places from her childhood. He believed it was right to bury it here, where he and his parents could come to visit anytime.
Seeing the empty place, he pondered where to bury. When he glanced at his back, he could see the sea, and the large machinery swimming in it. The submarine could target this place, and he felt as though every second here will be his last. He examined carefully the shrine and decided that he needed a more secluded place. In a rush, with a small shovel in his right back pocket, Matsuya went to the back of the shrine and began digging for a few minutes. The doll, after all, wasn't small.
After he finished digging at that hidden forest, he swore he heard someone talking and walking straight to his location. He wasn't sure who else would be here, but he was extra cautious when he peeked from the bushes. From the deep forest, he saw a group of people, all wearing a customized white suit as they seemed to accompany someone at the center. To his shock, it was the Messiah on the TV himself, Takaya Sasaki. How was he's here with his people was beyond him, but he knew immediately he needed to get out.
"Haven't you listen?" The Messiah said annoyedly, "Make it look like I'm willing to sacrifice myself to Sudou, but you need to fight whoever gets in my way, especially the Suou Devils. We can still make this work after yesterday's mistake. And make sure Babylon is not leaving the city. Sent someone to eliminate her. I mean now!"
"Sir!" One of the guy at the front stopped the team. It was then Matsuya realized he had left his shovel near the place that he buried. Sneakily, he tried to move away from the place using bushes to bushes.
"Hmmm? Did someone dug something here?" Takaya approached the digging site and examined the shovel. His face turned to sinister when he declared it, "This dug is recent. Someone was here. Find whoever that is."
'Oh no! I better leave quickly!'
When the men began searching, Matsuya hurriedly moved away, before he felt as though his mouth was forcefully sealed by someone who snatched him from behind.
"HFF!"
"Shhhh... Quiet. I'm taking you out."
When he saw the one who snatched him stealthily away from the scene, he breathed in relief, for it was none other than Aunt Lisa herself.
Meanwhile, while Eikichi and Mia were waiting at the bottom of the shrine's stairs, Mia was the one who noticed the loud sound coming from the shrine. Alert, Eikichi immediately told Mia to hide somewhere else, where they were able to see the group led by Takaya occupying the shrine, without Matsuya in sight.
Tatsuya Suou
Sunny – Before Dawn – 30/11/2012(Friday) – Red Harbor
(Friday of War)
Tatsuya and Katsuya examined around to see the force gathering near the harbor. There were about 20 members, excluding themselves, armed with guns and bulletproof vests. They were going stealth, as they called it. Tatsuya checked his arm again and was ascertain that he had lost most, if not all, of his Ghadamon power. How will he reach the 'other side' like this? For now, he could only hope to get into the submarine and find Sudou and hopefully Naoya.
"Alright, listen up, everyone!" Katsuya shouted, making sure all eyes were on him and Tatsuya, "We have four objectives inside that submarine. First; we need to take over the submarine itself. If Sudou or Babylon is alive, capture them! Second; make sure the cannon is not launched at the city! Don't even let them start! Third; If there's a hostage, rescue them! Fourth; any valuable information must be recovered! Now move out!"
"Wait!"
The entire unit and Suou brothers turned to the voice to see a man running to them, hastily wearing a coat and armed himself with a small revolver. It was none other than Baofu, who seemly rushed from somewhere towards them. Tatsuya could still see him coughing, although he was better at hiding it this time.
"Baofu, I thought you evacuated along with the others?" Tatsuya said.
"What's an old man compared to *cough* everyone else?" Baofu answered, "Besides, I got something that might help you."
He revealed a small bag from behind him, where inside the bag was a radio and a small laptop.
"That submarine has a detector that can spot any heat or moving object in a range of a kilometer. If *cough* you sailed there, they'll notice you immediately," Baofu gripped his radio, "But I can hack *cough* into their system and jammed their detector, though only for a short while before they notice."
"...You want us to take you there, didn't you?" Katsuya deduced, "You may help us from here. But I guess you will say no."
"Yes, I will," Baofu laughed before he coughed, "Just let me on board on that thing. I *cough* might be able to find valuable information, while you two take over the place."
"No, I won't let you do that-" Tatsuya instantly rejected, but Baofu intercepted.
"The sun will go up in less than an hour. If you want *cough* to be stealth, you need me. Come, now. Have faith in me, you two."
Tatsuya and Katsuya turned to each other in deep thoughts, pondering whether or not to let him follow. But they both knew Baofu too well to ask him to leave.
"You only follow until we reach the submarine. You will return afterward," Katsuya warned as he turned to his unit, "Operation R'lyeh Fall, begin!"
Baofu boarded the boat with Suou brothers, where he began jamming the signal from the submarine. Out of everyone notice, Baofu knew, for certain, that his time had come. He could feel it... He clenched his chest with force and mused.
'Sorry, Ulala. Looks like this is my last job. But I'll make it up for you.'
Under the train railway, Yumezaki
Matsuya Suou had never run this much in his life until today. Lisa was quick to pull him away from the mysterious group led by the Messiah. Eventually, they stopped under the train railway, obscured by trains moving out of the city bringing citizens to the evacuation point. In the dark area, he began to catch a glimpse of sunlight from the east. Dawn was approaching, and Matsuya wanted to meet his mother. But it seemed they're both out of gas and wanted to rest.
"Aunt Lisa?" Matsuya said, "Who are those guys-"
Lisa immediately hugged him so tight that he almost suffocated. He could hear Lisa's joyful cry, which he allowed her to take her time.
"I thought you were dead!" Lisa pressed his cheeks and pinched it, "How are you alive?! You really make me worried!"
"Sorry, Aunt Lisa," Matsuya answered, "I'm still confused about what happened too. We need to get out of here, we need to go to the evacuation point."
Lisa's face became gloomed. She looked away, as though there's something else she wanted to say.
"Matsuya-kun, do you remember about our promise?" Lisa said, locking eyes with him to ensure he remembered.
"You mean..." Matsuya recapped their conversation that night about Lisa wanting to take him far away from the city and his parents, "Yeah. I do."
After seeing Matsuya nodding, Lisa said with confidence, "We can just go the other way, Matsuya-kun. There's still time. We don't have to go to the evacuation point. We can run away, together. What do you say?"
If she said this a few days ago, perhaps he will accept that offer. But this time...
"Aunt Lisa, you're a good person," Matsuya smiled, making his resolve, "But I have a family who truly loves and understands me. I made a promise too, to my mom, that I'll return to her.
"But...!" Lisa became panic, "Your mother push you away! I can take care of you! But now... Do you want to leave me too?! Just like everyone else..."
Lisa clenched Matsuya's shoulder hard. It was a strong clinch. It was anger and frustration.
"You're just like your father, leaving me all by myself! I tried, I really tried, to move on! But every time I remembered being alone, I just can't do it! And now... Do you hate me too?"
No, that wasn't true. Matsuya touched Lisa's cheek to let her see his expression.
"But I'm not pushing you away. I'm also happy that you care for me. What I mean is, I want to go back to mom, with you. You're just as important to me as my parents."
Lisa's face became still, and soon she was speechless and still like a stone. Then, like a child, her tears flowed down like a floodgate. As she buried her face in her hands and crouched down, Matsuya, slightly guilty, caressed her hair and hugged her.
"What are you doing here?"
Lisa and Matsuya turned to the female voice in surprise, thinking that she might be enemy. But then, the dawn arrived, and it turned out it was none other than Ulala, his mother's friend. When she saw them, her expression became clouded with many emotions difficult to describe.
"Ulala-san?" Matsuya spoke.
Maya Amano
Near Dawn - Evacuation Point, Eastern Bridge out of Sumaru City
Thousands of people were leaving their cars behind and rode a bus to the other side of the bridge. The bridge was 200 meters long, three lanes wide, and the height will make anyone with a fear of height unable to cross upon peeking at below. Still, it was a long bridge, and many buses moved in and out. At the side of the city was where many police assisted in distributing the passengers. There was another route by using the train, the transport Nanjo and most of the hospital patients used to leave the city. Her colleague Yukino decided to board the train to watch over Nanjo.
Maya was following close behind Mitsuru Kirijo and her follower Aigis. Ulala and Baofu were not on sight, due to some 'private' business they need to attend. Jun chose to stay behind to protect the city, Lisa wouldn't answer the phone, while Eikichi was late in bringing her son. Soon, it was her turn to board the bus. It made her feel uncomfortable to board the bus without any of her friends, but she endured as long as she was able to meet her son.
"Eikichi is awfully late," Maya said as she searched around the hoards of people.
"Perhaps they were trapped behind the citizens at the back," Mitsuru said, "I'll make sure you two are reunited, but you need to move with us out first. You are the Revelation's target, as your husband explained. I'll prepare a car for us just ahead."
"No. I need to wait for my son," Maya insisted, "I promised him, and I will wait."
"No, we cannot do that," Mitsuru retaliated, "You are their target. If they come after you, people close to you will get hurt. This is your husband's request. Please let us help you."
Although frustrated, Maya understood her words. She nodded and allowed them to guide her to her destination.
Until the sound of a helicopter was heard from the distance.
"Mitsuru-san, did you hear that?" Aigis said, "I think it's coming from-"
Everyone turned to the sky and saw a helicopter, armed with a rocket launcher and a machine gun, descending towards the bridge. There was a bus currently moving towards the other side of the bridge, but it seemed the helicopter had their eyes on it.
Boom!
Then, came an explosion, followed by a powerful booming sound that deafened the citizens. What's left of the bus filled with people was only flames and ashes. The mass finally burst into hysterical screams and running away from the bridge.
"All those people..." Aigis gasped upon the fallen bus, "They're all dead..."
"Mrs. Suou, stand back! They're coming for you!" Mitsuru ordered, pulling her to the back. Some of the polices attempted a shot at the helicopter, but they were killed with a heavy machine gun. The enemies could wipe clean the citizens here with their guns. Even Aigis couldn't stop them.
After clearing the cops, the helicopter parked on the bridge not far from the evacuation point, and from inside one man stepped out. They recognized him. It was the mad professor Karu Juugo, followed by five heavily armed men behind him. On his left hand was a bag, which he took out a green hat and wore it. On his right hand was a loudspeaker.
Aigis
Sunny – Early Morning – 30/11/2012(Friday) – Evacuation Point, Eastern Bridge out of Sumaru City
(Friday of War)
"Attention, people," Juugo used the speaker, "I will be merciful because today is an important day. Among your people, which I know you are hiding somewhere at the back, is someone with the name Maya Suou. Lend her to me and I'll spare everyone."
Spare? Aigis couldn't believe those words. He just destroyed a bus full of innocent people and he claimed he was merciful? Did he perhaps use a different hat when he ordered the shot? Or was he blind to his own actions? Mitsuru was hiding among the crowd, but she knew once his demand was rejected, he won't hesitate to kill anyone.
Mitsuru was comforting Maya to not reveal herself. She had no idea what to do currently, other than hoping that there will be some help.
"Aigis, come here," She heard Mitsuru calling for her, "I have a plan that can save the people behind us. But I need your assistance."
"Just give me your order," Aigis said.
"At the bunker of my car, there's a hidden grenade launcher. You can see my car with my guards from here. I will order my men to use it and fire at the chopper, but you need to take out the remaining guys behind Juugo."
"Is there something I can do?" Maya asked with concern.
"You will go out and surrender yourself."
"Huh? Mitsuru-san, that's-"
"An act to distract them. Can you run fast enough to disarm his guards in time?"
"I supposed you mean 'Extreme Orgia' mode?"
Mitsuru nodded. They finally agreed with their plan and parted away. Maya came out of her hiding place and revealed herself out of the crowd.
"I'm Maya Suou. I know you just want me. So let them go, and I'll come with you!"
"Oh, I'm grateful for your generosity," Juugo said upon the sight of her, "We refused to take you sooner to spare you some time for yourself. Now your time is up. Come closer. There's nothing to fear."
After Maya took 10 steps, Mitsuru's voice rang out on her mic.
"Are you ready?"
"Yes."
"In 5, 4, 3, 2... Go!"
One of Mitsuru's men climbed on Mitsuru's car and aimed the grenade launcher. It was detective Kurosawa, also the driver of Mitsuru's transport himself holding the launcher. He released a few shots at the top of the helicopter, and Aigis wasted no time to activated her power as she stepped out of her hiding place.
"Extreme Orgia mode!"
Emitting blueish energy around her, Aigis dashed towards the guards behind Juugo at the speed of sound. Her speed was so extreme, she's reached Juugo faster than he could react. He appeared surprised, but she was more focused on subduing the others first.
The shot on the helicopter proved successful, as it exploded into pieces, but Juugo was swift to dodge the flying fragments from the helicopter. Aigis was almost instant in her action to disarm the men by crippling their limbs and knocking them out with a strength strong enough to bend steel. Maya immediately backed away from the explosion but quickly rushed toward Juugo to deal some attack as well. Mitsuru evacuated everyone at the back before she too stood by and ready to fight.
"Kurosawa, get them to safety!" Mitsuru commanded.
"Yes! I heard you!" Kurosawa responded as he and a few of Mitsuru's people led the people away from the bridge and the evacuation point.
As the closest to Juugo, Aigis was hoping to land some punch on the mad professor. Extreme Orgia mode was dangerously energy consuming, but if she's fast enough, a few attacks will land. However, Juugo had worn his blue hat.
"How could you betray my trust... *sob*," Juugo cried, "Come... *sob* ...Tiamat!"
In a flash, Aigis blocked the gigantic tail of the sea serpent god. Aigis backed away, but another attack landed on her head. She blocked again due to her current mode, but it seemed his persona had a monstrous ability.
Aigis, Mitsuru and Maya reunited a few feets away from Juugo, gazing upon the gigantic serpent colored in blue and red scales. She was the Babylonian goddess of the sea and primordial chaos. She had multiple feet, two rows of fangs, and a few horns on her dragon-like head. As the three of them waiting for Juugo's next move, Juugo suddenly stopped crying and switched out another hat in red.
"I'm really pissed off right now!" Juugo screamed, "Time to make each of you learn your place! Shiva!"
Summoning another persona, Juugo continued to wear another hat, painted in golden yellow.
"Metatron."
His personality became almost prideful when he summoned his third. His eyes were filled with pride when he stepped forward.
"This is your divine retribution."
Upon his words, the three powerful personas lunged at them with high speed.
"Get ready!" Maya warned.
Tatsuya Suou
R'lyeh, Revelation Headquarter
Upon reaching the submarine on it, the team began to climb the big metal surface in order to open the hatch. One by one, the unit entered with Katsuya leading them. Tatsuya was the last to enter, but he glanced at Baofu beforehand to see if he was obedient.
"Return to the shore," Tatsuya said, "Dawn is coming soon. Don't let yourself get shot."
"I'll try," Baofu smiled. One of his unit volunteer to bring him back to the shore. In the meantime, the hatch had been opened by laser cut, and the team began their operation.
Based on the model of the submarine, there should be three floors in total. The length of the submarine should stretch up to 100 meters. The main operating room should be at the front. Tatsuya volunteered to search for Sudou, but Katsuya disagreed for he knew Tatsuya won't be able to control his rage. Thus, he was sent to the lower floor to find Naoya Toudou or any survivor. As silent as possible, all members spread out to take out any enemies inside. The place was dark, full of engines and switches on the wall. Lightbulbs were limited, making it harder to navigate through the darkness.
When Tatsuya reached the dark lower floor, he felt that someone was trailing him. His suspicion was right, where he saw a shadow closely followed him. He turned around and searched, but then he heard a familiar coughing voice.
"Baofu, what are you doing here?" Tatsuya called out. From behind the corridor, Baofu, completely soaked in seawater, emerged and greeted him apologetically.
"I'm sorry. I had to come, even if I had to jump into the water and *heavy cough* swim," Baofu answered with a laugh, who seemly out of breath.
"Grrr... Why are you so stubborn, stupid old man?!" Tatsuya scolded, hurriedly approaching him and took his arm, "This place will be a battleground, and I don't want you to-"
"Tatsuya, I'm begging you! *heavy cough*" Baofu coughed even harder, before revealing blood on his palm, "Tatsuya, I need to settle this..."
"But why?"
"..." Baofu paused for a while, "...I know you've been looking for Babylon."
Tatsuya couldn't understand his meaning at first.
"Tatsuya... *cough* I think I know who Babylon is..."
Under the train railway, Yumezaki
"Matsuya-kun. You're alive," Ulala Serizawa stood still upon the sight of two of them. Lisa quickly wiped her tears away and stood up.
"Ulala-san, Matsuya-kun is here! He's not dead! See?" Lisa said, facing Matsuya's body towards her.
"I know, Maya told me," Ulala nodded, but her face was serious, rather, too serious. Matsuya grew suspicious of her before, all of a sudden, Ulala took out a gun and aimed at Lisa.
"U-Ulala-san?" Matsuya spoke.
"Matsuya-kun, get over here! Don't let her touch you!"
Now, Matsuya was baffled beyond words. Why would Ulala want to shoot Lisa?
"Ulala, I don't understand," Lisa said, "Why? Why are you so hostile with me?"
"We made our own research, mind you," Ulala said, "Baofu and I went our separated way of investigating Babylon, the spy behind Revelation. However, it pains me to even accuse you like this."
"Hold on! Are you saying I'm a spy?" Lisa responded.
"There were a few points that just don't add up. Yesterday, Eikichi claimed you find him in the truck in the middle of the road, when you shouldn't be able to contact him. You took care of Matsuya but disappeared when Sudou took over the school. You're the closest person to Matsuya, someone who Sudou expected to see and kidnapped. As if he knew someone was watching over him. You're a former singer, surely your voice has some magic that Babylon claimed to have."
"That's wrong!" Matsuya objected, "If Aunt Lisa wanted to hurt me, she would've already done it!"
"Of course she can't. She needed to have you alive and sent you to the leader of the bad guy. Matsuya-kun, she never planned on taking you anywhere! She wanted to give you to Tatsuya Sudou this whole time. She's a spy! No, she's Babylon!"
The situation became insanely intense. The air became heavy due to the tense atmosphere. Locked at the gunpoint, Lisa clenched her fist and gritted her teeth.
"I... admit it..."
Matsuya and Ulala turned to her with raised eyebrows.
"I admitted that I wanted to take Matsuya away..." Lisa confessed, "I was alone, and I just thought, following Sudou gave a chance to turn my life around by having you. I learned a bit of radio jamming from one of Sudou's followers. And it's true that I used my voice to spread the influence of Babylon. But..."
Lisa puffed her chest, "But I would never give him to Sudou! I was planning on taking him away for myself! I learned a bit of hacking and radio jamming from Babylon herself, and I borrowed her wisdom and power for myself. But I'm not Babylon! Please believe me! Even today, I was watching Takaya from the distant to salvage any info about him! I'm not with them anymore!"
"Lisa..." Ulala muttered. Matsuya had never doubt Lisa, and he believed that Ulala could start believing her too.
"You still committed those crimes," Ulala said, "But I know you're not too evil for those atrocities. Though, you are not Babylon?"
"I swear it," Lisa said, "I don't know who Babylon is. She just gave me instructions. I. AM. NOT. BABYLON."
Ulala sighed as she put down her gun. Matsuya was glad that it was over.
"I know," Ulala chuckled, "I know someone like you can't be Babylon. Forgive me, Lisa."
Lisa bowed, "No, I'm the one who should apologize. You are right to doubt me."
"Oh? No, I didn't doubt you."
Bang!
...
Matsuya flinched away by the sound of a gunshot. To his horror, Ulala pulled the trigger of her gun on Lisa. However, she aimed at the ground behind her, forcing Lisa to fall down in shock. Her face upon the sight of fallen Lisa was disturbingly dark when she said it.
"Because I'm the real Babylon."
Tatsuya Suou
R'lyeh, Revelation Headquarter
"...Ulala is Babylon?" Tatsuya repeated Baofu's deduction. Such thoughts never crossed his mind. He looked into Baofu's glasses and wanted to confirm himself, "Baofu, she was your partner! Do you have any proof that she's..."
Tatsuya paused himself. Ulala is intelligent, unlike her younger self. She learned a lot from Baofu for as long as she knew him. He remembered Baofu mentioned teaching Ulala about wiretapping. She knew disguise, finding information, stealth, and assassination. Eventually, Babylon's identity became more sensible now that Ulala was mentioned. But...
"What about Lisa?"
"No, not her, she's merely providing song and assistance to her, but Lisa is not Babylon. The drawings that they spread are actually detailing the personality of a new member they wanted to recruit. Lisa is the recruiter, she sings a few verses, and she will be able to make anyone become a member of Babylon's force by mind control. The mirror is a way to make them forget they're even a member."
"So the song is the 'on' switch, while the mirror is the 'off' switch. That way, even if we capture those under Babylon, they won't remember a thing. But..."
"Lisa can't be anywhere, Tatsuya. That could only mean someone must have spread her voice through phone or radio. And there's only one person capable of such feat," Baofu said, clearly reading his expression.
"Then, what is her motive?" Tatsuya said, landing his back on the back to piece together the puzzle, "Why did Ulala choose to become Babylon?"
At this point, Baofu's face became greatly distressed, followed by sorrow and guilt. He reached for his tobacco pipe and prepared to smoke, but Tatsuya grabbed his hand, not wanting to waste any more time. There was a momentary silence between them. Baofu eventually gave up.
"*cough* If my hunch is right, then it's my fault..."
Suddenly, a memory crossed his mind when he entered Baofu's office last Saturday. Ulala was giving some 'medicine' to Baofu that day.
"No... Don't tell me that medicine is actually..."
Then, they heard footsteps from the lower floor. The enemy probably overheard their conversation. In haste, they quietly descended to the lower ground to find any prisoners or Sudou himself.
Under the train railway, Yumezaki
"I won't miss the next shot," Ulala pointed her gun at Matsuya instead, "I may swear to help Maya, but your life is not important in my eyes. No, not as important as Baofu."
"Aunt Lisa!" Matsuya screamed, crouching next to Lisa. She was not harmed, but she was in terror.
"Ulala..." Lisa spoke, "It was you all along? No, don't shot him!"
"If I don't shoot him, Baofu will die," Ulala said shifting her attention to Matsuya, "You should have stayed dead! Why didn't you run away? If you fake your death, you should have gone from this city sooner! Maybe you'll live! But now that you're here, they will know, and they will come for you."
"Ulala-san..." Matsuya spoke, feeling himself slightly trembling at the sight of the gun.
"It was three years ago when we took a job to find a man in Egypt named Karu Juugo, "Ulala said, "We found him by the road riding a car, but then... he bolted off in a hurry. Baofu was the driver, and he chased after him for so long, but that man threw grenades at us, and we shot back. We both crashed into someone's house. I was thrown out of the car but I was safe, but Baofu..."
She suppressed her frustration as she continued.
"Baofu is sick... Ever since that accident that day, his chance of living grew slim. When that scientist who made Baofu that way approached me, I almost killed him. But he said he can cure Baofu, he can make a medicine for him. All I have to do is be their puppet... But ever since Conquest emerged, Baofu sickness worsened, even with the pills. That's when they became more demanding."
Ulala unbuttoned her coat from the top and revealing her red tank top. She pulled her top's right sleeve and revealed a long, spreading tattoo. It was a mark similar to 'other side' Tatsuya's mark of Nyarlathotep.
"Karu Juugo, that scientist, put a fragment of Yog-Sothoth inside me. With the god of time in me, I can see almost everything digitally and telepathically through my follower's eyes. It's like clairvoyance. Gathering information can be troublesome to those who were not my followers, but my pawns are many, and you brought them under me, Lisa. They won't remember that I'm their boss, but their hidden memories echoed in the form of a whisper, and I used them to spread rumors. That's how they called me the 'whisperer'."
"You... used me?" Lisa voiced out.
"Of course, I don't want Maya to lose her son without one more happy memories. So, I put the flyers for Matsuya's theater in his house mailbox. I talked to the headmistress at his school to make him able to enjoy his moment with his parents by made it a day earlier. I used you to keep an eye for Matsuya, hoping to get my hands clean. Though, it seemed Sudou attacked the school a day earlier as well, truly out of my expectation."
Ulala gritted her teeth hard when she continued, "I thought... they just wanted to keep Matsuya imprisoned. I never thought they wanted to kill him. No, I already had that suspicion, but I pretend to not know anything..."
"Found you, traitor."
Ulala turned to her back upon the new voice. Lisa and Matsuya searched around and saw that a group of people had surrounded them. Takaya Sasaki emerged from the corner station with a broad sinister smile.
"Takaya," Ulala growled. Takaya ignored her stare and turned to Lisa and Matsuya. His eyebrows curved to frown.
"The son of Suou is alive?" Takaya said, "So you did conspire with Tatsuya to trick us."
"I have absolutely no notion of this until this early morning. I was in the dark too."
"Matters not, you still failed," Takaya replied, waving his hand up. All the guards with him revealed their firearms, aiming at the three people.
"We carried no electronic devices, so you can't hack us. And they're not your followers. So much for all-knowing Babylon."
"We had a deal!" Ulala raised her voice, "You owned me the antidote, as Juugo promised!"
"But he did, he wanted to give you," Takaya laughed, "But then he passed the job to me so that he can catch Maya, and I trusted Sudou's order to (pointing at Ulala) terminate you."
"But the boy!" Lisa pleaded, "You can take my life, but this boy is innocent!"
Takaya snickered, taking out a revolver gun from his back pocket and said, "*sigh* Do I look like I care?"
Bang!
The barrel aimed straight for Lisa's chest. It happened too fast for her to react, and she fell to the ground.
"Aunt Lisa!" Matsuya screamed, rushing to her side.
"You...!" Ulala pointed her gun at Takaya, but the others immediately aimed at her. Takaya approached the barrel of her gun in mockery.
"Go on, do it. Let's see you try," Takaya said, reaching for her gun, "You're going to die either way, better make most of it."
This was it. Ulala had nothing more to do. She was betrayed and served her right for it. She laughed in her heart at her own foolishness. Baofu will die and it was all her fault.
All because she loved that man most out of anyone.
"...Huh? What is..."
Takaya, however, suddenly paused his hand and backed away in confusion. Ulala turned around to see, just as the rest of Takaya's guard. Even Lisa, who was lying down weakened, was astonished.
Matsuya's body was burning in bluish flame. He was crouching down and pressed down her wound, but he suddenly stood up and glared with the most dangerous eyes one seen from a kid.
"How... how dare you hurt Aunt Lisa!"
Matsuya screamed. The rage in his body was abnormal, his heart was boiling with extreme emotions. He clenched his head that was in pain for an unknown reason. And then, amidst the eyes that stared at him with confusion, he heard a voice.
"I am thou
Thou art I
Thou had heeded my call"
"I've been running away from everything for myself. I didn't realize I have many people protecting me. Not anymore! This time, I won't let anyone I cared about get hurt again!"
"Call forth my name, child
Born from the union of Sun and Moon
For I am the creator of daytime
If you wish for my power, then embrace yourself!"
"...I know," Matsuya combed his hair with his fingers and stood straight, "Lend me your power!"
The flames around him burst into fiery pillars of light, and Matsuya stretched out his hand high. That day, Ulala and Lisa witnessed the birth of perhaps one of the youngest persona user in history.
"Come forth, Protogonus!"
Crash!
A/N: This chapter is built up for the upcoming battle in the next chapter. We are a few chapters away from closing this long arc. So many things to explain. First of all, Naoya is basically one of the men of prophecy AND the 'sacrifice' for Conquest. The Celephais turned out to be War's imprisoned body in the Limbo realm. Nanjo was saved by Shu, and Conquest awaits the arrival of the red rider. What else? Ulala is actually Babylon, and Matsuya Suou finally awakened his persona ability.
Please wait for the slow update.