AN: Sorry for the wait everyone, but Happy New Year to you all! Took me a while to get this one done, but hope you enjoy it.
Chapter 22: The Curtain of Blood Falls
|April 28|Kansei High School – After School|16:40 pm|
Noburo had been rather distracted during classes, and some of his teachers had picked up on it. It was difficult to concentrate on lectures with the memory of yesterday in his heart plaguing him every five minutes. An Aeon Admin was leaving Shinshuto City, which if he had just been Kaii, the dorky guy that Akari had once admired, then that wouldn't have been so bad. One less enemy to worry about.
Yet this was his older brother. And never seeing him again didn't seem like something he could just shrug off. None of this classes could shake off his sadness. He went to the drama club which included Teruko, Akari's friend Suzu, and a polite auburn-haired girl called Minae Saito. However, even that didn't manage to cheer him up, no matter how much he devoted himself to the script they had chosen.
"That's about all the time we have. I must say, you're rather distracted, Noburo-san..." Minae said, as the group packed up their things, preparing to head home.
"Seriously. You're usually all over this." Teruko said, annoyed. "You're even more depressed than you were when we watched Victory Gundam together. What's wrong?"
"It's nothing...I'll be on the stage for real soon, and it's a lot of pressure."
"You're not normally overcome with stage fright," Minae said, clasping her hands together. "Perhaps you need to try some mental exercises to calm your nerves. I have a book at home about it. You can borrow it anytime. You too, Teruko-chan."
The club members dispersed - Teruko had to help her family out at home again, but as she left, Noburo saw Kei walking out of the school gates, talking to a rather unkempt beauty that was part of the Kendo club – Haia Oshiro, in the second grade like Kei. While her long brown hair was wild and untamed, she had a fiery passion for her sport. It was even rumoured she had broken hundreds of bokken and shinai during her rigorous training. Often seen with Minae, they were strong friends despite being polar opposites.
"It's hard to keep up with you, Haia-san." Kei said.
"I know. But it's nice to find someone in Kendo club that doesn't end up crying when they spar with me. You're way more badass than those dweebs in your class." Haia said. Noburo couldn't help but notice two small plasters on her face – did Chieki have anyone who could face her skill with the sword? Perhaps, if Kei continued to participate in club meetings, she would master the blade and incorporate it in combat.
"I'm more resilient than I look," Kei said, sweeping a hand through her turquoise hair. She had a habit of doing this, Noburo had noticed, even if he had spent little time with her at this point. "I'll see you in class tomorrow, Haia."
Haia left with a confident swagger, no doubt to pester Minae, so Noburo waved over to Kei. She came over, and seeing his face, seemed worried.
"What's wrong?" Kei asked, kindly. "Is it about Toki?"
"You're brave...everyone else trails off, afraid to say his name in front of me," Noburo said, shaking his head. "But yes. It's about him – and Kaii."
"It can't be easy to deal with, opposing your father – even if someone else you call a dad is fighting alongside you," Kei said, sadly. "Being torn like this must be horrible – if it were me, I don't know what I'd do either."
"Kei..." Noburo said. "I've been doing a lot of thinking. I know I should be lucky both of them are still around. But what he put us through is -"
"I know. If you never forgave him, no one should judge you for it." Kei said, clutching her forearm with her hand. "Shigeru's loathing for him is because he loves you and your mother. All he knows is Toki as a monster – and so do you."
"...I just wish I could remember something good about him. But I was so young back when he tried to take me in that damn car." Noburo said. "And he's with Bythos now, anyway. It's probably too late to reconnect."
"It's up to the two of you," Kei said, kindly. "It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, or what they've been through. But I'll stand by you, no matter what happens."
"Thanks, Kei." Noburo said, smiling a little. "Thing is, yesterday, I heard him and Kaii chatting. What they said, I think everyone needs to know."
"Then should we meet up tonight in the Theio Kosmos and discuss it?" Kei asked.
"Actually, I was thinking Bella Donna, at the food court," Noburo said. "I'm not sure I want to bring it up in front of dad. Shigeru, that is. And I'd rather wait until everyone's together."
"Okay. Then leave it to me. I'll see if I can get everyone there tomorrow." Kei said, smiling. "Are you doing anything tonight?"
"No..." Noburo said. "You got any plans? Teruko's busy tonight..."
"None yet. But there was a movie I felt like seeing, and you seemed like the best person to invite. Just don't tell Teruko you went with me." Kei said, grinning.
"Deal." Noburo said. "C'mon, let's go!"
|April 29th|Bella Donna – Food Court|14:00 pm|
The Kansei students, featuring the Chieki twins, had gathered here as quickly as they could, summoned by Kei. At the food court, a fateful place where three members of the group discovered their Persona abilities, the team had elected for burgers of various kinds. Shintaro kept referring to them as steamed hams, much to Kohaku's amusement.
"Okay, can we stop quoting that episode now? I'm aware it's an Albany expression." Natsumi said, rolling her eyes.
"Sorry. But I'm just looking forward to these cajun fries!" Shintaro said.
"Heck yeah! You got good taste, Shintaro-kun." Masato said, excitedly. "But we didn't just come here to eat, did we? Kei sounded serious when she asked the two of us here."
"Yeah. Noburo, is something wrong? Ever since we got here, you've been looking really sad." Natsumi asked compassionately.
The young thespian nodded, anxious, drumming his fingers on the table. "Everyone...I wanted to tell you all something. I didn't really want to say it in front of Shigeru, not yet. It's about Toki and Kaii."
"Kaii?" Akari asked, surprised. "What happened? Is...he okay?"
"He's not injured or anything, but...no, he isn't." Noburo looked at everyone, seriously. "I overheard the two of them talking in Hiyashi. The thing is, Kaii's real father...is Toki."
There was a stunned silence, as the group exchanged shocked looks. Shintaro had to process this several times. The two Aeon Admins were related? He had to admit, Kaii did resemble Noburo somewhat, but he hadn't expected this.
"Oh my god!" Akari said, finally breaking the silence. "Then Kaii is your -"
"Big brother. I figured that out for myself." Noburo said, staring off in the distance. Thus, he told them the story he had heard from his father – about his first love, Reiko Murayama, leaving him to protect herself and her unborn son. If she had refused to reveal anything about his father to Kaii, then perhaps that was her own means of protecting him – however misguided.
"That's so sad..." Kohaku said, wiping her eyes. "I take it Kaii didn't react well?"
Noburo nodded. "Bingo. Kaii's punches are pretty brutal, especially when you're not expecting them. Toki ended up on the ground, and Kaii stormed off. He's...leaving Shinshuto. So we might never see him again."
"What?!" Akari said. "But..."
"You didn't still think you'd be friends with him, did you?" Kohaku asked.
"Not exactly, but...he's really never coming back to this city?" Akari said, stunned. "That's such a shame...you and him are brothers, but you'll never get to know him properly."
"...Yeah." Noburo said, sadly. "And when Kaii left, Toki just looked so...defeated. Like, every bit of bluster was knocked out of him. And I...I felt bad for him."
"I can't say I feel sorry for him. Not after what he put me through." Shintaro said, glancing at Kohaku. "And when I got captured, it put you through hell. That's not something I can just forgive, no matter how pitiable he may be."
Noburo nodded. "He's done some awful things, I don't think even he'd deny that at this point. But...after Kaii abandoned him, and the things I said to him...what if he puts him over the edge?"
"...You shouldn't have to feel guilty about that." Akari said. "Toki's responsible for his own actions. You aren't his keeper."
"I know...I'm just confused." Noburo said. "I thought I hated him more than anything. But I can't bring myself to hate him so much anymore."
"Being a Persona user means being true to your own feelings." Kei said. "You must realise, Noburo, what your feelings for Toki are. It's natural to hate him for what he did in the past, but part of you still loves him in some way, right?"
"What? Don't be stupid. Who could love a man like that?" Shintaro asked, annoyed.
"Reiko and Kaiyo both did once." Kei said, with a harsh look in her eyes. "And...the bond between a parent and a child is harder to sever than you think. I've never stopped thinking about mine..."
The group was silent. Shintaro had never even heard her talk about her parents before, but he had seen her get somewhat tense whenever the others brought up theirs. He had a dark feeling this wasn't just homesickness...
"...Maybe you're right, Kei." Noburo said. "It's not hate I feel right now. It's...sadness. I don't want Kaii to just up and vanish. Now that I have an older brother, I can't just let him go. Akari, doesn't Kaii live near you?"
"Y-yes, but..." Akari said. "He hasn't been nearby lately. I've not seen him or little Yukio – that's his dog - out and about."
"Then..." Noburo said, sulking. "...Dammit. I don't know what to do."
"If you see him, tell him how you feel. That goes for both of them." Shintaro said. "They're still family, no matter what. Right? Isn't that how you're feeling right now?"
"I guess so. ...Thanks for listening, guys. I'm glad I could talk to you all about it." Noburo said.
"Anytime." Kohaku said. "Besides, it makes a change from Shintaro gushing over the 'elegant and refined mademoiselle Courtois.'."
"Or you praising the 'wonderful and majestic Makino-san'." Shintaro countered, jokingly.
"Ah, so the date turned out well? Nice!" Masato said, grinning.
"What kind of clothes did she wear? She's always dressed so immaculately in all her press photographs!" Natsumi said, more enthused than ever.
And thus, with the arrival of the food, the conversation turned to Shintaro's 'date' – not that he agreed with that word – with Celestine. It was indeed a wonderful time, but he felt a little awkward about a possible romance between him and her being the talk of his friends. Yet at the same time, he couldn't help but admire her beauty, and especially her sharp wit. Would a relationship with her be so bad?
Keep it together, Shintaro. She might not even see you that way. There's no point getting my hopes up.
"Oh yeah, Noburo. You ever heard of a Kazuko Onishi?" Masato asked. "...Keiya mentioned her when I was shopping. She was an actress, right?"
"Keiya?!" Shintaro exclaimed. "Why didn't you bring this up before?"
"We got talking about Noburo, then you and Celestine, so...sorry, man. Relax, Keiya didn't try anything. He just said some cryptic stuff about this Kazuko lady and Yuchi Okamoto."
"Yuchi's in the cast of the play. He's one of the leads, like me. But Kazuko..." Noburo began, sadly. "He was incredible, or so the reviews of her performances say. But before she really became big, she ended up becoming a recluse...and then she died."
"Died?" Kei asked. "...Suicide?"
"That's what the police said," Noburo said. "It's horrible, but...I didn't think she and Yuchi were linked."
"Maybe we ought to ask Keiya for more details." Masato said. "He didn't seem to like Yuchi much. 'Cockroach', he called him."
"Yuchi is a bit argumentative during rehearsals. But he's a great actor. He knows how to bring out the best – or worst – of himself for any role." Noburo, upon saying this, started to wonder. "I wonder, was he really involved with Kazuko? I was still young when she died..."
"Maybe we ought to research this..." Kei suggested.
The group continued eating. With the card magician's words hanging in his mind, however, Shintaro couldn't quite relax. If Keiya held a grudge against Yuchi, for whatever reason...perhaps the esteemed actor would suffer a true Death By Moonlight.
|May 1st|Kansei High School - Class 2-1|15:02 pm|
It was the last lesson of the day, and much to Akari's delight, it was Hideki's class. Even now that she was friends with his younger siblings, it didn't stop her crushing on her teacher – not by a long shot. Shintaro and Kohaku, of course, were more engrossed in the subject at hand, which was about Ireland.
"So as we were saying, Dublin is the capital city of Ireland, in the province of Leinster. There's something beautiful about Irish geography and it's culture. Even to this day, I can't help but tap my feet to the sound of a Jig. Or B*witched."
Shintaro couldn't help but laugh. Hideki could always be counted on to be the life and soul of a party. Masato related some interesting stories about his engagement party, which involved him having to be rescued from the roof and somewhat uniquely customised fireworks.
"This area's been inhabited since prehistoric times, and it's been Ireland's capital for a long time. Here's a question for...how about you, Kakusa? When did Dublin celebrate it's 'official' millennium?"
"1988." Kei said, immediately. Hideki nodded, impressed, and the other students seemed to share his delight.
"That's right. The city was recognised as settled in 988 AD. Although it was at one point a Viking territory until the Norman invasion from Wales was launched in 1169. But that's more History than Geography. Getting back on topic, the River Liffey divides Dublin into the Northside and the Southside. Each of these is divided further by two lesser rivers..."
The lesson finally concluded, and it actually made Shintaro consider visiting Dublin at some point. Perhaps it would help him learn more about Ogma, his Persona. Granted, he had certainly researched the being his Persona was named after – a deity connected with learning and language – but going to Ogma's home country might prove even more insightful.
As they left the school gates, they saw Noburo and Teruko, the latter seemed rather irate. Kohaku rolled her eyes, but Kei seemed worried. Shintaro, probably the one the jealous girlfriend disliked the least, decided to approach carefully, to try and hear what was going on.
"I know you were with them, Noburo! Don't even hide it! Why are you spending so much time with those girls?!"
"A-Alright, we had lunch! But it wasn't like it was just me and the girls! Shintaro was there, and so was Masato!"
"Who the hell is that?" Teruko asked, arms crossed. "Oh, whatever! You've been really secretive recently, and I hate it! You used to tell me everything! Just tell me! And what is with that weird new phone, anyway? It's creeping me out!"
"I...It's just a backup in case someone goes wrong with my main one!" Noburo said, stammering.
"Yeah right!" Teruko shouted, hands on her hips. "Noburo...I'm going to ask you this only once. If I find out you're lying, I'll never forgive you! Are you seeing anyone else?!"
"No." Noburo said, serious. She looked down at her feet, shaking her fists.
"Then what is it? Why are you suddenly friends with our senpai? And what really happened when you went missing? Why can't you tell me...?!" Teruko said, on the verge of tears. "Please, just trust me...it's nothing to do with Bythos, is it?"
"I'm not with them, if that's what you mean!" Noburo said. "It's...too complicated to explain. I can't tell you just yet..."
"Fine! Then you don't have to! Just stay out of my way!" Teruko said. She slapped him across the face, and ran off, crying loud enough for the school to hear.
"Wow, what'd you do to get her that mad?" Hidetoshi, a member of Kansei's baseball team, said, amused. "Can't she just let you breathe near another girl?"
"Shut up! Don't make fun of her, you dickhead!" Noburo said, rather tearful himself. He turned right, and saw his bookish senior. "Oh...you saw all that, didn't you?"
"Noburo, buddy, I'm sorry..." Shintaro said, sadly.
"...I didn't want to lose her." Noburo said, wiping his eyes. "I...I haven't lost her, right? Teruko-chan..."
"She's really special to you, huh?" Kohaku asked.
"It's...because of her that I was able to go up for so many roles. Always encouraging me when I felt like giving in." Noburo said. "Dammit! First Kaii runs away, now Teruko..."
Just then, Kei's Gnosis rang. Concerned, she answered it.
"Natsumi-chan? What's wrong?" Kei asked.
"Kei, it's Asami. She's been acting really weird lately. She overheard us talking about that brand new Space Museum, the huge one in Asakita, and she got all shifty – more than usual. Bythos might be trying to get the Cognition Core there!"
"Then we need to beat them to it." Kei said. "Where is Asami now?"
"She's not at school anymore. Me and Masato checked, but no sign of her or that Fumika girl from the Azure Squad. If she's at the Museum, she's probably with Keiya..." Natsumi said, anxious. "Should we meet at Asakita?"
"Yes. Let's try to get there as soon as possible." Kei said. "See you two soon."
"That doesn't sound good." Kohaku said. "We've been so focused on Toki and Kaii, I'd forgotten about the other Aeons..."
"Noburo, do you want to -"
"I'm going." Noburo said, still depressed. "Teruko she's afraid of Bythos. That nurse that they manipulated into killing the Chief of Police and herself - she was a family friend. I've got to do something to stop that fucked up cult from killing anyone else I care about. So...please, take me with you!"
"Alright. Then if we're all in agreement, let's go." Shintaro said. The gang made their way to Ginumi, silent on the bus trip, preparing for what could be a decisive battle.
|Asakita – Great Beyond Space Museum|16:21 pm|
The Great Beyond Space Museum, a huge white dome building with navy glass windows and many floodlights around the perimeter, was a newly constructed tourist attraction of Asakita. Children were impatiently queuing for tickets, while those leaving the building were admiring the expensive space-related toys they had begged their parents to buy for them.
"Don't be daft with that telescope, Lorraine." A Scottish tourist said to her daughter, who seemed to be about seven. The girl cheerily skipped towards the car park, and waved to the high school students approaching.
"We're sure getting a lot of international visitors these days, aren't we?" Shintaro said, trying to make conversation.
"Yes." Kei said, flatly. "Lots..."
"Hey, there you are!" Masato said, running up with Natsumi. "We've been looking out for Asami and the card freak, but nothing. Not even the Azure Squad are here."
"But we found the QR code by this weird constellation glass monument thing. Here." Natsumi said, sending the code to everyone's devices. "By the way, did something happen?"
"Me and Teruko had a fight...she kept trying to find out what we're doing. But I can't just confess that I'm fighting Shadows in actual battles. She'd freak out. Maybe she's demand she was fighting by my side. Or beg me never to go into battle again."
"You don't want either, right?" Masato asked.
"That's right. You wouldn't want your Dorothy getting hurt like us, right? But I can't stop. Not while Toki's with scum like Bythos." Noburo said, adamantly. He clenched his fists, and looked up at the grand museum.
"Scum..." Natsumi said, anxiously. "Asami...was joining them really worth it?"
"If she's in there, you can ask her yourself." Masato said, hand on her shoulder.
The team soon warped to the Theio Kosmos, and thus the people vanished. Outside, the Museum looked as normal. Venturing forward, Shintaro prepared to fight, whatever lay in store.
|Theio Kosmos – Great Beyond Space Museum|16:07 pm|
The Space Museum was known for its truly staggering scale and design – the entrance room's domed ceiling had a detailed star map of the Milky Way, that illuminated soothing light onto the blue flooring. The area that would normally contain the gift shop, selling gimmicky novelties vaguely related to the stars, was emanating an ethereal blue glow. The rest of the museum was blocked off by a strange teal forcefield – leaving the shop the only place to go to.
"It's amazing...ly tacky." Natsumi said, frowning and sticking her tongue out. "Blech."
"What are you talking about, sis? This is so cool!" Masato said, pointing to the ceiling above him. "Look, that star there is our Sun! And over there in the gift shop are Shadows - wait what?!"
The group gasped, as hurtling forward came two Shadows. One was a strange manta-ray creature that had a human body merged with it, Forneus. The other was a starfish-like being called Decarabia.
"There's a lot of people here today, buddy...and they're all really weird-lookin'." Decarabia said – despite not having a visible mouth.
"I'll say. First that loud girl and that guy with the ugly cape! Now all of these kids." Forneus said, flapping its fins.
"So Asami and Keiya are here!" Masato said. "Get out of the way or we'll turn you into a demonic seafood buffet!"
"Sounds like Suzu's birthday party last year." Akari said, shuddering.
"No way! You're not laying a finger on my best pal!" Decarabia proclaimed valiantly, preparing itself to attack.
"What he said. I can't lose! I'm a Great Marquis of Hell!" Forneus said, offering no vow to protect his own friend. Regardless, the two Shadows charged at their foes – each of them preparing their weapons.
|Shigeru's Car|16:15 pm|
Shigeru, having finished work for the day early, was driving down a busy road. Yoko Ashikaga's car had broken down earlier, so he had offered her a ride home. Quiet, she spent most of the journey staring out of the window, barely taking in her surroundings.
"It's a lovely evening. If only there was less traffic." Shigeru said, turning around a corner. Yoko nodded, not even looking at him. Then, she finally turned to him, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
"Shigeru." Yoko said. "Are you okay with your son being one of your group?"
"...No." Shigeru said. "But it's not like we can turn away potential members. Besides, he's a spirited boy. He takes after me."
"I see." Yoko said. "I just hope he survives this crisis. If he were to end up like Noriko, I'd..."
"Don't say that." Shigeru said, tightly gripping his steering wheel. "I'll protect Noburo with my life. Not just him. All of those kids. They're our nation's future, after all."
"...I hope you can." Yoko said. "She'd have been eighteen this year. I wonder what school she would have been in?"
Shigeru didn't respond, and kept driving. Yet as he did, a million thoughts came to mind. The dreadful day three years ago, when a tragic event shattered Yoko forever.
The day Noriko Ashikaga was murdered on her way home from school.
The man that did it got the death penalty. I hope he burns in hell for what he did. Yoko was a single mother, sure, but she did her best. Noriko was such a cheerful, lovely girl...just like her mother. Now that she's gone, Yoko can only think of being Mayor. A shell without a core. What can I do?
"You still have to deal with Toki, too," Yoko said. "Don't worry so much. There's no way your son will ever take his side over yours. No one I know is as devoted a father as you are."
"Thank you, Yoko." Shigeru said. "Trust me. I'll put a stop to all of Bythos. For everyone...including you."
"Stop, huh? I wonder if my life will ever 'start' again." Yoko said, eyeing straight ahead. "Maybe if I can...no, not yet."
|Great Beyond Space Museum - Lobby|16:25 pm|
The two Shadows, fighting with perfect synergy, were proving tougher to take down than Shintaro expected. Yet, they were on the verge of victory now. Noburo leaped away from the Aques that Forneus cast and ducked under Decarabia's spinning body.
"Wow, nice!" Natsumi cheered.
"An athlete and an actor. He's incredible!" Akari said.
"I'm just getting started!" Noburo jumped on top of a banister, and called down Aengus. "Shimmering Spire!"
The Persona, using his powers, sent Noburo soaring into the air on a column of white light. This blessed power was absorbed into his swords, and the lad dived down, piercing through Forneus' body.
"Argh! Decarabia, you said you would protect me! Some buddy you turned out to be! Have a nice death, you freaky fish!"
The manta ray-like creature vanished into thin air. Anxious, Decarabia quickly flew to Kei, trying to hit her with all five of its limbs. Yet, her kendo classes had taught her some intriguing sword moves. With Sarutahiko's latent strength, she was able to slice apart the devilish starfish, leaving nothing but dust.
"Not much of a seafood platter, was it?" Kei said, grinning.
"How'd you pull that off?" Natsumi asked.
"I'm not sure, really, but going to Kendo club has made me more confident using this sword. In fact, it lets me combine it with Persona energy to do more complicated attacks. Course, it drains my stamina fast if I use it too much..." Kei said, making her trusty sword vanish.
The forcefield was gone, allowing access to the rest of the museum. The rest of this place had more traps in store, Shintaro suspected. But they would continue to advance, and face whatever challenges were waiting for them.
|Great Beyond Space Museum – Stellar Station|16:43 pm|
After wading through some glitzy exhibits, full of Shadows, the group reached a part of the museum that was underground – a short cable-car ride that went through a nebula, with dramatic voice-overs explaining the finer details. There was still no sign of Keiya or Asami, but Shintaro had a feeling this lurid pink contraption would lead them closer.
"...What, do we get in?" Kohaku asked. Akari had already taken her seat, and Noburo had decided to sit next to her. Masato and Natsumi took the car behind them, and Shintaro went in the front one. Sighing, Kohaku took the seat next to him, and so did Kei. The ride was silent, however, they felt a strange chill, and every sound seemed to echo for miles.
"This is really authentic..." Kei said. "It's like we're actually in -"
The ride suddenly hurtled forward – rather than go through a simple circuit, it kept racing ahead, doing loops through the stars, passing elaborate meteor showers.
"-outer space!"
The group screamed with Kei, Shintaro clinging to the safety bar as tightly as he could – as he gazed in terror at this lurid journey. Eventually, however, the ride suddenly stopped at a giant golden platform. Floating to the size was a giant silver craft of some kind, a somewhat cheesy looking blue spaceship with laser guns and rocket launchers. In the regular museum, this was a fun interactive game, but here, it didn't seem quite so virtual.
"...This wasn't in the pamphlet they gave out last time I was here." Kohaku said, groggy, as she stepped out on the platform. It almost did seem like they were in outer space, above the planet Earth. A small comet rushed past, making Shintaro leap with fright.
"This is crazy. The Theio Kosmos shouldn't be this bizarre...should it?" Akari asked. "...At least there's actual air to breathe. Phew."
With nowhere else to go on this coin-shaped platform, the team boarded the spaceship, and Natsumi took the front seat with the controls. She had been here before, and enjoyed the game immensely. On the main screen displaying the space in front of her, in neon green letters it had a 'score'.
"Welcome to Galaxy Vanguard. Please enter your name, my hero, and save the planet Earth from the Drake Destroyers!"
Natsumi complied with the female digitised voice, typing in her name, combined with a pink love heart. Masato groaned but didn't say anything further.
"Commencing take off. Destination – the Moon. Destroy all enemies you encounter, my hero! Watch out for your shields!"
Natsumi nodded, grabbing the joysticks. The spaceship flew up, and shot forward, racing through the stars. Before long, however, a myriad of menacing spacecraft appeared, firing lasers of their own.
"No way! Eat this!" Natsumi cheered. The entire space shook as lasers struck it, but the volley of beams fired caused it to vibrate even more. All Shintaro could see from outside was countless explosions – and the destruction lead to a notification on his phone, advising him of new materials obtained. Materials that could help the shopkeepers develop new wares.
So playing this game can give us even more power - more reason to come back here, I guess.
Halfway through the course, after destroying a fleet of red ships that were three times the speed of the white ones, as well as a fiery meteor shower, they came across a gigantic space battleship, with a gigantic laser. It began charging, and launched its lesser weapons in the meantime. A green button flashed, and Natsumi pressed it.
"Now charging Ultima Laser. Currently at 12%."
"Hang on, everybody! I'm gonna get us all through this!" Natsumi said, grinning wickedly. She shot down the smaller ships the 'Near Zero' was launching, as well as reflecting the missiles with the pink energy shields she produced. Finally, the green button flashed again, and a huge laser cannon protruded from beneath the spaceship.
"Hell yes! Time for the super ultra mega death laser of doom!" Natsumi cheered. She fired her laser, just at the same time the enemy fired theirs. Both beams collided, creating a huge flash of light, as both aimed to surpass the other and completely ruin the target. Finally, however, Natsumi's ray pushed back the other and struck the core of the enemy unit – causing it to explode with violent energy, its burning wreckage drifting off into space.
The enemies weren't done yet, however. More advanced ships appeared, firing their best weapons, and draining Natsumi's 'Vanguard 001' to low health. The spacecraft had really taken a beating, and with all the shaking, Shintaro was struggling to stay on his feet. The fiery-haired pilot, however, was taking it in her stride.
"Not done yet...just one big enemy before the moon!"
The 'enemy' was a gigantic robotic monstrosity, something out of a mecha anime with a dragon-like head. It fired a plasma breath of purple flames, and its 'wings' seemed to be firing an endless supply of rockets. Akari and Kohaku were busy casting their Dia spells to keep the spaceship afloat, but the 'Dragoon Dystopia' wasn't letting up at all.
"Dammit...it's taking too long to charge the main weapon!" Natsumi yelled. However, a purple button flashed instead – which she pressed immediately. Two purple 'whips' of electricity flashed from the sides of the spaceship, latching onto the Dystopia, and catching its small arms – rapidly absorbing its electricity, and trapping it in place.
"Wow..." Masato said.
"Yes!" Natsumi banged the green button, and this time, the main laser pierced right through the fearsome dragon mecha. All that was left were smoldering metal wings, the rest of it burning up into junk. A red engine piece was left floating, and it was immediately absorbed into the Vanguard 001 – giving it a triple speed boost. It hurried towards its destination, the Moon...
|Museum – Lunar Exhibit|17:21 pm|
As they disembarked their vehicle, Shintaro saw the lunar surface in perfect detail. This may not be the actual Earth satellite, but it was an extremely close simulation. The craters all around him, the twinkling stars in the sky, and the brilliant blue Earth in full view. They could barely make out Japan from this point.
"I can't believe it! We're on the moon!" Noburo said, still shaky from their battle in the outer space. "And we can breathe here!"
"I know!" Kohaku said, exhilarated. "This is the best time I've had in the Theio Kosmos, by far!"
"Is this a bad time to crack a joke about there not being any atmosphere?" Akari asked.
"Yes." Kei said, dryly. "But there really isn't anything here, is there?"
"Look." Shintaro said, pointing ahead. There actually was a path to follow, that seemed to go on for miles. "I wonder how many steps that'll get on my fitness tracker."
"Oh wow, you got one of those too?" Masato asked, immediately checking the blue gadget on Shintaro's wrist. He compared it to his own, which was a red version. "Awesome!"
"You're more impressed with that than our flight through space?!" Kohaku asked, in disbelief. "You two haven't changed, it seems."
"I can sense people nearby..." Akari said, anxious. "They're not allies, either."
"Does Epona really give you psychic powers?" Noburo ask.
"Sort of. But it's hard to control it still. It's like, I just know things when I'm in the Theio Kosmos. Right now, there are two human beings up ahead, in some kind of dome-like structure."
"Then we better hurry up and find this thing. I hope they're not up to no good..."
The group progressed, and more Shadows tried to impede their progress. However, the Persona users were largely able to eliminate them. Kohaku, in particular, was much more confident with her naginata than before. This may have been because she had recently acquired a new one with the power of Earth in the blade itself.
Finally, the group reached a small metal dome building, with a retro-futuristic satellite dish attached to the top. The doors slid open, as they approached, revealing a room with many hi-tech computer systems and other complex machinery.
"This is in the real museum as well, right?" Shintaro asked.
"Yeah. Obviously, it's not really on the moon, but they do really well in making it feel like you are. This is even better, though. Or worse, depending on how you look at it."
"It's like 1969 all over again. Except I don't think anyone then had a Persona, somehow." Kohaku said, smirking.
The group entered a glass elevator, and it shot up to the top of this dome...
|Great Beyond Space Museum - Lunar Base – Command Center|17:44 pm|
Standing in front of the huge window overlooking the moon where none other than the two Aeon Admins the group had been pursuing. No sign of Toki or Kaii, thankfully, but Asami and Keiya were not to be underestimated. Shintaro gulped as he saw them, but they weren't even remotely scared.
"Oh..." Keiya said, disdainfully. "The moon is at least habitable by vermin. That's something I didn't know."
"Natsumi-chan, why are you here?!" Asami demanded. "You...overheard me at school, didn't you?"
"You got that right!" Natsumi said, pointing sharply at her former friend. "If you're trying to get Asakita under your thumb, think again! This area belongs to everybody, not just Bythos!"
"Yeah! So get the hell out of here!" Masato said, annoyed.
"Tch." Keiya said. "We already have a Cognition Core for this building. Albeit, it isn't powerful enough to control the entire Asakita Ward. Even so, with the technology present here, we can at least expose a certain cockroach for what he is. Especially since he's visiting this Museum today with a friend."
"What...?" Noburo asked.
"Let me show you..." Keiya said. He used his Gnosis to turn the 'window' into a monitor, and it started playing a rather hazy image. Shintaro gasped – there was a young woman, with a beautiful face, her hair tied up, but she was extremely distressed. Not only that, her face was red, and she was clutching her cheek painfully.
"I-I'm sorry! Please, I'll do anything! Just don't...please!"
There was an angry sigh, and Shintaro flinched. He saw a hand rise up in a clenched fist, and the young woman cowered, crying.
"You better not make me look bad out there again. Isn't life so much easier when you just do as I say? Being my girl is good for your career, isn't it...? Stop trying to break free so much. It's not good for you. Now, come on, put on your happy face, get out of that stupid white dress, and try to be sexy."
"Yuchi?!" Noburo gasped.
"Yes...Yuchi Okamoto. One of the most celebrated actors of our city. He's good at acting, anyway. Pretending he's generous, caring, nurturing, and actually giving a damn about anybody but himself."
"How were you involved with him? And Kazuko Onishi, too?" Kohaku asked.
"Simple. I knew Kazuko since she was in high school. We were both determined to become actors. Before I knew it, she was cast as Sayaka in Death By Moonlight. Alas, I failed the audition. Guess who beat me to the role? Yuchi. To everyone he meets, he's a charming actor. But his acting talent comes from nothing but sheer sociopathy. He quickly charmed Kazuko, hiding his true character for as long as he could..."
"...She couldn't just leave him?" Kohaku asked.
"No." Keiya said. "She lacked the courage...and he had a way with women. Making them depend on him for success. Reeling them in, not allowing them to surpass him. Those he mentored had to stay on his level, or even better, beneath him. He still hankers after international fame and glory, but he's never managed it. Those who have a chance...he ruins."
"Then, is it thanks to him that Kazuko...well..." Noburo said, sadly.
Keiya nodded. "With the Theio Kosmos...I was able to see how it happened. One evening, Yuchi's rage got too far. He didn't like her spending any time with me at all...and he especially didn't like our plans to run away from Shinshuto forever."
The video changed to a hotel room, one that Shintaro thought was the Gold Laguna from Ginumi. Standing on the balcony, overlooking the neon-lit cityscape, was Kazuko, in a black dress.
"You little tramp! How could you love him?!" Yuchi bellowed. "He's nobody. What's he ever been in? Just a couple of plays written by talentless hacks. With him, what are you going to do when your career dries up? My star is rising, while he's just a lonely loser who depends on you."
"Shut up!" Kazuko shouted, annoyed. "I don't care about acting in this city anymore. I've made up my mind. I want to be with Keiya-kun. He never hits me! He never tells me I'm worthless without him! And once I tell everyone about what kind of man you are, it'll be your career that dies!"
"Oh...like anyone will take your word over mine!" Yuchi chuckled. Kazuko started to march forward, but he grabbed her powerfully by the wrist.
"Let me go! It's over between us!" Kazuko begged.
"Oh, what, are you waiting for that skinny Tsukino to save you? He's too spineless...too soft to make a difference in this life. Not like me. I'll do whatever I can. Being a little ruthless is a small price to pay..."
The altercation got even worse – the anguished actress, as determined as she was, lacked the strength to overcome her oppressor. The two were on the balcony, her trying to run out of the room, but his hand was over her mouth, preventing her from screaming for help.
"Dammit!" Yuchi shouted. "Fine then. You wanna get away from me so much? So be it...but you'll be away from everyone else, too!"
With a mighty shove, he pushed her over the railing, onto the cold stone pavement. Before long, there were screams from passers-by, and a multitude of people yelling for help.
"...Break a leg, you whiny bitch!"
Reacting swiftly, Yuchi seemed to run out of the hotel room, and out of sight...
"He managed to avoid being spotted. He was never even suspected of killing her. But I knew all along it was him. The Kazuko I knew would never have jumped, not even to escape him. Believe me, I tried to tell everyone I knew about what sort of man he really was. But...I was young, and naïve. His clout made it all to easy to escape any kind of penalty."
"Is...that really true?" Noburo said, after a frightened gasp. "Yuchi...I didn't even know he was capable of doing this!"
"Of course you didn't." Keiya said, frowning. "I couldn't get any more acting work. I was blacklisted from the business entirely. No more auditions for me. Yuchi was free, and no doubt abused countless other women. And I was powerless to protect them..."
"Keiya..." Asami said, sadly. "It's alright. We finally have a chance to finally destroy Yuchi. Death is too good for him."
"What are you plotting?" Natsumi asked.
"Simple. We're going to broadcast these as hidden audio recordings, leaked by an anonymous source. They may be his actual memories, but we can easily make them seem as if they're captured by hidden cameras and microphones." Asami said. "My online popularity is still growing, but if I do my best to share these recordings for the world to see...that bastard Yuchi will lose everything he's worked so hard for. And rot in jail, too."
Noburo was shaking. An actor he had once admired was now a pariah – no, a murderer. One he had shaken hands with. "Then he really is...a killer..."
"Isn't he?" Keiya said. "Now the entire city gets to find out. The various recordings are being leaked via this Lunar Base as we speak. The huge amount of tourists coming to the Space Museum will be even more motivated to spread the news around. The police will be very interested in this. If we need to influence them any further, we will. But I suspect your little play will be canceled, Komatsu. What a shame...your whole family was looking so forward to watching you play a supporting character, weren't they? They'll just have to wait until next year."
"This isn't happening, is it?!" Noburo said. The monitor changed screen again, to a social media feed for one of the recordings. Comments came flooding in, and hundreds of them were from a certain group – Kazuko's ever loyal fans, who mourned her years later.
"You should be happy!" Keiya cheered, gleefully. "The day has finally come. Yuchi will finally lose everything he worked so hard for. That wretched play I was passed over for will never return to the stage! And the world will finally know what happened to Kazuko...we never did run away to America together as planned. But I've finally avenged her! And I never would have come this far had it not been for Nisa Liat!"
"Nisa..." Kei said, frowning.
"Man..." Masato said, still stunned. "Yuchi was a terrible person...but what are you going to do next, Keiya?"
"Me...?" Keiya said. "Nisa Liat still requires my help. Asami and I are far more valuable to Bythos than the likes of Kaii and that useless oath Toki."
"...Keiya, Toki's in a bad place right now. You shouldn't be so hard on him." Asami said, anxiously.
"What do you mean?!" Noburo shouted. "What's happening with Toki?"
"He's vanished off the face of the Earth. We can't reach him. He simply left a note behind, saying 'Don't come after me. Anyone who tries to follow me will just have their hopes crushed. Tell Kaii and Noburo I love them both.'" Keiya said, chuckling. "His love isn't exactly much of a boon, is it? More like a millstone."
"...Dad." Noburo said, sadly.
It's the first time I've heard him call Toki 'Dad'. Wait. That note. It's not...Toki would do that, would he?
"It was obvious to all of us who Kaii's real father was. Oh yes, Nisa knew from the start, and made sure we didn't let him know. That dim boy couldn't quite figure it out on his own, of course. Is it any wonder his academics suffered so horribly?" Keiya said, amused.
"Keiya, stop it! The other Aeon Admins are hunting for Toki and Kaii as we speak. But so far, nothing. Nisa Liat's allowed us to work on this instead." Asami continued.
"I think we've heard enough." Kei said. "Exposing Yuchi for his true character is a noble cause, I can't argue with that. Yet you're planning on using the public's reaction against this to fuel support for Bythos, aren't you?"
"That's one added benefit. It could very well lead to the next true Cognition Core. Once I have it, if it's Tarumi, I'll finally be accepted in the acting world again. I'll be able to achieve the success I deserve. Kazuko won't be with me...but if she's watching over me, I can live with that. And I won't let your gang stop me."
Asami prepared her partisan, ready for combat. "It's time we put an end to this. You'll see for yourself I'm just as tough as Toki!"
Just then, three other faces entered the command center – none other than the Azure Squad.
"Ah, it's about time you arrived..." Keiya said. "Your loyalty may be to Kaii and Toki, but do not forget your orders from Nisa Liat."
"We know. We'll help you capture these insurgents." Aritomo said, albeit regretfully. "It's not personal. It's only orders."
Shintaro, facing the squad, took out his sword. Akari and Kohaku joined his side, and the three rushed at them, taking Aritomo and the girls by surprise.
"Alright. Natsumi! Masato! And you, Noburo. Let's take down these two!" Kei said, rushing forward with her three remaining allies. "Aeon Admins don't scare me anymore. Bring it!"
"Now I see how wrong I was to idolise Yuchi..." Noburo said. "But the acting world of Shinshuto isn't yours to control. It's no one's. If you can't understand that, I'll just have to cut you down!"
"I see your father's confidence in you. Both fathers, it seems..." Keiya said.
"If Toki knew I was going head to head with his boy, he'd kill me." Asami said, dejected. "But...it's not like he's here to stop me. I won't hold anything back, not even against a friend's son! Go, Kaihime!"
Asami began this encounter with a Sukukaja, adding to her already impressive speed. She had surprised the students of Chieki several times with her athleticism, but this was something else. Landing a hit on her would be tough – as Noburo soon discovered, as she deftly dodged his sharp blades.
"Can't touch me!" Asami chided, sticking her tongue out. However, in her arrogance, she was sliced via a Steel Wheel, as thrown by Brigid.
"What the – pay attention!" Keiya chided. Asami, wincing, looked up at him in pain. "No matter. It's but a scratch. Sin, Lunar Ace!"
The four cards appeared again, as they had when used on Astraeus. Yet this time, the lucky card was the Ace of Diamonds, which fired a crystalline laser right at Kei's body – knocking her down.
"Kei!" Masato cried. "You jerk. You'll pay for that! Electroball!"
Camulus stepped up to the plate – so to speak – and swung the sphere of electricity right into Keiya's chest – electrocuting him rather severely. Falling to his knees, he grimaced, but countered with his cards. Somehow, they were as fast as bullets and were capable of far worse than paper cuts.
"Great shot. I'm glad I picked the Yoshinaga Duo!" Kei said, gleefully. Asami came rushing, stabbing forward, but the Wild Card's katana blocked most of her thrusts. Angry, Asami summoned a Zio Stone and hurled it at Kei, but its sparks didn't seem to hurt the Wild Card – after she switched to Uzume.
"Mapsi!"
Her goddess Persona complied, blasting the two enemies with her psychokinetic energy. Not to be outdone, Noburo set his sights on Asami, and while his swords couldn't seem to strike her, Aengus's Kouha certainly did the trick.
"Ow!" Asami groaned. "You jerk! Is this how you treat your girlfriend?"
"Don't you dare talk about Teruko-chan!" Noburo hollered. He continued the attack, his swords charged with his anger – and finally, he struck the video-blogger with both, sending her spinning.
"What's the matter with you? Can't you do better than this?" Keiya asked. Masato rushed up behind him, but his assault was halted – as the card magician swiftly turned around and rapidly kicked him, with only one leg. "You thought you could take me by surprise? Ridiculous. I'll destroy you in no time at all."
"Like hell you will!" Natsumi yelled. "Searing Circle!"
Brigid flew her burning hot ring of steel right into Keiya, the flames gravely damaging him. Yet, he kept his composure, and his expression remained one of cold indifference. Perhaps before his acting career had been destroyed, he had been prone to the occasional smile. Yet now he seemed to have shut off his emotions. Even so, Kei wasn't about to have pity on him.
"Eat THIS!"
Kei leapt up, and Jack O'Lantern briefly flashed – her katana began to glow as a result. With two swift swings, she slashed him with the power of flames.
"Not bad..." Keiya said. He turned his eye to Masato, and smirked. "Pretending you're a reformed character must have you convinced people want to be your friend. I wonder, however, how that will work out for you after this? It's a little trick I've devised, and you have the honour of being its first victim."
"What the hell are you talking about, you jerk -"
Masato suddenly vanished, and in his place, a white blank card appeared. The girls and Noburo gasped – the card grew to four times its size, and a picture of a horrified Masato appeared on it. Then, the card disappeared, only to be replaced by four seemingly exact replicas.
"Enjoy your Nocturnal Prison..." Keiya said. "Pick the card you think is him. Get it wrong...and it'll be game over for him. Choose wisely."
"Dammit!" Noburo said.
"Don't forget about me now!" Asami yelled, with Kaihime on the warpath. Fiery embers surged up her spear, setting the blade aflame – and it became a Fiery Pike. It plunged into Noburo, and his screams echoed painfully throughout the entire moon surface.
"Ugh. This is tough..." Kei said, anxious. With Masato out of action, she had to act fast. Sarutahiko emerged, and with a Giant Slice, she briefly stopped the fuschia-haired girl from causing further damage.
"Thanks, Kei!" Noburo cheered. "Aengus! Beannaithe Lann!"
Aengus span at Asami, his blessed blades faster than ever. She screamed herself, pleading for Keiya to make it end – alas, he wasn't fast enough to stop it, and she collapsed, groaning in agony.
"Kei..." Natsumi said. "We've got to save my brother!"
"I know, I know!" Kei said, annoyed. "But...they all look alike. If I choose the wrong one, I-"
"Don't worry," Natsumi said, smiling and stepping forward. "I know the real Masato. Look closely. The nose. Out of all four of these cards, only the one on the far right has the right length. It's the same nose as me..."
Swiftly, Natsumi touched the rightmost card – and the others disappeared. Keiya swore out loud, his gambit having failed to destroy his hated enemy. Said foe, however, was overjoyed, and embraced his sister tenderly.
"I dunno how to thank you, sis..." Masato said, tearing up.
"We can start by taking down these bastards!" Noburo said. "
"Right. I'm not gonna forgive you, Keiya. Trying to kill my brother only means that you're gonna die a fiery death! Agi!"
Brigid's flames of indignation burned rapidly, setting Keiya aflame yet again. Angry, he hurled more razor-sharp cards, slicing through the twins, Kei and Noburo.
"Keiya!" Asami cried. "That's it, you're all dead! Mazio!"
Kaihime's thunder struck down everyone, sending sparks everywhere. Noburo seemed rather peaky – but Kei decided it was her turn to play medic.
"Sarasvati!"
The beautiful Hindu goddess, the wife of Brahma, played her sitar and cured Noburo with Dia. Empowered, he called down Aengus.
"Lion's Blade!"
With two large swings, moving like the fangs of a lion, the Persona slashed Asami with primal brutality.
"You bastard!" Asami yelled, stabbing at the boy as fast as she could. He may be the son of one of her allies, but she wasn't about to just lose to him. "You won't win!"
"Says you!" Masato said. "Iron Impact!"
Camulus charged up his club, but before he could hit the girl, she was shoved aside – and Keiya took the full brunt of the assault.
"K-Keiya..." Asami uttered, shocked.
"These brutes won't get a chance to defeat you. I promise." Keiya swore, calling down Sin. However, Natsumi saw her chance – a Searing Circle was thrown at him. Asami gulped, and finally set her sights on Natsumi.
"Why are you still with Bythos?!" The red-haired Yoshinaga girl asked. "You got what you wanted in the end, didn't you?"
"This isn't just about our regrets. It's our chance to rebuild Shinshuto into what it should have been!" Asami yelled. The two clashed with their weapons, their strength both fierce. "Dammit! If only you'd join us...!"
"I can't!" Natsumi said, tearfully. "It's just not right..."
"Stubborn to the end. Very well." Keiya said. "Lunar Ace!"
The Ace chosen this time by Sin was Hearts – and the red heart symbol flew over Asami's weary head. It's red radiance managed to pour into her body, healing her wounds.
"...This is going to be a long fight, isn't it?" Kei asked. "...Are Shintaro and the others okay?"
"The Azure Squad is giving them quite a fight," Natsumi said, anxious. "so we better hurry up and win this!"
"Don't be stupid. There's no way you can win now!" Asami said, urging Kaihime to manifest. "Shockwave Spear!"
Kaihime raised her weapon high in the air, aiming directly at the sky. A bolt of lightning struck the spear hand, causing it to overflow with electricity. She thrust forward into Kei, causing a huge explosion that sent sparks flying all over the lunar base.
"Argh!" She wailed, losing her composure somewhat. "...You bitch!"
"You're the bitch! Always getting in our way!" Asami yelled. "If it wasn't for your group, Natsumi would be with us! She'd be safe!"
"Girls..." Keiya said. "Can we cut the childish name-calling? I thought you were better than that, Asami."
She turned away, red in the face. "Sorry, Keiya, got a bit carried away."
"You're rather animated, even outside of your catalog of videos. Nothing wrong with that, of course." Keiya said, smirking. He hurled more cards, hitting both the twins quite sharply.
"Showoff!" Masato shouted. "Take this! Mazio!"
Electricity rained down on the two Aeon Admins, but it barely even touched Asami. Keiya, however, was somewhat shocked, and his ponytail finally came undone, revealing his long mane of perfectly straight, shiny dark hair.
"Wow..." Masato said. "Just what conditioner do you use?"
"It's imported from Belgium, actually." Asami said, nonchalant.
"Asami..."
Gulping, the girl continued her attacks. With great dexterity, she pierced Masato and kicked Noburo away at the same time, her heavy boots giving her an added boost to her strength.
"Kei!" Natsumi cheered. "Here!"
Brigid bestowed a Sukukaja upon Kei – and Noburo, following her example, sent a Rakukaja by way of Aengus.
"Thanks, you two." Kei said. "Jack Frost!"
The fairy Persona, with a permanently toothy grin, fired huge clumps of ice at Asami – and not only that, sent a chilling wind down Kei's blade. She struck the internet sensation with a violently cold swing, sending her to the floor.
"Oww!" Asami said. "How are you even doing that?"
"You can learn a lot at Kansei." Kei said, grinning.
Keiya, however, was no longer amused. Summoning Sin, the card dealing moon Persona, he engaged in Lunacy. On Earth, this would have revealed the moon in the sky and healed Keiya according to the moon phase. But here, they were already on the moon – and thus, it healed him almost completely. Cackling, hand over his mouth, the others glared harshly at him.
"Did you earnestly think you were on par with the Aeon Administrators yet? Ridiculous. I'll shatter that illusion right here, right now."
"This isn't going well..." Noburo said, weary. While the RainBow items had helped cure their wounds somewhat, their endurance was waning. It didn't seem like Shintaro and the others were free to assist yet, either. "Kei, what do we do?"
"We've got to survive this, no matter what." Kei said. "Meditation!"
Ostara emerged, and the favourite Wild Card Persona healed Kei with inner concentration. Striking fiercely, her katana slashed through Keiya. But Asami sent her flying with her rapid-fire thrusts.
"I don't think so!" Asami yelled. "I'm sick of dealing with you all! Natsumi, you too! Kaihime, give me the power I need...I don't care what it costs me! I just need to win, for everyone's sake!"
Her Persona was summoned, and sent a strange red and pink fireball, the Flaring Fury, over Asami's head. It sent a burning hot stream of air into her, and her body began to glow deep red. Her partisan's blade became seemingly pure fire as well.
"Take this! And this! Just die, all of you!" She screamed, thrashing wildly. Kei gasped – her attacks were scorchingly savage, sending flames all over the base. Luckily, it didn't seem like its equipment was flammable, but Asami left in this state was far more dangerous than an accidental fire. Even Natsumi was hurting badly from this, and there was no end in sight to her former companion's rage.
"Stop, dammit, stop!" Masato pleaded.
"SHUT UP! You're always in the way! Natsumi would be so much happier if you weren't around! If only she could see it...I'll make her see it! Or I'll kill her too!"
"She really has gone insane...argh!" Natsumi yelled, as the burning partisan seared her body. "H-Help!"
"Hang on, Natsumi, I've got an idea!" Noburo said – and despite his pain, he still had a lot of power left in him. "Shining Wall!"
Four giant glass walls appeared in front of the four – and they briefly shimmered. Asami, too wild to notice, struck Natsumi again – but her primal energy was reflected tenfold, blessed by Aengus.
"Argh!" She growled. "You little shit! How dare you! I'll kill you, and everyone else too!"
"Now now, Asami." Keiya said, calmly. "Let's try to pacify you. I developed this skill just for you. Tranquil Pulse!"
Sin emerged, and turned its gaze to the Moon – and a pulse of light came from somewhere on its surface, most likely the Sea of Tranquillity, a serene place. The light hit Noburo, but luckily, his Persona could endure the blow with minimal risk. The radiance surrounded the group, and Asami's sanity seemed to be restored.
"Phew..." Asami said. "You really created that ability to help me?"
"We work well as a team, you and I. It'd be a sin – no pun intended – to leave you in a burning rage with no way to stop it." Keiya said, smiling.
"Thank you, Keiya..." Asami said.
"You're not the only ones with great teamwork." Masato said. "Right, sis?"
"Right! Here we go, Brigid!"
"Camulus! It's your time to shine!"
Camulus conjured a savage thundercloud above his and Brigid's heads. She danced beneath the clouds and concluded with a click of her fingers. Then, scorching flames glided from her into the clouds They became full of heat and power, and floated over the two Aeons.
"What? No, not this again!" Asami bemoaned.
"Your time's up! Pyroclastic Tempest!"
A tremendous storm of lightning and fire hailed down on Keiya and Asami, both electrocuting and burning them severely. Now, having seen the extent of their enemy's powers, they seemed to be planning a counterattack.
"Be careful. They're not going to just take that lying down." Kei said.
"Course they aren't. They're standing up." Masato said, sticking his tongue out.
"...Maybe be quiet a little." Noburo despaired.
Keiya clicked his fingers, and Sin flew up above the group. Asami likewise summoned Kaihime, and the two Personas stared at each other and nodded. A 'moon' of blue crystal appeared and began to glow brighter and brighter from the inside. It then became charged with electric force and fired a massive ray of thunderous light.
"Lunatic Pandora!"
The resulting catastrophe knocked everyone for six – and some. It had been more than Noburo could bear. He could barely stand, and his allies were in even worse shape.
"N-No..." Noburo said. "Is this...our limit?"
"No." Kei said, adamantly. "It...isn't. Follow my lead. There's a way we can save the day."
"Huh?" Noburo asked. "You mean, team up with you?"
Kei nodded. "It'd be an honour. You might not be able to trust Yuchi anymore, but please, put your faith in me. I promise it won't be misplaced."
"Alright. I know I can count on you. Let's do this. Aengus!"
"Heed my prayers, Angel!"
Noburo emerged below the holy being, and their blessed eminence started to shine throughout the entire lunar surface. Out of nowhere, a choir sang a magnificent song of angels, one of utmost devotion. This melody sent down a gigantic pillar of light, enveloping the entire base.
"Holy Song!"
When it was over, Keiya and Asami were in deep agony, up against the now-shattered window. Most of the equipment had been ruined, and the satellite dish could be seen falling off the roof and crashing into a heap onto the rocky surface below.
"Huh?" Natsumi said, rising to her feet.
"You guys? Did you...sing that for us?" Masato asked, also recovering.
"It's over, you two." Kei said, pointing her katana at the two Aeon Administrators. "We'll be taking you into custody now."
"I can't allow that."
All of a sudden, the roof of the base was ripped clean off, and a dark bolt of lightning appeared. Emerging from the resulting energy was the girl from Shintaro and Kohaku's dreams, in her familiar dress. She opened her eyes, which were an unwholesome red hue, and chuckled quietly. This was the same girl who had spoken to them not so long ago via their app, but this time, she had graced the team with her presence.
"You guys! What's happening?!" Shintaro demanded. The Azure Squad were at their limit, and ceased their attacks.
"Princess..." Fumika said, still in deep agony.
"Nisa...Liat..." Konomi whimpered.
"It's about time we met in the flesh." Nisa Liat said, bowing majestically. "You know my name by now, of course. I presume Keiya-kun told you the tale of that callous murderer Yuchi?"
"Nisa Liat. Why are you appearing in our dreams?" Kohaku asked. "Both me and Shintaro saw you in them!"
"I should have known the Azure Squad wouldn't be strong enough to prevail, even if I assigned them to another pair of Aeons. But regardless of their defeat, this was a successful mission." Nisa Liat said, smugly. It was as if she hadn't even heard Kohaku's question – which had mystified the others.
"Nisa, I'm sorry!" Asami screamed. "I...I thought I could win with Keiya..."
"It's not over for us yet, Asami-chan. Don't despair." Nisa Liat said. "As for Yuchi, he actually had a history of abuse towards women in the acting world. Yet his highly lauded performances were contributing quite a bit to ticket sales, and thus, tourism to Shinshuto. I'm sure those in the city council were desperate not to expose the truth. It's too late for them now, however. Mayor Ashikaga will no doubt curse our name once more."
"Who are you?!" Kei screamed. "Answer me! Why do you -"
"Ah, the Wild Card. Just like me, your heart yields many different masks." Nisa Liat said, wandering close to Kei. She froze on the spot, as Nisa put a hand on her shoulder. "Yes...you and Ostara are strong. Perhaps one day, you'll be enough to face me and Rosmerta."
"Rosmerta?" Kei asked.
Nisa walked away, smirking, and held her Gnosis aloft in the sky. She soon became shrouded in a lurid pink aurora, unlike the blue of the regular Persona users. There was a tremendous flash of light, blinding everyone present. Once the light faded, the resulting Persona was both reminiscent, yet different, to one Shintaro had seen many a time.
It's Ostara!
A pink-skinned lady, she had on a long, flowing scarlet dress, with jewelry adorned with rubies. Swirling around her were petals of numerous gorgeous flowers, and her long, wavy black hair was silky and went to her bare feet. In her right hand, she held a silver staff with a red wreath on top, and a thorny rose in the centre.
I am thou. Thou art I. I cometh from the sea of thy heart. I am Rosmerta, she who will guide ye fools to eternal dusk.
"The hell?!" Masato sputtered. "Why does she look like Kei's Persona?!"
"Yeah! That's plagiarism!" Natsumi exclaimed.
"Poor children. Making jokes won't save you from limitless power. I advise you to remember that. But words are only words. It's time I displayed why exactly those in Bythos fear my wrath!" Nisa Liat declared.
She clicked her fingers, as Rosmerta flew outside of the base, above the moon's surface. The unknown Persona became cloaked in red energy and raised both arms to the sky. Black spirals of even more power surrounded the Persona, combining to create the Cosmic Votum. They flew up in the sky, vanishing, only for a colossal pillar of light to fall down upon the lunar surface. Sturdy as the surface may be, even it couldn't cope with this much pressure, as the unholy omnipotence rained down on it. Finally, after one final explosion of dark dust and matter, the area was clear - revealing a huge, gaping hole that seemed to go completely through the moon.
"Oh my god!" Shintaro bellowed.
"This is real, right? How...?!" Akari asked, somewhat timidly.
"Nisa Liat has this kind of energy?!" Noburo shouted, paralyzed with fear.
"Unfortunately, I don't have time to annihilate you all tonight. I only appeared to guide my beloved Aeons to safety. And the Azure Squad as well, I suppose. Come along, all of you. As for this Lunar Base, do what you will with it. I doubt anything here's still in working condition. The real moon is still intact, so no need to worry about the affect on the tide. In the Akartharto Kosmos, anyway..."
"Wait! Don't go!" Kei demanded. "We need to -"
"I'll see you again, Wild Card. One way or another, one of us will destroy the other."
She hurled a blue orb at Kei's stomach, sending her flying to the floor. Cackling, she vanished in a blast of red energy, taking her Admins and the Azure Squad with her.
"Kei! Are you alright?" Shintaro asked, rushing to her side.
"Y-Yeah...I'm fine. I think..." Kei uttered. "But why...why does she look like that?!"
"That's what I want to know," Kohaku said. "Her Rosmerta, and your Ostara. Is it just a Wild Card thing?"
"Guys, what was that about 'dreams'?" Akari asked.
"Let's get out of here...and we'll tell you," Shintaro said. Kohaku took the orb – the Cognition Core of the Museum – and they vanished to the outdoors, in the real world.
|Asakita – Great Beyond Space Museum|18:20 pm|
"I...I can't believe it."
Masato had heard the story, of these dreams. It sounded like a nightmare to him, Shintaro thought. But it was true – or was it? Nisa Liat in these dreams felt like a different person to the one they had faced back on the Moon.
"Why is she replacing Kei?" Akari asked. "That's what confuses me. What is she trying to say?"
"I don't know." Kei said, tearful. "I'm scared..."
"Don't..." Shintaro began to say but trailed off. He was worried too. They had just been in the presence of their true enemy – and she had radiated pure dominance. Rosmerta's malignant energies were truly fearsome, and Shintaro wasn't even sure if they could counter them.
"She gave us the Cognition Core for the Museum. Wouldn't it be more to her benefit if they held onto it?" Natsumi asked. "She's not making any sense at all!"
"Maybe it's more like taunting us," Kei said. "Saying that we might as well have the museum – she can find a new base anywhere else, and warp it to her wishes."
"Noburo, are you alright?" Masato asked, concerned. "Yuchi's all over the news – and it's big."
"...I don't know." Noburo said, still shaken. "If...all of that was real, then it means the man I aspired to is nothing but a cold-hearted murderer."
"What's going to happen to the play?" Kohaku asked. "...It's really going to be postponed, isn't it?"
"At least," Shintaro said. "But that's probably the least of our worries right now."
The boy nodded, resolved. "He's right. The play might not happen this year, or any other year, but now I know what really matters. Protecting my friends and family from Nisa Liat and her evil allies. And if Toki and Kaii have really disappeared, then...I have to find them. There's something I want to say to both of them as well."
"We'll help you," Kohaku said, arm around him. "You can count on us."
"Thank you, everyone. We should get going. Don't forget, we have to report this to my dad." Noburo cautioned. "He'll freak out if he hears about this from someone else. Leave it with me, okay?"
The team went their separate ways, the image of Nisa Liat and Rosmerta still stuck in their minds. Her powers were still unknown, but it seemed for a moment like they should shatter even the stratosphere.