Chapter 27: The Castle of Conceit
May 10th|Gold Laguna Hotel|16:30 pm|
The team had received a summons courtesy of Hiroyuki to arrive to the hotel after school to discuss an 'upcoming mission'. Uneasy, Shintaro had debated in his head whether to go. Yet his allies, despite some hesitation, had unanimously decided to attend the briefing. Thus, he went with them.
"...Welcome." Hiroyuki said.
"Things at Kansei must be tough right now..." Novalie said. "Truth is, after what happened, I wasn't sure I wanted to keep going."
"But we must." Shintaro said. "Otherwise, more people will suffer."
"Yeah. We have to work harder to make up for Noburo and Shigeru being absent." Netuno said. "Which is why we've brought in a new face. Well, I say new, but...you kids will recognise her in a heartbeat."
"Huh? Oh, that's right, you guys have six members." Masato said. "But one of them wasn't doing too well and took some time off."
"Things have changed considerably since then. With the situation the way it is now, she decided she had to come and help, and force her Persona to co-operate." Hiroyuki said. "Come on in...Michiko."
Huh? But the only Michiko I know is – oh my god, is it -
The door opened, and walking in was the ever poised teacher Shintaro knew and respected. Except now she was clad in a purple and silver coat, and black leggings, a less restrictive outfit than her usual skirts and shirts. That curly hair, however, Shintaro would know from anywhere.
"Suzuki-sensei?!" Kohaku exclaimed.
"Oh my god! She's a Persona user?" Akari said.
"Quite." Michiko said. "Relax. In this world, I'm here to fight Shadows and offer my assistance in information gathering. We can save your education for the other Kosmos."
"...Why didn't you say anything?" Shintaro asked. "You've known about us for a while, haven't you?"
"Shigeru and I knew each other even before this happened. After all, Kansei and Chieki have been inundated with accolades since they were founded, and he's keen to make sure we're doing our job as teachers. And he seemed to agree with my methods. He's quite intimidating, but you've gotten to know him quite well by now." Michiko said. "When he told me my own students were fighting Shadows...well..."
"She was pretty pissed off, to be honest." Netuno said, shuddering. "Shigeru had to keep apologising to her for letting you all get involved. But he continued to vouch for your battle performance."
"I'm still not wild about people your age fighting. Especially my favourite students..." She said, looking at Kohaku and Shintaro. She also glanced at Akari and Kei. "But it sounds like you're getting stronger with every day. I'll have to do what I can to help."
The twins, who had been quiet now, finally got her attention.
"And I didn't expect Hideki's family to be involved either. It's not been easy, keeping secrets from him." Michiko said, smirking. "He does like to talk about you two a lot."
"Really?" Masato asked, uneasy.
"Really. Even that time you cried over ruining that birthday cake."
Natsumi giggled, but Masato's face went red. The others stared at each other in amusement, until the playful teacher cleared her throat.
"In all seriousness, though...with Shigeru out of action for the foreseeable, I'm going to have to work even harder on looking out for you. That goes for both school and our work here. Understood? I don't want you falling short of my expectations."
"Yes, Suzuki-sensei." Kei said.
"Wait a minute. That day you went to speak to Suzuki-sensei after school, was that about this?" Shintaro asked, suddenly remembering that moment. With everything else that had transpired that day, it had slipped his mind, but he did wonder what exactly Kei had wanted to talk about.
"Actually...no." Kei said, albeit tensely. "That was something else..."
Are you sure? You don't seem surprised at all. Or maybe nothing fazes you anymore.
"That's something between the two of us." Michiko said. "Hiroyuki, we need to fill them in on our next mission. The sooner, the better."
"That's right. Tonight, we're going to infiltrate Aramis Japan's HQ. Right here in Shinshuto."
The group was silent, but as they listened to the details, they became shocked. Natsumi in particular loved the clothes the Swedish company produced, and a lot of her casual outfits contained at least one of their items. The uniforms the likes of Hisaya and Aritomo had – were they truly part of Aramis? The images that Reia had put together comparing various articles of clothing did appear quite well researched.
"Svante Solberg..." Masato said, fixated on the name. "Oh! Evelina-senpai! That's one of her relatives, isn't it?"
"We did our research, yes..." Hiroyuki said. "Svante moved to Japan with his wife Ester and his mother Marta. And his daughter, Evelina – who lived in Gothenburg until 2008."
"Has Evelina ever said anything about her father's business to you?" Novalie asked.
"N-No, not really. Not that we've really been able to hang out with them." Natsumi said. "She's always with another boy in the year above us."
"Her crush..." Masato said, smirking.
"Stop it! It's not just me who likes Toshiaki-senpai!" Natsumi said.
"But is it just you who puts homemade sweets in his shoe locker?" Masato asked.
"Guys, enough!" Hiroyuki said, annoyed. "We've investigated Aramis HQ, in a building in Hiyashi they call the Trinité Château. There are several areas that are highly guarded with Shadows – we're going to test the one on the ground floor. Normally, that's used for the technical support team of the building."
"So Bythos at least are using their building in this world..." Shintaro said. "But what are we hoping to gain from this?"
"Hopefully, more concrete details on Bythos' relationship with Aramis. If we can do something to hinder that friendship, it should put Bythos at a disadvantage." Michiko said. "Although we may face Bythos themselves there..."
"Keiya and Asami are still against us...plus, the other ones we don't know about." Kohaku said. "Are there nine in total?"
"Yes. There's no way of knowing for sure who the other five are...so speculating will only hinder you." Michiko said, wisely. "Better the devil you know, they say. We'll need to be prepared for whatever we face. Shadows aren't the only threat in this world."
Although uneasy, Shintaro had no choice but to steel himself. Another encounter with the EX-NIHILO could just be around the corner, however. He had to prepare himself for that possibility.
|Komatsu Household – Lounge|17:02 pm|
Shigeru had received a very grim phone call from Mrs. Yoshikawa. Teruko's funeral would be held the next week. Almost as soon as he had been told the date, the call had ended – with sounds of crying.
"That poor woman..." Kaiyo said, close by. "What she's going through..."
"It could have been Noburo." Shigeru said, as he put the phone down. "That's exactly what's been going through my head. It's nothing any parent should have to go through."
"...Yuko is still suffering." Kaiyo said. "She won't even talk to me anymore. Or to any of her old friends. All because of what happened to her little girl. And now Teruko's family are going through the same hell. What can I do to help, Shigeru?"
"For them, I'm not sure..." Shigeru said, gently. "For now, we need to be here for Noburo."
"I hope he doesn't miss too much more of school. Not just because of his studies, but...he needs his friends there. He needs to go on living, for Teruko's sake. And his own. At least we've been able to have dinner together."
"But he never says a word to either of us." Shigeru said, exasperated. "There's got to be something I can do."
"Listen, you need to keep yourself calm as well." Kaiyo said, squeezing her husband's hand. "Especially with next week. I hate funerals...I just never thought I'd go to one for a child."
"...Me either."
With Noburo still in his bedroom, he didn't seem like he'd be fighting with Aengus any time soon. And Shigeru knew he couldn't abandon him.
What a disaster this has become. Yoko is still hounding me about getting the Cognition Cores. No matter how much I tell her we can trust Kakusa, she insists we do more research into them. Does she think they'll bring Noriko back to life? I need to do something...but I want to be here for my son.
"Everything was going brilliantly, until Bythos caused all this chaos." Kaiyo said, angrily. "I understand why they had to cancel Death By Moonlight, but...all those riots. It wasn't just Teruko who got hurt. And now everyone's suddenly calmed down. I wish I knew what to do at a time like this."
"All you can do is be there for Noburo." Shigeru said. It had been his sole thought since the painful moment they came back home. Yet sooner or later, he would have to deal with Toki, Kaii, and the Theio Kosmos.
Must I align myself with Hayashi and Murayama? They're connected to Noburo by blood, unlike myself. Even so, I must make sure everything that happens forth is in his best interests. If their actions harm him, then I will never forgive them.
|Trinité Chateau, Aramis HQ|17:12 pm|
"Taro-kun, you've been enjoying the company of a French woman recently. What's the French for 'really big'?" Masato asked.
"Vraiment gros." Shintaro said. "I knew French before I met Celestine, okay? She just helped me refine my skills a little. But this building sure is big, no arguments here."
"And it's kind of pretty. Sure beats that awful TV Studio..." Kohaku said, in admiration.
The building was largely away from the hustle and bustle of Hiyashi, surrounded mostly by empty green land and residential areas. However, it was a grand facility, a mixture of grey with blue windows. Designed by a French architect, the foyer was in a pyramid-like building, surrounded by a beautiful pond filled with large koi fish. The main building, however, was connected to it, as three inter-connected towers, each with a pointed roof. The left most was the shortest, followed by the right, and the middle one at the rear was the tallest. It very much seemed like a modern take on a castle, albeit one with a huge white and blue sign that displayed the company name in capital letters.
"It's quite striking. Eleven whole storeys for one business." Novalie said, a little intimidated. "Look to the right of the eastern building. They actually have a store on this building. Mostly used for filming incredibly pretentious and incomprehensible advertisements, but customers can go there freely."
"Yeah, I've been there plenty of times." Natsumi said. "Although I can't afford most of their really good stuff."
"That's where I come in. I make my really good stuff available to all." Reia said, smirking.
"How do we get access to the basement? Can we just walk through the front door?" Masato asked. "Or do we have to smash it in?"
"You do that, we'll draw the attention of the Shadows and we'll have to retreat." Reia said. "Hiroyuki, aren't you supposed to rein in this boy's destructive urges? Y'know, be the super responsible mentor type?"
"I thought I had taught him a lesson, after I stopped him mauling Keiya in public." the soldier said, tutting – with a sly smirk. "Come on, boy, we've got to follow a plan here. We can still go through the shop without drawing too much attention to ourselves. Then we can work on eluding the security cameras."
The team made their way towards the shop of the building, watching carefully for any roving eyes. Shintaro listened carefully for any suspicious sounds, but heard nothing. Perhaps they were all clear. Or anyone watching had perfected total silence...
|Aramis HQ – Grand Store|17:20 pm|
The store was built across several levels, with quite a large amount of floorspace. Natsumi gazed in admiration at the rows of posh handbags, while Hiroyuki seemed intrigued by the smart business ties.
"Makes a change from my military outfits." He said. "Never got in the habit of wearing suits. But the wife always did like it when I dressed up."
"Um..." Shintaro said. "Why is it so dark in here?"
"What, you're no good at seeing in the dark? I'm not having any trouble! None whatsoever!"
The Kansei student gasped, calling upon his rapier. A strange Shadow dropped from the ceiling of the store, nimbly leaping from one of the overhanging lights to the other. The Gnosis identified it as Neko Shogun.
"Aww, it's a kitty!" Akari said, her face glowing with excitement. "And way cuter than the Kabuso you showed me before, Kei!"
"H-Huh? Why are you looking at me like that, meow?!" The cat samurai said, hissing. "Who the heck are you guys?"
"We're your friends, here to look after you. And it looks like your fur needs a good brushing." Akari said, with a sinister smile, her eyes practically glowing as well. "It's been a while since I've had a chance to look after a cat. Be good for your new mommy Akari-chan, okay?"
"...I'm more scared of her than that thing." Hiroyuki said.
"Same..." Masato said, edging closer to the military man.
"I'll handle this." Michiko said. She pulled out what appeared to be silver hilts with both hands, but these immediately produced bright pink energy blades. "It's time to put an end to you, Shadow. Consider this your expulsion. Nidaba, come forth!"
Out of the blue smoke came a tan-skinned goddess, who wore a navy dress made out of countless shimmering beads and dark flowing fabic. Her hair was likewise long and flowing, dense and lavender in colour, reaching her feet. Adorning this impressive mane was a silver horned tiara, that appeared to have incorporated ears of grain and a crescent moon.
"Wow..." Natsumi said. "She's so beautiful! I love her!"
"Nidaba. The Sumerian goddess of writing, learning, and the harvest." Shintaro said.
"With you and Suzuki-sensei, we really don't need the Compendium in the Gnosis." Kei said, chuckling. The bookworm blushed, while Michiko laughed heartily.
Nidaba clicked her fingers, and in her hand came a giant leather book, the cover of which was blue and had a huge red tassel. In the other hand appeared a giant quill, made of lurid turquoise and pink feathers.
"I am thou. Thou art I. From thy sea of thy soul, I cometh. I art Nidaba, she who keeps records of those who need my aid and my wrath."
The feline Shadow snarled, baring it's fangs, and tried to bite the summoner – but was blocked in its tracks.
"Waste no time, Nidaba! Skyward Scribe!"
Gracefully, Nidaba made her book float in the air, and open to a blank page. With a quick jot of her quill, which began to glow green and blue, a huge whirlwind of the same colours sent the Shadow flying back into the same lights, banging into each of them. The sounds were quite cacophonous, of a cat shrieking in agony and the loud din of each bell-shaped light crashing into their surroundings.
"Incredible!" Shintaro said.
"I'll say. You didn't even paws to come up with a cat pun." Netuno said.
"I'll claw your throat out if you keep that up." Reia said, cracking her knuckles.
The Shadow hadn't quite perished from his foe's assault. Advancing, it prepared to strike – but it found its weapon was no match for the combined laser sword and knife Michiko swung out.
"Meow! You jerk! You just wait until that security lady gets you! Yeah, the one all the Shadows are talking about! She's way scarier than the other ladies in her group!"
"Wait!" Novalie said. "What other women do you know from Bythos?"
The Shadow didn't answer her, but instead vanished into darkness. The team looked at each other, uneasily.
"So an Aeon Admin could be here. That complicates things." Reia said, anxious. "From the sounds of it, it's not one of the four we know."
"Security lady?" Hiroyuki said, worried. "Hmm..."
"Something bothering you, Soldier Man?" Netuno asked.
Soldier Man? Is he phoning in these nicknames? I hope he doesn't come up with one for me...
"It's nothing, Netuno. I'm just concerned we could run into danger. The other Shadows hanging around could be even worse than that mangy cat." Hiroyuki said, calmly.
"We're used to danger by now. We have to be, after what happened during my absence." Michiko looked around, and saw a door marked as 'Authorised Personnel Only'. "Let's get to work. But we should be ready to escape at any time."
"Don't worry, Suzuki-sensei. We'll be careful." Shintaro said, hand over his chest.
Reia used an app on her Gnosis to simulate an ID scan, and thus, the way was clear. They ventured through a series of corridors, until they eventually reached the Lobby of the main building.
|Aramis HQ – Lobby|17:35 pm|
"These are the ugliest chairs I've ever seen." Hiroyuki said, gazing at a rather angular orange monstrosity the company expected their visitors to sit on.
"Really? But I like orange..." Kohaku said, sadly.
"Even on that abomination?!" Reia asked, her eyes wide with horror.
"To her, orange makes anything better." Shintaro said, smirking.
"Seriously? Why orange when purple exists?" Reia shook her head in dismay, while Michiko sighed.
"Ahem. Where do we go from here?" Novalie asked, looking around.
"There's a barrier on the fifth floor, meaning we can't go any higher until we figure out how to get past it. For now, however, we're going to explore this floor. Let's go further on to one of their IT rooms."
Following Reia's instructions the team waded through several offices – and battled several Shadows along the way. It didn't seem to faze anyone anymore – they summoned their Persona and slaughtered all the foes that dared to face them.
Why must violence become routine? If only using this sword was something I only read about. I didn't even want to join the Fencing Team at Kansei last year...
|Aramis HQ – Tech Support Hub|17:45 pm|
A rather plainly decorated room, even in this dimension, the room had at least ten computer desks, and many trays and shelves full of computer-related books and accessories. Reia was briefly fascinated by one employee's Atari ST, a computer that had been popular in Europe.
"Phew, getting here was a bit of a struggle..." Novalie said, clutching her arm. "And to think all my classmates at college are partying."
"Relax, Novalie-san, we're almost finished for today." Michiko said. She took a computer by the windows, and with her and Reia's expertise, managed to get inside the Aramis Network. "Hmm..."
"What's wrong, Suzuki-sensei?" Kohaku asked.
"This computer's running awfully slowly." Michiko said, tapping the ground with her feet in impatience. "We'll make a copy of the important files and transfer it to one of Reia's flash drivers. Although we might be here some time."
"Strange. These computers look pretty up-to-date..." Reia said, confused, as she aided Michiko. She retrieved a purple and pink metallic USB flash drive, and as soon as she put it into the computer, it began downloading masses of data, approaching 512 GB.
"Of course, the hard part is figuring out how much of this data is useful to us..." Hiroyuki said.
"I'm sure Netuno will be more than happy to assist Reia." Michiko said, brightly. "Right, Netty?"
"Is this just the night for bad nicknames?" Shintaro asked.
"It's something we did when we first met each other. Trying to think of lame nicknames, just to break the ice." Reia said, smirking. "As for this data, I think I can handle filtering through it myself. But there are a lot of strange applications on here. In fact...look at this."
She launched a program marked as 'PERSONA ARTIFICER', a minimalistic program in black and green colours. The minute it opened, it began displaying bizarre text:
ERROR: Connection to Shadow-Persona Server not available. Please resume connection before attempting to activate new Gnosis device.
Searching for Blank Gnosis devices...
Found: 0
Searching for True Gnosis devices...
Found: 11
"This looks like it's for giving blank Gnosis devices a Persona. So like what the Claret and Azure Squads had." Reia said. "Of course, we don't have any empty terminals on hand. But each of us has a true one."
"Why would this program be on here, though?" Shintaro asked.
"Perhaps they needed technical expertise to fine tune this program. And once it was finished, they installed it wherever their main server is." Michiko said. "The computer technicians at Aramis are highly regarded, after all. But we can analyse this program more efficiently once we return to the hotel."
"Wait, what's this?" Netuno asked, pointing to a file named 'NorikoA'. Reia opened it, and it was a text document. It read:
BREAKING NEWS – Noriko Ashikaga (15), daughter of Mayor Yoko Ashikaga of Shinshuto City, has died in hospital overnight from gunshot wounds.
The shooting took place outside of Motoi Middle School, when upon the end of the school day, a man reported to be in his late thirties emerged outside of his vehicle, a blue sedan, and fired indiscriminately towards the students.
No other students wereinjured, however Noriko was shot in the chest. While still breathing when the paramedics took her to Hanashima Hospital, she passed away from her injuries at 4:00 am, despite attempts to revive her.
The suspect has yet to be identified at this time, and is currently in police custody.
"The mayor's daughter? She died...?" Novalie said, stunned. "I've only been in Shinshuto a short time, I never knew about this."
"It was huge news at the time." Hiroyuki said. "The man who did it was an anti-government lunatic, who had broken out of jail. He was convinced that all systems of government was wrong, and that we should all be free to rule ourselves...and he must have thought that killing that innocent girl was the way towards that goal."
"He was given the death penalty, wasn't he?" Akari asked.
"Indeed. It's not something Shigeru likes to talk about. He and the Mayor are good friends, of course, but ever since Noriko died, she's become obsessed with her work. She doesn't want any time to herself. If she had a spare moment, she'd end up thinking about Noriko..."
"Noburo probably was friends with her too, right?" Shintaro asked.
"I guess so, but she was a bit older than him. She would have been eighteen this year. Before she could get accepted into high school, she died..." Hiroyuki said, sadly.
"Why is this here, though?" Masato asked. "I mean, it's a terrible story, but it doesn't make sense for it to be on Aramis' computers. Or does Bythos have something to do with Noriko's death?"
"What?" Natsumi said. "Bythos weren't even around three years ago. Maybe they have some plan to taunt the Mayor over this?"
"I don't know about that." Michiko said, disturbed. "It must be here for a reason, however. Reia, are we almost done?"
"53.43% complete. There's a lot more here than I expected. Now -"
Suddenly, there was a flashing red light, and the sound of a shrill alarm. Everyone gasped, and Akari screamed at the sound.
"...Shit." Reia said. "Shit!"
"Crap. Can't we just warp back to the hotel?" Hiroyuki asked.
"We can't! There's an anti-Aeon block on this building! We have to get out of this place, now!" Reia said. "This data will have to do for now!" She snagged the stick, and the group stormed out of the room. Shadows were everywhere, going by the Gnosis.
"We'll split up and get out of here as quick as possible. Everyone, hurry!" Michiko said.
Before long, Shintaro was running, and panting for breath, with his teacher by his side. Also accompanying him were Netuno, Akari, and Kei. While the rest had gone for the various fire exists, his team were going towards the front door.
|Artemis HQ – Lobby|18:01 pm|
"Looks like it's just us to make it out of the building!" Netuno said, running frantically.
"Hurry, everyone! We don't have time to lose!" Michiko said.
The five had reached the lobby, but to their dismay, there was a blue energy wall blocking the front door.
"Shit!" Shintaro said. "How will we get out of here?"
"In my custody, obviously."
The group gasped. Out of nowhere, bullets were fired, shattering all the glass around the group. Then, several panels from the ceiling fell, breaking into pieces. Leaping to the floor was a stern faced, athletic woman in a tight purple vest and jeans, combined with purple boots. She aimed her black pistols at everyone, eyeing them angrily.
"Holy shit!" Shintaro yelled.
"So it's just as that mangy cat samurai said..." Akari said.
"You should have known better than to break in one of our backers' facilities. What amateurs." The woman said, coldly. Her voice was sharp and authoritative – almost like a police officer's. "And the Wild Card is here, too. That's perfect. Listen carefully. I am of the Aeon Administrators of Bythos. My name is Rinaka Tamura."
"Really? Never heard of you." Netuno said.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Were you expecting me to be the lead of a terrible rockband as well?" Rinaka asked, snidely. "I know of you, Mr. Fonseca. Do you still hate us for what happened to your friend's pathetic lover?"
"How dare you!" Michiko said, disgusted, stepping forward. "Your group destroyed her hopes for the future! Was it you who did the deed?"
"Not me...I just happen to work closely with the one who carried out the deed." Rinaka said. "In truth, I was backup that night. But he succeeded with flying colours."
"Tell me his name, now!" Netuno demanded, irate.
"I'm not about to reveal his identity! I'm not here to give you a chance to kill him. As I said, I'm here to capture you." Rinaka said. "I'll subdue you all and take you to Nisa Liat. She'll be eager to see how much pain you can endure. Then it's a simple matter of finding the ones who did manage to escape."
"You're quite the dreamer, Tamura-san." Kei said, slyly. "But you'll have to get through me first. And your allies know by now how dangerous the Wild Card power can be..."
Rinaka laughed out loud, surrounded by a blue aura.
"Don't make me laugh. Children like you are just being exploited by that fucking self-righteous bitch called Mayor! You have no idea just what she turns a blind eye to! So blind, all of you. Let this be an enlightening battle. Breksta, you must appear!"
Rushing out of the smoke was a curvaceous female with a body that seemed both mechanical and organic. In her left hand, she was carrying a huge, sleek black rifle, that seemed to have glowing red lights all over it. In her right hand, was what seemed to be a huge rocket launcher. Most of her body was covered in a tight-leather outfit, that exposed a fair amount of cleavage – although the skin aside from her face seemed to be made from light blue metal. Her eyes were pure yellow, the face was snow white, and her hair was long, silken and silver in colour.
"I am thou. Thou art I. From thy sea of thy soul, I cometh. I art Breksta, she who keeps watch over the world from sunset til sunrise."
Shintaro gulped. He had seem plenty of feminine Personas during his forays into the Theio Kosmos, but none of them had weapons quite as mammoth as Breksta's. Still, he had to go on, so that all could escape this building with their lives.
"Rinaka, your friends couldn't beat us. And neither will you! We'll show to you just how misguided you are!"
She scoffed, and fired some shots. The battle had begun, and a bloodbath awaited all involved.
|Hanashima Hospital|18:15 pm|
Kaii was still in the same room, but with some help, he was able to walk – on crutches, but at least able to stand up. Now, however, he was sitting on a comfy chair, pouring a cup of water.
"You had any other visitors?" Toki asked.
"No, not yet. Akari was going to come, apparently, but she ended up having to do something with her parents, so she'll come another time." Kaii said. "So it's just you and me, once again."
"Probably just as well. More time to spend with your new admirers." Toki said, winking."
"Dad, they're called 'nurses'." Kaii said. "...You mind me calling you dad?"
Toki shook his head. "No, you dummy. I've missed hearing it."
"Well, you're gonna be hearing it a lot from now on." Kaii said, happily. "...Huh?" He was now looking out of the ward's window, and saw someone approaching. "We've got company."
"What the – it's him!" Toki said, standing up. Walking up to the door was a nervous, and still gloomy, Noburo. He opened the door, with an uneasy expression. The Aeon Admins were quiet, not quite sure where to look, or what to say.
"Um..." Noburo said. "I'm sorry I didn't come over earlier..."
Kaii shook his head, and despite his injuries, grabbed his brother's hand.
"Doesn't matter. You didn't have to come all the way here just to see me..."
"...Are you going to be okay?" Noburo asked. "You look like you're in a lot of pain..."
"Looks can be deceiving. But not this time. I can hobble about on crutches, but..." The young man shook his head. "I'm going to be in here for a few more days. After that...well, I might as well tell you know. Toki's asked me to live with him."
"Really?" Noburo asked, surprised. Toki nodded, and took out his phone, showing a picture of the apartment building.
"It's probably not as nice as your big house, but it's a got a lot of room." The former actor said. "And a good view of Asakita. Luckily, I'm good friends with the landlord, so with a bit of charm, we can have the dog too."
Noburo seemed pleased by this news, as he managed to smile.
"Course, I still need to fully recover, before I can even think about Shadows." Kaii said. He turned to his brother with a coy smile. "But...next time I tussle with those freaks, I'm gonna be on your team."
"What?" The boy asked, surprised.
"That's if you want me. And I guess Shigeru has to say it's okay too." The pained Aeon said. "...I really don't want to go back with Bythos. I can't stand anyone there. Well...except Toki, of course. He's still one of the coolest guys I've ever met. Even cooler, knowing who he really is now."
"Then if you're leaving Bythos..." Noburo looked to his father, curious. "What will you do? Are you quitting too?"
"To be honest, I wish I could just do that." Toki said. "But it's not that easy. Kid...someone on Bythos gave Teruko that Gnosis. The one with that damn monster inside it!" He angrily banged his fist against the armrest of his chair, seething with rage at the thought. "If I stay with them, I can get to the bottom of it. I want to know who gave her that damn Gnosis."
"So you're...pretending to still be loyal to Nisa Liat?" Noburo asked.
"That's the plan. I know I'm not so good with planning, but I'm an actor, remember? I can fake a good story. As far as the other Admins know, both of you two still hate me and have teamed up to take me down, and I'm distraught, and Nisa Liat is my last hope." Toki said.
"Wow. That sounds intense." Kaii said. "Can you really pretend to be that outraged?"
"I've felt a lot of outrage over my 48 years, you know. Mostly at myself, after I stopped blaming others for how bad my life ended up." Toki said, bitterly. "Trust me, I can fool them all. And whoever did it – whether it was Asami, Keiya, Rinaka – I'll make them pay. No, screw that. I'll kill them, right where they stand."
"Dad...please calm down. You're in a hospital, remember?" Noburo said, cautiously.
Toki took a deep breath, and looked up, apologetic.
"Sorry. I just...I hate seeing what this is doing to you." He said. "Mark my words, my boy. We'll get justice for Teruko. And I'll do what I can to make Bythos as a whole suffer, too."
"...I just wish I could have said goodbye." Noburo said, tearful again. "I..."
As he cried once again, his father took him in his arms, tearful himself.
|Artemis HQ – 18:20 pm||
Rinaka was an agile woman, clearly highly trained in combat. It seemed hard to land any sort of attack on her, as she darted all over the battlefield, even leaping over their heads, and her Persona had quite some power.
"Breksta, strike!"
The curvaceous Persona swayed to the side, as she fired a black missile seemingly made of darkness itself. Its cursed trajectory could not be evaded, as Shintaro found out.
"Argh!" He groaned. "Damn you! Garula!"
A great gust of wind came hurtling towards Rinaka, as directed by Ogma. She stood her ground, but her diligence wasn't enough, as she ended up in Netuno's warpath.
"Damn you to hell!" He yelled. "Your group destroyed my friend's happiness..."
"You believe happiness is anything but fleeting? You're so childish..." Rinaka said. "Argh!" His guitar flew into her, actually creating a small jolt of electricity. "Shit, that garish guitar..."
"Tam Kung! Now!"
A high-pressure Aques blasted Rinaka, soaking her and the surrounding area. Swearing loudly, she leapt up, and fired bullet after bullet into her musician enemy. She saw Akari and Kei advancing, however, and jumped even higher on top of one of the giant chandeliers, just avoiding their own melee strikes.
"You'll never reach me like that..." She scoffed.
"Eat this!" Michiko yelled. "Nidaba! Page of History!"
The educated goddess, with her mind alone, opened her book. Pages shot out, sharp as knives. However, Rinaka was able to avoid most of them, capable of ducking and jumping over them as required. Then she suddenly came tumbling to the ground, the chandelier having been cut down – leaving a severed electrical cable hanging loosely over the room.
"You fucking – die already!" Rinaka yelled. While she fired with one hand, she quickly used her Gnosis to conjure an item in her possession. It was a grenade, a large and dark green one. She hurled it, and it exploded near Akari, sending her flying.
"Ito!" Michiko yelled, scrambling to reach her student.
"I'm...fine..." Akari whined, getting to her feet. Rinaka quickly reloaded – and kicked Shintaro hard in the stomach as he tried to get near. "But...she's...tougher than I thought."
"You're better than you think. You can beat this pathetic Tamura. I know you can. I'll help you find the way." Michiko said.
"Pathetic? You've insulted me for the last time – ARGH!"
Michiko suddenly lunged forward, and slashed her foe across the chest with her laser sword. She quickly stabbed into her with the laser knife, and added to the pain with a forceful kick. With her penchant for high heels, this was quite a piercing kick.
"I've never seen Suzuki-sensei quite like this before." Shintaro said.
"You should see her when she gets serious." Netuno said, winking.
"Akari! We'll handle this together." Kei said. "C'mon, like you did with Natsumi once. When burning flames meet your mental prowess."
"Oh...I get it! That was pretty fun!" Akari said, with a sneaky smile. "Then let's go, Epona!"
"Morax, come forth!"
Brigid and Morax appeared high in the sky, and the former sent out a massive bombardment of fireballs, radiating fierce heat. The latter goddess, using her power over the mind, guided the balls with telekinesis, charging them with a pink hue. With her manipulation, they rained down one by one on Rinaka, severely scalding her.
"Pyrokinesis!"
"You BASTARDS!" Rinaka screamed, tearfully. "You haven't thwarted me just yet! Breksta!"
Summoning her Persona, she scattered her bullets all over, piercing those who tried to strike with dark bullets. Yet the Persona loaded her own gun, and took aim at Kei – launching a shot described by the Gnosis as the Perfect Murder. The shot was huge, and shrouded in an ominous blue flame. When it hit the Wild Card, there was a huge blast of energy that shattered the reception desk.
"Kei!" Shintaro yelled. "Are you -"
"I'm...fine..." Kei said, yet her voice was fearful. "It's just...I've never really seen Shadows use 'Gun' type attacks before."
"So even you can be taken off guard." Rinaka said, smugly. You'll never make good on your threats if you're that sluggish!" She taunted, shooting Shintaro right in the chest. He panicked, feeling the area he had been shot. It hurt, but via Ogma's protection, it hadn't quite ended his life.
"Dammit..." Shintaro said. Keeping up with her was hard. Was trying to fight her on a melee level even worthwhile? He wasn't sure, but either way, he had to do what he could. Starting with yet another Jet Flash.
"Gah!" Rinaka was blown into one of the orange chairs, which got heavily scratched from the gusts of wind. Shintaro warped behind, and struck – quickly getting shot in return.
"Ugh!" Shintaro yelled.
"You're pretty fond of that move, aren't you?" The mysterious Tamura said, smugly. "We remember every single trick you and your friends have used against us. I've been prepared for every single one of you."
"So you read up on us. You're a clever woman." Kei said. "And I must admit, you're certainly more experienced than Asami, when it comes to battling. Even so, you haven't quite won the day! Go, Tam Lin!"
The green-armoured knight manifested, and with a steely expression, plunged his spear into the angry Rinaka. This had become a Dream Needle. Yet the dark agent of Bythos clearly was a night owl, as she was very much still awake.
"Damn...!"
"Alright!" Netuno said. Michiko dashed in, trying to hit the agile enemy, but her laser weapons seemed to miss the mark. "...Looks like we need a boost. Tam Kung, give us a Hydro Holler!"
Tam Kung stomped the ground, and became shrouded with what seemed to be jets of blue water. He opened his mouth at the same time, and 'shouted' – generating a giant vibration of blue energy. As it passed through Shintaro, he felt his body get quicker. At the same time, Michiko was finally able to land a hit on Rinaka. In fact, she managed multiple.
"Clever...for a mediocre musician." Rinaka said, bitterly. She quickly threw two more grenades, which exploded much faster. Akari winced, the blast halting her own attack via her tonfas.
"How highly do you rate yourself for attacking children?" Michiko asked. "My own students, no less!"
"Ha! They would be better off dead than having to learn from you!"
Berserk, Michiko kicked and slashed at her opponent wildly, and Nidaba followed suit – with a mighty Psio. Impressed, Shintaro quickly replenished some of his own energy with one of his new lemon flavoured sweets. As quirky as Master Raine was, her inventory was equally as useful.
"That's what you get for insulting my teacher, you nasty bitch!" Akari yelled, clenching her fists. Noticing Kei's pained expression, she quickly used Epona's Diarama to soothe her classmate's wounds.
"I've only just met you and already I hate you..." Shintaro said, scowling. "Just give up! You're outnumbered!"
Rinaka gasped, but then burst out laughing. The others gasped, and for a moment, the chaos subsided.
"Do you honestly think you're going to win like that?" She asked, aiming her guns at her bookish opponent. "You only got the Cognition Cores out of pure luck! But I'm different from them. Far different. I've had to claw my way out of hell many times. This is no different!"
"You honestly think we were lucky? One of our own died when we got the Tarumi Core!" Kei yelled.
"...Then you should have stayed home after school! That way, you'll survive. Or can you not stand the idea of our reforming the city? Breksta, destroy that girl! Now!"
The Persona chuckled, and aimed her rocket launcher with only one hand. Shintaro gasped – and before anyone could do anything, a Striking Missile flew straight at Kei, exploding with blinding light.
That damn Persona of hers is getting on my nerves. What can I do to stop her?
"I know! Sukunda!"
Ogma's ailing spell connected, but Shintaro wasn't so sure it had worked – she was still leaping all over the place, barely giving anyone a chance to hit at her with their weapons. Had they been reliant on melee weaponry for too long?
"Shintaro-kun, what are you doing? Get out of the way!"
He gasped. Rinaka had thrown a dark grenade at his feet. In fact, she had hurled several. They exploded right then and there, and their energies seemed to combine rapidly, creating a fire storm. He barely managed to escape, but the room was filled with the smoke and heat.
"Are you alright?" Akari asked, running to his side.
"I don't know..." Shintaro said.
"Relax. I'm going to get her, and get her good! Soul Blade!"
Epona rode into the still burning room, and crafted a sphere of pure magic, coloured pink and purple. This force transformed into a mighty sword, possibly a zweihander. The blade struck Rinaka, creating a huge supernatural explosion.
"...Tougher than you look." Rinaka said, bitterly. "You're certainly more capable than Kaii, at least."
"Do you have any friends in Bythos? With that attitude, I suppose not..." Akari said, pitifully.
"I'm certainly more valuable as an Aeon Administrator than Murayama. He was such a fool, useless at anything but brute force. But I never questioned Nisa Liat on her decision. After all, it was thanks to her I was able to achieve my power as a Persona user!"
"That's not quite true, is it? Your Persona is from your own heart!" Michiko shouted. Unimpressed, Rinaka fired at her enemy, and Michiko did her best to fend off the bullets sent her way – and slashed her foe twice. With Nidaba, she concluded with a Garula.
"Ugh...must you prattle on so much?" Rinaka yelled. "I've had enough! Breksta -"
"Now, Kei!"
"Yes, sensei!"
Kei, using the power of Ame-No-Uzume, launched a psychic attack of her own, although her Psio didn't seem to quite connect. Swearing under her breath, she quickly tried to block a bullet via her katana. It didn't seem to quite work, however, much to Rinaka's amusement.
"Laugh while you can, you ugly witch! Dynamo Strings!"
Tam Kung played a short melody on its oar-guitar, and yellow guitar strings appeared and surrounded the gunslinger. They then began slowly electrocuting her – but only for a short time. With some fierce movements, she was able to bear the shock and break the chains, firing at her would-be captor in the process.
"Tch! Don't expect compliments to lower my guard. There's no way I'll show you mercy, not even if you were to return the Cores to us! I'll annihilate you, Kakusa! Forbidden Calamity!"
Out of the rocket launcher came a barrage of missiles, each shrouded in a blue energy. These missiles spun around in a cycle, then quickly struck the ground, creating a terrific explosion. Despite the intense pain and sound of the blast, Shintaro could still hear their new opponent laugh coldly.
"Argh..." Akari cried.
"Dammit...how in the hell did you pull that off!?" Netuno bemoaned.
"In this world, I have no constraints. Nisa Liat grants me the freedom to pursue justice! Unlike the wretched Japanese police. They got away with murder...bastards!" Rinaka shouted.
All of Bythos are so bitter against the world. I feel sorry for them, a little. But it's quite possible Rinaka is the one who gave Teruko the infected Gnosis. Even if she isn't, we must halt her!
"Suzuki-sensei!" Shintaro bellowed. "Please, lend me your strength. Your Nidaba and my Ogma. Together, our power can put an end to this despicable battle!"
"You know I'll always aid my students, Shintaro. Tamura-san, this is the choice we make. Your rhetoric will never make us side with you. Nor will your bullets. That's the only lesson I'll give you!"
Immediately, two giant cyclones appeared, one green, and one pale blue. They span around Rinaka in perfect sync, until they finally formed one huge cyclone of both colours.
"Dammit! What the hell is this?" Rinaka yelled. Angry, she tried to peer through the wall of air to target her enemies, but couldn't quite pinpoint either of them. "Breksta, hurry and break though -"
"Gemini Gale!"
The turbulent wind closed in on Rinaka, blasting her with the full force of the skies – sending her back and forth between the walls, and generating chaos all over the room. The others watched in awe, hesitant to move, lest they be sucked into this vortex of vindication.
The front doors had shattered, and millions of shards of glass were left. The alarms were ringing right there, deafening everyone present. A battered and beaten Rinaka slowly got to her feet, incensed.
"How?!" Rinaka yelled. "How did you pull that off?!"
"You got cheese in your ears?" Shintaro said. "It's the Wild Card's power! As long as we have that, we're unbeatable."
"Is that so...?" The sinister woman grumbled. "Then when Nisa Liat and your beloved Wild Card clash, what will happen?"
"Never mind that! What the hell are you doing working for Bythos? All you do is end people's happiness, not deliver it to them! You cold-hearted bitch!" Netuno bellowed.
"We didn't seek the Pleroma Princess out ourselves, you vulgar fool" Rinaka said, still scowling with pure hatred. "She chose us...how she came to know of our hardships, I still don't know. But she showed us the way we could right the wrongs of this city."
"What hardships have you had to endure?" Kei asked, gently. "The other allies of yours we've met have been quite unfortunate. You must have suffered too..."
"I don't intend to compete with my allies for the most tragic past..." Rinaka said. "After you saved my life, Kita-san...I joined the Japanese Police. It took a lot of work for them to take me seriously, but I had more strength than all the women at the academy! I made it...but those in charge were responsible for depravity. One of them got away with murder...and I couldn't do anything about it."
The remainder of the group ran in, and Rinaka swore under her breath. She caught eyes with Hiroyuki, and gasped.
"You! Trust you to show up when I've been had." Rinaka said, eyeing her wounded leg.
"Tamura!" He shouted. "I should have known. What the hell are you doing -"
"Obviously, I've been forced to retreat. Yet it won't be long before you suffer even worse. Farewell, Kita."
She pulled out what looked like a smoke bomb, and threw it on the ground. She had vanished by the time the smoke had cleared, and the lobby had begun to return itself to normal.
"You okay, Shintaro-kun?" Masato asked. "That lady looked dangerous. Sexy, but dangerous."
"Let's get out of here." Natsumi said, rolling her eyes. "We've gotten some valuable information, and we ought to get it researched properly. Right, Reia?"
"Right. Michiko, how'd you handle that? First time you've been up against a human in this world, right?" Reia asked.
"Nothing to it." Michiko said, proudly. "In fact, Nidaba was better than ever."
The team ended back in the Gold Laguna, with the data they had stolen in tow.
|Golden Laguna|19:00 pm|
"...So she almost died that night?" Novalie asked, shocked. Hiroyuki, after some pressure from Michiko, had begun to tell the tale of how he knew their deadly adversary, the gun-wielding Rinaka.
"That's right. It was an attack by a crazy cult – the Burning Sun. Playing with fire was their speciality. With fire, there's no telling what it could do in the wrong hands. That just made them more curious to find out." Hiroyuki said. "The cult themselves set fire to almost every house in the area, and burned themselves in the process. Up till then, they'd just been a minor nuisance, but this was huge – the worst incident we had before Shinshuto became a proper city."
I think I remember those people. They were probably even crazier than Bythos, with all their strange spiels about their 'greatest god' and the 'immolation regeneration' papers they posted everywhere.
"So Rinaka survived, then she joined the police. And recently, she left to start her own security firm. Around the same time, she also joined Bythos. This is horrible..." Akari said. "Is it because of what happened to her family that she joined Bythos?"
"I'm sure she holds a grudge against many people." Kei said. "She seems to be...a bitter woman, I can say that much. One bad experience after the other has no doubt hardened her, even more than Asami."
"And she knows who killed Leonora's fiance..." Kohaku said, turning to Netuno. "We have to find out who did that, as well. And put a stop to him."
"Yeah! I'll bash his face in for you!" Masato said, cheerfully. "As long as I can crush Keiya into dust as well, of course."
"Solberg-san is such an idiot." Shintaro said. "If he knew exactly what sort of people he was associating himself with..."
"He thinks he knows what they're really like. But he's never been to the Theio Kosmos, or seen a Shadow. He's completely oblivious. Going after him is a waste of time." Hiroyuki said. "Although it does mean he'll be at risk if something should go awry. He might feel safe with Bythos, yet the way I see it, he's put himself and his entire family in great danger."
"Evelina-senpai..." Natsumi said, looking out the window. "I wonder if she has any idea what her father is up to. Their family business is funding such an evil group, and she's caught in the middle."
"If only I could have done more for her..." Hiroyuki said, regretfully. "I might have saved her from dying that night, but her life since then clearly hasn't been a happy one. The fact is, if we continue to fight her, I might have to put a bullet in her head. Unless she puts two in mine."
"Does it have to be that way?" Michiko asked, melancholic.
"It's too late to stop her from being her enemy. Her mind is made up, and so is mine." He said, standing up. "It's time for me to get home. You all should head back yourselves. Especially you kids."
Shintaro wished he could say something that would cheer him up. Yet even with his favourite teacher fighting alongside him, anxiety still seemed to block any encouraging words.
Just what more horrors could be lurking behind the doors of Bythos?
|Mayor Ashikaga's Home|22:00 pm|
It had been a long evening of work at home, and Yoko Ashikaga was finally about to go to sleep. With no one living here but herself, she had least could expect a quiet night. Yet to go back to the days of a warm, noisy, family home would be heaven for her.
As she entered her bedroom, she saw something beneath the crest of drawers. A sheet of white paper, with elaborate handwriting on it. Confused, she picked it up, and read it carefully. It didn't seem like anything had been taken, nor were there any other signs of forced entry.
If you can read this, then please don't cry.
I know all too well how you've suffered these lonely years.
And I'm sure you know already, but it is a sad reality.
The city of Shinshuto that you seek to build cannot be attained in this world.
Do not despair. The world I can survive in will be more than enough for all our dreams to come true, and none can stop me.
I will soon be able to invite you there.
I will just need to test that you are truly mine.
Someday soon, we will be together.
I will be able to cut through the despair of your heart,
And all will prosper under our rule.
"What is this?!" Yoko asked. "Who's there!?"
There was total silence. For a second, it felt like she was being watched, but the bedroom was empty except for her. She looked out the window, but all she could see was the surroundings of her home.
Someone had carefully prepared this message for her, and she had a feeling there would be more messages to come. Was this person serious with their offer of ruling Shinshuto together? And the other world they mentioned. Was this connected to the talk of 'Cosmos' she had heard from Shigeru?
"...Perhaps, Shigeru, we need to make use of the Theio Kosmos. If it can lead Noriko-chan back to me...we must."