AN: Now that I've finally finished Duality, I can focus on writing Gnosis. I'm very sorry for the long wait for this chapter, but I'm planning Arc IV already. Please read, review, favourite, follow, etc! And if you haven't seen the final chapters of Duality yet, please look at those too! Thanks for reading!
Chapter 35: Relentless Deception
|Crystal Altar|17:56|
"Noburo, I'll handle Svante!" Masato said, dashing over.
"Thanks...Kohaku, I'm following your lead now!"
Relieved to see him, she smiled, yet the chaotic enemy before her remained full of unknown power. She would need to fight at her full strength to vanquish it.
"Kaii, Netuno, keep an eye on those Admins," Hiroyuki said, pointing to the fallen Keiya and Rinaka. "This will be a dangerous battle, but one I'm determined to win."
"Hiroyuki-sensei! Thank you..."
Kohaku, grateful for his support, felt her fatigue slowly fade away. Now she was determined to slay this creature, however formless it was.
"I'll take this one too. I have to find out what the hell it is..." Reia said, anxious. "Let's go! Eunomia!"
Using her magic, the Persona created a starry burst of ice - the Southern Cross. A dust of ice spread all over, and the being called Chaos seemed to shake somewhat violently during the brief blizzard.
I have to stop worrying about what it is, and focus on destroying it! It's already killed three people tonight!
"Airmid!"
With her Persona's Terra Grace, her healing and earth powers surged even higher. Bolstered by this, she jabbed rapidly at Chaos, as did Noburo with his swords. Despite their enemy being a cloud of gas, it felt like they were cutting through something with actual mass.
"This isn't the same thing that killed Teruko, is it?!" The teen actor screamed. Aengus, sharing his master's righteous anger, cast down a Kouga, which flashed brightly.
"Whatever this abomination is, it must be stopped!" Hiroyuki yelled. "Masamune!"
Equipping the Maihadare, the swordsman slashed through Chaos with severe cold. During this frosty onslaught, Evelina fired her bullets, which did seem to collide – they didn't phase through – but had little effect.
"Ah!" She yelled as a red 'sword' of light swung at her. "Where is that coming from?"
"Be careful!" Kohaku yelled, ducking under the being's blade.
"I-I will!" Evelina replied. "Here we go, Aoife! Eiga!"
A pulse of darkness hit Chaos, causing its unstable body to shake even more. Floating high, it flashed blue, and then brought down the ice storm of Mabufula.
"S-Stop!" Svante yelled. "I can't..."
No, not again. Not after Teruko!
Kohaku looked at her weary friends, and called on Airmid once again. A rejuvenating Mediarama soon healed away the frosty pain Chaos had caused, and with this, Reia followed up with a Kouga of her own.
"Reia, any thoughts on what this thing is?!" Noburo asked.
"Not yet!" She cried, dodging a beam of red light. To her horror, she was near a huge puddle of blood, from Itaru's hand. Shuddering, she quickly stepped away from it. "It might be an illusion the EX-NIHILO is using to fool us."
"Evelina, if it's the EX-NIHILO, then this is the same bastard that killed my girlfriend! Teruko was only 15…!"
Stunned, Evelina looked at him, with a guilty look on her face.
"I have to stop him! Even if it isn't, it's still a threat to Shinshuto, isn't it?!"
"Y-Yes..."
"Then come on, Aengus! Lion's Blade!"
With two heavy swings, the Persona tried to slice Chaos in half. In response, it spun wildly, and an invisible sword hit Noburo across the chest.
"Oww!" He yelled. "You bastard! You've taken enough lives!"
"Aoife, shoot it to pieces!"
Evelina, having fired even more bullets, summoned her Persona, herself a master of marksmanship. Two gigantic gunshots hit Chaos right in the centre, causing its body to briefly break apart into smaller pieces. Yet it soon reformed, and began floating near Kohaku.
"Get back!" She yelled, slashing it with her naginata. At the exact time, she felt a surge of strength – from a Tarukaja. "Huh?"
"Stay sharp!" Hiroyuki called. "You can't afford to waste any energy, especially not tonight!"
Kohaku nodded, and continued her strikes, as bullets from all directions hit Chaos. However, it was not halted, and summoned a flaming Agilao to consume its attacker.
"Oww!" She yelled. "I...I won't lose to you!"
Its power to use both Ice and Fire made Kohaku wonder just what else this Shadow could do. Could it be similar to Kei's power to adapt to any situation? Was she fighting the Wild Card itself? She continued to strike, and as she did, she hoped Shintaro was having better luck wherever he was.
|Mirror Maze Menagerie|18:06|
Tetsuo, overcome with emotion, watched in terror at the battle that was taking place. His eldest son was now swinging his claw at these three ghost-like girls, each one with murderous intent.
"Die! Then we can get Asami-chan away from you all!" Morta yelled, trying to slice the young man with her shears.
"What is she talking about?!" Toshiaki yelled. "Wait, it doesn't matter. You girls are trying to kill my dad and my little brother! Like hell you well, you bitch!"
Hurriedly, he threw one of his grenades, which exploded with aplomb.
"Shintaro," Kei said, as her katana clashed with Nona's distaff. "These Shadows must be defeated together. Otherwise, they will never be allowed to rest."
"Then...we should try to beat them in one go. Right?" Shintaro asked.
Kei nodded, and summoned the angel Power. With its holy light, it struck the three Parcae with a divine Makouha. All three of them groaned in pain, while Asami watched in horror.
"I've been grieving for all three of you for so long...now I have to put you all to rest." She said, holding back her tears. "I never wanted you to come back this way. Kaihime! Help me!"
Her Persona zipped into being, and with three precise thrusts of Lancer, impaled Nona. Reacting badly, she screamed, her voice echoing throughout the bizarre hall.
"You traitor!" She screamed. "I'll burn you alive -"
"Wait, no! Get him! He's their iceman!" Decima said, pointing at the bewildered Toshiaki.
"Thanks! Okay, guess you can burn first! Your dad and your brother might get sad, but I don't care about them! We'll just cremate them afterwards! Hehe!"
Dancing merrily, Nona sadistically tapped into her Untamed Flames, scorching Toshiaki. While he was reeling from the flames, Decima and Morta warped right in front of him, and hit him painfully with their two weapons.
"No!" Shintaro yelled.
"I...I'm okay...I think…" Toshiaki said.
"Son!" Tetsuo screamed. "...You all have to protect my son! If you don't -"
"We won't fail, Yukimora-san." Kei said. "We still remain ourselves. These Anomalies stand no chance of defeating us. Nor does anyone in Bythos, for that matter!"
"Right!" Shintaro yelled. "Garula!"
The gale of wind sent Decima flying, and as she hit, both Shintaro and Natsumi struck with their weapons, full of conviction.
"Natsumi-chan." Shintaro said. "...We can't allow either of them to escape. Otherwise, we'll never defeat them. That 'Seal Evil' app can't hold them forever either, as you just saw!"
"I know that, Shintaro-kun. I'll keep setting fire to the ice one, so Toshiaki-senpai can cool off the fire one. You keep Decima airborne! How does that sound?"
"Yes, that should be our plan..." Kei said, using her healing items on Toshiaki. "I'll do what I can to attack all of them at once. That way, we should be able to wear them all done simultaneously."
"Thanks," Natsumi said. "Brigid, burn!"
A roaring Agilao consumed Morta, and during her torturous screaming, a frigid Bufula hit Nona.
"Sorry, Dad. Yuudai, don't worry. We'll make it out of here alive." Toshiaki said, looking at his family with a warm smile. "These girls won't get a chance to hurt you. I swear!"
"Right!" Shintaro cried, stabbing Morta as rapidly as he could.
"You'll never win, not while you're all insignificant humans!" She screamed. "Freeze to death! That way, your sweet parents can still identify your corpse!"
What?! How far gone are these girls? I will return home safely, no matter what!
Twisted beyond all redemption, Morta cruelly blasted Shintaro with her Chaos Blizzard. A chilling attack, to be sure, but at least the other two Parcae didn't follow up with their assault.
"Whatever made them human is long gone." Kei said, sadly. "Don't blame them, Shintaro-kun. They've been driven to insanity by fate..."
"Yes, but I didn't think they'd be so full of hatred..."
"If only you were like us, geek! Then maybe you'd understand just how much we hated the human world! And why we want to make this world ours and ours alone!" Decima cried.
"Ayako, that's..." Asami began. "The world can be changed! It doesn't have to be painful!"
Natsumi shook her head. "It's too late. Like Kei said, they've got no humanity left in them. Just all their negative emotions...the only thing we can do is put a proper end to them, here and now."
"Stop acting like we're horrible mutations! We belong here! Let us live here forever, away from those evil humans!" Decima wailed.
Her despair echoed with the falling Fate Pillar, which struck Natsumi rather powerfully. Screaming, she hit back with a blinding array of kicks and swings of her staff. Decima tried to get back, but she was stabbed from behind by Asami.
"...I'm sorry, Ayako! I never wanted this to happen!"
Kei quickly switched back to La Llorona, and called forth the psychotic power of Mapsio. All three of the Parcae screamed, clutching their heads in agony.
"I...I remember the beach!" Nona yelled.
"Y-Yes, that's right...we always used to go there..." Decima said, weakly.
"All four of us were so happy back then..." Morta lamented. "Once we're done, let's go back to the beach with Asami...then it'll be like before! Only this time, it'll never end! No one can make it stop!"
"I'm sorry, girls, but you won't be able to relive those days." Kei said, sadly. "No matter how hard you try to recreate the past, it will never be the same. You can't stay in one time, you have to move forward. No matter how painful it is."
Why does she sound so upset by those words? Is it to do with what she was trying to tell me before? If only Kei would open her heart…
"S-Shut up! If you would just die, then we wouldn't have to feel any pain any more! Eat this!"
Kei tried to block with her katana, alas she was sent spinning by the Destiny Spinner. Shintaro ran to her aid, and helped her stay on her feet.
"Shintaro...thank you."
"Don't worry about it. I have to keep fighting. So that someday, you'll tell me everything."
"Everything?" Kei asked, eyes wide. "...I don't know if you'd be able to handle that."
"...What? Why?"
"Could you focus, boy?" Tetsuo said reproachfully. "I'd be much more relaxed if you worked on fighting those creepy ghost girls!"
Gulping, Shintaro rushed back into the fray, slashing wildly at Nona and Morta. Then, he called down Ogma, whose own Whirling Blade sliced through all three of the phantom girls.
"Kaihime, onward!"
Upon Asami's command, the warrior Persona shot forward with her Pyre Pike, burning Morta quite severely. At the same time, a Bladed Circuit was thrown by Brigid, cutting deep into the Parcae's bodies.
"Ugh!" Morta was absolutely disgusted, judging by her face.
"Why do we have to keep dealing with these stupid Persona things?" Nona whined.
"Relax, girls. Once we win, it'll all be over. We just have to drive all humans out of the Theio Kosmos for good! Then this will be our world. We don't need anybody else!" Decima cried. "I'm gonna kill the ponytail kid first!"
In an attempt to fulfil her threat, she conjured Wild Lightning, except this time, they were all focused on Shintaro. Screaming in agony, he collapsed, convulsing.
"Nice job – ah!"
Nona was quickly under attack by Asami's spear, each thrust spurting 'blood' all over the area.
"Moriko, I can't let this go on! Even if you never forgive me, I have to finish you all off..."
"Why are you so scared of becoming a Shadow?" Morta asked, furious. "There's nothing to be afraid of. All the limits of your human body are gone! Society doesn't have any power over us any more! And the strength we have can shape the world! Just give in and join us!"
"No!" Natsumi yelled. "She's not going to give up her humanity! The Theio Kosmos is not a sanctuary. It's hell! What happened to you all was horrible. If there's no way to make you all human again, we have no choice but to kick your asses!"
"That's never gonna happen!" Morta yelled.
With her Fate Render scissors, she struck Natsumi as savagely as she could. Yet neither the current hour nor minute had '4' - thus, while painful, the fashion lover wasn't defeated just yet.
"These girls don't play fair, do they? Just as well I don't either..."
Nona looked up in confusion – only for Conchobar's Frost Flash to hit her, with wintry wrath.
"You okay, Natsumi?" Toshiaki asked.
"Y-Yeah. That just really hurts..."
Asami prepared to strike again, and then ran straight at Nona, stabbing once again.
"...Shintaro." Kei said, helping him up. "We must keep fighting. So that we can return to everyone else with good news."
"That's right..." Shintaro said, still shaking from the electrocution. "Kohaku is fighting her best too. I hope she's safe."
"It's Kohaku. Of course she will be."
|Crystal Altar|18:16 pm|
Chaos truly lived up to its name. Unlike any other Shadow that Kohaku had seen, it seemed to have no real pattern to its attacks, or any single element it preferred. One minute, it was blasting its foes with fire, the next it was firing 'bullets' from afar. Even the EX-NIHILO wasn't like this thing.
"Begone!" Kohaku cried. "Magnara!"
A blast of the earth struck the chaotic Shadow, while Reia's scythe went straight through it.
"This thing isn't even making a sound..." She said, as her blade clashed with the invisible sword of her wispy nemesis. "Even the EX-NIHILO had a few words to say."
"Less talk, more action," Hiroyuki said curtly. He aimed carefully, and fired a bullet right into the centre of Chaos.
"Yes, sir!" Reia complied eagerly, as she summoned Eunomia.
Her twin Virtuous Needles cut through the gaseous 'body' of Chaos, wafting away some of the smoke that made up its 'form'. It flew up, then collided with her, sending her back onto the ground.
"Fudo!"
A rain of sharp tanto fell onto Chaos, each one causing a brief flash of light as it pierced its 'body'. In retaliation, it fired a red laser, which caused a small explosion.
"Randomness incarnate..." Noburo said, utterly confused.
"Father..." Evelina said, looking at her father with unease. He was no longer making any sound, and while Masato was dutifully watching over him, the boy had no idea what to do.
"...Keep fighting!" Kohaku yelled. "It's the only way we can save your father."
"Aoife! Now!"
The Cursed Crosshair appeared over Chaos, and immediately, two black lasers struck it in its core, with a potent dark blast of evil energy. During this, Kohaku lunged forward, her naginata sharper than ever before, yet she was suddenly sent flying back.
"H-Huh?! Argh!" She yelled, in agony. "How is that possible?"
"I don't understand. It worked fine before..." Noburo said, concerned. "Did anything we tried before have any effect? What if it was absorbing some of our moves?"
Chaos, unwilling to answer any questions, flew near Kohaku, still reeling from her fall. She looked behind her, and gasped. She was dangerously close to the roof. One wrong move, and she might fall. Even Airmid wouldn't be able to save her from this height.
"No! I can't end up like the Jade Squad…!"
"Aengus! We need your help!"
To Kohaku's relief, a Shining Wall appeared in front of her, as well as the rest of her team. This barrier appeared just in the nick of time. The Deathbound that Chaos used was reflected in full, smiting the alien being with divine light.
"You're alright, senpai!" Noburo said, grabbing Kohaku's arm. She got to her feet, and ran with him to the centre of the room.
"Noburo-kun, thank you! I could have died if you hadn't..."
"You're...my senpai. I couldn't let anything happen to you." Noburo said, earnestly. "Teruko would never forgive me if I failed here. Let's put a stop to Chaos!"
"Right! Clocha Ghlais!"
Airmid created her healing stone, which struck Chaos with the power of earth, while simultaneously healing the allies around her.
Noburo smiled, and with the help of Aengus's Shimmer Spire, he launched himself into the sky, then drove his blades into Chaos. The divine energy radiated all over, almost blinding everyone else.
"Evelina..." Svante said, weakly. Masato jumped with fright. "I'm so...sorry..."
This man's deteriorating rapidly. Is it going to be like Teruko?
"I...I might never see your mother again...or your grandmother. Please, tell him I'm sorry...coming to this country should have been a new beginning, not the end..."
"...Stop hurting my father!" Evelina shouted. She fired all her remaining bullets, and when she was finished, she summoned Aoife. "Make that thing suffer! If it wants to take my father to hell, then it's going there long before he is!"
A cursed Eiga exploded, dark energy polluting all of Chao's body. It seemed to sink lower, for reasons unknown. Perhaps it was finally reaching its limit.
"Eunomia!"
Reia's Persona pointed her needles to the sky, and two fireballs appeared, one red, one blue. These spiralled around Chaos, until they erupted into a Twin Flare, burning both colours.
"You're quite varied yourself, Rimando. I'm impressed." Hiroyuki said, proud. He ducked another laser barrage, and fired back with a rather loud shot.
Chuckling, the fashion designer shrugged. "What can I say? My store has a wide variety of styles, just like me. Even my Persona can adapt to anything. Just like your Masamune and all of his toys."
"Toys, eh? I wouldn't recommend playing with this one. Bakuenken!"
The burning sword emerged, and was thrown at the Shadow's centre, causing it briefly to become a giant fireball itself. It quickly changed back to its multicoloured lurid form, however, and flashed with almighty power. A Megido exploded, with energy unlike any spell Kohaku had seen before.
In a daze, she saw the world spin around her, and everything seemed to have slowed down to a crawl. As she hit the ground, she wondered if Shintaro was in the same bind. Was there a foe he couldn't vanquish too?
|Mirror Maze Menagerie|18:28 pm|
Far from the fracas, Tetsuo and Michiko gazed at the fallen Shiro. His body hadn't stirred since his sacrifice.
"...Shouldn't we get him to a hospital?!" Tetsuo yelled.
"Do you really think we can just run outside and call one, where we are just now?" Michiko retorted. "His Persona's stronger than you think. He'll live."
"Is my brother okay?" Yuudai asked, looking over at him.
"He's doing his best," Michiko said, however, she remained tense and anxious.
Hurriedly, Toshiaki tossed another grenade – and it collided with Nona just as it was about to explode. Before the smoke had a chance to clear, Kei and Asami attacked, their weapons swung with great force.
"Come, Camazotz!"
An evil-looking bat Persona emerged, of Mayan mythology. Having been fused with efficiency in mind, it tapped into its energy to unleash Mafreila, radiating energy of immense pain.
"Oww!" Nona yelled. "No fair! How come that girl gets to summon so many different Personas?"
"She's just like Nisa Liat – a bitch!" Decima replied, hatefully.
"Just for that..." Shintaro said, glaring at his ghostly enemy. "Ogma! Jet Flash!"
A sharp gust of wind hit her right in the chest, and before she had a chance to react, Shintaro appeared right behind her, and slashed her with as much strength as he could muster.
"That's cheating too!" Nona said, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I hate you! All of you can go to hell!"
A fiery Maragilao ignited, and it was of high strength – especially for the icy Toshiaki. Falling, he groaned in pain.
"No! Son!" Tetsuo cried, hands clasped over his face in horror.
"Bro, hang in there!" Yuudai screamed, clenching his fists.
While Kei and Shintaro ran nearer to Toshiaki, Asami was stabbing and slashing at all her foes, more tearful than anyone else in the room. Her reason for joining Bythos was to get justice for what happened to her friends. Yet now, it appeared that Bythos itself was at fault.
"Why? Why didn't Nisa Liat tell me any of this?!" She yelled. "...I have to find out the truth. Kaihime, now is the time!"
Raising her spear, Kaihime summoned lightning energy to engulf her weapon, turning it into a Shockwave Spear. Right after this, she impaled Morta, creating a thunderous explosion full of sparks.
"Asami, keep going! I'm with you all the way! Convection Course!"
Natsumi and Brigid were in perfect sync – soon, Morta was trapped in a burning sphere, and neither Nona nor Decima could free her. Brigid then grabbed the sphere, winked at Natsumi, and hurled it in her direction.
"Take this!"
With a huge wing, Natsumi sent Morta flying high into the sky. As she fell, another of Toshiaki's grenades exploded.
"No! You bastards!" Nona said, stomping on the ground with both feet. "There are enough bullies in the Akartharto Kosmos! Why do you have to come to this world and ruin our new lives?!"
"Your lives...are already over." Kei said, tearfully. "This isn't the afterlife you deserve."
"What the hell do you know?!" Decima screamed.
I've been wondering the same thing for a long time. And honestly, it scares me. Like everything that's happened to me since I got this Gnosis.
"...I'm sorry."
With her katana, Kei slashed Decima, slashing apart the Fate Pillar that almost fell on her. The two clashed their weapons, sparks flying.
"Senpai..." Natsumi turned to Toshiaki, worried. "Are you okay?"
"Fine...considering the circumstances." He said, darkly laughing. "This has been one hell of a night. And it's still not over yet. Conchobar, hurry this up!"
The Persona nodded, and using his helicopter's weapons, fired a huge shell – the Northern Mortar. It exploded in front of Morta, blasting her into a wall. The smoke seemed to be like an icy mist, and even Shintaro felt a shiver down his spine.
Finally rising, Morta was enraged. Stretching her arms as wide as she could, she summoned a very frigid Mabufula, chilling all it touched to the bone.
"Oww..." Natsumi groaned. Asami seemed to be in even worse shape, falling to her knees.
"...Silkie!"
Switching to another Persona, Kei was on hand to heal her allies. The kindly green-skinned fairy spun around, generating the soothing Mediarama.
"Thanks, Kei..." Shintaro said. Now, with his body free from searing agony, he called Ogma back, and launched a fierce Garula – almost blowing Decima away.
"Go away already!" Decima screeched. A mighty Mazionga was released, shocking all within its reach. Shintaro doubled over in pain, clutching his chest.
"Shintaro!" Michiko cried from afar.
"Don't worry, sensei..." Kei said. "We'll win this."
"Yeah, what she said!" Toshiaki cried. He stabbed Nona with his claw, then threw a grenade right in her face. As it exploded, his Persona Conchobar soared high, then fired a Heli-Gunner machine gun at her – spraying her with bullets.
"How dare you hurt my friend like that!" Morta snarled. Her Fate Render slashed through Toshiaki powerfully, yet she was soon set aflame by an Agilao. "Ah!"
"Senpai, how was that?" Natsumi asked, panting for breath.
Toshiaki smiled, gazing at his schoolmate's face. "You're doing great. That fire is intense. I'm gonna have to be more careful around you..."
Their moment of levity was interrupted, however, by a vengeful Nona. She rushed forward, and with a Fate Spinner, sent Natsumi and Toshiaki hurtling towards the ground.
"I'm sick of you human bastards! I don't care about your world anymore! Let us just stay here...we'll be safe there forever!"
Asami shook her head. Her anger already at boiling point, it erupted even more with Kaihime's Flaring Fury. Now, her rage was uncontrollable. Lashing at all of the Parcae in front of her, her roars echoed deep within Shintaro's ears.
"...Kei." He said, slowly. "We've got to end this quickly. So that we can save Asakita from Bythos!"
"Yes. And that we can share good news with Kohaku and the others."
|Crystal Altar|18:40 pm|
Chaos' power still seemed to be utterly random. It appeared to have access to just about any skill a Shadow or Persona could learn. Just as it finished swinging its 'sword', around, however, something even more bizarre happened.
Its 'body' suddenly turned green, and flashed rapidly for a few moments. Then, it dissipated, and standing on its spot was none other than EX-NIHILO.
"W-What the hell?" Reia shouted. "So it was you all along?!"
"I had a feeling it was him..." Noburo said, angrily.
Kohaku had many questions about what had just happened. Yet, the battle was still ongoing. The Shadow fired blasts of Ex Nihilo at all within its sight, blighting them with ethereal power. She had to do something, and fast.
"Mediarama!"
Airmid's healing powers restored everybody once again – yet as she did, her own energy reached its zenith. Kohaku had been healing so much this evening, she forgot to check her own reserves. Now, they had no choice but to end it now.
"Reia!" Hiroyuki shouted. "Let's merge our strength. A combined assault ought to bring this thing down once again!"
"Agreed. It's the first time I've done one of these with you. I have to say, I'm looking forward to seeing what we come up with! Eunomia!"
"Masamune!"
In a pose of deep thought, the master swordsman created a completely ordinary-looking saber, with a sharp, honed blade. In response, Eunomia jabbed it with her needles, imbuing it with divine white light. Soon, the entire blade grew in size, and became almost pure light itself.
"Saint Sabre!"
Quickly, Masamune and Eunomia used their powers to control the blade from afar – and swiftly slashed through the EX-NIHILO, each slash creating a trail of blue. Soon enough, the blade vanished.
Evelina, wary, looked at the rest of her team.
"Do you think that did it – whoa!"
The creatures' head soon fell off, having been decapitated cleanly. Then came its arms and legs. The torso them fell to the ground in a bloody heap and vanished into a puddle of black blood. Its sword lingered for a moment, only to fade too.
This Shadow gets even worse every time I see it. Why does it keep coming back to life? How many people does it need to harm?
"...Don't you dare come back this time!" Noburo screamed, clenching his fists. At the same time, Evelina ran to her father, who finally had been freed of his red aura.
"Evelina..." Svante muttered, sitting up straight. "Is it over?"
"Y-Yes." She replied, kneeling down beside him. "That thing won't come back to get you anymore. Not with me around."
"Of course not. No one's tougher than my daughter..."
The malignant aurora dispersed, and the insubstantial creature faded from existence. There was a strange sound of something metallic clanging to the ground, but it was hard to tell where it had come from. Regardless, the battle was over.
"Are you alright?" Reia asked gently.
"I-I think so, but..." Kohaku stammered, stunned. "Why did Chaos turn into the EX-NIHILO? Was it always that Shadow in disguise?"
"I still don't know. This is something we'll have to discuss with the others, once we return to base. The important thing to remember is that we won. We should take some comfort in that, rather than worry."
"I guess you're right," Noburo said, looking over to Evelina and her father. "No one died because of that evil monster this time. That's enough for me."
Kohaku looked to the ground, and saw the few traces left of the Jade Squad's own Gnosis devices. She shuddered. Down on the ground were the corpses of three young men, killed mercilessly by a phantom being. And no matter how merciless they were, there would always be a chance the EX-NIHILO would return.
Masato was shaken himself, yet he soon focused his gaze on the wounded Keiya.
"You guys just keep causing more and more trouble for us to solve. And because you screwed up, more of your soldiers are dead. You don't deserve to rule this city! What Yuchi did was awful, but you're not much better! Using your powers to torture people - you're worse than Shadows!"
"Damn child..." Keiya moaned, trying to get to his feet. "Must you act...like you're in some cheesy shonen manga? Where you spout pretty little speeches and we're supposed to realise...we were wrong all along? I refuse to give up!"
"Yet thanks to your grudge, Yuchi Okamoto is dead. Are you not satisfied?" Hiroyuki asked, coldly. The card magician scowled at him, but said nothing.
"...Look!" Evelina said, pointing to the altar.
It broke apart, and like what had transpired in Tarumi and Mizuho, a Cognition Core had appeared before everyone. Its colour was different – a lurid pink – but it was much like the others.
"Good, Evelina!" Rinaka said, exuberant. "Now at least, we finally have a -"
"What the hell do you mean 'we'?" Evelina said, angry. "After what I've seen tonight, there's no way I'd hand this thing over to you!"
"W-What?!"
Kohaku gasped, as Evelina walked over to her, smiling. She stretched out her arm, and held the core in her hand. Quickly, Kohaku took it into her own – and her Gnosis quickly absorbed it. As she did, the building soon reverted to it's ordinary office appearance, without any hint of the fracas that occurred here.
"No, you mustn't!" Keiya screamed.
"Evelina! Please..." Svante said, shocked.
"We'll talk later, Father."
"Evelina...are you giving up on Bythos?"
The Swedish girl nodded, looking straight into Kohaku's eyes.
"Absolutely. Bythos' ways are far too cruel, and look what my father has become, all because of them!" Evelina said. "I can't end up that same way. So please let me join you all."
"Senpai, you mean it?!" Masato asked, excited.
"Course. Besides, your team could use some Chieki strength if they want to stand any chance." Evelina said, smirking. "I have to do something to restore the Solberg name, and your team seems like the best way I can do that. Rinaka, I'm sorry, but...I won't be needing you anymore!"
Rinaka swore under her breath, and for a second, Kohaku thought she saw a tear streaming from the ex-policewoman's eye. However, she put that aside, and shook hands with Evelina, her new ally.
"I can't wait for you to meet everyone else, Evelina! Can I call you senpai?"
"Hmm. If you insist." Evelina said, playfully. "So what are we going to do with these Aeon Admins? Are you going to arrest them like my father?"
"I can't allow that."
Kohaku gasped. She knew that voice. And when the door flung open, her heart froze. Standing there was a very familiar young woman, her hair platinum as ever.
"Aika! You're a little late, don't you think?!" Keiya screamed.
"Whoa. That's the lady sis went to see with you!" Masato said, stunned.
"Correct, Yoshinaga-san. My name is Aika Makino." The singer said, bowing before everyone. "You can do whatever you want with Solberg-san, he's of no use to us anymore. The people of this city will show him no mercy, after all, so he'll face his rightful punishment one way or another. Yet I won't be leaving my comrades in your hands."
"W-Wait!" Kohaku protested. "No. This can't be happening! You wouldn't be comrades with these people! You're not an -"
"An Aeon Administrator?" Aika said, giving her a stare of pure coldness. It had none of her warmth that she had shown in her concerts. "That is precisely what I am, Teruya-san. You should have figured that out long ago. Did you not ponder why I knew Nakahara could speak two languages, when you never mentioned it to me even once?"
"How do you know that?" Masato asked, curiously.
"Oh, I have my own sources, being part of Bythos."
This can't be happening. No, it can't be! How could you be in a sick group like Bythos? This isn't right!
"Unfortunately, we'll have to take the Cognition Core another time. For now, I'll be escorting Rinaka and Keiya to safety - while a good friend of mine rescues Shiro and Asami from a sinister fate. Until then, farewell."
With that, Aika raised her staff, and became shrouded by her blue aurora. Then, her Persona emerged. Her hair was very much like her weilder's, except icy blue and very glittery. Her skin was a very pale pink, and her physique was very slender. Around her arms were silky white sleeves, and around her body was a tight white body-con dress, that seemed to be made of icy crystals. Completing the look was a pair of blue high heels. In her hand was a crystal microphone on a pole made of ice.
I am thou. Thou art I. From thy sea of thy soul, I cometh. I art Cecilia, she who sings for the hearts of liberty and light.
There was a flash of light, and with the power of Traesto, the three Aeon Admins vanished into the night.
"..Why did it have to be her?!" Kohaku shouted. "My...favourite singer of all time...she...she was an Admin the whole time I knew her! Every single time I met her, she was part of Bythos...and she knew I was fighting against them!"
"Kohaku, I'm...sorry..." Masato said, hand on her shoulder. "I thought she was a cool chick, but..."
Svante suddenly slumped backwards, his eyes closed. Despite his daughter's efforts, he wouldn't wake up. His breathing and pulse seemed to be fine, but he was out for the count.
"Father? Father! Please, open your eyes!"
"We have to return to the base as well." Reia said. "Hurry!"
Too stunned to respond, Kohaku silently joined the others in teleporting to the Golden Laguna.
|Mirror Maze Menagerie|18:51 pm|
By now, the Parcae were truly desperate. Their reunion had been immediately followed by a battle to the death, and no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't keep any of their enemies down.
"It's nearly time to finish them all off..." Kei said.
"No! We have to work together to win!" Nona shouted. "Decima! Morta! Let's do it!"
The life spinner began by surrounding Toshiaki with an eerie red glow – from this, a giant thread of red light emerged. Decima flew in to measure it, causing it to glow even more intensely. Finally, Morta took her scissors, and cut the Thread of Life in two.
"S-Shit...sorry, dad, bro..."
There was a burst of black and red smoke, and after it cleared, Toshiaki was lying on the ground, barely breathing.
"Ha!" Decima, along with her shadowy 'sisters', laughed with pure venom in their voices. "That's what you get for pushing us around! And now we're gonna do the same to all of you!"
"Exactly..." Morta said, caressing her scissors. "You've lost your chance to beg for mercy. We will rule all of the Theio Kosmos, forever!"
Asami, however, shook her head at this. Summoning Kaihime, her fury was even more fiery.
"We have to end this now!" She screamed.
"Asami! Let me help you!" Natsumi pleaded, Brigid ready to go.
The two Personas wielded both their deadly weapons, immolating them with burning flames. Flying high into the air, the heat of the fire grew even stronger, enough to shine a red light upon all of the room.
"Shintaro, we need to strike Nona at the same time. Hurry!" Kei ordered, summoning Suparna.
"I got it. Ogma!"
Soon, two cyclones beginning spinning around Nona. She gasped – the winds were getting stronger, and faster. Any chance she had of absorbing the flames from the other onslaught was rapidly diminishing.
"Gemini Gale!"
"Bravery Blaze!"
Just as the two tornadoes engulfed Nona, trapping her in a storm of sheer pain, the other two Parcae were covered in immense flames. Both Brigid's ring and Kaihime's spear were slicing their bodies with both sharpness and heat, switching between each of them. Neither Decima nor Morta could break free. Finally, the winds subsided, and the flames reduced to dying embers.
"N-No! I already died once! I didn't want to die again… Help, someone!" Nona screamed.
"Why...why did it have to end like this...?!" Decima wailed. "It took so long to be free, and be together again..."
"You still have to beat the one who did this to us..." Morta said, managing one final smirk. "You'll never win against her. She's just like us...a ghost of the past! Keep opposing her, and she'll turn you into the next Anomalies..."
Each one fell to the ground, unconsciousness. Their bodies, having lost all their unholy power, became one dark swirl of purple energy, flying towards the 'sky', and soon enough, it exploded.
"They're gone!" Akari yelled.
"And so are the other Shadows!" Novalie said, relieved.
Asami stood there, perfectly still. Her lips started to quiver, then she collapsed to her knees, her emotions finally erupting to the surface. Tears flowed from her eyes, as she pounded the ground with her fist.
"Moriko... Ayako... Takumi..." She wailed. "I'm sorry! There was no other way… You can't go back to being human after what you went through. And I didn't want you to come back as Shadows! That's why I had to do it! I'm so sorry!"
The crystal structure finally broke apart, revealing the navy blue orb. Neither of the Admins were in a position to take it for themselves. Thus, when Kei went to retrieve it, she faced no further obstacles.
"It's finally over," Kei said, relieved. She took it in her hand, and her body began to glow in perfect sync, for just a moment. The core then flew into her Gnosis, and with a flash, the area returned to 'normal'. A door leading outside finally opened, and natural air began to flow once again.
"Well done, Kakusa," Shigeru said, although he remained stony-faced. "Those Anomalies were stronger than any other. And together, they were even more of an ordeal. Now, we must find out what happened in Hiyashi."
"Right..." Kei said. "I wonder what trouble Kohaku went through..."
Asami finally stood up – and turned to Natsumi. Wiping away her tears, she held her hand over her mouth, in utter despair. Before her former friend could do anything, she charged out of the door, shoving past Novalie.
"W-Wait!" The student said, giving chase. At the same time, Akari revived Toshiaki with her Recarm spell. As soon as she did, Tetsuo and Yuudai ran over.
"Son!" Tetsuo cried, tears falling down his face.
"You're okay!" Yuudai said, holding his brother tight. "Don't ever do that again!"
"Sorry, dad. Bro, don't worry. I'm not fighting with Bythos ever again. I know whose side I want to be on now..."
Kei and Shintaro, however, saw Asami and Novalie come to a halt. With Natsumi, they joined the pursuit.
|Eien Kofuku Theme Park|19:01 pm|
Finally, Asami came to a stop, slumping against a concession stand.
"Leave me alone!" She screamed, turning around, eyes red from crying. "I...I can't take this anymore!"
"Asami, listen to us!" Natsumi said, gently. "Nisa Liat was the one who murdered your friends all along. You can't stay with her, right?"
"Please, join us," Novalie said, holding out her hand. "We can stop the Pleroma Princess from any more of her twisted experiments!"
"Join you?!" Asami was incredulous. "How can I join you, after all the times I fought you all?!"
"It wouldn't be the first time an Admin ditched the Princess to join us!" Akari said, brightly. "Although if you're gonna be a jerk to Kaii, then -"
"Forget about that idiot! I...I don't even know what my Persona is good for anymore!" Asami kicked the stand with her foot, unable to control herself. "I thought I was doing the right thing. Then everything went wrong! It wasn't supposed to turn out like this! But -"
"That's enough, Asami. It's time we took you back home."
What? That voice! It's -
Walking slowly towards the team was none other than the French woman that Shintaro had been enamoured with for so long. He'd never forget her red clothes, her perfectly curled hair, and her tall stature.
"Isn't that your girlfriend, Shintaro?" Akari asked, confused.
Akari, not now.
"G-Girlfriend?!" Shigeru asked, horrified. "You're in a relationship with this woman?!"
"Um...I..."
If she's in this world, she might have a Gnosis! Maybe she's here to join us!
Celestine sighed, without a hint of the sensual smile she often showed Shintaro. In fact, she didn't seem happy to see him at all.
"Why...are you here, Celeste?" Shintaro finally asked.
"Unfortunately, I arrived too late to take the Core. Yet I can at least retrieve my comrades. Nisa Liat would be somewhat annoyed if they were taken in for questioning, to say the least."
"Nisa Liat?! No!" Shintaro said, his heart skipping a beat. "You can't be serious!"
"After that night we spent together, Shintaro-kun...you should know by now. I am serious. I am Celestine Courtois, the novelist, and also one of the Aeon Administrators of Bythos."
"Care to explain yourself, Nakahara?" Shigeru asked, indignant. "What on earth were you thinking?!"
Shintaro couldn't offer any explanation. Instead, all he could do was look blankly, at the woman he had loved more than any other. His fantasy of an older lover had become a reality, even more passionate than he imagined. Yet now, the beautiful Celestine was standing here, and not as his ally.
"Come along, Asami. The Anomalies are destroyed, so we have at least some cause to celebrate." Celestine said, shrugging.
"Celebrate?! Those Anoamlies were my friends, you whore!"
Asami's retort was met with complete silence. She clenched her fists, unable to look at her ally.
"Did you come here to fight, Courtois?" Michiko asked, glaring at the authoress.
"Ha! No thank you." Celestine said, with a sarcastic laugh. "It's time I escorted my comrades back to safety. Come, Egeria!"
She pulled out her own Gnosis, and before long, a blue burst of light surrounded her. Appearing from this was a watery nymph, her dress made out of flowing blue water itself, and her skin a pale lilac. Her hair was much like Celestine's, except sea-blue, and with a gold wreath. In her right hand was a silver book, with a red tassel. In her left was a blue pen.
I am thou. Thou art I. From thy sea of thy soul, I cometh. I art Egeria, she who counsels those that will change the world.
"Where...am I?" Shiro said, finally stirring. He had been held up by Michiko and Shigeru up until this point, but now he was on his feet, albeit barely.
"Ah, you're awake. Aika should return soon as well. Shiro, you're coming with me! Shintaro, till we meet again!"
"Wait! Celeste! Why are you doing this?!"
"...Because I had no other choice." Celestine said, sadly. "Without Nisa Liat's help, I never would have succeeded in life. We still have to change this city – no, this country. And one day, we'll get all those cores you've stolen! When that day comes...all you've fought for will be for nothing!"
Her Traesto spell soon whisked the three Admins far away. Shintaro, tearful, looked ahead where Celestine had stood. Now he realised just how foolish his fantasy had been. And he only had himself to blame.
"...We have to go." Kei said, hand on his shoulder.
|Golden Laguna|19:30 pm|
Eventually, the Knowledge Seekers were all back here. Despite winning two cores in one night, neither side seemed especially in the mood for celebrating. Svante Solberg was being taken to hospital, and Evelina went in the ambulance with him. Her family would be waiting there, and no doubt would have many questions.
Likewise, Toshiaki had gone home with his father and brother. While he would recover from the fierce battles tonight, his life had been turned upside down by what he now knew of his father's history.
Those who remained had many things to discuss. The EX-NIHILO, and the 'Chaos' that came before it. The Parcae's abominable true nature, and what lengths Nisa Liat would go to.
"We shouldn't focus on what Chaos was." Shigeru said, his face full of confusion. "We must find a way to prevent the EX-NIHILO's resurrection. Solberg barely survived – we can't keep risking the worst every time we fight that Shadow."
Everyone nodded in agreement. Shintaro and Kohaku, however, were both still in shock. For them, their worlds had been turned upside down, by what they now knew about their idols. Kei looked at them both with pity, but said nothing.
"What's the situation in Hiyashi?" Kaii asked, worried.
"Now that the Cognition Core is ours, the crowds of people outside Aramis have finally left. However, the company will no doubt be facing a lot of difficult questions. Their involvement with Bythos will tarnish their reputation for quite some time, possibly forever." Reia said, frowning.
"As for Asakita, the theme park will be closed until a full investigation is carried out. A lot of people died there today, and even more were severely injured. We may have received the Core, which might calm the situation – but it's still a huge disaster. One we couldn't prevent." Novalie said.
"And now we know the names of two more Aeon Administrators. Celestine Courtois, and Aika Makino." Shigeru said, glaring harshly at Shintaro. "Did you not find it odd that these celebrities would become so friendly with you and Kohaku, so quickly?"
"I...I was just happy that she was taking an interest in me...that she had a copy of the book that my grandfather wrote..."
"I'm disappointed Shintaro," Michiko said, shaking her head. "I thought you were a clever young man. Yet here you are, falling for her lies...I never thought you, of all my students, could be so easily deceived."
Shintaro couldn't bring himself to respond. These words, especially from his own teacher, cut through him. Words simply didn't come to him now.
"There can only be two Cognition Cores left, right?" Kei said. "Then we must monitor which will come first – Ginumi or Totsuka."
"Yes, that's right..." Hiroyuki said. "All we can do right now is keep an eye on the city. Shigeru, was there anything else?"
"No, that covers everything for now. Just one word of advice. Be very careful who you trust." Shigeru said, looking directly at Shintaro. "Dismissed."
The adults left first, leaving the younger Kansei and Chieki students behind.
"He didn't have to be such a jerk..." Akari said, annoyed. "How were you supposed to know about those two?"
"Yeah, what she said," Masato said, hand on Shintaro's shoulder. "Come on, let's go home and think about what we're going to do next."
"At least we have Evelina and Toshiaki..." Natsumi said, with somewhat forced cheer. "Although after tonight, they might want a chance to rest up."
"We should probably do that same, then," Noburo said. "Senpai...I'm sorry. See you at school, okay?"
The twins disappeared, as did Noburo and Akari. The three left behind stood there in silence.
"...Celestine." Shintaro finally uttered. "I thought she was wonderful. Beautiful, talented, clever, she had everything I looked for in a woman..."
"Aika's songs...I can never listen to them again." Kohaku said, tearfully. "I wish I'd never bought her album that day! Or gone to that concert! I should have seen it coming..."
"What's done is done," Kei said, crossing her arms. "You two can get through this. Remember who your real friends are."
The three of them finally left, returning to the Akarharto Kosmos. Shintaro had yet another sleepless night when he arrived at his home, his mind constantly on Celestine. That night he spent with her – did it mean nothing after all? He had loved her with all his heart, and dreamed of a future together. Now, all of that was gone. She was an enemy, one he would have to face at some point.
The tears didn't stop the whole of the evening. Even if they had won two Cores, Shintaro had lost everything.
|END OF ARC III|