AN: A lot has changed in the world since I uploaded the last chapter, that I'm sure everyone is well aware of by now. Even so, I'm still going to continue Gnosis, for as long as I can. Stay safe, everyone, and please read, review, favourite, and follow!
Chapter 37: The Secrets of the Artificer
|July 8th|Golden Laguna Hotel|19:00 pm|
Shintaro used to look forward to coming to this hotel. Yet the atmosphere had become so uncomfortable, he now dreaded every single meeting. Now, however, he felt he had cleared the air with Kei. She sat next to him, and as the meeting began, she gave him a kind smile.
I'm glad we're friends again. Even if there are so many things she won't tell me about her past. But that's not important right now.
"Good evening, everybody. Things are quiet on the Bythos front. Which is usually a good thing, but also quite unsettling." Shigeru began, staring at the large group before him. "Let me properly introduce our newest members. Please welcome Evelina Solberg and Toshiaki Yukimora, of Chieki Academy. I assure you that their ties with Bythos are severed."
"Good to properly meetcha, guys," Toshiaki said as he and Evelina stood up, waving to everybody. "I'm already having a better time here than I ever did with Bythos. Thanks for having me!"
"You've all been so welcoming, considering I fought against you..." Evelina said, briefly looking away. "But I won't let that happen again. Thank you all for your hospitality."
"No need to be so formal, Evelina-senpai," Masato said, happily. "We're all friends here."
"Plus, now there are more people from Chieki in our team!" Natsumi seemed ecstatic by this thought. "Now this team really has a fighting chance!"
"Okay, okay, enough of the school rivalry," Netuno said, chuckling somewhat. "We've not got a plan tonight, so I guess we can do some recon work in -"
"Can I say something first?" Kei spoke up, all eyes on her. "First of all, Shintaro was approached by another student at Kansei, who suspects a friend of theirs is a member of Bythos."
"...Tell me more," Shigeru said, eyeing Shintaro suspiciously. "I want to know exactly what this person said. Who was it?"
"Manami Inoue."
The group fell silent. The Kansei students knew of her, and even those in Chieki had heard stories of her.
Although incredibly nervous, Shintaro felt that if Kei vouched for him, he could get through this. He began telling everybody about his encounter with Manami Inoue in the school's library. And how Katashi Yamaguchi, the athlete star of Kansei, could possibly be in Bythos.
"Now that's intriguing. Manami and Katashi, probably the star pupils of Kansei." Reia said, intrigued. "What do we know about the Inoue heiress? And her runner boyfriend?"
"Koichi Inoue, her father, is the owner of the Inoue Banking Group. A rather wealthy man, as you'd expect from someone of his position. Their bank has clients all over Asia. More importantly, he's publicly denounced Bythos many times. So far, they haven't done anything to him or his business...yet." Hiroyuki, upon saying this, looked to Kaii.
"Y-Yeah, all I remember doing was stealing some sort of data. Dammit, if only Nisa Liat hadn't done that memory loss thing to me...then I could remember what data it was."
"As for Manami herself, her grades at Kansei are stellar. She's expected to ace her entrance exams, and end up in whichever college she wants to go to. I think she'll aim for Tokyo University." Michiko said, proudly. "She's usually quite pleasant to others, acting as a role model for the other students. Katashi, on the hand -"
"- is a total jerk." Kohaku finished, angrily. "He's always insulting others. He even mocked Shintaro. Ever since then, I've tried to avoid him."
"Same. I can't stand his sneering or the way he brags about himself. I get that he's fast, and probably will be a great Olympian. But does he have to lord it over everybody? He might be my senpai, but I've no respect for him whatever." Noburo said, face full of fury.
"I used to think he was really cute. He's got this cold, aloof mystique that a lot of the girls at school find really hot..." Akari said, blushing somewhat. "He's never talked to me, though. He's usually with Manami and the other third-years."
"What do we know about his background?" Novalie asked, curious. "His parents are well-off too, aren't they?"
"They're medical professionals, but there's nothing particularly noteworthy about his family...wait," Michiko said, her mind seemingly on the brink of a realisation.
"What's wrong?" Reia asked, worried.
"I could have sworn he had a brother..." Michiko said, confused.
"Had? You mean, not anymore?" Kaii asked.
"I...really don't know. It's odd, now that I think about it. When he first started at Kansei, he seemed less abrasive than he is today. And I'm sure I remember seeing him with another young man, college-age. Looked very much like him. Yet I only saw him with this brother once or twice."
"So, what's the problem?" Toshiaki asked, curious.
"I happened to overhear him and Manami talking before class started recently. She talked about being an only child, and he said he knew that feeling very well."
Shintaro blinked. What exactly did this mean? Was this other person Michiko saw his brother after all? If so, why would Katashi later act as if he had no siblings? Something didn't feel quite right. Whether Manami was right or not, he wasn't sure, but he was now glad she'd talked to him. Now, they could investigate further.
"Perhaps we should try to look into his family records..." Hiroyuki said. "Something big must have happened in the Yamaguchi household. I just wonder what..."
"It might also be a good idea to look into Manami herself," Novalie said. "We have to be very careful, after all. I just hope she's not in any danger."
"Then we have something to work with. Thank you for sharing that with us, Nakahara." Shigeru said, without any change to his tone of voice. "Now, as Netuno was saying, we're going to give you all some recon work, while we focus on improving the top-secret facility for the Cognition Cores."
"Oh, we're finally going to put them somewhere?" Masato asked. "I gotta say, I was gettin' real worried with them being crammed in Kei's phone."
"As was Mayor Ashikaga. She's incredibly proud of the work you've done, but fears what might happen if Kei's Gnosis were stolen or destroyed. A secure place where we can store the Cores is the best place. One that no one but ourselves has any access too."
"It makes sense. It'll be a weight off of your mind, right Kei?" Shintaro asked.
"I...I guess you're right." She said, although her hesitation didn't add much conviction behind her words.
"Trust me, this will work out for everyone. So while we work on that, let's put five of you in one district, and the other five in another. Kei, choose four to come with you to Totsuka, and the rest can investigate Ginumi."
"Alright. Shintaro, Kohaku, Masato, Natsumi, you'll be with me."
"Then it looks like we'll be going to Ginumi." Noboru said, smiling at his older brother. "Let's do the best we can! Besides, we have to set a good example for the newbies."
"We're still your senpai, remember..." Evelina said, amused. "Even if you did have your Persona first."
"This should be fun. Two from Chieki, two from Kansei, and...um...wait, you're not from Aoi Mirai, are you? We've not sunk that low, have we?"
Kaii laughed, holding out his hand to Toshiaki. "Relax, bro, I'm not in any school. Failed the college entrance exams, more than once. But I'm gonna change that. In the meantime, you're gonna see what I can really do with Grannus."
"Awesome. Looking forward to working with you, Kaii."
"Good luck, you guys! We'll meet you back here!" Akari said. With that, the two quintets departed, in pursuit of new knowledge.
|Ginumi – Iruka Marina|19:15 pm|
Normally, this area was a peaceful one, filled with boats and people enjoying the nightlife by the sea. In the Theio Kosmos, however, it was full of danger. Many of the Shadows were of a water variety – as of this moment, several Decarabia were spinning through the water below the boats, with a large Forneus following them.
Walking towards one of the stone docks, however, were two humans. One was a grown man, one whose once-promising acting career had ended in disaster. The other was a young man, who had a promising future as an athlete ahead of him. He seemed rather annoyed about his partner, however.
"Damn. Why did that clown Kaii have to turn traitor? If he was still around, then he'd get to goof off with you. Then I could do my own thing, and everyone would be a lot happier."
"Quit whining, kid. We'll be done here pretty quickly anyway." Toki said, glaring harshly at Katashi. The two finally reached the end of the wide stone pier, and looked around. They saw the various boats, swaying lightly with the gentle waves.
"Pretty standard night for this harbour. Huge boats rich people show off to their stuck-up friends, an evening sun you get on a billion derivative postcards, and a ton of flesh-eating demons swimming beneath your feet."
"Nice to see you're as sunny as always."
Katashi rolled his eyes, impatiently tapping the ground.
"Look at us, Toki. If we were living happy lives, why would Nisa Liat even think of coming near us? Especially you. Both of your kids hate your guts. Although to be honest, I can see why. If you were my dad, I'd run as far away from home as I could."
"Thanks a bunch, Katashi. Your kind words get me through these dark times."
The younger man laughed, but as he stared at the marina around him, he frowned, irritated.
"Guess you think I've got it easy. Everyone at school worships the ground I run on all because I'm the best runner they've ever had. Yukimora's only real competition in this city. And my family are all high-up in the world. And...then there's Manami-chan."
"Ah, of course. The Inoue Banking Group's princess. Hard to think a girl like that would be interested in you."
Katashi frowned. "Well, she is. But if Nisa Liat hadn't done what she did, I might not have any of that. Thank god she came when she did, though. My family don't have to deal with the shame any more."
"Shame?"
Katashi shook his head, turning away. He had never been the most social of the Aeon Admins, mostly due to his busy schedule outside of the group. In the rare times all the Admins were together, he was arrogant and took advantage of any chance he got to belittle those around him.
If only Kaii was still here. Then I could have still been paired with him, and Katashi could run off and do his own thing. Maybe I should just quit and join him and Noboru. Nah, can't do that. Not with Shigeru running the show over there. Still, if I can leak information without getting caught, then I'm still helping out my boys.
"There's a lot more Shadows swimming here than normal. And they're acting a little strange. They're not even noticing us. Look. They're swimming in a ring formation. That's not normal, is it?"
"Maybe the seal's getting weaker than we thought..." Toki said, concerned. "We'll have to gauge how weak it is. If it's at breaking point, we'll speed that up and then kill the Anomaly. If it's still strong, we'll report back to the Princess."
"Okay. Let's hurry this up, then." Katashi said. "Although it might be a good idea to clear out the Shadows that are already here first. Save us a lot of hassle."
"Good point. Then let's do this, then."
|Totsuka – Sogen Park|19:15|
In the centre of the grand park, five young women had assembled. Three in gold uniforms, and their two leaders.
"Miyuki, Sakiko, Haruya." Aika Makino said, looking at the three subordinates in front of her. "We have to pursue the Cognition Core at all costs. Stay here while we confirm details of our surroundings. We don't want to be interrupted by stray Shadows."
"Remember, you're the last of the Squads in Bythos. Do not waste your lives." Celestine Courtois said, giving each girl a serious look.
"Yes, Madame Courtois!" The eldest woman, Miyuki Arimoto, said. She was the most refined looking of the squad, her black hair tied up in a bun, and she had an almost regal quality to her face.
"We'll do our best!" Sakiko Suzumura said. She had the most athletic body of the three, and her silky pink hair managed to stay immaculate even through many tough battles.
"Claret, Azure, and Jade...we can't follow their example. We have to win, no matter what!" Haruya Shindo said, nervously. She was a brunette, her hair quite spiky in parts.
The Squad remained in the centre, their weapons and Gnosis ready. Meanwhile, Aika and Celestine walked further away, their Gnosis at the ready. Their phones were set to detect any unusual surges of energy, any potential sign of the Cognition Cores. So far, nothing.
"...This isn't working. Perhaps we ought to try elsewhere." Celestine said.
"This park is quite large, remember," Aika said, cautiously. The two ladies were quiet, as they explored the empty park. There were some Shadows in the distance, yet they kept their distance. Clearly, they didn't want to tangle with the Aeon Admins.
"Aika." Celestine suddenly said. "Do you ever wonder...why we're still with Bythos?"
"Hmm?" The singer looked at her friend in surprise.
"The two of us achieved our goals. Now people all over the world are reading my books, and your global success is almost guaranteed. What more do we need…?" Celestine asked.
"That was the promise we made to Nisa Liat. She'd help us right the wrongs of our world, and we'd aid her in the rebirth of this city." Aika said. "Or do you think we don't need that rebirth anymore?"
"I...I really don't know." Celestine said, eyes on the grass beneath her feet. "This city is becoming more and more divided by the day. If it goes any further, how many other people are going to get hurt?"
"...We knew that taking this path wouldn't easy. Yet it has to be done to get the Cores and restore this city. Even if we have to do some horrible things to get there, once we've achieved our goal, it'll be worth it." Aika said.
"Do you really believe that?" Celestine asked.
"You've seen what a fine job the Mayor has done as Mayor. If we let that continue, this city will fall into ruin, and become an embarrassment for all of Japan." Aika said, sadly. "You're...still sad about Shintaro, aren't you?"
The authoress looked up, in surprise.
"That boy? He..."
"He's too naive. He won't abandon his notion of justice, not that easily." Aika said, shaking her head. "The same with Kohaku. She's firmly part of Shigeru's team. All of them see us as the cackling villains, and follow Shigeru, himself blind to Ashikaga's corrupt ways..."
"I...I really liked him." Celestine said, wiping away a tear from her eye. "I'd never met someone so passionate about books before. If only I could have kept the truth from him..."
"That would have been impossible. I know, it's hard to accept. But as long as he follows Shigeru, and we're bound to serve the Princess, you cannot go back to the way things used to be." Aika said, holding her friend by the shoulders. "All we can do is be there for each other. Celestine, I...I hope you never leave Bythos. For if you do, I'd be so alone. There's no one else there that I can trust."
"I won't give up. Not until I get the answer I'm looking for." Celestine said.
"Answer? What are you talking about?" Aika asked, worried.
"I'll tell you later. We ought to get back to work." Celestine said, forcing a smile. "At least we can work together without a constant barrage of insults."
"Yes, working with either Toki or Katashi is always a trying experience. Thank the heavens Nisa Liat had the foresight to put us together. Let's hurry this up, and then move on to elsewhere in Totsuka."
|Iruka Marina|19:30|
Noboru, upon running into the harbour, gasped. There, wielding his two swords, was Toki. A Shadow that resembled a manta ray flew over his head, but he swiftly struck it, and his Persona finished it off with an Eigaon. There was another young man next to him, one that he had been expecting, wielding two curved daggers.
"Isn't that...Katashi-senpai?!" Akari shouted. "Oh god, then Manami-senpai was right all along!"
"Unfortunately..." Toshiaki deadpanned. "My greatest rival on the track field. Sucks that you and him go to the same school, Akari-chan."
"You! What the hell are you doing here?!" Noboru yelled, angrily. Keeping up this act was going to be hard. The vitriol he put into his worlds was one he didn't quite feel in his heart. Yet to keep up the masquerade, he might just have to hurt his father's feelings.
"Noboru, you shouldn't be here. Go back home and see a play. Let the grown-ups do their work." Toki said, sternly.
"Grown-ups? Is that why you've got a high school student helping you, then?" Evelina scoffed. "And the only guy as fast as Toshiaki-kun, too!"
"Tch. Our stupid school rivalry means nothing here. Even if you were Kansei, you'd still be on my shitlist." Katashi said, glaring at all five of the group. "Guess all of you know me by now. Especially the stupid dog girl and the washed-up teen actor."
"W-What?!" Akari said, shocked.
"I see you're just as unpleasant in this world as you were in the Akartharto Kosmos." Noboru said, crossing his arms. "But if you're stuck with that piece of shit, I can see why. Guess Nisa Liat doesn't let you change partners. Otherwise, you'd go with someone who wasn't a fucking alcoholic."
Kaii stared in surprise – perhaps he had gone too far, Noboru thought. Yet he had to be convincing. He just had to dwell on his unpleasant memories of Toki, both past and pleasant. The kidnapping of Shintaro he hadn't quite forgiven yet, and thinking about it seemed to fuel his anger.
"It's been a while, Katashi. I'm surprised more of the Admins haven't quit, if you're still one of them." Kaii said, smugly. "
"...You're still as pathetic as ever. Guess some things won't ever change. Sad, really." The Kansei runner said, smirking. "At least you're not still running around, trying to find out who knocked up your mum and ran off..."
"Don't you dare talk shit about her!" Kaii shouted, clenching his fists. "That's it! You're dead -"
"Wait a minute, Kaii!" Evelina pleaded. "Are you two after the Cognition Core?!"
"Ha! Not yet." Katashi asked, amused at Kaii's rage. "We're about to unseal another Anomaly."
"Oh my god. An Anomaly, like the Parcae?!"
"Yes, Toshiaki. Nice to see your brain cells aren't completely atrophied. Yet." Katashi walked nearer, his daggers in his hands. "This Anomaly is just one singular entity. That means just one of them this time. But it's stronger than them all, too. Once we break its seal, it ought to cause a lot of chaos in Ginumi. That ought to get the Cognition Core to appear a little faster. Course, a lot of this place is going to get washed away, but sacrifices have to be made..."
"You bastard!" Noboru shouted. "There's no way we're going to let you do that!"
"Right! Let's do this!" Kaii said, summoning Grannus. "Toki, you better not hold back!"
I hope he doesn't slip up. If Nisa Liat finds out that Toki is a traitor, there's no telling what she'd do to him. I'll have to fight him with all my strength. Dad, please don't hate me for this.
"...Fine. If I have to take out both my sons, so be it! I've nothing else to lose!" Toki yelled.
"This is gonna be fun. Two from Kansei, two from Chieki, and a loser who can't get into college, and they think they can actually beat me? Only in your pathetic dreams!"
"There are only two pathetic people here. And they're standing right in front of me." Noburo said, angrily. "The ones standing with me tonight actually matter!"
"Derzelas! Time to tear this harbour apart!"
The resulting Persona had wild, untamed jet black hair, which was blown by the turbulent winds of the sea. Its body was lean, much like the human who wielded it. The skin was sky blue, and the eyes were a deep red. Its outfit was of a sleek silver tracksuit, with bladed trainers.
I am thou. Thou art I. From thy sea of thy soul, I cometh. I art Derzelas, he whose vitality and strength shall last for aeons.
"You call that a Persona? Gimme a break." Toshiaki said. He darted at Katashi, stabbing at him with his claw. Angry, the Kansei runner struck back with both blades, adding a forceful kick for good measure.
"You're fast, but you've got no brains..." Katashi said, rolling his eyes.
"Oh, you're so cold. But not as cold as this! Mabufula!"
Conchobar's frost ensnared the two Aeon Admins, chilling them to their core. Noburo and Evelina took advantage of this, as while he slashed his father with both blades, she shot him square in the face.
"Damn..." Toki said. His own blades struck back, cutting deep through his son's body. "I'm not going to go easy on you, even if you're my son...that goes for you too, Kaii. Take this!"
Shuten Doji set its eyes on Noboru, and with its own swords, slashed him in a cross formation.
"Argh!"
"Noboru, watch out -"
Before he could hear Kaii, however, he was struck a third time by the Kusanagi. With this third strike, Toki became briefly enshrouded in a red glow.
"Your Shadow used that move..." Akari said, staring in amazement.
"A Persona and a Shadow are one and the same..." Noboru said, thinking back to that night at the theatre. Witnessing his father's awful childhood had been a sobering experience. Yet he didn't have a choice but fight his father back then, and this was no different.
"I'm not going to lose control of myself again. Shuten Doji won't revert back...not again!"
I really hope you're right about that. Although whether it's a Shadow or a Persona, it hurts like hell.
"Doesn't matter. I'm stronger than I was back then, too! Aengus!"
The holy Persona rushed forward, and slashed at Toki with both his swords. While pained, he struck back, swords clashing furiously with his son. Evelina, nervous, cast a Sukukaja on herself, and leapt aside from Katashi's knives.
"Take this, you jerk!" Akari yelled. "Epona, come on! Mapsio!"
The psychic energy took hold of both the Admins, and with the power of the mind, blighted them.
"That looked like it hurt..." Toshiaki said, in admiration.
"Akari sure can't trash talk, but she can take out the trash." Kaii said, proudly.
"You stupid bitch! Eat this!Rapid Ripper!" Katashi yelled, focused on Akari in front of him. Derzelas manifested, and span around with its legs extended, slicing through her.
"Oww..."
Akari fell to her knees, overcome by the pain. Outraged at the sight of this, Kaii's fists soon pounded into Katashi's face, sending him spinning into the way of Evelina's gunshots.
"I'm gonna get you for that. Both of ya! Grannus, come on! Mafreila!"
A radiant wave of pure force exploded, almost like a second sunrise. Noboru shuddered at the sight – he hadn't expected Kaii to get so angry. Now, however, he could pierce his father's defences, and he stabbed at him, shouting with each strike.
"You...really think you can stop me, boy?" Toki taunted. "You'll never surpass your old man. Stick to rehearsing your stupid little plays. Then you won't get hurt."
He's trying to rile me up on purpose. I guess we're both actors. We have to play the part of estranged father and son, don't we? Then here goes.
"Maybe I won't, but someone else might. Like the last time you acted. How many other stunt doubles nearly died because of you?"
"H-Hey, Noboru, aren't you going a little far?" Akari asked. Toshiaki motioned for her to be quiet, however, and she nodded. Quickly, she focused on the advancing Katashi, and her tonfa flew at him, while his knives jabbed at her flesh.
"Yeah...I've screwed up more times than I can count," Toki said, looking at both his sons. "But I can't go back and fix things now. Not until I get those Cores..."
"That'll never happen!" Kaii shouted. He punched at his father, only to be slashed in retaliation. "You..."
"Don't you dare underestimate me. Shuten Doji!"
Five black spheres appeared, each with a bright blue oni-like face floating within. They started to laugh, and the marina got incredibly hazy, and seemed to twist around them, until Noboru and the others seemed to be on the sky. Finally, gravity took over again, and they collapsed into the Demonic Distortion, fully succumbing to its corrupt power.
"That was...almost cool," Katashi said, mockingly clapping at this display of strength.
"Better than anything you ever came up with," Toki said, rolling his eyes.
"I focus more on taking out the enemy as quickly as possible. Showing off is for those too weak to win on strength alone."
"Oh yeah?" Toshiaki shouted. "Then by that logic, you should be showing off every single chance you get! Conchobar!"
Before Katashi could rattle off another insult, he was sent flying by a Northern Mortar. He banged his head against one of the large boats, and barely avoided falling into the water.
"Ow!" He screamed, in anger.
"Katashi, are you okay?"
"I don't need you worrying about me!" The young Admin said, getting to his feet. "You're tougher than I thought, Yukimora. But you're still a novice in this world. Derzelas, get them!"
A turbulent Magarula ripped through the harbour, the winds crashing hard on Noboru and company. One boat ended up sinking underwater, the ropes breaking away from the strain.
"...I hope that boat was insured." Akari quipped.
"Kinda doubt most policies cover Shadow related damages," Kaii said, watching the boat sink to the seafloor.
"Stop kidding around," Evelina said, sternly.
"Yes, ma'am." Kaii and Akari said, in almost perfect unison.
Noboru's swords clashed even harder with Toki's, clanging loud for the whole of Ginumi to hear. Sparks flew, and it was clear neither one of them was holding back, not even for one second.
"You...sure don't mess around when it comes to your sword work, my boy..." Toki said. For a split second, he had a genuine smile, which quickly faded in place of his harsh glare.
"Well, I guess I inherited something worthwhile from you after all..." Noboru said. With a slash of both swords, he broke through his father's guard, and then sent down Aengus, to finish with a shining Kouha.
"Argh! Fucking hell..." Toki said, in deep pain.
"Hey, Evelina, didn't you pick up a weird gem with your phone on the way here?" Toshiaki asked.
"Yes, I did. And now I know exactly what to do. Aoife, aid me!"
Evelina summoned both her Persona and the white coloured Blessed Stone. With a flash of light, Evelina's gun changed hue to a white and gold style. Grinning, she fired, piercing Toki with divine gunshots.
"Wow!" Akari said, in admiration. "Evelina-senpai, you rock!"
"Thanks, Akari-chan!"
"Everyone, let's keep this up! Here!"
Epona arrived, and with her healing force, the team was rejuvenated with a helpful Mediarama.
"Thanks, I was needing that..." Kaii said, dodging his father's furious swings. "I'm still getting warmed up! Grannus, blow them to smithereens, whatever those are! Blight Bomb!"
Swiftly, the Persona slammed his fists on the ground, creating a huge blue and purple explosion. The gas it produced appeared to be toxic, as both of its victims looked rather pale as a result.
"Goddammit!" Katashi said, angry. "I hate this damn poison..."
"Why? It's like you – it's a major pain in the ass!" Toshiaki said, grinning.
"And incredibly debilitating to one's health," Evelina added, equally amused.
Infuriated, Katashi dashed forward, his knives slashing through both of his Chieki enemies. Then, he turned to Noboru, and aimed the knives straight at the boy's heart. Toki looked up in fright, but did not make a sound.
"No way!" Kaii yelled. Quickly, Grannus showed up, to cut through Katashi via the Atomic Scissors. Their radiation compounded the poison building up inside of him, judging by his scream of agony.
"Epona, hurry! Soul Blade!"
The sword of psychic energy swung at Katashi, sending him flying to the ground.
"Dammit! Katashi!" Toki yelled, briefly looking at his fallen ally. Alas, he could not come to his aid, with Noboru striking him once more. "This is a lot harder than it was before…!"
"We've changed since then. None of us is an amateur anymore. All of you Aeon Admins ought to be afraid. Only two Cores left, and we're gonna get them! Then Bythos is over!"
"You think it'll be that easy? Dream on, kid. Nisa Liat has prepared for every outcome..."
"Oh really? I'd like to see her try and stop us, instead of relying on losers like you two - argh!"
Shuten Doji's rapid swords made for a truly potent Nakishigure. Howling in pain, Noboru doubled over, feeling every inch of his body screech in pain.
"Bastard…!" Noboru yelled.
"If you can't even take me down, you'll be reduced to dust by Nisa Liat… Sorry kid, but this ends here – whoa!"
Aoife's pistols were locked onto Toki. And soon, they began firing with impunity, riddling him with bullets – a Graceful Gunfire.
"Damn! You...you and Yukimora should have stayed with us. If only you weren't a couple of traitors!" Toki yelled.
"The Aeon Admins are just fools that were deceived by the Pleroma Princess..." Toshiaki said. He threw one of his grenades, which just barely missed Toki.
"We won't be so easily fooled by her hollow words!" Evelina snapped. "Any prosperity brought about by her powers is no prosperity at all!"
"Right!" Noboru added. "Aengus! Show me the Light of Might!"
The youthful Persona nodded, and crossed his swords together. They shone brightly with divine light, which emanated into a huge flash – one that pierced through Toki, and gave his son a faint glow of strength.
"…You kids are far too damn cocky for your own good. But you haven't won yet. Right, Katashi? You napping for the rest of the evening?"
"Ugh...this is a fucking joke!" Katashi groaned, looking utterly humiliated. He slowly got to his feet, scowling with vehement rage at all those surrounding him.
"You always this much of a wuss at Kansei?" Toshiaki jeered.
"...You fucking bastards! I'll kill all of you, I swear!" Katashi yelled. "Turbo Tempest!"
Derzelas, with a dark look of rage, flew straight over Toshiaki's head – and a gale hit him in seconds, blowing faster than any wind Noboru had witnessed. It was so strong, he was sent flying, and ended up crashing onto the deck of one of the boats, one that had already been substantially wrecked by the fighting so far.
"Toshiaki-kun!" Evelina cried.
"Not...yet! Conchobar!" The Chieki athlete jumped up, and then landed back onto the marina on both feet. At the same time, his faithful Persona chilled Katashi with a blinding Frost Flash.
"Damn you to hell!" Katashi yelled. "Ever since I met you, I can't stand even looking at your stupid smug face!"
"How is that any different from your face?" Evelina said, hands on her hips.
"Shut up! I'm not giving up, not until you're all dead!"
With that, he and Toki continued to barrage their enemies with their fiercest strength. It was all Noboru and friends could do to resist. As they did, he thought to his senpai Kei. Had she run into trouble in Totsuka?
|Sogen Park|19:30 pm|
Kei's team arrived at the park, and as they moved towards the fountain, they saw three young women looking around. When they saw the newcomers, they gasped.
"Oh no! They're here!" The brunette said, nervously readying her chakram.
"Haruya, calm down. We can handle this. Especially with our masters fighting with us!" The black-haired leader said, her rapier at the ready.
"Yeah! With Courtois and Makino-san together, these children are history!" The pink-haired girl with the staff said.
Shintaro gulped. As expected, the songstress and the writer swiftly joined the group at the fountain.
"What are you two plotting now?!" Masato asked, annoyed. "Get the hell out of here!"
"Yeah! Especially you, after what you did to Shintaro-kun!" Natsumi said, angry.
"That..." Celestine began, stammering.
"Makino-san. You joined Bythos to get revenge on your old band's manager, didn't you? And then ruin your bandmates' chances of success?" Kohaku asked.
"Are you going to tell me that neither of them deserved it?!" Aika said, raising her voice. She looked to the pink-haired girl, her expression intense. "Tsutomu Kodama...didn't deserve to live! Don't you agree, Miyuki-chan? He was your own uncle, and even you despise him!"
"Yeah...I sure do. He was a monster! He nearly did to me what he did to..." Miyuki said, shaking, too appaled to finish her sentence. "I joined Bythos to help expose people like him. And to atone for what he did to Makino-san, whatever it took."
"Besides, neither Chiharu nor Misaki could carry a tune. All I did was make it official. They're far more suited to being brainless beauties, anyway. They'll be much happier as models. While people actually celebrate my artistic contributions to the world..."
"Did you really have to join Bythos to achieve all of that?" Kei asked, stoically. "Well?"
"Nisa Liat came to us," Celestine said, frowning. "Neither of us had the strength to move forward. All of us Admins were lost and had no chance of finding our way in Shinshuto, the way it currently was. Shintaro-kun, don't you remember what I told you in the Golden Dragon?"
"The man at Omega Letter Publishing?"
"Yes, exactly. Haruhiro Odai, when I spurned his advances, wanted to ruin my reputation with vicious, scathing reviews. That way, I would never get another book published again. With either them, or any other publisher. I was at my lowest ebb. And I had no power to fight back. Until she came to me, while I was about to..."
"To what?" Shintaro asked, alarmed.
"Let's just say that she stopped me from doing something very drastic," Celestine said, staring straight into her former lover's eyes. "With her power, we stopped that vile man at Omega. The bad reviews stopped and were retracted, every single last one of them. And they were gone from the public consciousness, too. From that day on, my career really began. There are still negative reviews, but ones written in earnest. Even so, people like my former publisher and Aika's manager still exist."
"Leaving them unchecked will only allow more artists to be silenced. Can you really say that what we're doing is wholly wrong?" Aika asked, with fury in her eyes. "When we have all the Cognition Cores, this city will be free of such loathsome people. Those who get in the way of the arts will not be allowed to live!"
"...So you're going to brainwash and murder tons of people, just so people comment on how great your work is?" Natsumi asked, raising her eyebrows. "That's not right, and you know it!"
"Shut up! You've never been in their situation, you bitch!" Sakiko yelled.
"Take it easy, Sakiko-chan," Aika said, gently. With her Gnosis, she summoned her crystalline staff. "Clearly, there's no way we can come to an agreement. We're going to get the Cognition Cores, one way or another!"
"Exactly. Kakusa, we'll take the ones in your possession right here, right now." Celestine said, withdrawing her short sword. It was a rather stylized weapon, the blade resembling a rather sharp pen nib.
"I admire your confidence..." Kei said, smirking. "But you'll need a lot more than that to defeat a Wild Card! Not to mention my friends! Right, Shintaro?"
"R-Right! I won't hold back! Not even against you, Celestine!"
"Nor will I, Aika! I'll never listen to your songs ever again!" Kohaku cried.
"How dare you mock Makino-san! Come here, Parvati!" Miyuki cried, summoning the Hindu goddess.
"We'll never lose, not with our Admins fighting alongside us! Anahita!" Haruya said, summoning the Zoroastrian Yazata.
"We're leagues ahead of all the other Squads you've fought. Our Personas might not be genuine like yours, but we're more than a match for you! Pallas Athena, protect me!" Sakiko screamed, summoning the Greek goddess of victory.
"It's about time we finally fought you in a proper battle," Aika said, smirking. "Cecilia!"
"Egeria!" Celestine called. "Show these fools exactly who they're toying with!"
"Bring it!" Natsumi yelled.
Shintaro and Celestine crossed blades, and both of their swordplay was fast and nimble. Clearly, they valued speed over sheer force. Even if he had once loved this woman, he must fight her with everything he had.
"...You've grown quite adept with the sword, Shintaro-kun."
"Flattery won't get you anywhere!"
"Forcing yourself to hate me, are you?" She asked, her voice getting lower and huskier. Furious, Shintaro struck back, and Ogma blew her away with a Garula.
"Courtois-san!" Sakiko yelled, in shock. Before she could come to her master's aid, a fierce Zionga struck her. "Argh!"
"Hey, pay attention!" Masato jeered.
"I misjudged you, it seems. Your feelings towards me are no show. After all, we writers wear our hearts on our sleeves. Like so! Blue Veil!"
What? That's the title of the last Leanne Rouge book! But -
Egeria swung around, a blue veil of pure water swaying in her hands. This veil crashed into Shintaro, the pressure knocking him to the ground. When he got back up, he couldn't see Celestine anywhere, only Haruya throwing a chakram at Kei. She knocked it back with her sword, then called one of her newest Personas, Airavata.
"Magnara!" She cried, and the divine elephant stomped the ground, sending the power of the earth at the young Goldenrod Squad.
"Eat this!" Sakiko yelled, as Athena pierced Natsumi with her Cruel Attack.
"Burn in hell!" Natsumi yelled, countering with an Agilao.
Shintaro, however, was worried. Celestine had gone. However, he heard something behind her, like a splash of water.
"Taro-kun, look out!" Kohaku cried, blocking Aika's staff with her naginata.
"What?!"
Alas, it was too late. He felt a sharp blade strike him from behind. Reeling, he turned around, and stabbed back, only for Celestine to evade him.
"Hail to the Blue Veil Society, remember?" She said, with a deep chuckling, running her hand through her silken hair. "Of course, that group of assassins pale in comparison to our powers."
"Kohaku-chan, you're struggling tonight. Do you hate my music that much now? I thought it helped ease the loneliness while your parents worked all day..."
"I don't need your albums for that! I never did!"
"Music is the universal language of the soul. No wonder my Persona sings to me!"
Cecilia appeared, and sang the Crystal Philharmonic into her microphone – although there were no lyrics, the melody was of one of Aika's. As she sung, crystals of clear ice surrounded Kohaku and all her allies, then as the song ended, the frost exploded in a cold blast of pure energy.
"Ugh..." Kohaku winced.
"Are you afraid?" Aika asked, with a blank expression. "If you surrender the Cores now, we might just let you leave unharmed."
"I don't want your twisted mercy!" Kohaku shouted. "Airmid, please! We need a Geo Fort!"
The protective shield appeared around its summoner and her allies, bolstering their defence. Feeling more secure, Shintaro darted at Miyuki, slashing at her – but not before her Parvati could mentally assault him with a powerful Psio.
"You still think we don't matter, just because we're not natural Persona users like you, don't you?!" Haruya yelled, glaring at Masato. "Thinking that way will just get you killed! Watch and learn!"
At the same time she hurled her chakram, Anahita dowsed Masato with the force of Aques, Howling, he nearly collapsed, but his sister grabbed his hand, keeping him afoot.
"It doesn't matter how many minions Bythos throw at us. We'll defeat every single one of them!" Natsumi proclaimed.
"Tough talk coming from a bunch of ignorant schoolchildren!" Aika taunted.
"Ignorant? Us?" Kei said. "If you knew even half of what I know..."
"...Excuse me? What could you possibly know?" Aika asked.
"If I told you...you'd never be able to go on as normal," Kei said, looking somewhat apologetic.
"...What kind of ludicrous stalling is this?" Celestine said, summoning Egeria.
"Stalling? It's the truth. Perhaps you'd rather I stay silent..." Kei said. "Dis!"
Immediately, she called upon a blue-skinned Norse deity, with a shaved head and a flowing leather cloak. As she opened her eyes, a force of green light surrounded Celestine – a Makajam. Immediately, Egeria vanished.
"You...how dare you inhibit me so?" Celestine shouted.
"Oh, come on, you would have done the same to us if you had that move!" Masato jeered.
Furious, Celestine lunged at the baseball hopeful, slashing him with her dagger as wildly as she could.
"Argh!" He yelled. "Shintaro always talked about how graceful you were. You sure don't live up to your reputation!"
"You've got some nerve, talking about Courtois-san that way!" Sakiko shouted.
Masato simply laughed, right in her face, as he knocked her aside. "You sound like my mum! Thank god she can't see me now! Spirit Shock!"
Camulus' lightning storm struck all five women of Bythos, electrocuting them quite fiercely. Haruya herself had collapsed from the force, groaning in pain.
"N-No! I won't let this go on!" Miyuki yelled, as Sakiko tended to the fallen Goldenrod comrade. "Mediarama!"
As the Squad and their two leaders were healed, Shintaro saw Kohaku doing the exact same with Airmid. Feeling refreshed, he turned to Celestine, and his sword clashed with hers again, only this time, she was even more determined to flay him alive.
"Writer's block is a pain, isn't it?" He said, smug.
"You're not even a little sad about fighting me any more, are you? Even after…our night together?!"
Shintaro gulped. At the time, it had been a special, wonderful night, where he had been with a woman he loved the whole night. He had never imagined his first time would be so romantic, so full of passion. Yet now that she had revealed her true nature, he could no longer take any joy in remembering that night. He only felt disgust, at himself and the Aeon Admin that had deceived him.
"I've no time to mope around," Shintaro said, resolutely. "I've wasted enough time on you and your novels! Ogma, get her out of my sight! Force Drive!"
Ogma raised his sword aloft, and green sparkling energy shone brightly from it. Next, he brought down the blade, and a powerful blast of wind sent forward, catching Celestine off guard. The writer crashed into the fountain – just as her silence was broken via a Patra.
"Haruya! We're not letting him get away with that, are we?"
"Absolutely not, Sakiko! Anahita!"
Before Shintaro could react, he felt his body get heavier – via the crippling Sukunda. Swiftly, the Goldenrod Squad surrounded him, and began their triple assault. Via their sword, chakrams and staff, his body was slashed and beaten furiously.
"Shintaro-kun!" Kohaku cried.
"Good work, ladies. Now, Cecilia, sing with me a Spirit Symphony!"
The melodic Persona appeared, twirling with her microphone, as she sang – her beautiful, haunting voice singing throughout the echo. While there were no lyrics, to Shintaro, the song seemed like a ballad of the soul itself. He felt the sound hit his mind, and his vision began fuzzy. As it finished, he felt a great deal of pain surge in his head, as well as his body.
"I gotta say, you're a lot nastier than Kohaku made you out to be." Natsumi said, with fiery eyes locked onto the singer.
"At least I don't design mediocre clothing in my spare time..." Aika said, rolling her eyes. "You honestly expect that people will pay thousands to dress in your rags?"
"I sure as hell don't want you performing in any of my masterpieces! Brigid, get her! Wait, get all of them!"
With a sly smile, Brigid threw a Bladed Circuit, cutting through the Admins and their Goldenrod Squad, This ceased their assault on Shintaro, who rolled away to safety by Kei's side.
"Have we ever fought this many Persona users at once?" Shintaro asked.
"Not before..." Kei said, clutching her katana fiercely. "Stay cautious. Like us, they excel at teamwork."
"Excel? You've got an awfully high opinion of yourself, even for a Wild Card." Celestine said, raising her eyebrow.
"...I've become accustomed to fighting," Kei said, darkly, locking blades with the Admin. "At least I don't send out my goons to fight my battles for me. If Nisa Liat wants the Cores so badly, why doesn't she come to get them herself?"
"That...well..."
"The Princess trusts us to achieve her goals..." Aika said, desperately. "Even without her power, we'll still be victorious!"
"With all the times we've beaten the other Admins, that's a little hard to believe. Unless Katashi Yamaguchi is as deadly as he sounds."
"Katashi – how do you know about him?!" Celestine spluttered. "You've never even seen him in this world?"
"Yes, that's quite true, but your reaction confirms our hunch," Kei said, with a sly smile.
"They must have another group roaming Ginumi. Perhaps they've already engaged Toki and Katashi…!" Aika said, wary.
Toki? Glad I'm not fighting him. I still haven't forgiven him for that kidnapping. Hope Noboru-kun's okay.
"I've had just about enough of your attitude for one evening, Kakusa! Egeria, destroy her! Caroler's Cross!"
With her pen, Egeria drew a sharp cross, which powerfully struck Kei – twice, first with a blue flash, the second red. In pain, she winced, but struck back with her katana.
Are all of her attacks from Leanne Rouge? Or is it the other way round?
"Persona!"
Having switched again, Kei was now back to the angel Power. True to its name, its Makouha was quite intense, full of blessed light.
"Ugh!" Haruya, angry, threw her pair of chakrams at an even faster speed than before. They slashed through Kohaku, who yelped in pain, yet did not falter – as she slashed through the Bythos underling.
"It's nothing personal, but I can't lose here! Not to you, or to Aika!"
"You're still delusional, I see. Let me sing you something to celebrate..."
Aika, with a wicked smile, sang in concert with Cecilia her Hollow Delusion track – this time, a rather distorted, echoing song, one that sent a shiver down Shintaro's spine. Kohaku, however, seemed unfazed. Yet she seemed to be looking at no one in particular.
"Um...Kohaku? What are you looking at?" Natsumi asked.
"Isn't it obvious? Aika's right over there! And I'm going to take her down! Airmid!"
What, what has Aika done? Has she altered Kohaku's perception? In that case -
As Shintaro feared, his friend's Persona struck nothing with its Magnara. Aika laughed, much to Kohaku's confusion.
"That song…!" She realised. "You were right there a second ago!"
"No I wasn't, you fool. Such is the power of my songs." Aika taunted, with a lilt to her voice. "Even in the Akartharto Kosmos, my music has a certain influence over the mind. Music connects us in strange ways, after all!"
"Well said, Makino-san!" Sakiko said, casting a Rakukaja onto her master.
"Ugh..." Masato said, as he and Sakiko clashed. "You girls are rougher than the guys on my baseball team…."
"That's what happens when we actually have talent." Sakiko shouted, slashing with her sharp blade.
"Oh, you want talent? I'll give you talent, alright! Camulus, bring on the pain!"
As he appeared, the Persona twirled in the air, and then crashed down onto Sakiko via the Steel Breaker. There was a deafening sound of something cracking, which made Shintaro fear that his friend had gone too far in his assault. Luckily, the Goldenrod leader was still conscious, albeit in great pain.
"You asshole!" Haruya shouted. "I'll get you for that! Hamaon!"
Masato gulped – immediately, the exorcist cards shifted in front of him, and he fell to the floor, sprawled out.
"No! Masato-kun!" Natsumi yelled.
"He deserved that! And you all deserve this!"
Miyuki, standing between her two allies on the Squad, called down her Persona to unleash the psychokinetic wave of Mapsio. Shintaro screamed in pain, as it radiated throughout his head.
"I wonder if this is what Akari puts people through when she does this…?!" He howled.
"No one gets away with hurting my brother!" Natsumi said. "Shintaro, you wanna get some revenge on those ladies?"
"It would be my pleasure, Natsumi-chan!"
"Then let's create something truly special. Brigid!"
"Ogma, give her your full strength!"
A tornado was soon created, and as it gathered speed, a pink ember erupted in the centre. This soon spread throughout the cyclone, until it became a fiery vortex of horror.
"Crimson Cyclone!"
Instantly, the cyclone grew to its full size, and span throughout the park, immolating both the Goldenrod Squad and the Aeon Admins.
"Argh!" Aika screamed, incensed with rage.
"You wretched children..." Celestine muttered. Her face seemed somehow ugly this evening, Shintaro thought.
"Yes! Well done, you two. Keep this up, and we'll show these women exactly what we're made of." Kei said, readying her katana for her next strike. "I just hope Noboru and the others are safe..."
|Iruka Marina|20:00 pm|
Even with the Azure Squad, Toki was still a force to be reckoned with. His swordplay was as ferocious as ever, each blade flashing through the air at a blinding speed. It was all Noboru could do to keep up, blocking each attack and countering with his own. Shuten Doji's immense power was still a challenge to deal with, too.
The last time I fought him, I was going through a lot of difficult emotions. Fear, anger, hatred. And when I'm fighting him now, a lot of those feelings are coming back. Am I acting?
"Ha!" Katashi yelled, as he rolled aside from one of Toshiaki's bombs. It went off in the air, damaging a boat quite severely. "I thought you'd be decent competition, but you're such a rookie here! Guess it's not that easy to keep up with me, huh?"
"You arrogant bastard..."
"I think it's time we put an end to this battle...it's no fun toying with you anymore," Katashi said, amused. "I mean, I do love family reunions, but this one's not exactly a happy one..."
"Noboru. Kaii. I'm sorry, but we're going to take you out. Shuten Doji!"
"Derzelas! Go – huh?!"
The two Personas were interrupted by a huge sound beneath them. There was a flashing blue glyph, beneath the water's surface. Then, wisps of dark energy sent out, turning the water around them a murky colour. From there, a whirlpool emerged – and out of it came a roaring jet of water. The resulting wave crashed onto the marina, and while Noboru and his team got out of the way, the Aeon Admin duo wasn't so lucky.
"What just happened?" Evelina yelled, frantic.
"...It's a Shadow." Akari said, shaken. "Epona can feel it. It's really, really strong! It's -"
"An Anomaly." Noboru finished.
"Shit..." Toki climbed back onto the pier, completely soaked. Katashi soon followed, his gaze transfixed on the mighty Shadow above them.
"Finally. I'm free. Now, who are you all?"
Appearing above the jet of water was a human muscular upper body, sea blue in colour, with long flowing 'hair' that seemed to be made of water itself. With emerald eyes, the face seemed quite handsome – but also familiar.
"Holy crap! Where's the rest of its body?" Toshiaki asked.
"I think...the water is the body!" Evelina said, shocked.
"Oceanus...of course he'd be made of water!" Katashi looked up, disgusted. "So I was right. The Olympic swimmer that disappeared on his way to training one day. He was one of Nisa Liat's playthings all along!"
"Kaji Igarashi?!" Toshiaki said, stunned. "I read about him in all my sports magazines. The police could never find out where he went, but..."
"Yes. That was my former name. I was the greatest swimmer in Japan. If I had survived in my human form, I could have achieved glory for this country. Yet there were those who felt threatened by my talents. They wanted to seize glory for themselves, and lacked the talent to do so. Twice, I was nearly assassinated."
"They wanted you gone that badly?!" Noboru asked.
"Yes. I was lucky to survive the first two times. The third, however...well, it was successful. Food poisoning, at my favourite restaurant in Nagoya. Slowly, but surely, it destroyed my body. I was in Shinshuto visiting a friend when I was finally taken to hospital. That was when she came to me."
"The Princess..." Katashi said, tense.
"Pleroma Princess, Nisa Liat. Her powers are not to be trifled with. With her help, she turned me into a being that could swim in the sea forever. The exact science behind it, I don't understand. But she promised me that I could be free, and nothing could ever harm this new body. I accepted...and then I went to sleep."
Noboru thought deeply on this. This Anomaly was far from psychotic. He hadn't witnessed all of them, true, but from what his senpai had told him, they were generally unhinged, desperate to cause as much chaos and destruction as possible. Yet this one was rather calm, and actually was fully aware of who he had been.
"There are many others Nisa Liat transformed, much like myself. A vain woman who craved beauty, unrivalled by any other. A businesswoman who tried to expose corruption, only for her life to be threatened. Three schoolgirls who were being bullied by a cruel young man. Then there was the one she hated most. I don't mean that lightly. The rage she felt towards that man burned hotter than any sun in our galaxy."
"...What are you talking about?" Noboru asked, still wary. He kept his swords ready, prepared for anything.
"The first Anomaly she created was incredibly unstable. As she had never used the process before, it's to be expected. Her uncontrollable hatred for him, and his own mental state, didn't help matters. His insanity didn't seem to bother her too much. She even took great pleasure in augmenting it. I saw her tear off each of his limbs, then reattach them. Then, while he was still screaming in agony, she would sever his arms and legs all over again."
Akari looked like she was going to be sick at the thought of this. It wasn't a pleasant thing to imagine, Noboru thought. Just what else had Oceanus witnessed in his service for Nisa Liat?
"Before long, the other Anomalies she created became too willful for her to keep under control. Her powers are vast, but not infinite. Thus, she decided to seal us all away. I remember her disappointed expression as she banished me. Those cold, unfeeling eyes...she had lost all love for her creations. Yet even within my prison, I could sense what was happening here. Other humans with the Persona power flocked here, either to aid her or to fight her. I can finally return to what I was born to do – swimming as far as my body can take me!"
"...Wait. You're...not going to fight us?" Toshiaki asked, confused.
"I have no reason to fight. My wish to freely swim these beautiful waters has been granted. If you have no wish to slay me, then I shall not interfere with the Princess and her schemes. Farewell..."
With that, Oceanus descended into the water, and swam away, becoming a bright blue wave that faded into the distance.
"That guy was pretty nice, for a Shadow capable of mass destruction," Kaii said, scratching his head in confusion.
"I'll say. He was even politer than the Asshole Admins." Toshiaki said, looking harshly at Katashi.
"So much for ushering in the Cognition Core." Toki said, depend. "If a giant tsunami came here, it'd destroy most of this place..."
"Just like everything else you touch, then?"
Everyone turned to Noboru, who was furiously clenching his fists.
"H-Hey, it's not like that!" Toki said, flustered. "I didn't want Ginumi to get wrecked! We were trying to stop Oceanus from doing anything like that!"
"Why did you have to be my real father?!" Noboru screamed. Now, his blood was boiling. A lot of heated emotions were rising to the surface. "No matter how hard you try, you just can't stop ruining people's lives! If only Shigeru was my real dad...then I wouldn't have to be ashamed!"
"Noboru..." Akari said, stunned.
"You're just a bad memory that I wish I could forget! But you're still here...how am I supposed to forget that I'm related to you?!
As he said these things, he realised something. He hadn't been able to forgive his father for any of his faults. Not by a long shot. Although he thought he had overcome his hatred, he realised now that there was still a lot of resentment. Thus, his performance wasn't quite false.
Toki, numb, didn't say anything. He turned around, unable to look at his son anymore.
"What the hell are you doing? We've got to finish these idiots off -"
"We've done what we came for. Let's go back."
"What?! But we can't just quit -"
"Then you can stay here and fight them all alone. It's not like you want my company, anyway. My own flesh and blood don't want anything to do with me. Why should you?"
With that, Toki slowly took his Gnosis, and warped away. Angrily, Katashi reached for his own.
"...I'll settle the score with you later, Yukimora. Don't worry. I'm not going to do anything to you two at Kansei. Just don't go near me, and I won't go near you."
With that, Katashi departed, leaving the five Knowledge Seekers there, uneasy.
"Oceanus...can we really just leave him alone?" Akari asked. "If he can swim really far out to sea, there's no way we can fight him..."
"Judging from his words, I think we can assume he'd rather just stay in the water, without anyone bothering him. Still, we ought to be careful." Evelina said, nervous.
"Did you really have to say all that to Toki?" Kaii asked, looking at his brother.
"...I had to keep up the act in front of Katashi. Or any of the other Admins. What do you think Nisa Liat would do to our dad if she found out the truth? You heard Oceanus talk about what she did to the first Anomaly!"
"Yeah, but...I think you really got to him. If it was just an act, it was pretty convincing." Kaii said, frowning. "Apologise to him for me, would ya?"
Evelina and Toshiaki looked at each other, and then back to Noboru. Akari, desperate to change the subject, looked around.
"...At least this place didn't get torn apart. Let's be grateful for that, okay?" She said, with a nervous laugh. "C-Cmon, let's go back and let everyone know what happened. We can decide what we're gonna do about the new Anomaly with everybody. Right?"
"Yes. Let's go." Noboru said flatly. If he could approach his father without any of the Aeon Admins finding out, he would apologise as profusely as he could. Yet he wondered how genuine that apology would be. Did he understand his own emotions fully? All he could do now was focus on whatever battles lay ahead.
|Sogen Park|20:00 pm|
The battle still raged on, and even the Goldenrod Squad, although badly injured, were pressing on. Shintaro was feeling fatigue creeping upon him, yet Celestine still seemed to be spry.
"What's the matter, getting tired?" Celestine asked.
"N-Not yet!" Shintaro retorted, yet his weary countenance betrayed his confident words.
"Don't worry. This will be over soon enough. I'll at least try to spare you pain."
Grimacing, Shintaro lunged forward, yet his blade was easily dodged.
"Ha! You're far too slow to even touch me. Now, Egeria, take him - Huh?!"
Shintaro gasped. The ground beneath their feet began to tremble and shake. Cracks began to appear, and strange purple energy started to flow out from beneath the surface. The Goldenrod Squad nearly fell over from the constant shaking. It felt like the entire world was trembling beneath their feet.
"Celestine! What the hell is going on?!" Aika asked.
"Make it stop…!" Haruya whimpered, holding her head in her hands.
"No! It can't be Menoetius!" The novelist screamed.
"Meno...what?" Masato asked.
"Where...Where...are you?! No...ri...ko!"
The deep voice reverberated through the park, as the shaking intensified even further.
"Oh my god!" Kohaku yelled.
"Run!" Kei screamed, grabbing Shintaro's hand.
Before he could do anything, he was dragged all the way out of the park, with Kohaku and the twins in rapid pursuit. As he turned around, he saw the ground explode in a giant purple blast of energy. The entire fountain was engulfed in the blast, and a huge, hulking dark figure was in the epicentre. Further away, he saw Celestine and Aika leading the Goldenrod girls out of the park in the opposite direction.
"What – What just happened?!" Kohaku yelled.
"We have to get away!" Kei said.
Finally, the five were several blocks away, panting for breath. Shintaro, exhausted, leaned against the wall.
"What...what just happened? What's Menoetius?" Kohaku asked, panting for breath, holding a lamppost to stay balanced.
"I'm guessing some weird Greek mythological thing, like most of the other Anomalies that keep showing up." Masato asked, falling to the ground.
"He was one of the Titans. Zeus killed him during the Titanomachy, and he was banished to Tartarus." Kei said, looking behind her. They luckily had not been followed.
"How'd you know that?" Natsumi asked. "Has the Gnosis turned you into a Greek mythology buff or something?"
"I...I've read up on a lot of Greek figures," Kei said, hesitantly. "The name means 'doomed might'."
"That seems pretty apt for what it just did." Shintaro asked. "What do we do now?"
"We must go back to the Gold Laguna. After fighting Bythos, we'd be in no position to take on a Shadow of that power..."
"You really think so?" Masato asked.
"We must be cautious, now more than ever," Kei said, wary. "Come, let's go."
With that, the team departed to the Hotel, where their comrades were waiting.
|Golden Laguna Hotel|20:30 pm|
Having all gathered, they soon learned of the incidents in both Totsuka and Ginumi. Not one, but two Anomalies had revealed themselves. While Oceanus claimed to have no wish to do battle with any of the Persona users, leaving him to do as it pleased was a huge risk to take. Not to mention the sheer power of Menoetius, as Celestine had called it.
"Looks like you had an eventual evening, all of you." Michiko said. "I'm just glad all of you are safe. Especially you, Shintaro."
"I had no choice but to fight Celestine. Even if we were so close once..."
"You look like you've grown up a little. Well done." Shigeru said, slightly smiling.
"We're almost done with the safe place for the Cores." Novalie said, happily. "We just need to do a few more tests to make sure it can't be easily found, or broken into. I've got a good feeling about that place."
"Being down that old shelter was so creepy." Netuno said, shivering at the thought.
"Yeah, I'll bet. So glad it's the Cores that will be hiding there, not us." Reia said. "But...what are we going to do about Oceanus and Menoetius?"
Just then, everyone's Gnosis had an alert. As expected, it was one about an Anomaly escaping. Yet only one was mentioned - Oceanus.
"...What?" Evelina murmured. "Why only Oceanus?"
"I...I don't know." Kohaku said. "We saw him break out from the seal for sure!"
Shigeru stared out of the window, frowning.
"This doesn't bode well. Not one bit. Whatever Menoetius is, or was, it can't be anything good. I only hope we can handle it when the time comes."
|Sogen Park|21:00 pm|
The centre of the park was now a smoking crater, with an eerie purple fluid. A hulking brute of a Shadow roared, as it hauled itself out. Its body was pure black and seemed to be made primarily out of the inky substance the Shadows 'bled', except for two red eyes, that seemed to have tears streaming down the rest of its face. Its muscles were bulging, and its fists were enlarged, with giant spikes protruding from the base of its wrists. Around its arms were broken chains, stained with blood.
"There you are. My disgusting first creation, in all its glory. Or complete lack of."
Appearing right in front of this monster was Nisa Liat herself, glaring at it with pure hatred in her eyes. As it saw her, it began to cower in fear, frozen from the fright.
"Yes, that's right. You should be scared of me..." She said, barely containing her rage. "Nozumo Kanami, what were you expecting to accomplish by breaking out of your seal? Oh, dear. You can't even remember that name, can you? I suppose after all the times I ripped you apart and put you back together, your mind would have suffered a little."
"Please...don't...I'll do whatever you say...don't...!"
"You're begging me for mercy? That's ironic, isn't it? On that day you shot me through the heart, I begged you to spare me, so that I could go home to my mother. You still pulled that trigger! And I ended up here...all alone! You have only yourself to blame."
Nisa Liat walked closer, and the Shadow began trembling with fear.
"Indeed. If you hadn't pulled the trigger, my mother would be happy, and I wouldn't have turned you into the freak you are now! But now, the circumstances have changed. The Theio Kosmos will truly become mine to rule soon enough. Oceanus escaped too, but I'll deal with him later. You, on the other hand, can't be allowed to run free. You're coming with me!"
She began laughing wickedly, as she and Menoetius became enshrouded in a whirlwind of purple smoke. Finally, she was gone, and the park had been restored to its splendour. Yet now, the Princess had another tool at her disposal. Whatever she would use it for, many would surely suffer.