AN: Hello everyone. I hope you're all holding up. We're nearly at the end of this arc. I promise Chapter 55 won't take nearly as long as this one to come out. As always, please read, review, favourite, follow, etc.
Chapter 54: The Facade of Insanity
|Throne of Oblivion|
This was it. The moment Shintaro had been preparing for – the last time he and Nisa Liat would ever fight. She continued to sit on her throne, as the group marched forward into the room. Despite the angry looks on their faces, she seemed amused by all of this.
"You're all here much earlier than I expected. I thought the Spheres of Confrontation would have been far more challenging for you. After all, you each ended up against an Aeon Administrator, carefully selected by myself. I was wrong to doubt you, it seems. Well done."
"I don't want your praise! What the hell are you going to do with the Admins?" Shintaro sharply asked, pointing at her.
"Right now? Nothing, actually. I have guests right here I have to take care of. And you've already massacred every single Shadow I summoned here. Once the fusion of the Kosmos begins in earnest, however, then they'll cease to exist."
"...What do you intend to gain by fusing the worlds now?" Kohaku said, incredulous. "Your mother is dead. You can't bring her back. All you can do is make a hollow copy, just like you did before. Everything you're doing is for nothing!"
Nisa Liat scowled and banged her fist on her throne's armrest. Sparks flew from it, fizzing out on the stone floor.
"You ignorant fool. Didn't I make myself clear yesterday? If my mother can't live in the new world, then no one can. Do you hear me? Absolutely no one. I'll have the entire planet to myself."
The group exchanged troubled looks. They hadn't quite expected this. For one person to have an entire planet to themselves was insanity.
"...You're serious, aren't you? You want to live out the rest of your days all alone?" Toshiaki asked, shaken.
"Absolutely. Noriko Ashikaga is dead. My mother is dead. My father ran away like a coward. And my friends forgot all about me. Who is left for me to spend eternity with? What, did you honestly think I'd let you all live here with me?"
Manami stood still, fists clenched.
"What's going to happen to everyone else outside this castle…?! They're all going to vanish?"
Nisa Liat finally got up from her throne, and looked up high at the sky above her.
"Precisely. They wouldn't end up as Shadows or remain as souls of the undead, haunting the ruins of the world. They'll be gone entirely. Oh, and don't think I'll leave even ruins behind. All I'll need for myself is one city to reign over. Shinshuto, of course. Everything beyond its borders? Pointless. Unnecessary."
"...I thought Bythos was bad enough. But this is on a whole new level." Natsumi said. "If your mother was still alive, this new world of yours. Would there be anyone but the two of you?"
"Tch. Why ask that now? What, do you think this was my goal right from the start? To be the sole remaining person on the planet? No, you stupid bitch. I would have made it like you saw that day in the forest. The ideal life of me, my mother, and many friends. Those loyal to me would have lived on too, of course."
The room was silent. Right now, the only ones 'loyal' to her were brainwashed victims down in the city. And they weren't going to see the glorious future they had been led to believe was due for them. Lies upon lies, that was all Bythos was.
"You psychotic, evil little bitch..." Masato muttered.
Nisa Liat chuckled, almost delighted at this comment.
"You look upset. Were you actually hoping I'd change my mind, and let you all be guests here? After yesterday, I would never grant either of you my mercy. Not you, not my Aeon Admins, and not those people that fell to the ground!"
"People? No, surely you don't mean..." Noboru, panicking, looked back and forth, between his allies and the smug Princess.
"You remember all that shaking below, surely? In the room where Metatron and Beelzebub lay in wait for their prey?" Nisa Liat said, smirking. "You were all preoccupied, inching towards me, while dear Shigeru Komatsu and his...rabble were fighting feebly. I was watching from here, of course."
She clicked her fingers, and a giant circular screen appeared. It showed footage of a strange room, where a massive fight had taken place. A demonic fly – no doubt Beelzebub. A golden robotic angel, that must have been Metatron. Shigeru and the others were lying on the floor, sprawled out.
Something very unusual happened, however. The Shadows turned on each other, and unleashed their greatest powers. Immense energy enveloped the room, and the 'camera' shook wildly. Eventually, however, this energy dissipated, and the Shadows were gone. Yet...so was the room itself. All Shintaro could see was a view of Kansei from above, and scant glowing red rocks falling towards the school, only to dissolve instantly.
"No. No!" Shintaro cried. "Suzuki-sensei…"
"Dad..." Noboru wailed, dropping to his knees.
"I don't know what happened. Beelzebub and Metatron were supposed to be cooperating, under my orders. Yet they turned on each other, and thus, both were destroyed. Did it look like anyone there had a chance to get away from there? Oh well. I lost two strong Shadows, but six annoying pests finally got what was coming to them. So overall, it worked out in the end."
"How dare you..." Natsumi said, shaking. "You're pure evil, you know that?"
"Hiroyuki...Novalie...Reia...Netuno...they're all gone? No, they must...have escaped, right?" Masato uttered, nervously.
"D-Dad...Dad!" Noboru cried. Kohaku held him tightly, glaring at the Princess all the while.
"Don't look so upset. This is the place where you will all die, after all. But at the very least, none of you will be alone." Nisa Liat said, her voice almost melodic with delight. "That's what you fear most, isn't it? Dying with no one by your side? You'll at least escape that fate – pain, however? There's no running from that! Come forth, Black Frost!"
Surrounded by a red whirlwind of pure energy, she concentrated deeply, as a behemoth of a Persona emerged. While it was similar to the small Jack Frost he had seen Kei use long ago, it was darker in colour, with a purple hat and shows, and a somewhat cartoonish 'evil' face. Giggling, he unleashed a freezing cold blast, a Mabufudyne. Shintaro could only scream as the chilling ice swiftly struck him, almost sending him to the ground.
She wasn't this strong back in that creepy mansion. Come on, pull it together. Everyone is counting on us!
"Dammit...I thought...I could handle this by now..." Noboru groaned, horrified by the frost around him.
"You poor, helpless child...you're still terrified of that icy day? Isn't it about time you got over that whole incident? Haven't your forays in the Theio Kosmos scarred you far worse than that?"
These words seemed to pierce through the fear in Noboru's heart, and instead brought up anger. And that anger was what fuelled the brutal flurry of sword swings that followed. Nisa Liat smirked, even as she could only guard with her blade.
"Damn you to hell! Aengus!"
The Persona launched his wielder high in the air with Shimmering Spire – which resulted in a great swing of Noboru's blades. The resulting flash of blessed light enveloped the throne room, which emboldened Shintaro enough to attack. However, Nisa Liat was able to block him instantly.
"Trying to catch me off guard? Idiot! Your weak sword can't scratch me!"
Shintaro screamed in agony as he was swung aside, crashing next to the empty throne. He had no time to lie there in pain, however. He had to keep fighting. And thus, he got back up, and summoned Ogma.
"Tornado Flash!"
With the fierce winds of Ogma, he managed to warp behind the wicked foe, and struck her from behind. At the same time, so did Masato.
"Shintaro-kun, this is gonna be our last battle with our Personas, huh?" He asked, Camulus before him. The Persona had a calm, yet forceful look. Shintaro had never seen him look so determined. "Then let's make it count! I gotta keep up with you!"
A ferocious Ziodyne, full of rage, struck the princess, just as thunder could be heard in the distance. While her body may have been hit by a brutal bolt of lightning, Nisa Liat had no intention of yielding. She struck back, her blade more than capable of breaking through her opponent's guard. Masato yelled as the blade cut through him.
"No!" Natsumi cried. "You won't get away with that! My brother will never be one of your victims! Neither will anyone else here! Burn in hell! Brigid, incinerate her, now!"
Complying, the Persona clicked her fingers, and a gigantic ball of flame ignited around Nisa Liat. Agidyne's fire was truly intense, Shintaro thought. Yet Nisa did not cry out in pain.
"Burn in hell? Really? With this? You're not ruthless enough, you pathetic little wannabe designer! You can't design any good clothes, and you can't make a big enough fire to scorch me!"
Shintaro and Natsumi struck at her at the same time, forcing her to strike with her katana. She span around, blade extended, unleashing a small white shockwave. It was an icy one, perhaps drawing upon the cold nature of Black Frost. Sure enough, the evil Persona appeared. Nisa Liat looked up at it, and sighed, shaking her head. Immediately, it disappeared, and a new one appeared in its place. A dark-skinned fiery god, with red stripes on its skin, it had solid yellow eyes. It clutched a sword, with a thin blade – that had a wreath of flame cloaking it.
"Surt..." Kei said, disdainfully.
"Ah, you know him? Excellent! Of course, even if you didn't know about him, you can tell what his speciality is...and that's what I'm counting on."
"So flames?" Toshiaki said, rolling his eyes. "Ha! My ice will put out that fire right now! Bufudyne!"
Conchobar appeared, and with great force, conjured chilling ice around Nisa Liat. This Bufudyne was colder than Shintaro was used to, for he felt a shiver down his spine from across the room. Nisa Liat, however, was not fazed. Instead, she grinned.
"Tch. Is that all you can do? You may be a skilled runner, Toshiaki, but that's all you're good at. And it's too late to run away! Especially from Ragnarok!"
Ragnarok?! The war of the gods in Norse mythology?! But -
Surt raised his fiery sword high in the sky, and before long, a column of pure red flame erupted around Toshiaki. It's heat was beyond any Agidyne, and had Toshiaki not been fortunate enough to have a Persona, he would have been turned to ash in seconds. Alas, even with a Persona, fire was still anathema to him. He almost instantly collapsed, dropping his claw.
"Toshi-kun!" Evelina screamed. "You bitch!"
Nisa Liat's lips curled into a smile, while Surt stared blankly ahead.
"What? You're surprised I'm trying to kill you all? Was I supposed to be gentle with your deaths? What exactly did you expect to happen when you barge into my castle to end my life? That I'd just accept it?"
"Shut up...you're the most disgusting thing on this entire planet! Aoife, hurry and kill her!" Evelina cried.
Nisa Liat was immediately enveloped by the darkness of Eigaon, its cursed energy darkening the room. Even this, however, wasn't enough to stop her. She broke through the darkness, and rushed towards Evelina. Before her blade could strike her, however, Kei ran forward, and blocked it with her own trusted sword.
"...You're good with your sword, I'll give you that."
Kei, ignoring this compliment, continued to swing at her opponent. Dodging her enemy's sword, she rolled aside, and summoned a Persona. This time, she had called upon the help of Anat, a Semetic goddess of war. With a dark smile, she held her curved dagger with murderous intent.
"Persona!"
Charging immense nuclear power, she span high in the air, and conjured a Freidyne to explode around Nisa Liat, one blindingly bright. Shintaro could barely see her, the light completely shrouding her.
"Toshiaki! Here!" Kohaku cried, rushing over to her comrade. "Airmid, we need your help! Hurry!"
Swiftly, the compassionate Persona channelled her strength into her Samarecarm spell. The second the healing light entered Toshiaki's body, he jumped back up, clenching his fists.
"Thanks...I thought I was a goner..." he said, still shaking.
"Li Ban, everyone needs our support. Please, dance with me! Chu No Mai!"
Gracefully, the Persona produced a blue fan, and began to dance. Her elegant twirls and fan movements began to produce spirals of bright blue fluid around Shintaro and the others, and as they span around him, he felt more energetic. Indeed, his body felt lighter than before.
This dance must have other power behind it. Whatever it is, I hope it helps.
"Die!" Shintaro cried, rushing at Nisa Liat. Many others had chosen to attack too, Noboru's swords cutting through at the same time as Shintaro's. Despite the barrage of deadly weapons being swung at her, Nisa Liat was not about to flinch. She floated high into the air. Surt was still with her, but he was dismissed, and in his place, another Persona was under her command.
"He might have failed as a Shadow, but repurposed as my Persona, Kartikeya here might just work wonders. Punish these pitiful humans!"
The peacock-riding god commanded fierce energy, and using his spear as a guide, Maziodyne soon struck down everyone in the room, except its wielder. Nisa Liat laughed, as the bolts of lighting circulated everywhere. The flashes of lightning and the roaring thunder outside of the castle was getting even more intense, Shintaro noticed, as he recovered from the shock.
"Manami! Are you alright?!" Evelina cried, rushing to help Manami balance herself. Her face was full of agony, having suffered the most from the electricity that had just ravaged the group.
"I'm...fine..." The dancer said, albeit weakly. "We have to...keep going..."
"Failed as a Shadow…?" Masato asked, confused. "What is she talking about?"
"Dad – Toki, I mean, told me he had to fight Kartikeya yesterday. He killed it with Shuten Douji's best move. So if my dad could kill that Shadow, but he couldn't defeat me even fighting at his very best – then we have nothing to fear at all! Aengus, come!"
The Persona's two divine blades were withdrawn, and each one slashed the Pleroma Princess, leaving trails of white light. The explosive strikes were full of courage, truly a Lion's Pride. Nisa Liat, angry, slashed back, so far even Noboru's two swords couldn't block her advances.
"Dammit! Everyone, here! Use this!" Shintaro cried. Instantly, Ogma provided everyone with a Masakukaja boon – and as soon as the green pillars of energy covered Shintaro and his allies, they felt a shot of agility. Soon enough, each of them were attacking Nisa Liat, far too nimble for her sword to keep at bay.
"Ugh...even with just nine of you left, it's still too many!" She shouted, rolling to the side. "Die!" She stabbed at Masato, who dodged it.
"Masato! Come on, let's see what Brigid and Camulus can do as one!" Natsumi cried.
Smirking, her brother nodded. Both Personas appeared, and pressed their palms together. Before long, fire and electricity was swirling around them, sparks and embers falling all around them. This soon became a giant ball of lightning, somewhat baseball-like in pattern, with a ring of flame surrounding it.
"Home Run's Storm!"
The ball and ring combo were hurled straight at Nisa Liat, both severely electrocuting and burning her. The flames and sparks of the blast were blindingly fast, and Shintaro could barely see Nisa Liat beneath the array of fire and lightning. Finally, however, she broke free, with a dour expression.
"So, that's the power of siblings, is it? How cute! But it's not enough to stop me – ah!"
Kohaku had slashed at her from behind, forcing Nisa Liat to turn around.
"You're rather bold, aren't you?"
Silent, Kohaku slashed again. It was as she swung that Shintaro realised how much more confident she had become with this blade – it had become like an extension of her own body. And as Airmid appeared, he realised her Persona had grown even more.
"Persona! Please, grant us your strength!" Kohaku pleaded.
Airmid knelt on the ground, and began the Prayer of the Earth. A tremor shook the entire vast room, while green sparks from the blast flew into Kohaku's body, rejuvenating her.
"What a nauseatingly saccharine prayer. But I don't need to pray to anyone for my power. Garuda, come forth!"
Kartikeya vanished, and in its place was a large bird god. With an elaborate golden headdress, it had an almost regal quality to it. It flapped its wings, surrounded by red winds, and soon produced a Magarudyne, far more turbulent than any winds the Shadows had released before. Shintaro could only watch as everyone was sent flying backwards into the wall, in deep agony. The winds, however, barely touched him.
"Manami! Are you okay?!" Evelina cried.
"Y-Yes, but what bout you?"
"I'll be alright. That wind won't kill me!" Smiling, the Swede summoned Aoife. Li Ban emerged, in sync. "Come on, Manami. Let's do this!"
"...It would be my pleasure, Lina-chan."
The two Personas concentrated together, and the powers of darkness and water combined to create a sea of dark water. The ocean surrounding the bewildered Nisa Liat was pure black, with a red 'shimmer'. Suddenly, there was a whirlpool around her, that began to spin violently. It grew larger and larger, as the sky emitted a bloody red glow.
"Maelstrom!"
Finally, there was a massive blast of black and blue energy, and Nisa Liat was sent crashing to the ground, as the water subsided. Angry, she lashed out at Kei, their katanas clashing again.
"Tch...your friends are such pests. I suppose you needed something in common to bond over, huh?" Nisa Liat shouted, rapidly swinging her blade.
"...Now I understand why your swordplay is like mine. We must have learned it from the same place. But if that's the case, then -"
Kei, what are you saying? The same place? But Noriko never was at Kansei's kendo club -
"That can wait. Bishamonten!"
The firece Heavenly King emerged, standing powerfully in front of Nisa Liat and Garuda. With his full power, he unleashed his Akasha Arts, a mighty blast of pure strength. It sent Nisa Liat flying backwards towards her throne, which cracked slightly.
"You..." She muttered, groaning, as she got back to her feet. "To think there would be another Wild Card like me. But you haven't even begun to see all that I can do! You will die here, one way or another! It doesn't matter how hard you've been training, how long you've been preparing to fight me. My destiny is to win, no matter what it takes!"
She ran forward at her enemies, sword in her hands, out for all their blood. The battle was far from over, Shintaro realised.
How far is she willing to go to defeat us? Just what is her limit? I hope we can defeat her before we find out. Kei, everyone, let's do this!
Sphere of Confrontation|
Celestine finally opened her eyes, still dazed. The red glow of the Sphere was overpowering, the same hue as blood. As she awoke, she felt flashes of pain throughout her body. Something utterly ferocious had knocked her out cold. But what it was, she was struggling to remember.
"Where...is everyone? Why am I here? Oh...this place. Then, Shintaro…won?"
As she got to her feet, she felt even more pain. The room seemed to be spinning around her, blurring in and out of focus. There had been someone with her not long before, she recalled that. Now she was just on her own.
Fighting Shintaro must have been even more brutal than she thought. She staggered forward, and reached the wall. Touching it, she tried to compose her thoughts. She had lost that battle, clearly, for she remained here. And the bookworm had gone forward. Since the castle was still standing, the battle between him and Nisa Liat had yet to conclude.
If she won, then she'd be destroying all of us right now. If Kei and Shintaro's team had won, then we wouldn't still be in this awful castle.
"So what do I do now? I don't suppose I can break down that door, can I?" Celestine asked, to no one in particular. She turned to the one behind her, the one she had come through. As she expected, it did not budge, not even slightly. She was trapped here – unable to help Shintaro, or return and try to find out what had become of Shigeru's team.
"All losers of the Sphere of Confrontation have regained consciousness." A robotic sounding voice said, booming from above. Celestine gasped, looking all over, but couldn't see anyone or anything nearby. "Nisa Liat is currently engaged in combat with the victors. You shall not be allowed to participate, or even spectate. Your usefulness has come to an end."
"...What?!"
Suddenly, there was a flash of red light, and in an instant, the Sphere of Confrontation had expanded – by eight times. And sure enough, the other Aeon Admins were there, all looking rather startled.
"Huh?! You guys all lost? Not a single admin made it…?!" Katashi asked, surprised.
"What's gonna happen to us now?!" Asami asked, startled.
"You will not be allowed to return to any other portion of the castle until Nisa Liat's final battle concludes. Even with your Personas, you will not be able to break free. Stay here until everything ends. This is the last message Nisa Liat has left for you all."
"...Shit!" Toki punched the nearest wall, angrily. "What now?"
"Everyone downstairs is still in danger..." Keiya said, anxiously.
Aika, biting her lip, turned to Celestine. "Are we really supposed to just stay here? We have to do something!"
"But that voice said our Personas wouldn't -"
"Nisa Liat doesn't know our true strength." Shiro said, adamantly. Rinaka nodded, looking on at him fondly. "Besides, doing absolutely nothing won't achieve anything. We must find a way to either move forward and reach Kei's group, or return and find out what happened to Shigeru's team."
Celestine hesitated for a moment. Yes, he did have a point. Staying here without even trying to get out wouldn't help. But would either door give way to a combined assault from their Personas?
"Come on, Celestine. It's worth a try." Rinaka said, hand on her shoulder. "We don't have to play by Nisa Liat's rules anymore."
"...Alright. Then...let's go forward. So that we can help everyone in the final battle. Then we go back and help Shiro."
Everyone nodded, and walked onward. The Aeon Admins may have lost fierce battles, but they still had strength burning within their souls.
|Throne of Oblivion|
The sky seemed to be darker now, yet the throne room was full of flashes – each combatant was unleashing everything they had. Fearsome flames raged, chilling cold ravaged all around, bolts of indignant lighting bombarded the ground, and howling winds beat down on everyone.
Nisa Liat's range of Personas was just as vast as Kei's, and now, she had manifested Atavaka. The Buddhist god of war and protection, his strength was titanic – as his Brave Blade demonstrated, slashing through Noboru with incredible force.
"Dammit!" Noboru cried, the pain surging through him. "You think that's all it takes to defeat me?!" He slashed back at Nisa Liat, who skilfully manoeuvred her sword to block his medley of attacks. However, she did not notice someone was running up to her from behind – and thus, a naginata cut through her.
"Ugh!" Nisa Liat screamed. "What a cheap trick. Must you make me waste my energy? If you want me to tear apart your body and mind, I'll be more than happy to oblige!"
She dismissed her Persona, and thus a new one emerged, the goddess Alilat. With a red aurora enshrouding her, she conjured the lurid, psychedelic Mapsiodyne, blasting everyone with its psychotic power.
"Oww!" Noboru cried, gravely injured. "You...you..."
Just then, a Diarahan quickly restored him, and he was back on his feet.
"Senpai..."
Kohaku was right in front of him, her eyes staring deeply into his.
"Don't let her get to you! I'm right by your side, okay?" She said, full of courage. "Airmid!"
Noboru gazed up at Kohaku and her Persona. Then, he nodded, and from his soul, Aengus arrived.
"Let's do this, Senpai!"
Aengus and Airmid joined hands, and waves of white and green light surrounded them, and expanded across the mammoth throne room. Shintaro, Kei and the others gasped, as the energy swirled around them. Their pain seemed to be melting away, and not only that, a new strength was building. Power was swelling within everybody, as if they had been renewed.
"Blessed Earth!"
The final flourish of power flashed, and thus, the team were back in action. Nisa Liat sighed, angered by her foes' newfound strength. She set her sights on Natsumi, who was already preparing a new assault with Brigid. Before she could do anything, Nisa Liat was soon sent flying by the sharp bladed ring, this time an Execution Discus.
"How about that, bitch?!" Natsumi cried, smug. "Plenty more where that came from!"
"Ogma, come!" Shintaro cried, sending forth a turbulent Garudyne. Nisa Liat was sent flying into the sky, right into Camulus' warpath.
"Thanks, Shintaro-kun! Now watch this!"
Calumus charged immense energy into his weapon, and brought it down with a decisive swing, resulting in the Tungsten Tragedy. Nisa Liat crashed to the ground with a heavy thud, but she quickly got to her feet. Swiftly, she sent out a red shockwave with her katana, hitting Evelina and Manami to the ground.
"I...I won't surrender! Not to you or anyone else! Do you hear me? This city belongs to me!"
"S-She's seriously not giving up, is she? Even after all we've thrown at her?" Manami said, shaken. Evelina didn't respond, instead firing her guns. "...Fine. I can still fight. Li Ban!"
The aquatic Persona danced, elegantly as ever, and the energy produced a strong Aquadyne. Smirking, Aoife appeared, and her Mana Bullet shone a deep blue. Immediately, the regular bullets Evelina was firing became shrouded with the same blue hue, and they hit Nisa Liat with the power of water.
"Holy shit! I forgot you could do that!" Toshiaki said, impressed.
Evelina smirked, blowing away the smoke from her pistols. "It's no big deal, Toshi-kun. Come on, surely you and Conchobar have a few toys to show off yet...right?"
Smirking, Toshiaki nodded, and threw several frost-powered grenades. As he did this, Chocobar flew to the sky, and began to press buttons in his helicopter's cockpit. Soon, a holographic dog-like beast, one with sharp fangs, appeared. It rushed forward, and bashed into Nisa Liat's body with Canine Savagery, just as the icy grenades exploded.
"Why...why must you keep inventing the most stupid abilities ever? All so you can kill me? Well, too bad. None of that will work!"
"Talk is cheap. You're finished!" Shintaro said, thrusting at his hated enemy. She dodged, and lunged forward as well. Just as she did, Atavaka returned, and granted his master the power of Heat Riser.
"Not yet, boy! My power is unlimited! The whole of this city belongs to me. That's not something your childish attacks can change – argh!"
Kei had already gotten in front of her, attacking mercilessly with her katana. Just as they taught in kendo, there was no such thing as defence for defence's sake. Instead, there was only the need to strike.
"Tch...you're quite strong, Wild Card. That only makes me want to kill you even more! I thought I hated Nozomu Kanai more than anything in this world, but you...you're my shadow I can't get rid of! That changes here. I'll finally be rid of you and your friends in mere moments!"
Kei did not respond to this, as her katana swiftly blocked the sword of the nemesis before her. All her kendo practice had given her swordplay a truly cutting edge, yet it seemed Nisa Liat had also perfected the art of the sword. It was almost like they were mirror images of each other.
"Ostara, let's do this!"
"Rosmerta, tear her apart!"
The two Persona summoned tremendous swarms of razor-sharp petals, and with a click of the finger, they shot at their adversary. This was the Petal Cotillion, a flurry of death. Shintaro could barely keep track of any of them.
"Damn..." Kei said, looking weary. "Why does this Persona look like mine…?!"
"That's what I want to know. Not that it really matters. Tch...to think you've pushed me this far..." Nisa Liat, bitterly. Her sword arm faltered, and the blade touched the heavily damaged floor. Rain started to fall, yet it seemed to evaporate the second it touched the ground. A loud peal of thunder could be heard in the distance, and there were flashes of lightning.
"It's over, 'Princess'." Toshiaki said, disdainfully. "You can't keep up with us. Why not just surrender and go to hell? The Theio Kosmos doesn't need a freak like you ruling it!"
There was silence, apart from the thunderstorm. Nisa Liat was quiet, alas only briefly. Then, she started chuckling. That chuckle soon became an uproarious laughter.
"It doesn't need me? You don't understand at all, Yukimora! This world and I are one and the same now! The Theio Kosmos cannot exist without me, and I cannot exist without the Theio Kosmos! To destroy me for good, you'd have to destroy this entire realm! And there's no way you can ever hope to do that!"
She got to her feet, and clutched her katana with both hands. As she did, Rosmerta appeared in front of her. The Persona she had yet to use, that was a dark mirror of Ostara.
"I only desire one thing. And that is to be the only one in existence. I'll kill everyone else! Even the parts of me I don't need any more!"
Rosmerta smiled wickedly, and beckoned upon dark shadowy bodies, each wrapped in red glowing chains. Shintaro gasped – these were the Personas she had used prior. Every single one of them was immediately turned into a dark mist, that was just as quickly absorbed into Rosmerta's body. Her Sacrificial Heart's red aura enveloped the entire throne room – and Shintaro froze with fear.
This power is insane! Did she really just sacrifice every single Persona except one?
"There. Now only Rosmerta remains. Just as only I will remain from today forward!"
"How is she still standing, after all we threw at her?!" Masato said, incredulous.
"Oh, and I almost forgot! How silly of me. That project I had you and Rinaka work on?" Nisa Liar said, gazing at Evelina, gleefully.
The Swede gasped, as the others stared in confusion.
"Evelina-chan, what is she talking about?!" Manami asked. However, the blonde was silent. "E-Evelina? What's going on?"
With a tap on her Gnosis, Nisa Liat activated an app – that she gladly showed to everyone present. On her screen was a red silhouette of a Gnosis, with a 'cracked' screen. Just as it appeared, the same image appeared on Shintaro's Gnosis.
"What the hell? Why – why can't I get this thing to go away?" Kohaku asked, gazing aghast at her own Gnosis. "Airmid!"
As usual, a blue flash of light appeared around Kohaku, but it immediately turned red, and the energy abruptly subsided.
"No! Aimid, hurry!"
Again, and again, the Persona refused to appear. Anxious, Shintaro concentrated, picturing Ogma in his head. He, too, could not call upon his Persona. Indeed, despite their best efforts, the entire team were unable to summon.
"In a bind, aren't we?" Nisa Liat said, chuckling. "I've been saving that for a time like this. A virus that corrupts a Gnosis and all ones linked to it. You see, I may have been able to create the Gnosis in the beginning, but that doesn't mean I can just disable all of them outright. Thus, I needed to have a special application designed, which I tasked with Rinaka. And then, once Ignorantia was completed,I needed some way to get it onto one of your Gnosis. It didn't matter which one, for the virus would spread to all the devices it was connected to."
"How did you infect ours?" Natsumi asked, disturbed. "Was it when we entered this disgusting place?"
"Nope, it was long before then. It's quite an entertaining tale, actually. One of my admins gave me a helping hand. And that lovely madamoiselle was none other than the enchanting belle, Celestine." Nisa Liat then turned to Shintaro, who trembled before her. "But you know her better than I do, don't you? Especially after a certain evening..."
Shintaro gulped. That night, when he stayed at her house. Of course. She would have been able to get her hands on his Gnosis, and back then, he could have passed it off as a standard smartphone. Or so he thought.
"Oh my god, so she only went out with him so she could put a virus on his phone?!" Kohaku asked.
Frowning, the Pleroma Princess shook her head. "It wasn't quite like that. I simply discovered that Celestine had come into contact with Shintaro. He was quite enamoured with her and her books, but little did he know, she knew exactly who he was right from the start as well. That, my friends, is when the idea came to me. Shintaro's Gnosis would be within reach. He would always keep it on his person. I simply gave her a program that would install the virus onto his, and look where we are now. Isn't it wonderful?"
Shintaro was shaking. He dropped his defunct Gnosis to the ground, as the others turned to him. He couldn't bear to see their faces. Because he had a foolish fantasy in his head, he had rendered them utterly powerless, right at the very end.
"S-Shintaro..." Kohaku muttered, lost for words.
"Hey...Senpai, say something. Anything..." Noboru said, clenching his fists.
It's all my fault. I've failed. I might as well have killed everyone myself. Without our Personas, we can't possibly defeat her. Kei, everyone, I'm so sorry. We're all going to die, right now."
His mother and father. His friends. Everyone at school. The entire city. Perhaps the entire world. All would be gone because of him.
"Don't look so upset. You at least got to enjoy a romantic evening. Passion that eludes so many in this world." Giggling, Nisa Liat held out her own Gnosis, the only one apparently still functioning. "It isn't over just yet, thought. My Persona didn't gather all that power for nothing. Rosmerta! The time has come!"
She smiled, and pointed at the sky above her with her mighty katana. As she did so, Rosmerta ascended higher and higher, until there was a huge burst of red light, casting a crimson hue over apparently the entirety of Shinshuto. There was not a single building in the distance that was not covered by this ghastly light. Shintaro could hear what sounded like an ominous church organ playing, as black swirls of darkness began surrounding the red gleam high above them. It was as if the portal to hell was opening in the sky.
"This is the fate of all who defy me! Neither humans, gods, or devils can survive what is to come next! The Forsaken Annihilation I have been dreaming of – it begins here! Cast aside all thoughts of the future, your hopes, your pathetic dreams. Keeping them in your heart will only make what is to happen even more painful! Begin!"
Emerging from the void above, a pulse of red light crashed down on the castle. Shintaro had endured many powerful attacks by this point, but this one was far beyond any of those. The minute this storm of destruction hit him, he felt every iota of his being surge with pain. It was as if he was being torn to shreds. Every bone in his body felt like it was going to snap in two. Every drop of blood felt like it would pour out. This was unyielding punishment.
Had he stayed behind, he could have avoided this agony. Yet, it was too late now. Far too late. This was his punishment for daring to defy fate. It was a miracle he was even still alive after that. But, without any energy left to sustain him, his body fell down in a thud, right next to the Gnosis he had dropped moments before. He would lose consciousness soon, he knew. It was taking all of his strength to keep his eyes open. That was all he could do any more. This was where his dream of victory would die – and soon, so would he. He, and all his family.
Nisa Liat laughed out loud, sword in her hand, the other over her laughing mouth.
"This is glorious! Each and every one of you, so easily defeated! I'm glad I toyed with you all. It was so worthwhile, seeing you all struggle to beautifully. But you failed to realise my true power, didn't you?"
Shintaro groaned in agony, barely able to lift his head. He could only see the floor, and his sword just lying out of his reach.
No. We were supposed to win this and head back home. And now look at us. Everyone is dying, I can feel it. Is this really the end of all living things? Only Nisa Liat will exist, and this castle will float over an empty city forever? Please, let it all be a dream. Come on, wake up. This nightmare has to end, now!
Shintaro managed to raise his head further up, and saw Nisa Liat standing by her throne. There, right in front of her, were the six Cognition Cores. Exactly like the ones Kei had. They formed a circle, then phased into each other. They were now a massive sphere of darkness, with a gargantuan amount of souls flying through it. The Pleroma Princess gazed at it, her red eyes sparking with delight. The moment she had been waiting for had finally arrived, and she was enjoying every minute of it.
"Now the Pleroma between both Theio and Akartharto Kosmos belongs to me, and me alone. Which of course means no more barrier between the worlds. A few more moments, and everyone but me will disappear! You know, you were all very impressive Persona users. And you fought beautifully, with such conviction. I should at least make a memorial for you all once this is over. Drenched in your own blood, perhaps -"
"Drop the act. You're not Noriko Ashikaga at all, are you?"
Kei? Is that Kei who just said that? But I can't even see -
Sure enough, Kei was still standing. In fact, she didn't even look hurt at all. She alone stood against their enemy, fists clenched.
Nisa Liat, shocked, glared.
"What the hell? You survived? Wild Card, you're truly something special. Yet you're forgetting something. Ignorantia has claimed your Gnosis, and your allies are now at death's door. Just shut up and wait to be destroyed, will you? It'll be less hassle for everyone..."
Kei sighed, shaking her head.
"I'm not like the others that reached this point, you know. You and the others should know that by now. Just like how you know very well that you're not Noriko Ashikaga. But someone had to take her place, when you were recreating this city, right? So just as you replaced Akari and Kaii, you replaced Noriko."
Shintaro blinked. Had he heard her right? Akari and Kaii, replaced? Noriko was a replacement? What was going on?
Nisa Liat, angry, struck the ground with her sword.
"You couldn't stop interfering, could you?! Professor Shiozawa and his favourite students, constantly trying to figure out just how Gnosis works! You thought you could hide from us forever, couldn't you?! Who the hell are you, Kei Kakusa?"
There's that name again. Shiozawa. Kei never did say who that was, or why the Mayor knew his name. Who are his favourite 'students' besides Kei? What the hell is happening?!
"I could never forget what happened to the real city. I always wanted to know what happened that day. No one knew. And there was no way to find out. Until Supreme Sophistry comes out with Gnosis. That just so happens to take place in a Shinshuto, a 'fictional' Japanese city that only I can remember…!"
"What the – how do you remember the real city?!" Nisa Liat asked, furious. "No one but us was supposed to remember the actual Shinshuto! With the Pleroma, I made sure of that!"
"You may have been able to make everyone else forget, but not me. You see, the minute I saw your face, I knew you couldn't possibly be Noriko Ashikaga. Tell me why you did all of this! Junko Kaya, answer me!"
What?! Junko is Nisa Liat?! No, she – she can't be! What the hell are you saying, Kei?
He thought back to his own hazy memories of Junko, and her face. That same face was the one Nisa Liat had. Then, something else triggered in his mind. A different face – similar, yes, but not identical. The eyebrows were smaller, and the eyes were wider. Their hair was long and flowing, too.
Could Kei be right? Are we really fighting someone just pretending to be Nisa Liat?
But this couldn't be. Nisa Liat, their greatest enemy. Junko Kaya, the kind transfer student from Yokohama. They couldn't possibly be the same. She would never fight the friends she cared about so much. Not like this.
Standing there, 'Nisa Liat' was completely blank. Then, her face contorted into one of pure rage.
"That...is a name you shouldn't know. There are many things you should never have found out. I'll get rid of you in both this world and the real one. You, Shiozawa, and your friends. Then Supreme Sophistry's goal will finally be complete."