4/14/20XX
Friday: Morning
Shujin Academy
Ever since their conversation with Kirika about a way to deal with Kamoshida, Miku, Hibiki, and Ryuji have all been independently thinking of ways to deal with him that don't have a chance of ending in his death. Meanwhile, Kirika simply waited for them to give her an answer. Suddenly, Kirika received a text in the group chat with the trio
Ryuji: It's no use... I can't think of any other way...
Hibiki: Me neither, Ryuji-san...
Miku: You two should be focusing on class.
Ryuji: I can't deal with that shit right now. I mean, what're we gonna do about Kamoshida?
Ryuji: Do we just gotta go along with that demon chick's plan?
Kirika: You know I can see these texts too, right?
Kirika: And, again, NOT A DEMON!
Kirika put away her phone after that. "Dess." She huffed.
"Hey! Look!" A student in the classroom said, which caught Kirika's attention immediately.
"No way! That's dangerous!" Another student shouted.
"Is that Suzui-san from the volleyball team?" A third student asked.
This caught the attention of a certain someone in Kirika's class, who bolted out the door. "Shiho-san?!"
Without hesitation, Kirika followed Shirabe to see what was going on. Upon exiting the classroom and looking outside, she became just as shocked as Shirabe and the other students as she watched Shiho Suzui jump from the roof of the school into the courtyard below. "No... Shiho-san!" Shirabe screamed as she ran for the courtyard.
"Everyone! Return to your classes immediately!" A teacher tried to control the crowd, but their words fell on deaf ears as they all followed suit to the courtyard.
Kirika too ran with the crowd, meeting up with Miku and the others once she arrived. "Kirika-chan! What happened?"
"S-Suzui-san, she... She jumped off the roof!" Kirika said, still very much in shock from what she witnessed.
Hearing the reason for all of the commotion, the trio were speechless. "Shiho... Why?" Ann said as she arrived at the scene.
"Ann...? Shirabe...?" Shiho faintly said, barely able to see her friends. Without hesitation, the two girls ran to their friend on the stretcher. "I'm sorry... I... I can't take it anymore..."
Slowly losing consciousness, Shiho whispered something only Shirabe and Ann could hear, something both of them were shocked to hear. "Kamoshida?!" They said in shock. A moment later, Shiho fell unconscious once again. "Shiho!/Shiho-san!"
"Someone needs to go with her!" One of the paramedics said. "Are there any teachers here?"
"I-I'm not in charge of her class..." One of the teachers hesitantly said.
"W-We should leave this to the Principal..." Another hesitant teacher added.
Looking at one another, Shirabe and Ann nodded. "I'll go!" Ann volunteered.
Meanwhile, as Ann left with the ambulance and Shiho, Miku and the others noticed one of the students present start to run off, which Ryuji was quick to catch and stop him from running. "Mishima, right? From the volleyball team." Ryuji asked.
"We need to talk." Hibiki added in a very serious tone.
After a short interrogation, Ryuji and Hibiki charged straight to Kamoshida's office, Miku, Kirika, and Mishima followed close behind them. "What the hell's gotten into you? Haven't you heard of knocking?" Kamoshida asked.
"We heard the truth. He told us everything." Ryuji said, pointing to Mishima behind him. "So when you're pissed off, you call people to your office and hit 'em, huh? Then all of those rumors about corporal punishment are true."
"How heartless are you to harm a student like that? A girl, no less!" Hibiki asked angrily.
"A ridiculous and empty accusation." Kamoshida said, waving off the angry students.
"What you did... Wasn't coaching..." Mishima mumbled, which caught Kamoshida's attention. "You... You ordered me to call Suzui here... I can only imagine what you did to her...!"
"You're going on and on about things you don't even have proof of." Kamoshida said in a stern tone.
"That's bullshit dess!" Kirika interjected. "One look at the members of the volleyball team and it's clear to see that what we heard was the truth!"
"Even if it is exactly as you imagine it to be, hypothetically speaking... What can you do?" Kamoshida asked, arrogantly leaning down to be at Kirika's eye level. "We just received a call from the hospital. Suzui's in a coma, and her chances of recovery are slim. Tell me, how do you expect someone like that to make a statement?"
Furious at Kamoshida's arrogance, Ryuji goes in to punch him in the face, before being stopped by Miku. "Why're you holdin' me back?!"
"Don't give him an excuse, Ryuji-san." Miku said.
"What's wrong? Take a swing, be my guest." Kamoshida mocked as he walked back to his desk. "I'm having the five of you expelled. I'm reporting you all at the next board meeting."
"You can't seriously make a decision like that!" Mishima interjected.
"Who would seriously consider what scum like you say?" Kamoshida retorted. "You threatened me too, Mishima, so you're just as guilty. To think I kept someone as talentless as you on the team for as long as I did."
"You bastard..." Hibiki muttered with a clenched fist.
"Now, are we done here? You're all expelled!" Kamoshida continued. "You're done for; your futures are mine to take. Now get out of my sight."
Friday: After School
Following the events that took place in Kamoshida's office, the group reconvenes out in the courtyard. For the most part, everyone was quiet, until Miku spoke up. "Kirika-chan? What do we need to do to reform Kamoshida?" Miku asked.
"I take it that means you've made up your mind about this-about how he might die from this?" Kirika asked.
"You said that was a worst-case scenario." Miku retorted.
Hibiki looked at her friend, concerned by her answer. "Miku... Are you absolutely sure abo-"
"Someone almost died because of him, Hibiki!" Miku interrupted. "I'm willing to take whatever risks necessary to avoid that ever happening again!"
"Are you two in as well?" Kirika asked.
"I'm with Miku on this one. I don't give a rat's ass what happens to him anymore!" Ryuji said.
"Then I guess I'm in as well." Hibiki added with some hesitation.
"Then it's settled." Kirika said. "Let's get going."
"By the way, Kirika-chan, is getting rid of a palace hard?" Hibiki asked.
But before Kirika could answer, someone walked over to the group. "Are you really going to deal with Kamoshida?" Shirabe asked. "If so, then please let me in on it too."
"This has nothing to do with you..." Ryuji answered. "Don't butt your head into this..."
"Nothing to do with me?" Shirabe asked. "You really think this has nothing to do with me?!"
"Shirabe-chan, you don't understand." Hibiki tried to reason with Shirabe. "What we plan to do is-"
"You're the one that doesn't understand anything!" Shirabe shouted in anger. "I just watched one of the few people who actually care about what I have to say try to kill themselves! I'm done sitting back and being helple-"
"I said don't get in our way!" Ryuji interrupted.
Furious at their rejection, Shirabe ran away from the group. "...Don't you think that was a little harsh?" Kirika asked.
"We can't take her to a place like that." Ryuji answered.
"I just hope Shirabe-chan doesn't do anything reckless..." Hibiki said.
"We just gotta hurry up and deal with Kamoshida." Ryuji added. "Let's go already!"
With their minds made up, Kirika leads the group back to the alleyway in front of the school to begin her plan to stop Kamoshida. "The moment we cross over, we'll treat each other like phantom thieves, so I hope you're ready." She said.
"Phantom thieves?" Miku wondered.
"Those who covertly sneak in and stylishly steal Treasure-that is what we become dess!" Kirika explained.
"Not gonna lie, that sounds pretty cool!" Ryuji said.
"So we just need to say the school, Kamoshida's name, and 'castle', right? Then we end up in that strange place." Hibiki asked for reassurance.
"Your guess is as good as mine, Hibiki." Ryuji sighed. "How the hell does all this work anyway? Someone make it?"
"Of course." Miku answered.
"That's kinda creepy, but eh, seems useful enough." Ryuji said.
"Regardless, let's show Kamoshida who's boss!" Hibiki added.
"Let's go!" Kirika cheered as all four of them pulled out their phones and began the navigation to the palace.
As the group prepared to enter the palace, unbeknownst to them, Shirabe had followed them to the alleyway. "What are they planning?" Shirabe thought, trying to get closer to the group to listen in to their conversation. But as she got closer, the sky started to turn red. "What the-?"
After a moment, the sky went back to normal. Once it did, Shirabe noticed that the four students were gone. "Wait. Where did they-" Shirabe said, looking around for them before seeing a giant castle where the school used to be. Confused, she stepped out of the alleyway to get a closer look at strange castle. "What is going on here...?" She asked herself. "...Maybe someone in there can help me?" Her mind made up, Shirabe quickly ran into the castle to find help, unaware of just what she was getting herself into.
Shadow Kamoshida's Castle
As for the "phantom thieves", the group ran through the castle with Kirika taking the lead. "Listen up. As you know, this castle is how Kamoshida views this school. Luckily, he doesn't realize what happens here despite being connected to the depths of his heart. So if the castle were to disappear, it would naturally affect him in the real world." Kirika explained. "A Palace is twisted desire manifested, so causing it to vanish would..."
"...Turn Kamoshida into a good person?" Miku asked.
"Correct! You really are perceptive dess." Kirika complimented.
"For real? He'd turn into a nice guy?" Ryuji asked, surprised at the thought of someone like Kamoshida being able to turn good.
"Hold on. Wouldn't that back Kamoshida into a corner?" Hibiki asked.
"The point of erasing a Palace is to change the heart of its owner." Kirika answered. "But even though his twisted desires would be gone, the crimes committed won't be. Unable to bear that weight, Kamoshida is likely to confess to his sins." The trio were shocked to hear that. "Plus, with the Palace gone, he'll have no memory of what we did there dess. He'll break down and wouldn't know we were involved."
"Awesome! You're an awesome demon girl!" Ryuji cheered.
"Not a demon!" Kirika retorted.
"So how do we get rid of a Palace?" Miku asked.
"The center of the Palace is the core of his desires. All we have to do is steal his treasure." Kirika continued. "And from what I've been able to gather, his treasure is being stored..." Kirika pulls out a map of the castle that she found and points to a spot at the end of a large room. "Here."
Following Kirika's map, the group runs to the place where the treasure should be, but along the way, a guard blocked their path. Without any other choice, they ambushed the guard, causing a shadow to emerge from its armor. "What the hell was that for?! You're nothing but stupid thugs you big jerks!" It said.
"Whoa! It talks!" Ryuji exclaimed.
"Obviously!" Kirika said. "Shadows are beings born from people's hearts, so naturally, they can talk too."
Hearing this, Miku gets an idea and readies her dagger. "Let us pass through here and we'll let you live." She demanded.
"You did all that just to ask to pass through here?" The shadow asked.
"Yes." Miku answered.
"You're lucky I'm not in the mood to fight today." The shadow said as it put their hands up to surrender. "Fine, get lost already! Just looking at you creeps pisses me off!"
"Well that was rude..." Hibiki mumbled.
"Hey. Let's get goin' then." Ryuji sighed.
But as they passed by the shadow, Miku stopped to face it one last time. "Thank you." She said.
The shadow was shocked to hear that. "I wasn't expecting to hear thanks... But, you know, it kind of feels nice..." They said, blushing a bit. Suddenly, the shadow started to glow a bright white color. "Huh? Wh-What is this?!"
The others stopped when they saw the burst of light. "What did you do, Miku?" Hibiki asked.
"I-I don't know." Miku replied.
Seconds later, the light dissipated and the red glow around the shadow was completely gone. "That's right! I remember now. I don't just belong to King Kamoshida. In reality, I drift the sea of the human heart." The shadow said, before suddenly being engulfed in light once again. "You may call me 'Pixie.' From now on: I live within you."
Without warning, "Pixie" burst into smoke and reformed into a light blue version of Miku's mask. Immediately following that, the mask flew towards Miku's face, colliding with her mask despite the girl's attempt to block it. "What the hell was that?" Ryuji asked.
"I dunno. That's a first for me dess." Kirika said. "We can discuss that later though. We have a job to do."
Hibiki and Ryuji nodded. "Are you okay, Miku?" Hibiki asked.
After a brief moment of silence, Miku turned to face her friend. "Yeah. I'm fine." She said with a nod. "Let's get going."
After that strange moment, the group continues on their way, eventually making it to their planned destination: A room filled with gold, gems, and a mysterious floating orb. "That's his treasure?" Ryuji asked.
"Yes, but also no." Kirika answered. "All we did today was secure the infiltration route. All that's left to do is make the treasure materialize. Once that happens, then we can steal it."
"So there were some things you haven't told us yet?" Miku asked.
"I'm getting to that." Kirika retorted. "If a Palace disappears, the twisted desires should go with it. However, desire itself is still necessary for life. Sleeping, eating, love... Things like that dess."
"What are you trying to say, Kirika-chan?" Hibiki asked.
"If all of his desires, and not just his distorted ones, leave, then he'll have a mental shutdown." Kirika explained. "Which means..."
"Worst-case scenario, he dies..." Miku said, finishing Kirika's sentence.
Kirika nodded before looking at the trio with a serious expression. "I'll ask you one last time: Despite knowing the risk, are you prepared to change his heart?"
The trio were hesitant to answer. However, before they could give an answer, an alarm went off in the castle. "Wh-What's that? Did they find us?!" Ryuji asked in a panic.
"No. That's not for us dess. That means there's another intruder." Kirika said. "No wonder there was an absurd lack of guards on our way here."
"But who else could've gotten to this castle?" Hibiki thought aloud.
"Regardless, whoever they are, we need to help them." Miku said.
Immediately, the group searches for the intruder and any guards that could lead them to said intruder. Eventually they heard someone yelling nearby. "What is this place?! This isn't the school, is it?"
Kirika could swear she recognized that voice. "Is that..."
"Seriously, what is going on here?!" The voice continued. "I'll call the cops if you don't answer me!"
"Shirabe-chan?!" Hibiki said upon recognizing the voice. "But, how did she get here?"
"Could she have been close by when we used the Metaverse Navigator?" Miku thought.
As much as they wanted to ponder why she was here, the group's discussion was cut off by the sound of an all too familiar chuckle. "Kamoshida?" Shirabe asked. "And... Ann-san?! What are you doing here with this creep?!"
"As expected from a grubby intruder, she's telling me off." Shadow Kamoshida said to "Ann". "What do you think of that?"
"Talking back is, like... totally unforgivable..." "Ann" said.
"In that case... She should be executed." Shadow Kamoshida said, waving for the guards to prepare to execute Shirabe. "Now then... How should I play with you? Maybe I'll cut off one limb at a time?"
Shirabe's anger started to turn into fear for her life. "A-Are you serious?"
Kamoshida ignored her panicked worries as he looked up and down his prisoner, getting an idea from the view. "Maybe, I'll start with your clothes..." He said with a perverted grin.
But as he was about to start cutting off her clothes, the door behind him slammed open. "Get away from her, you sick perv!" Ryuji shouted.
"That voice... Ryuji-san?!" Shirabe said, shocked by Ryuji's new outfit before turning to see who was with him. "Hibiki-san and the new girl?"
"I never did have the chance to properly introduce myself, did I?" Miku said. "Hello, I'm Miku Kohinata."
"I don't think this was really the best time to do it, Miku..." Hibiki said, surprised Miku would just simply reveal who she was in front of the enemy.
"Don't worry, Shirabe! We'll get you out of here!" Kirika said, stepping up to act heroic.
"Kirika-chan?!" Shirabe gasped upon looking at her classmate. "You're a demon?!"
"DESS!" Kirika gasped before looking to the ground in utter defeat.
"Ain't you gonna say your 'I'm not a demon' thing?" Ryuji asked obliviously.
"S-Shut up!" Kirika retorted. "Leave me alone, you dumbass!"
"Dumbass?!" Ryuji shouted. "Why you little-"
"Ryuji-san! Not the time!" Hibiki interjected, turning their attention back to the situation at hand.
"You four again? How many times are you gonna keep crawling back?" Kamoshida asked in surprise. With a sigh, he turns back to the restrained Shirabe. "I bet you're just like those thieves. You came here because you're pissed at me, right? But, uh... I forget that girl's name, but it's the other Takamaki's fault she jumped."
"What?" Shirabe asked.
"She didn't give me what I wanted, so I had her take Takamaki's place." Kamoshida continued. "If she dies, it's all her fault."
"Didn't give you what you wanted?" Miku thought, before remembering the conversation she had with Ann yesterday in Shibuya.
"That was him over the phone earlier. He told me to come to his apartment alone. I'm sure you know what that means..."
Upon remembering that conversation, she realized what Kamoshida had done, and she was furious. "You bastard!"
Miku wanted to make Kamoshida pay for what he did, but he was not afraid of her while he still had the advantage. "One more step and I kill her on the spot!" Kamoshida threatened, forcing Miku to sit there quietly in anger, which surprised the group to see her so upset. "Now, just sit back and enjoy the dismantlement show!"
Miku took a moment to calm herself down before coming up with a new idea. "Shirabe-chan!"
But Shirabe was too distraught from what Kamoshida had said to respond to her. All the while, Kamoshida smirked at the sight of Shirabe's despair. "If only Takamaki were like this from the start, maybe then you nor that other girl would have to die for her sins."
"Shiho-san... Ann-san..." Shirabe muttered as she choked on tears.
"You're just going to let this happen? Without paying him back for what he's done to Ann-san and Shiho-san?" Miku asked Shirabe, which surprised the girl. "They're your friends, right? They care about you as you do them!"
This snapped Shirabe out of her funk. "Yeah! Ever since middle school. I was always alone back then, but they saw me and made me feel like I was more than just another face in the crowd." Shirabe said. "But what he did to them... I'll make him pay!"
Resolved, Shirabe lifted her head up to face the group and shadow Kamoshida. "That's right! I'm done being useless while everyone I care for suffers at the hands of this scumbag!" Suddenly, as Kamoshida reeled back in surprise, Shirabe was overwhelmed by a massive headache.
My... It's taken far too long.
A voice called out to Shirabe as she writhed in her chains.
Your friends have always been there for you, so now is the time to be there for them.
Such is the war cry of the other you that resides within...
Suddenly, a gale of wind engulfs Shirabe and eviscerates her chains as she fell to the ground and grabbed her still aching head.
I am thou, Thou art I...
At last, our contract is forged.
"I understand..." Shirabe said. Suddenly, the gales surrounding her stopped and Shirabe now wore a mask over her eyes that resembled part of a gladiator's helmet. "You're right! I'm done being useless!"
There you go... Nothing can be solved by restraining yourself.
If you understand that, then I'll gladly lend you my power.
Without hesitation, Shirabe grabbed the mask on her face with one hand and ripped it off before being engulfed in a familiar blue pillar of flames. "No way!" Hibiki gasped in a mixture of surprise and excitement. "Shirabe-chan has a persona now too?!"
When the flames finally dissipated, Shirabe's school outfit was replaced with that of a leather suit of armor with several pieces of iron armor on various parts of her body. Behind her, a tall woman with long black hair wearing a similar mask that covered her face to the point you could only see the glow from their eyes from within and armor that covered their entire body. On her person, the persona carried a sword on her back and two chakrams on her hips.
The room was silent as everyone stared at Shirabe and her newly awakened persona. But after a brief moment, Shirabe charged at the guard closest to Kamoshida, kicked the sword out of his hand, and threw it at the false Ann, which caused her to fade away in a gust of smoke. "I'm not some cheap girl you can toy with!" Shirabe finally spoke, looking away from the angered Kamoshida as she did. "You made Ann-san's life miserable, and when that wasn't enough, you stole everything away from Shiho-san. But now, you'll pay! I'll ruin your life as you did theirs!"
Kamoshida scoffed as she said this. "I've had enough of you! Kill them!" He shouted as he waved for his guards to kill her and the others, the guards transforming into their true forms.
"No. It's I who's had enough of you!" Shirabe retorted.
"Let's destroy them, Xena!"
On her order, Shirabe's persona threw the chakrams on her hips, summoning gales of wind as they flew through the air, knocking away the lesser shadows and damaging the bigger ones. Without wasting any time, the others finished off the ones that were knocked away by Xena's gales. However, something strange happened when Miku went to attack.
"Persona!" Miku shouted, summoning not Viviane, but Pixie, who used electricity on one of the opposing shadows, sending it to the ground.
"What the?!" Hibiki shouted in shock. "Was that the shadow from earlier?!"
"I think so." Miku said, equally surprised. "Kirika-chan, what's going on?"
"I don't know. This is a first for me, as well." Kirika said. "Regardless, we need to focus on our foes right now."
"Then how about we finish them off!" Shirabe chimed in, waving for her persona to attack again, knocking the rest of the shadows down with a slash from its blade.
"Everyone! Let's go!" Miku said.
"Let's finish them off in style!" Shirabe added, immediately catching on to Miku's plan. Together, the five of them hit the downed shadows in a barrage of attacks, but this time, everyone, including Shirabe, landed and struck a pose.
"This is the end!"
The group dust themselves off as their foes fade into smoke. Meanwhile, Kamoshida makes a panicked retreat for the exit, a sight which Shirabe is keen to pick up on. "Wait-" She shouted before falling to her knees in exhaustion. As she went to stand back up again, she realized she wasn't wearing her Shujin uniform anymore. "What am I wearing?! I don't remember ever having an outfit like this!"
"Calm down, Shirabe." Kirika said as herself and the others approached Shirabe. "We'll explain everything later, but right now, we need to leave before he sends reinforcements."
"Here, give me your arm." Ryuji said, offering to help carry Shirabe out of the castle. "Hibiki, you take the other side." Hibiki nodded as herself and Ryuji carried Shirabe out while Kirika and Miku covered them from the front and from behind should they run into any guards on the way.
Friday: After School
Outside Aoyama-Itchome Station
Returning to the real world, the girls took Shirabe somewhere to rest and explain everything to her while Ryuji got everyone something to drink. A moment later, Ryuji returned with five different drinks and placed them on the table. "Which one you want?" He asked Shirabe first.
"Whichever one's not carbonated." She said.
"...They all are..." Ryuji sighed.
With a sigh of her own, Shirabe took one of the drinks before everyone else took one for themselves. "Just to clarify, only we can see Kirika's horns and tail, right?"
"Yep." Kirika answered. "Only people who have been in a Palace can see them."
"I must admit, it's still unbelievable that a world like that could exist..." Shirabe said. "But I understood what you told me, so let's change his heart."
"You sure, Shirabe-chan?" Hibiki asked. "Because you know, if we mess up, then..."
"It's fine. I know we can do it." Shirabe interjected. "I won't let Kamoshida die. I will make sure he pays for what he's done to Ann-san, Shiho-san, and everyone else in Shujin. Not to mention, it should be easy enough for the five of us to handle."
"Then it's settled." Miku said. "Starting today, the five of us are a team with a common goal. I look forward to working with you all."
"Took the words right out of my mouth, Miku-san!" Kirika cheered.
"In that case, I should get your number and chat IDs." Shirabe said as she pulled out her phone, suddenly surprised when she sees a new app on her screen. "What's this?"
"D-Don't touch it yet!" Ryuji shouted in a panic. "We'll explain that later too." Shirabe decided to trust Ryuji's word and ignored the app for now to trade info with the group.
"If anything, there is one more thing that we should discuss before we part ways for the night: codenames." Kirika said.
"Codenames?" Ryuji asked.
"Well we can't go around Palaces using our real names!" Kirika retorted, which made Miku blush in embarrassment. "Besides, it'd be really lame to consider ourselves phantom thieves without codenames."
"Fair enough." Ryuji agreed. "I'll go first then. How about... Skull!"
"Skull?" Miku asked.
"Well, I have that cool skull mask in the Palace, so why not?" Ryuji asked.
"Sounds good to me." Hibiki said. "I guess I'll go next then. Hmm... I can't really think of anything on the spot."
"Why not something that works with your outfit in the Palace?" Miku suggested.
Hibiki took Miku's suggestion and began to think again before audibly gasping when she thought of one. "Warrior!" She shouted.
"Why 'Warrior', Hibiki-san?" Shirabe asked.
"Well, when I started training under Master, he always said I should strive to be 'a warrior without peer.'" Hibiki explained. "And since my outfit in the Palace looked like a martial artist's gi, that moment with him came to mind."
"That name sounds badass!" Ryuji complimented.
"Thanks!" Hibiki replied.
"My turn dess!" Kirika exclaimed. "Now then... What to pick..."
"...What about 'Imp'?" Shirabe suggested. "I think it fits with your horns and ears."
At first, Kirika didn't like the name because she didn't agree with being called a type of demon, but since Shirabe suggested it, she oddly liked it. "You know what, why not?" She said. "But if you're gonna suggest mine, I get to suggest yours."
"That's fair." Shirabe agreed.
"Let's see... If I remember correctly, you had that cool set of armor in the Palace, so what if we went with... Maiden!" Kirika said.
"'Maiden'?" Ryuji asked. "What's a codename like that gotta do with her armor? Why not something like 'Warrior'?"
"Hibiki already took that codename, Ryuji-san." Miku interjected, to which the blonde boy sweatdropped.
"R-Right. I-I knew that." Ryuji said, trying to recover from his mishap, which no one bought for a second.
"Besides, I meant as in a Warrior Maiden. Mostly..." Kirika said with a blush.
"It suits her either way, in my opinion." Miku chimed in, which only caused Kirika's face to turn red in embarrassment.
"Very well. Then I shall be called 'Maiden.'" Shirabe said, accepting Kirika's suggestion, to which the demon girl let out a quiet "Dess" of joy.
"I guess that just leaves me then." Miku said. "I don't think I can really think of one that would reflect my outfit, though I'm open to suggestions."
"Why not something like 'Joker'?" Kirika suggested. "You know, because of that whole ace up your sleeve of having different personas like you did back at the Palace."
"Joker..." Miku thought, before shaking her head. "I don't know, it doesn't really feel right. But I do like the idea."
"I mean, we can all agree your codename's gotta be based off that cool trick, right?" Ryuji asked, to which the group nodded.
"Yeah! I still thought it was cool how you could befriend that shadow and echo its abilities!" Hibiki exclaimed. "It made me think of the way I train with Master every now and then."
"Wait!" Miku exclaimed. "Say that again, Hibiki."
"Say what again?"
"That thing you said about the shadow."
"How you could befriend it?"
"The other thing!"
"How you echo its abilities?"
"That! Echo." Miku said. "I don't know why, but something about that word just feels right."
"So you want your codename to be 'Echo'?" Kirika asked for clarification, to which Miku nodded. "Alright then. Since that's settled, we can move on with our plan of stealing Kamoshida's treasure dess!"
"But Kirika-chan, there wasn't a treasure to steal when we went there." Hibiki said. "How can we steal something that isn't there?"
Kirika chuckled at Hibiki's question. "Like I already told you, we have to make it materialize." Kirika said with a smirk. "And in order to do that, we do what every great phantom thief would, we leave them a warning dess."
"So we're gonna send a calling card?!" Ryuji exclaimed in excitement. "You gotta let me write it! I already have something in mind for what I wanna say."
"You sure you can handle this?" Kirika asked. "There's a lot riding on this if you screw it up."
"Trust me, I got this." Ryuji reassured Kirika.
"I'm willing to trust Ryuji-san on this." Miku added.
Kirika shrugged. "I guess we can judge your work tomorrow dess." She said. "For now, we should all go get some sleep. We've got a big day ahead of us and we can't afford any mistakes."
"I won't let you all down." Shirabe said.
Hibiki smirked at her Kouhai. "And we won't let you down either, Shirabe-chan."
With their last goodbyes for the night said, the group returns to their homes and wait patiently in anticipation for what lies ahead.
"This is gonna be effin' awesome!"
A/N: And with that, we end the chapter. Now for the moment you've all (probably) been waiting for: Persona explanations.
Echo: Viviane: One of the many names of The Lady of the Lake, known for assisting many heroes in Arthurian legend, such as providing King Arthur with the sword Excalibur and raising Sir Lancelot. Her hooded appearance is due to the fact The Lady of the Lake was a title used by various enchantresses other than Viviane.
Warrior: Kazama: Based off of Jun Kazama from the Tekken series. Jun was a wildlife officer of the conservation group W.W.W.C. and a martial artist who uses the Kazama Style Traditional Martial Arts, which has been handed down her bloodline for generations. She was determined to save her family from the Devil Gene, but failed her mission when she was allegedly killed by Ogre on her son's, Jin's, 15th Birthday. Her appearance in this fanfic is a combination of her human form and her form as "Unknown."
Imp: Van Brunt: Abraham Van Brunt, otherwise known as the Headless Horseman. Van Brunt was an Englishman who fought alongside the Americans during the French and Indian war. After his betrothed left him for his best friend, Ichabod Crane, Van Brunt wanted revenge, to the point that he was willing to become death itself just to achieve his goal. Once his goal was achieved, he was beheaded and entombed beneath a lake, never to be released.
Maiden: Xena: Based on Xena of Amphipolis. When she was a teenager, tragedy struck her village, the events of which left her to become a violent warlord until she met Hercules, who helped her see the error of her ways. After their encounter, Xena started down the path to redeem herself for her past sins, doing whatever she can as a warrior for the greater good.
There you have it, the first four personas of Symphogear R. I hope you're all looking forward to them and the personas of the other thieves as they're introduced. Anyways, thank you all for reading this chapter. I shall see you in the next one!