Beta by Small Nerd on SufficientVelocity Forum
Post Inaba OMAKE
Inventory
"That's right! You guys are getting infinite inventory just like mine!" Akko cheered.
"Glad you are finally sharing the secret," Sucy deadpanned. "Been waiting for it."
"I am very curious about that too," Diana commented, with a hint of excitement. "Your backpack's storage capability is honestly beyond any equivalent in the Magical World… And I am assuming it is a difficult production method, hence the reason why you waited?"
Akko simply smiled and turned to her bear friend. "Kuma-kun! Would you mind?"
"Of course, kuma!"
The bear pulled out basically a bunch of do-it-yourself sewing kits anyone could buy in arts and crafts hobby stores. He started handing them out to the witches. "Welcome to Kuma's amazing item crafting class!"
All the eyes turned to Akko. "... What?"
"I said this before. The items you craft in the Cognitive World can gain special effect if your Believing Heart is strong enough." Akko explained. "So just make the bag of your dream! It will be able to carry anything once they are born from your love and care!"
"Well… that's… I thought it was going to be..." Diana wanted to say something, but struggled to form words. "It's just that easy?"
"Not even shocked. I expected it'd be something stupid like that," Sucy sighed. She recalled Akko's belt pouch and backpack. At a glance anyone would be able to tell that they were handmade, with obvious amateur craftsmanship.
"Ah, this brings back memories~," Teddie recalled. "Helping you sew for the first time was so rewarding, Akko-chan! Because you were so bad at it, kuma!"
The brunette chuckled and scratched the back of her head. "Yeah… I pricked my fingers so many times… Good thing Tatsumi-senpai is around!"
Amanda let out a sigh. "God damn it. Home Ec, my least favorite class."
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Lotte, having grown up in a second hand store, knew her way around the needle. She had enough practice from repairing various old items. It's not like she hadn't made clothing from scratch before, including bags.
Jasminka could sew with ease too; lacking that skill in the Russian winter was basically suicide after all.
For Diana, it was only a matter of reading the instructions, and the Cavendish talent took care of the rest. Having watched her maid Anna worked helped too, although she was unable to make a creative and unique design of her own.
Sucy quickly realized there was a loophole and she could cheat it. She took apart the bag she had used for a long while, and sewed it back up just slightly different. It worked because she technically made her own bag.
Amanda rage quit after she accidentally ruined the fabric with a wrong cut. "This is impossible!"
"Just do what I did… go buy a bag later. Although I doubt you could even remake it on your own, kekekeke," Sucy mocked.
"I mean… Amanda, if you don't even believe in your own creation then I doubt it's going to have any effect." Akko said with a frown.
"Oh for crying out loud-" Amanda was going to rage, but then a realization hit her. "-Wait a minute!"
She cut the fabric out haphazardly, and with the minimum of bad stitches, made a "bag" in the most basic of definition. "Work damn it! I BELIEVE!"
Blue aura pulsed and Amanda jumped up in excitement. She stuffed her entire forearm into it as she cried victoriously. "HECK YEAH! I AM A GENIUS!"
All the other witches stopped working with their needles and eyed Teddie.
"I mean… Amanda-kun technically made a storage pocket, kuma," the bear replied, feeling uncomfortable from the glares. "That's pretty similar to what I would make to upgrade everyone's clothes."
Diana recalled how Yukiko took items from her sleeve. "Right… she wasn't carrying a bag back then. She didn't transform so it must be part of her clothes."
"Then why didn't you tell us earlier?!"
"Oh c'mon guys!" Akko defended herself and Teddie. "Storage pockets and sleeves are so quick and so lame! Making cool backpacks together is much more fun!"
"Hell no! I'll pick the storage that I can keep in the clothes I wear! Aren't backpacks deadweight going into a fight?!" Amanda said.
Akko puffed up her cheeks and grumbled.
"Just admit that you wanted to watch us prick our fingers," Sucy jabbed. "Whatever, it's not all bad. Having multiple storage pockets is useful."
A blue aura pulsed as everyone turned to look at Constanze, who was happily holding up the cube-like contraption she'd just built. She opened the lid of the invention, showing it was a storage pocket as well.
"Cool, Constanze!" Akko cheered. "You made a mechanical version of it?"
The Tinkerer was proud. She took out her screwdriver and hammer. The contraption scanned the tools like a store checkout machine, and afterward she tossed them into its endless depths. Eying the team, she snapped her fingers.
"Tool: Screwdriver," the contraption spoke with a mechanical voice as it reopened and ejected the tool.
Constanze snapped again, "Tool: Hammer."
"It can slot! Nice, Stanze!" Amanda grinned with exclaim, "We should've left this to you from the beginning!"
"I mean... all storage pocket can slot," Akko said as she reached into her belt pocket and pulled out her bat. "Just think what item you want and you will get it."
Constanze pulled out her tablet, showing Akko a list of the items; all neatly categorized into menus.
"Memorizing a huge list? No thank you, I'll take that upgrade any day." Sucy deadpanned.
"Beary amazing, kuma!" Teddie exclaimed. "Constanze-chan definitely has everyone beat! Even I learned something new today! I had no idea you could fuse high tech with the items we make!" He turned to Akko. "Let's link everyone's storage together and use Constanze's box to organize everything!"
"Wait, you can do that?!" Every witch exclaimed.
"Yeah, that was just my intention today as well," Akko replied. "I can finally drop this load off…"
She took off her backpack and distanced herself from the group, running to the distant meadow where she left there before running back.
"What are you doing-"
Akko quickly grabbed everyone and urged them to hide behind some trees. "Unload."
The backpacked jerked violently, as if there was an eldritch horror inside… it burst open as a landslide of items, weapons and miscellaneous things were vomited out.
Akko breathed a sigh of relief. "Not as explosive as I expected…" She raised her arm with a cheer. "Let's do it, everyone! I can finally stop carrying all these weapons with me!"
Everyone couldn't help but let out a deep, tired sigh.
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Good thing they had magic on their side… However, organizing an entire year's worth of items, both treasures and junk, was no easy task even for the best witches.
Constanze quickly installed more scanners onto her storage box.
Diana and Lotte started removing the heavy items with magic, the group even going as far as summoning their personas to help.
It was quite clear now that Akko might had a hoarding problem…
"Why were you carrying a fridge!?" Amanda demanded as Setanta pulled the thing out. It was not even one of those traveling small ones… it was a large one for the home.
"I got it from Junes' clearance sale!" Akko answered. "That's where all of my snacks and drinks were stored!"
"I thought you just had a pack of them or something in there, not an entire fridge!" Amanda sighed. She opened it and grabbed a can of coke out of it. "Whatever… I can't really blame you for wanting this."
As she dug through the pile, Sucy found a very familiar diamond unicorn. "Hello there. How's your suffering? Kekekekeke~!"
She laughed harder when she noticed it twitch a bit.
Due to the time zone difference, it took literally 3 days back and forth between the 2 countries to organize and scan everything. Most importantly, the weapon pile was finally separated: Diana had all the rapiers and long swords, Amanda had all the pole arms, Sucy had all the daggers, Constanze had all the unused guns, Jasminka had weapons Akko didn't care for. Important support items like medicines were freely accessible for everyone in the linked storage. The AI would ensure no one will pulled the wrong item during an emergency… Like Sucy's extremely dangerous poisons for example.
The entire team can now access Akko's inventory.
Delivery Girl
Nakamura Aika only ever wanted to deliver food.
It was her one true passion in life even after graduating from high school. No point pursuing higher education when she was already living the dream. She loved riding her scooter every day, rain or shine, to bring Aiya's amazing cooking to everyone in this peaceful little town. It was a simple yet exciting life.
However, tonight it seemed it would be different.
With a serving of Kinoko gohan and Gyūdon safely in her box, she arrived at the delivery location of today's final job. This was an area in Inaba where a few tall office buildings were in the process of being developed.
She looked around and saw no one… until she looked up to the dim sky.
There were two figures, clearly riding on a boom and flying in midair.
Aika secured her box as she revved her engine. A hint of excitement appeared on her usually emotionless face.
"Challenge accepted."
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Luckily, there was a Ley Line running directly across Inaba, enabling broom flying near its vicinity.
"Sucy… are you sure this is a good idea?" Akko asked unsurely.
"If we are testing this Aika girl's delivery ability, might as well as push it to the extreme~ Kekekeke!" the gloomy witch laughed wickedly. "I can test for magic too, this will answer once and for all whether that girl is a witch or not!"
"I still don't know about this…" Akko frowned. "I hope Aika-chan won't be mad at us for doing this…
Zoom zoom…
Both girls' sensitive ears heard the scooter noise. Sucy pointed her wand's in the direction of the sound to find Aika riding toward them.
But they were in mid-air! What was she going to do-
At high speed, Aika made a jump with her vehicle, leaping onto the nearby construction site, and started climbing around the incomplete building…
"Holy shit," It took a lot to surprise Sucy… but this was one of those times where it happened. "You have to be kidding."
"Aika-chan! NANISHITERUNO!?" Akko screamed in Japanese.
The delivery girl's riding skill was absolutely unparalleled. She made the master stuntmen of the world look like jokes. She drove through the messy, incomplete office building, a feat that by all logic should be impossible, with ease. There was always a convenient thing in her path that allowed her to ascend.
"S-Sucy! Let's go down! It's dangerous for Aika-chan-"
Both Akko and Sucy stared in disbelief, as Aika crashed out of the rooftop door to face them.
The delivery girl revved her engine again. Her lips formed an eager smile as she blazed forward.
"AIKA-CHAN-"
The girl made a legendary jump. Her scooter moved through the air to where Akko and Sucy were.
"Maidoo~"
Her hand reached out with the box, which she then shoved into Akko's grasp as she flew past them.
Both witches shouted in horror as they watched her crash land… only to realize that she had actually landed on the other building safely.
"Aika-chan!" Both Akko and Sucy flew down immediately to check on her. "A-Are you alright?!"
The delivery girl shook her head as she took the delivery box back from Akko, she opened it and handed the 2 bowls of food to her recipients. "Donburi, oitoite~ Enjoy your food." She said her catchphrase and bade the two farewell with a smile. The witches looked dumbfounded as she drove her way back down the same path she had come from.
"That was… insane." Sucy was out of words, a rarity.
"Well… I guess Aika-chan really is the best huh...?" Akko sighed. "Did you sense any magic from her, Sucy?"
"No. She's not using any magic."
"Well… that's one mystery solved."
The Goddess and the Pancake
"So Akko, I have been thinking," Diana asked. "Why did Marie-san scold you back then? I get that having an unknown presence in her home was troubling… but she seemed extra protective about it? Did something bad happen in the past?"
"Well… I wasn't there, but Marie-san told me why she upped the security a few years ago." Akko recalled. "Someone dangerous was trespassing in Cognitive Inaba…"
"Someone was trespassing…?" Diana tried to process the statement. "Wait, you have to be a Persona user to-"
"Yeah," Akko nodded. "It's an unknown Persona user... Marie-san sad he was, and I quote, 'some kid cosplaying as a Featherman'... "
Diana raised a confused eyebrow.
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Two and a half years back, Cognitive Inaba
A massive pillar of lightning struck the ground, sending a man trying to escape tumbling back in pain.
Marie, in her goddess form, floated down from the cognitive sky. Her eyes glared in annoyance at the intruder before her.
She didn't know why he was in an edgy Featherman cosplay… but he was undoubtedly a threat.
"Tell me, did the power resting in the depths of Tokyo send you?" She asked. However, due to his helmet, she didn't know what effect her question had on him.
"...!" The man emitted an angry grunt as blue fire flared. His Persona, a being of pure black and white, manifested and rushed at Marie with his crimson blade.
"Oh? How cute."
Kaguya manifested immediately to shield her, and the powerful slash was easily repelled. Eight arrows of light then slammed into his Persona, causing him to scream in agonizing pain as it was mercilessly shattered.
"That was not the Persona you used earlier… you are a Wild Card?" Marie asked, disgusted. "That can't be right... What the hell is The Nose doing, letting this happen?!"
Like an animal pushed into a corner, the intruder was ready to use every last bit of his power to escape. A crimson aura flared as he used his trump card.
Multiple high ranking Shadows manifested, shielding him as they let out absolute raging bloodlust.
"You can control Shadows too!?"
The Shadow army blasted the goddess with multiple high tier elemental spells. However, Kaguya had enough defense to withstand them with ease, so they were distractions at best.
"Annoying!"
The cognitive ground underneath them shifted, revealing a black mass that quickly opened its gigantic camera lens-like eye. A massive beam rushed into the sky, vaporizing everything standing on its pupil.
The devastation died down as Marie groaned. The man was nowhere in sight… somehow. She had sealed the area with her authority, right?! How did he still escape!? "Damn it!"
She reached into her sleeve and pulled out her cellphone.
"Hello? Yes. We have a problem…"
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Diana soaked in the story, and worry filled her heart. "So there are other Persona users out there… Evil ones no less…"
"Yeah…" Akko frowned. "Marie-san has been very protective of Inaba since then…"
"Well, thanks for sharing this with me, Akko." Diana said. "We need to be careful from now on."
So... this OMAKE was scrapped because originally CH17 had a scene with Diana getting addicted to Ramen (therefore making her a parallel to Croix). But after Beta edited it, he basically told me "too fast lol, also why did you put a meme there?!" and took the joke out of it.
Consider this semi-canon.
Ramen
"..." In the darkness, Hannah tiredly opened her eyes. With a yawn, she got out of bed. "Toilet..."
SLURP SLURP SLURP
The sleepy girl stopped in her tracks at the alien noise. She looked over her the other side of her dorm room and saw a magical green light from Diana's work space.
She walked over to her partner's bed. "Hey, Barbara... wake up."
"Fufu... Oh... You are so dreamy, my handsome prince..." The blue haired girl seemed to be having a nice dream, but her eyes snapped opened as she gazed upon Hannah's face. "Oh... it's you, Hannah."
"Sorry... But some weird noise is coming from Diana's side. Come help me," the brunette sighed.
SLURP SLURP SLURP
"What was that?! Alright, I am coming."
Both walked over to the source of the noise and light. "Hey Diana, why are you still up this late-"
This was surely a scene to be forever remembered in their teenage memories. There was Diana, sitting right next to her cauldron where liquid being kept at a boil by a fire spirit. She was holding a large bowl of food giving off a delicious aroma... and the ace student was in the process of slurping a batch of noodles from it, wolfing them down hungrily, her manners cast to the side.
"D-Diana? W-What are you doing?" Both girls asked loudly.
Snapped out of her food induced trance by their words, Diana swallowed her latest mouthful with her oily lips. She turned her head robotically at her friends. Her body language was that of a kid who was just caught stealing from the cookie jar. "H-Hannah, B-Barbara... Look. This is not what it looks like!" She freaked out.
"I... I am not sure what I am looking at... What exactly are you doing again?" Hannah asked, all confused. "Is that... instant ramen? What are you doing eating this late?!"
Realizing there was no explaining her way out of this, Diana put down her bowl and let out a defeated sigh.
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"Okay... so there were draw backs to having superpowers," Barbara noted. "That explains all the massive lunches."
"This is so embarrassing." Diana blushed heavily and had trouble looking at her friends. "Not only is my newfound hunger forcing me to eat late into the night... But I can't help myself! I think I have become utterly addicted to ramen!"
"I mean... I don't think it's something to be ashamed of," Hannah shrugged. "It's just food right? Eat whatever you want. Who cares."
"This is... instant ramen?" Barbara eyed the Japanese package with utter confusion. "Aren't instant ramen in cups or something?"
"No... I avoided the cup ones because those had a lot of harmful preservatives..." Diana explained. "Akko recommended these ones to me. She said they were the healthiest as well as tasting the closest to that of a restaurant."
Hannah and Barbara shrugged again.
"Well... you got space for us too?"
In the upcoming weeks, Akko was confused why the first thing Diana did when going to Japan was restock her self-cook ramen.
"Food tastes better with friends right?" were her simple answer.