[Been Searching All Along]
The tapping noise pursuing the train tracks in the train's path filled in the void of her mind until it left the subway. She stood for who knows how long on the platform staring at the wall solemnly.
Luxu was used to the roars thundering in her ears, however this is the first where she wished the noise would continue to clear her thoughts born from severe guilt.
How could this happen?
Luxu lowered her head. The weight of her inclination pressed her gaze to the wooden tracks. Her long white hair cascading her back like a waterfall swished to the side from the evident cold wind, her black coat flapping along.
Because of Luxu's intervention, Shiho's arms were now rendered useless. The human can no longer play her beloved volleyball sport that required mostly her hands.
Luxu punched the solid surface of the wall preventing further entry into the depths. Underneath her black leather glove, the pain pulsing through her knuckles was the only thing to numb her anger.
"Damn it all!" She shouted. No one in the hollow underground subway was there to witness nor stop her internal battle of herself, hence the lack of self-restraint.
Is this how fate graced her in all its spite and omnipotent powers? Is this what she gets for assuming she can play hero in a world she envies?
Luxu's fist falls limp by her side, the hand twitching from the punch that left no dent on the cursed wall.
"I just... wanted to help... What are my powers for if I can't even save one girl?" Her voice cracks in the end.
What did Shiho do to deserve such cruel fate? Why does Luxu exist with these unknown powers that can do so much in this barren crimson world yet not in the colorful world of life?
Luxu lifts her gaze to the dull ceiling. Her lips quivered against the stale air.
"Why was I born into this world?"
No one answered.
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Luxu has to know Shiho's current state in the real world. Her Shadow had shut her out from entry, which prevents her from intervening in whatever the Shadow may plan to do with her other self. If Shadow Shiho tries to persuade the other to kill herself, Luxu can't do anything to stop her in the human realm.
She hoped from the bottom of her heart that Shiho wouldn't listen to her inner persona.
The sole of Luxu's boots gradually pounds the earth louder and louder as she briskly walks to Shujin Academy. Her feet teetered between walking normally and running hastily to their destination, conflicted in time.
The phantom didn't pay mind as she swiftly phased through some students in her line of path. From the scent, Shiho should be inside already-!
She collided directly into something solid unexpectedly. Luxu tripped, but somehow didn't wound up kissing the ground.
A groaning sound emerged from below her. Luxu lifts her head to find herself atop a student lying face down to the ground.
The Shadow was staring at the back of frizzy dark hair in surprise. Her mind once occupied with Shiho was now swarming with other thoughts. She could feel the material of clothing under her fingers, the broad body definition underneath the layers, but most importantly; the warmth of a person.
She subconsciously inhaled the scent belonging to the human serving as her cushion. It had a mild hint of coffee and spices mixed in with his original scent. Perhaps he was new to this city? Luxu may not bother to remember people's faces, but she spent the two years in Tokyo people-watching out of boredom and escapism from the Metaverse. This human was certainly not familiar to Shibuya, for sure.
The boy who appeared to be around her age (Luxu herself doesn't know) looks over his shoulder, large black rimmed glasses crooked from the fall. Dark gray eyes widen in surprise at the presence who was still laying on his back.
Luxu didn't recognize the close proximity between them as she stared silently at his face. His long eyelashes stood out to her at the moment.
Something just clicked between them.
Both Luxu and the boy's breaths hitched. There was a strange sensation tingling their arms, particularly the wrists. Unnerved by the contact, Luxu now gets off him. Students surrounding them had stopped to whisper of why the transfer student is still on the ground and of the sudden trip of air.
Luxu eyed the human boy warily as he lifts himself off the ground before she quickly resumed her path inside the Academy, not saying a word during the exchange.
Who the hell was that guy? She can somehow touch him? He can see her? But she wasn't in her tanuki form, and she shouldn't be able to interact with the human realm while as a Shadow.
When she entered to the entrance of the academy, she stared at her gloves hands. She looks to a nearby random student and approaches them. They made no motion in acknowledging her as she then swung her hand on their shoulder. Her hand phased through it.
Could the boy with the glasses be...?
Luxu spared a glance back to the entrance. She shook her head. She'll worry about that another time. Shiho is her top priority now.
Luxu had searched all over the academy for her. Tracking her would have been easy if it weren't for the several foul scents mixed in. For some reason they were more stronger than the last time she visited.
The humanoid Shadow ran left and right, staircase to staircase, and poked her head through every room. There was no sight of the human. With the overwhelming stench, Luxu may as well gamble on the possibility that Shiho wasn't even present in the building.
Luxu darts up the flight of stairs until she arrived to the rooftop. The door was left slightly open.
As a phantom, Luxu didn't let the obstacle stop her as she phased through the door. There she finally found her.
Standing on the ledge of the roof for everyone to see was Shiho, whose either arms were in casts and crossed over her chest. Dark hazy brown eyes were devoid of life as she stared at the bottom of the earth, having resigned to knocking on heaven's door.
Tanuki Luxu whimpered loudly for Shiho. She stood just behind the fence, anxious that her contact would only make things worse than they already were. Luxu has to persuade her to not take another step forward.
Shiho did not pay heed to the white tanuki's cry. Or rather, she could not hear her, for her mind was too clouded by the beguiling notion of a place to forever rest.
Could her Shadow have already manipulated her mind? Was the roots too deep for her to dig out?
Tanuki Luxu placed both paws on the fence, begging Shiho to turn around to no avail.
"Please, Shiho! Don't listen to your Shadow! Don't kill yourself!!"
To the human ears, the tanuki was desperately making loud high pitched noises and clawing at the fence. Despite that, Shiho barely made any notion to acknowledge Luxu.
The sight of a student dangerously close to the edge of the roof attracted all of Shujin Academy to the windows where they can see her.
Shiho tilts her head to the murky grey clouds.
She falls.
Human Luxu shot her arm out for her. It didn't matter what part of her as long as she could grab on to her-!
Her hand grazed her back. Her fingers ghostly touch Shiho's body in all Luxu's transparency.
The color in Luxu's skin disappeared near instantly, and her body turned cold.
Shiho continued falling even when barely within Luxu's reach. She disappears from the rooftop. A solemn thud from below resounded the air.
A knot clogged her throat from making any sound. She had grasped air in place of Shiho. She had her just then! She was right there in front of her within her grasp!
Horrified gasps echoed from the classrooms. The windows are crowded with peering faces and bodies glued to the glass. Students were slowly pouring out of the building to where Shiho had landed for a better look.
Luxu's outstretched arm slowly fell limp by her side. She remained on the rooftop collapsed to the floor from the buckle of her knees, watching as the crowd gradually grew teeming with students.
Luxu stared at her hands. They were trembling uncontrollably nonstop. From beneath her leather gloves, her palms became sweaty.
Her lips quivered, paving the path for shallow ragged breaths now escaping her the longer she stared down at the contour of Shiho's fallen body. Her limbs were splayed unnaturally on the ground where no human should be positioned on.
The sound of alarms blaring in the distance approached.
Luxu could only taste dry air. She had the urge to vomit, but her body was incapable of that. She is a ghost, not a human.
That's why she couldn't save Shiho.
Paramedics had arrived to the scene and lifted Shiho's body on the carrier, red ambulance lights blinking every second. A blonde girl came up to Shiho and bent to her level. She then stood up and joined Shiho inside the ambulance for the trip to the hospital.
Luxu stood up. Shiho was barely clinging to life. There's still hope!
Luxu leaps off the rooftop and lands safely on top of the ambulance before it would depart. The Shadow remained on top until they arrived to the nearest site. She watched as the back doors open for the paramedics and Shiho's friend to exit, pulling a transportation cart for patients that Shiho laid on towards the inside of the hospital, and jumps off the ambulance.
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A few hours passed since Shiho was inside the operating room. Her friend Ann had waited on the edge of her seat for the doctor to come out with hopeful news, sweating nervously from the anxiety eating her faith away.
Once the doctor arrived and gave the news, Luxu left the human world and warped to the Metaverse without waiting for Ann's reaction. If she stayed for too long, she'll get too emotional than she already has been. The cold emptiness of the Shadow realm helps relieve the sentimental pain.
While Shiho survived from the fall, that was countered by her comatose state. At least Shiho was alive than dead.
Luxu wasn't content with that, however. There was one person to have caused all of this from the very beginning, before Luxu had intervened.
Kamoshida.
Some days elapsed afterwards. During the duration, Luxu was preparing her equipment and polishing her skills for her infiltration.
Luxu travels to the Metaverse Shujin Academy. She needs to bust the man who attempted to assault her and then broke her arms from use into oblivion. If that bastard hadn't abuse his power, Shiho wouldn't have deserved the suffering. No one should have. Yet he does however he likes because he knew the students wouldn't lay a finger on him without repercussions.
Unforgivable!
When Luxu arrived to her destination, she discovered a giant brick castle in its place.
'So there really was something up with this place.'
The albino frowns.
'Maybe Shiho is in there as one of the poor victims of whoever is the ruler of the castle.'
Luxu enters to investigate. There was not a single guard watching the gates, indicating the security was disappointedly poor, though she won't complain since that meant less obstructions in the way.
'Unless that also means security is tight elsewhere important that takes top priority than the entrance...'
As Luxu ventures deep inside the glamorous castle, sneaking past armored knight Shadows within the darkness and smoothly avoiding confrontations, she realized how much the ruler of the castle has tacky tastes.
She almost gagged at the paintings and statues displaying who must be the king. When she closely examined his face portrait, she internally seethed in rage.
It was the man who Shiho had talked to in the office. The one who changed her life for the worst.
"Kamoshida..." She snarled. Once she sees him, she'll transform into a beast that will snap his neck in two with her jaws. At least, that's what she wishes. However, she knew that killing the cognitive Shadow version will end his life in the real world. Luxu wasn't all for killing a man, no matter how much of a scumbag he may be.
'Some kills are mercy kills, and Kamoshida is not one to deserve a kind send off.'
Luxu sneered at the portrait before proceeding to the next floor.
The castle was a maze, she noted upon stumbling into rooms that had required certain procedures and keys to progress. What was peculiar to her was that these puzzles were already solved and saved her a lot of trouble.
'Is someone also infiltrating like me?'
Luxu wanted to doubt it, as it's unlikely a Shadow would have a will of its own to sabotage the king's throne. Only smart beings are capable of that, and majority of the Shadows are not the brightest in coming up with schemes, especially by themselves.
Whoever they were, Luxu would find out soon.
"I must say, this Palace is getting on my nerves..." Luxu murmurs to herself as she swatted stray rose petals off her coat. How disgustingly romantic the setting is.
Luxu hides behind a pillar and peaks past it carefully.
Especially with an egotistic statue displaying a man in nothing but a heart pattern robe that did nothing to cover his exposed briefs of the matching pattern.
Luxu made a distasteful expression at it. The king sees himself almost like the God of the world. Only in his world will that work. Also, ew.
With numerous guards patrolling the area, Luxu retraced her steps back to the room behind the entrance she came. It would be a hassle to sneak through every guard and hide her presence at the same time.
After a cautionary scan of the room currently free of Shadows, Luxu imagines the form she wishes to manifest and once she did, a poof of smoke appeared in her place.
Once the smoke cleared, what replaced Luxu's human form was a black crow flapping its wings.
If crows had the facial muscles, Luxu would be exasperated. She hated the smoke that comes with her transformations as it would attract attention, hence why she had to relocate to transform. The smokes are not small either. Perhaps it was the cognition of tanukis people had that put it into effect.
The crow sighed.
How troublesome.
Flying past the open doors deliberately left by Luxu herself, she makes sure to fly out of sight and avoid approaching the light the mosaic glass windows refracted. She wouldn't have them questioning how a bird is in the castle, now would she.
She soared to the upper floor and reverts back to human form (again with a puff of smoke damn it), landing quietly on her feet before opening the door. Upon hiding by the corner and looking beyond it, she frowned at the narrow hallway where a guard is pacing back and forth idly in his patrolling duties.
Luxu then smirks. That's what having transformation powers are for in this situation.
Luxu once again retreats to the area behind the door and transforms into what she hopes will make a great sneaky creature: a chameleon.
As disappointing you may have been, Luxu cannot disguise herself as a Shadow like the knights in this Palace. Luxu once tried it at Mementos for the heck of it and the Shadows quickly pointed out her identity when comparing. Apparently it had something to do with her "trying too hard," they had claimed. The only reason none of the Shadows here have yet to notice her was because of the black coat she wears which has many uses. One is concealing her identity as though she was only a literal shadow.
Luxu's powers are only used to sneak around and if necessary, fight in confrontations. Her transformations range from animals to humans (if she tries hard enough), although Luxu has realized she lasts longer in a female body. If she were to become a human boy, she wouldn't remain as one for a few minutes. There was also the white pigment factor that plays if Luxu doesn't think much on what she wants to become.
Back when she turned into a crow, there was more thinking required if she wanted to not stand out like a sore thumb in this dark setting. It also takes her time to do so, which was odd for her to acknowledge but came to accept anyway.
Luxu, now as a velvet red chameleon to match the floor, crawls through the gap between the door and through the back of the sofas and vase stands placed in the hallway. The guard did not acknowledge her presence yet as he nonchalantly yawns in his pacing. Luxu internally snickered at the obliviousness the Shadows have. This is cakewalk!
Once she enters a spiral staircase, Luxu changed into a crow again and flies up and out of the exit to the staircase. A tower awaits past the open rooftop where large imposing knights emanating a dangerous level of power were tightly knit in this one area.
'That must mean the core of this Palace is just up ahead.'
Luxu perches on a flag pole and looks down. A flash of surprise flickered in her eyes.
A group of four -three masked humans and one peculiar anthropomorphic cat with a large head- were crouched behind the oddly placed crates hiding from the knights whenever they approached too close for their liking.
They seemed to be in stuck between a rock and a hard place as they faltered in progressing forward. There were a lot of Shadows lingering at the door to the tower. The group must have considered the numerous cons to confronting them as well, assuming they were smart enough to not blindly rush into every body they see.
Luxu was intrigued. While she doesn't know their objective, she finds herself willing to assist them, at least just this time. She doesn't see them as a threat to her at the moment.
The crow flaps her wings and approaches a Shadow near the sneaking group. She made a crow sound loud enough for almost everyone in the roof to hear and pecks at the Shadow's helmet repeatedly.
"Wha- A bird? Shoo! Go away!" The knight waves his long double-edged sword at Luxu. The crow avoided the slashes effortlessly and continued to knock on the metal armor to attract noise, which was annoying the Shadow more than anything.
His fellow armored friends look to the source of noise. They stopped patrolling to laugh at the sight. The farthest Shadows approached closer for a close up of what may be the most entertaining spectacle since tightening the security. The door was free of protection.
"Hahaha! You're letting a bird throw you off?"
"I think it likes you."
The victim continued to wildly swing his blade at Luxu in vain. "This damn bird won't leave me alone!"
From the corner of her eye, the four-man (er, well there's a cat, and a girl, but details details) group of intruders were confused at the opportunity granted by a crow but took the timing to dart from crate to crate until they arrived at the door.
Luxu flies above her target's head and circled around him. She let out a caw.
The knights gathered at a circle did not have the discretion to hide their amusement.
"The crow's making fun of you."
"What did I do?!" The provoked Shadow stomps his feet at the floor while raising his head to shoot glares at the crow, unable to do anything to her when she has the ability to soar up and beyond his reach. Luxu looks to the side and watched the mysterious group climb atop the roof and make a beeline for an alternative entry into the tower. The door must've been locked, she assumed.
Once they were out of sight Luxu leaves the rooftop having accomplished her task, abandoning a disgruntled Shadow among his entertained friends.
Luxu swoops into an open window of the tower and reverts back on her human feet.
The humans must have already proceeded deep into the building.
The albino wonders what brought the humans to come here. Moreover, how they managed to enter the Metaverse. The ticket to the Shadow realm is not handed out like free pocket tissues. Perhaps this was the works of fate doing its thing?
Her curiosity nurtured by the mother of boredom was peaking. Those peculiar individuals may be just the perfect thing to kill time and cease the days of silence and solitude. Sure, she was a little lonely at times, but she has been living independently for two years. She had already grown accustomed to the lack of company, perhaps even favored loneliness if it meant making progress smoothly.
Luxu investigates the tower interior. The moment she had opened the door, the inside was playing tricks on the mind. Some parts of the floor lowered themselves with a mind of their own for no particular reason. In the hallway, Luxu frowned in displeasure at the sight of mannequin busts bared naked. The room beyond that displayed statues of women's buttocks upholding the pillars above them.
She can't wait to see this castle burn in hell for making her so uncomfortable in the two years she was conscious.
In the next room, she hides behind a wall as a Shadow knight passed by. From behind the wall she was at, she recognizes many knights that stood out above the rest in gold armor.
'One of them has to be the big boss,...'
Maybe he has something useful on him.
Luxu sharpens her senses. Out of the few gold knights, one was glowing a brilliant gold aura compared to the rest of the dim ones.
Luxu sucked in her teeth, however. The room is too crowded with the Shadows in one place. Can she actually take down the top guy with his men around him by herself?
She drew a sharp breath. No. There's another way. A way that won't require her to cause a scene and raise the security level. She just hopes the plan won't backfire on her.
She creeps behind a wall close the door. With a piece of a worn vase she had cracked, she chucks it at the empty room behind her. The porcelain shard shattered loud for the Shadows to hear. The "general" of the knights ordered them to investigate the source and remains in the room as the rest of the knights filed through the door. Once the knights had entered and the general looked away, Luxu closes the door and slides a sword she had found from Mementos through the double handles.
Now that the bothersome mob Shadows are out of the way, she just needs to take down the general before she exterminates the others.
She darts from corner to corner before leaping on the startled Shadow's back and ripping off his helmet mask.
The Shadow trembled for a moment before bursting into black and red ink that swallowed him whole until it cleared away to reveal the Persona underneath the mask.
A scarlet armored figure mounted on his black steed stood in its place.
Luxu immediately makes the first move. With a snap of her fingers, she casted the power of blessing upon him, blinding his vision while damaging him simultaneously. The moment the light disappeared, the Horseman received steel to the face, toppling him off his high horse.
Once she did, the albino aimed her ranged weapon to the bewildered steed's eye. With a single push of the button on her handle, the horse's head exploded.
Black blood stained her pale white skin and fringes. Luxu lands on the tiled floor safely as the dead horse collapsed and faded away into nothingness. Luxu strides over to the fallen horseman and kicks his spear away.
In her hands were a pair of steel tonfas that can shoot multiple rounds of bullets. The long metal glinted underneath the interior light as she stepped on top of the soldier without his horse and points the barrel of her gun tonfa to his red plated helmet.
In an instant, she towered over the captain guard of the castle.
Though her eyes were obscured by her blindfold, the thin line formed on her lips thought nothing but of her objective. She stared down at the Persona.
"Hand me the key. Now." She demanded. Her words cut no slack for the victim.
Despite the position he's in, he had the nerve to chuckle. "What key? I have no such thing."
"Don't entertain me with your lies. Your aura told me all I needed to know. You have what I need to proceed into the tower. If you treasure your life, then I only ask you for the 'key.' Nothing more, nothing less."
"If I give it to you, you'll just kill me in the end. I serve King Kamoshida to the very end. I will die as his stepping stone to glory."
Luxu frowned. "I won't kill you. If you give me the key, that is."
The Horseman was silent as he stared at her. "May I see your face? Your true face?"
At first Luxu had no obligation to show her face to an enemy who will report about her to Kamoshida, however... "Will you give me the key then?"
"A man does not go behind his word. I promise I won't report to King Kamoshida about you either." The Horseman swore.
Luxu's sensitive sense of smell allows her to even identify one's emotions that reveal their true self as well as their lies. She smelled nothing but honesty.
Luxu begrudgingly accepted his promise. "I don't see why you want to know..." She grumbled under her breath. She strips the blindfold off her head. "There, happy?"
A moment of silence passed.
She couldn't see behind the gaps of the metal plate over his eyes, but the sigh in his breath gave it away.
"I've never seen such beautiful eyes before..."
Luxu was dubious, yet she remained quiet. What he said afterwards surprised her.
"You are not a Shadow, missy. No Shadow has honest and pure eyes like yours."
Luxu found herself tight lipped. She didn't know what to say. She wanted to deny that but a part of her believed otherwise.
"...I didn't take you for a flattering kind of man." She finally said.
The Horseman laughed. "I'm satisfied now. As I promised, I'll give you the 'key.'"
Luxu gets off the Persona and tied the blindfold around her eyes. The Horseman hands her what seems to be a stone eyeball.
Luxu stared at it hard.
"...Am I a joke to you? This is the key?" Luxu waves the eye to the Persona exaggeratedly.
"I never said it was an actual key. Or did you actually ambush me not knowing what it was?"
Luxu fell quiet. "...I figured you would have something important since you're the captain guard..."
The Horseman snickered. "You weren't off the mark. I like honest kids. However, I hope this is the last time we cross paths. Farewell, o wandering soul."
Luxu huffs to herself when she separated ways with him. What a weird Persona. She thought he would be the type to babble on honor and worthy death for Kamoshida as his underling. She guessed not.
Luxu climbs up the velvet red stairs that had appeared from nowhere (such is the wonders of this Palace) and enters the next floor.
Luxu crouches low after no Shadow was within her radius to witness a mysterious poof of smoke. Once again a crow (being a bird is very practical for traveling), Luxu flies close to the tall ceiling and scans the area. There was a few knights scattered.
Luxu saw no need to take any of them down and continues to fly to the next floor where she quickly reverted to human and shut the door behind her.
Her enhanced sense of smell caught of whiff of human scents. Those four infiltrators were in the same floor as her.
Luxu sneaks up to the top of the staircase and hid behind the corner of the wall. They seem to have trouble progressing as they were faced before swinging blades threatening to slice them in half, preventing further entry. They were surrounding a bust statue of Kamoshida. One eye socket glowed yellow.
Luxu looks at the eye between her fingers. They must be looking for this but have failed to find it because she had taken it. Oops.
A sound lured the four to the source of attention. A stone eyeball rolled by one of the member's feet. A young man in a long black coat picks it up. His fellow companions peered in shock.
"No way!"
"Joker, that's...!"
Joker nodded. "Yeah."
A caw was heard.
The group looked around until they spotted Crow Luxu perched on the window sill from above. Luxu simply stared at them. If it weren't for the occasional head tilts, they would've thought they were staring at a statue.
"A crow?" A young man wearing a metal skull mask said.
"Could it be the same bird that helped us out on the roof?" A girl in a skin-tight red leather body suit inquired.
Luxu flaps her wings once and cawed again.
"Looks like it." The anthropomorphic cat affirmed. "Crows are known to be very intelligent creatures. But I do wonder how it got that eye..."
Joker looks to the crow. "Thank you."
Crow Luxu nodded. As she watched the gang progress further, she opted to wait for a bit until they have cleared the path for her. She didn't want to get involved with humans to the point of worrying about them. If they die, they die. To her, they are only tools that will do most of the manual labor for her.
She must believe that, for her own sake.
Luxu is a Shadow. How could she let herself believe the Horseman's words even for a second that she may not be a denizen of the Metaverse? She doesn't know who or what else she could be. It would only make sense that she is a monster of the cognitive realm.
Therefore, she will not further assist them if it meant threatening her mission.
...Mission?
Why did she come here again? Ah, because of that human girl...
Luxu hung her head. She thought she can use her powers for something. If she can't protect anyone with it, what can she alone do? Nothing.
The only thing she can do now is to get revenge for Shiho. Luxu would love to end Kamoshida's life, but he would not atone his sins if he took the easy way out. It wouldn't heal Shiho's arms either.
The Shadow willed the tightening pressure stirring in her chest to stop. She did the right thing, right? Saving the human from unspeakable evil that afternoon... Shiho was safe when she intervened!
In exchange, Shiho lost the ability to use her arms.
Was it Shiho's fate to fall into ruin? If Luxu turned back time and save her in many different ways, would the result just end in the worse ways possible?
Luxu flapped her wings angrily before departing for the top of the tower. Fate is cruel and spiteful. The notion made her want to punch fate in the face.
As the crow soared past the staircase and reverts back to open the door to the next level, Luxu wondered what the masked people's intentions were in infiltrating Kamoshida's castle. It couldn't simply be just for riches and wealth, right? It may likely be personal business with Kamoshida himself.
If they plan to overthrow the king, that would be an entertaining sight to behold.
Crow Luxu perched on the rail of the platform where she can see Shadow Kamoshida in the center of the throne room, several soldiers lined on either side of him to protect their liege. He looked impatient as he demanded the capture of the intruders.
She sensed the core of the Palace's manifestation past the long stairs behind his throne. Perfect.
Having succeeded in securing an infiltration route, Luxu takes her leave from the castle.
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Luxu revisits Shujin Academy the following day. She didn't know why, but despite her fear of being attracted to what is real, she felt she had to see the school Shiho attended again. Her feet just led her here.
The albino was sitting atop the concrete border as she idly watch students enter.
The news of Shiho's attempted suicide at Shujin Academy still persists. While Shiho fortunately survived from the fall, she fell into a coma for who knows how long.
Luxu's chest grew heavy. She has her scent tracked down to where she is hospitalized, but she believed she shouldn't go see her. It was like meeting Shiho's Shadow again. Luxu had acknowledged the guilt, which is exactly why she fears seeing Shiho's face again.
The Shadow bit her bottom lip.
She provided her hope, and she failed her. Some hero she was.
Luxu curled up into a sitting fetal position and buried the lower half of her face in her arms.
This immense feeling of guilt that only grows stronger here in Shujin could be her punishment as a phantom who wanted to relish in the beauty of the real world. Her selfishness paid the price for a long period of unforgiving nightmares.
'I'm sorry...'
Luxu sensed a pair of eyes on her. She looks up.
Dark gray eyes peered directly at her sitting form atop the border. His face looked familiar, despite it looking plain.
The albino scrunched her brows. She looks behind her to see nothing particular before reverting her gaze back to the boy. He was still staring at her silently as though contemplating what to say.
Luxu then recognized him by his scent. The scent of coffee and spices. It was a peculiar combination, hence how she remembered him more clearly. This was the boy who she had bumped into.
Luxu shifts in her spot so that she was no longer in her fetal position and allowed her cloaked legs to dangle. She decides to gamble on the possibility that he can indeed see her.
"Human, you can see me, no?"
The boy with glasses slowly nodded once. He was surprised that the stranger in black would be willing to talk to him first.
A budding excitement grew in Luxu's chest. She finally found someone from the human realm who can see her aside from her tanuki form after these two years.
Students walking pass the boy casts odd glances as they entered the academy, spurring the student to quickly move along after standing in one spot staring at air. At least that's what it appears to be to the normal naked human eye.
Luxu followed his retreating form until he was no longer seen inside the school.
Luxu's lips formed a thin line. Her nose had tracked another presence inside his school bag. It was rather familiar. The scent was not human, but neither was it a monster. It was something she can't quite distinguish, but she didn't smell any hostility from it.
What was more peculiar was the human's scent. Luxu couldn't find any foul traces of malevolence or ill intent. It would make sense for children and infants to not harbor distinct negative energy, since they haven't matured enough to understand, but this person is a teenager well on his way to adulthood. The only explanation to that would be that his Shadow is no longer lost and has awakened into his Persona...
But to do that, the host has to be aware of the Metaverse and entered there...
Interesting. Interesting indeed. All the more to wander in Shujin Academy.
A smirk crept onto her lips.
She finally found a way to kill time.
P5P5P5P5P5P5P5
Soo, let me give a brief overview of Luxu's weapons and powers, just to establish what she can do. Most things here were already stated in this chapter, but the rest will be explained in the future chapters for narrative purposes. So you can take this section as a preview to how Luxu will fight in upcoming updates.
Luxu's melee plus ranged weapons are her gun tonfas, or alternatively, tonfa blasters. It's a two-in-one weapon choice, so it can be risky if she were to lose one or both of them in a fight. At the moment, they don't have any custom upgrades, but in the future when she can actually obtain better tonfas they'll be stronger.
Luxu is an all-round type of party member where she's not exceptionally better at one thing, nor is she weak at one thing over the rest. She herself likes focus on all of her skills, so that she doesn't feel burdened by one thing. Achieving balance is a thing she would like to maintain.
Luxu uses bless attacks, or as called in Persona games, Kouha. It's ironic since she's all black, but it suits her character. She has a balanced set of skills ranging from basic healing to debuffs and buffs (for defense and accuracy/evasion respectively) and physical attacks, however they're mostly only for single targets, as Luxu was always a loner and never sought for aid in the Metaverse. She always used them for herself, after all. She's best for boss fights and against single enemies.
Luxu's outfit is her black coat which is specially made for low resistance to all attacks, both physical and magic (Megido attacks excluded). It is also heat and cold resistant. Putting on her hood allows her to completely mask her presence and identity. If she were to somehow lose it, then she opens to all kinds of damage.
Luxu's blindfold (her accessory) is not simply for show. This blindfold signifies her identity as a phantom without a mask. She can take it off, but she will never reveal the color of her eyes, especially to denizens of the real world. Shadows? No big deal. Humans? Nope. "It's part of the rules," Luxu would say.
As a Shadow, Luxu is strong in physical aspects. Hence, she would risk herself for the Phantom Thieves in doing whatever inhuman tasks are offered. Their lives are more important and much fragile than a Shadow like herself. This reckless thinking would get her into trouble, though, much to her genuine confusion.
As a Shadow, Luxu cannot summon a Persona. Because she's a Shadow. Morgana is not a Shadow, so he's a special case. Though one Shadow said Luxu may very likely not be a real Shadow like she thought herself to be, then how can she not summon a Persona? Hmm...
Luxu's shape-shifting powers are risky if she were to use them a lot. So far in this chapter she can transform into a crow and a chameleon. It's too much for me to explain, so her powers will be explored gradually in future chapters. Look forward to that!
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