Apologies for the week-long delay, but without further ado, here's today's chapter. As a heads up, this will be the last chapter of the year, so no new chapter until the first Friday of the new year, so a two week wait until Jan 7th.
Disclaimer: I do not own Persona or their characters, and I make no money off of this.
Chapter 12
July 22nd, Yongen-Jaya: Café Lebanc
The sun had nearly set for the day as the Phantom Thieves waited patiently within the quaint café they kept as their honorary hideout. The bell to the entrance gave off its characteristic chime, bringing their attention to the final thief that had as of yet not arrived.
"Apologies for being late," Haru said.
"Don't be," Ren stated with a shake of his head. "The other half of our group is still on their way. So is Sae-san."
"I see. Any idea when they'll all arrive?"
"They should be only a few minutes out," answered Makoto.
"In that case, could I trouble you for a cup of coffee, Sakura-san?" Haru politely requested.
"Of course. Any preference?"
"I'll leave it to your discretion."
Haru took her seat at the booth next to Makoto and across from the other two girls of their group, in-between whom was Mona. She made herself comfortable as Sojiro brought her the coffee she'd requested, though she found herself abruptly giggling.
"Something funny about your coffee?" Futaba asked.
"No, it's not that," she replied, still giggling to herself. "It's just that the way we're all here relaxing before a mission—it's nostalgic, isn't it?"
"Huh, ya know, you're right," Ryuji thought aloud, grinning happily as found memories started to fill his head.
True as that was, Makoto couldn't help asking the obvious. "But why would that make you laugh?"
"I had only now just realized that when Ren is by the bar top, he's always sitting or leaning against the same chair."
Everyone immediately looked over to their leader on reflex. A moment of collective realization seemed to hit them all like a wave of sunlight in the morning.
"Hey, yeah, he totally does…!" Ann said in amazement. "How did I not notice that before?"
"I didn't even realize that myself," he admitted with a chuckle. "I usually eat in the morning at that spot, so maybe it's just a force of habit."
"As interesting as that observation may be…" Morgana began, clearly intent on shifting the subject of the conversation. "I hope you're all ready for tonight. We've got to bring our A-game."
Although the atmosphere was relaxing and lackadaisical, that shifted on a dime the moment their preparedness was brought into question. The determined aura that each of the Phantoms was giving off served as a clear sign that the feline's warning was needless.
"Looks like you're more than ready," reasoned Morgana, sporting a Cheshire grin.
"And even if we run into problems, we now have even more comrades to help us out in a pinch," Haru chirped.
"Especially Yu-san, right, Noir?" Futaba said teasingly.
The heiresses nearly spilled her cup of coffee and her cheeks reddened, clearly having not expected that to be said to her of all things. She attempted to defend herself but her voice caught in her throat and came out as merely an embarrassed squeak.
"Oh brother…" Morgana sighed sympathetically. "Haru, you should know she does this primarily because of how she knows you'll react."
"True, she is really cute when she gets like that," Futaba remarked.
"No arguments here," Ryuji piled on.
"…Hm, I really can't say I disagree."
"M-Mako-chan?!" Haru exclaimed.
The pink-clad young woman's subsequent look of betrayal earned her no more than a slight shrug of the shoulders and a wince from her closest friend. Although in Queen's defense, there were very few things more adorable than a bashful Haru Okumura.
"Guys, c'mon, don't tease her so much," Ann chimed in.
"Thank you, Ann-chan," sighed Haru, appreciation clear in her tone.
"Don't mention it," she replied, sporting a kind smile. "Besides, it's not like it's a crime to have a little crush, right?"
"That's it!" Haru abruptly exclaimed.
Although her face was still tinged pink and her embarrassment was practically tangible, the fluffy-haired young woman looked at her teammates with a determined expression that all but demanded their attention.
"Just so that we're clear, I do not have a crush on Yu-san!" Haru stated firmly. "It's true that I find him handsome, and he is certainly charming. He may also have a princely appeal to him, b-but even so, I…!"
In the middle of her passionate tirade, Haru finally realize that her friends were looking at her wide-eyed as if petrified by what they were seeing. At first this confused her given that she didn't think she was being all that harsh, but she then realized they were actually looking behind her. She turned around only to go wide-eyed herself at the sight of Yu Narukami standing only a few feet away.
Needless to say, Haru immediately froze much like the others.
"…aw crap," Ryuji muttered, giving a voice to everyone's collective thought.
The situation was made infinitely worse by the fact that Yu had yet to speak a word and continued to remain silent. His expression also gave away nothing as per usual, though his eyes did ultimately land on Haru after a time.
"U-Um…!" stammered Haru, her cheeks getting progressively redder by the second. "Y-Yu-san, that was…! I was just…!"
She couldn't help groaning in frustration, all but resigned to the awkwardness that was about to follow. That was until Yu reached for his right ear and seemed to remove a wireless earbud from it. You could even hear the sound blaring from it even as he took it out.
"Sorry, I was listening to music on my way here…" Yu apologized, sporting his characteristic charming smile. "Did you say something to me, Haru-san?"
Although she internally breathed a sigh of absolute relief, the sheer embarrassment that Haru felt in that moment was beyond description. There was one course of action her body was thereby able to take.
"…I-I need to sit down for a while," Haru muttered weakly.
She all but collapsed into her seat at the booth, at which point Makoto immediately started attending to her to ensure she didn't actually faint.
In another stroke of luck on her part, a batch of fresh arrivals prevented Yu from asking any further questions on the matter.
"Yoo-hoo!" cooed the groups blond mascot.
"Indoor voice, Teddie," Yosuke said.
The Investigation Team filed in one by one, taking up the entire front-end of the cafe. Rise was quick the break through their half-circle and make her way up to Yu, sporting a teasing smirk as she did so. It was clear that the sound from Yu's earbud had caught her attention.
"Is it me or do I hear a certain someone listening to my last album?" Rise asked leadingly.
"You heard right," replied Yu, holding up the earbud and flashing her a friendly smile. "It's really good by the way, I can see why it topped the charts for so long. I'm only half way through so far though, so I still have a bit to go."
She laughed girlishly before cozying up to his right arm, directing at him what could only be described as a flirtatious smile.
"I'll have to come up with a reward for when you finish," Rise cooed.
"…I've listened to that album before. A few times, actually," Ryuji mumbled under his breath.
It was clear that Ann at least had heard that remark given that she promptly nudged his arm. He gave her a look as if to as what he'd done in an attempt to feign innocence. Naturally, it did not work.
"In any case," spoke Naoto, walking to the center of the room next to her partner. "All the preparations have been made. All that remains is for Makoto-san's sister to arrive and for us to hook up the tracking device."
"Sis just messaged me. She's at the station down the street and should be here any second."
"Y'know, now that I think about it, ain't it been a while since we've all seen Sae-san?" Ryuji wondered aloud.
A brief, albeit nostalgic discussion ensued regarding how the Phantom Thieves hadn't seen the eldest of the Nijima sisters since the end of the Shido incident nearly half a year ago. Most in the room were either active participants or curious listeners, but Yu hadn't even registered that the conversation was even occurring in the first place.
The mentioned name itself became the object of his undivided attention.
'There's no way, right…?' wondered Yu, albeit with a degree of doubt.
The characteristic three chimes of the bell signaled that the groups key piece for the night had arrived.
"My, my, this is quite a group," Sae thought aloud.
"Hey, sis!" greeted Makoto cheerfully.
Naturally, the silver-haired woman turned to greet her younger sister with a small yet pleasant smile. However, no response came from her lips as her eyes fixed straight ahead, noticeably widened as if she were shocked. Their target seemed to undergo the exact same reaction.
In unison, the two lawyers in the room spoke out in utter disbelief.
"Sae-senpai…?"
"Yu-kun…?"
It went without saying that their surprised greeting to one another caught the attention of everyone present. The use of each other's given name in particular stood out, which Makoto and Rise almost instantly honed in on.
"Sae-senpai?"
"Yu-kun?"
The pair's words elicited no reaction. No one else was keen to speak up, at least outside of Yosuke who never minded breaking the ice in an awkward situation.
"So… gonna go out on a limb here and say you two know each other."
His words seemed to do the trick as the two realized there were, in fact, other people in the room with them.
"Yeah, we knew each other back at Tokyo-U. She actually TA'd in a few of my freshman law classes in what ended up being her last year there," Yu said, offering the briefest explanation possible. He chuckled, adding, "Although she may as well have been the professor. I felt like the only reason I did well was because of her review sessions."
"I graded your exams and papers if you recall. Anyone capable of getting near-perfect scores in those classes would have done just fine with or without my help," countered Sae, smirking almost playfully. "But it's been quite a while, hasn't it? I noticed you've changed up your hairstyle."
"Yeah, and you've clearly grown yours out," Yu pointed out. He flashed a charming smile that was almost involuntary at this point. "It looks great by the way. It really suits you."
"Is… is that so? Thank you, and yours looks quite good as well."
Makoto's jaw nearly dropped at hearing her sister's response. Nothing in her tone was off, but that may have been the first time in all of her existence that she could remember where her sister came even remotely close to stammering. She even seemed to reflexively play with the ends of her hair after receiving the compliment—something that she had also never once seen her do before.
At the very least, she, and seemingly no one else, believed that they 'just happened to know each other' because Yu 'just happened to be a student in a class she was a TA for'.
Notably, it seemed no one quite knew whether or not to jump in and break up the conversation and bring up their little operation-to-be. Clearly though this wasn't out of respect or politeness; it was out of curiosity.
That being said, one person in particular didn't mind breaking up the apparent reunion.
"Ehem…" came Rise's faux-cough.
"Right, probably not the best of times to catch up…" Yu mused with a chuckle.
"Yes, my apologies," said Sae, almost as if embarrassed. Clearing her throat, she asked the group at large, "Makoto filled me in on the broader details, but I believe a formal discussion is in order."
Shibuya Commercial Shopping District, Some Time Later…
As with all things involving Sae Nijima, the discussion on the plan of action had been efficient, well-understood, and to the point.
Of course the plan itself was simple in reality: Have Sae use the Jeanie app in a vulnerable area, wait for their targets to make their move, and then use the tracking device hidden on her person to trace their movements which would likely shift to the Metaverse. Naturally, should something go awry, a backup plan had been established where local officers remained on standby awaiting orders from either Yu or Naoto.
Finally, in an effort to remain inconspicuous, the group splintered into separate units so as to not draw attention to one another. For obvious reasons, those monitoring Sae more directly were, of course, Naoto, Yu, Makoto and Ren.
Everything was set up as perfectly as it could be, now all they needed to do was for Sae to continue 'shopping' while the rest lay in wait. Naoto in particular kept eyes on the situation with a pair of binoculars, scanning the area for the presence of the men in white masks as best she could.
"Still nothing yet," Naoto uttered. "I have to say, it's quite amazing that Sae-san is so unphased by all of this. A normal person would be afraid of just a common criminal striking in a place like this."
"That's because she can more than take care of herself," Yu said, almost reflexively.
'I know that, but how do you?' Makoto wondered.
Truth be told, it wasn't odd for anyone to say something along those lines provided they knew her sister for longer than five minutes. That being said, the overly familiar tone in his voice made it seem as if he was speaking from first-hand experience. It quickly set off sisterly-alarm bells in her mind.
"Yu-san," spoke Makoto politely. "Would you mind telling me exactly how it is you know my sister? You two seem a bit too familiar with one another for her to have just TA'd one of your freshman-year classes."
"Well, that is how we met. We didn't really get to know each other until after—"
"Hold that thought," Naoto said with subtle urgency. "I'm seeing some movement… yes, I think this could be it. Stay sharp."
On the Streetway…
Sae held out of phone, accessing the Jeanie app for what had to be the eleventh time is as many storefronts. She did so with mechanical enthusiasm, though this had very little to do with the nature of what she was doing and far more to do with her mind being preoccupied. In that sense she was actually thankful her current task was so boring and repetitive.
That being the case, she still couldn't help but find herself somewhat impressed with the app itself.
"Honestly, I'm shocked it's capable of this. I'd almost think I went in, tried on this dress, and snapped a picture of myself in it…" Sae said in pseudo-amazement.
She went on to the next store, preparing to pass through a crosswalk on a street corner to do so. That would be as far as she would get, as her arm was grabbed no sooner than it had turned the corner.
At a Nearby Café…
"Is it… an artist?" Ryuji asked.
"Yes," Yusuke answered.
"Is it… a famous artist?"
"I should say so, yes."
"Is it that guy that cut off his ear? Van Hoe?"
"Van Gogh," replied Yusuke through gritted teeth. His frustration seemed to boil over. "And why is it that even the most uncultured individuals who know little to nothing of art are aware of that aspect of Van Gogh's life?"
"Maybe he shouldn't have cut off his ear then…"
"Such ignorant—"
"Hold the tantrum, Inari!" Futaba exclaimed. "Sae-san just got nabbed and they're already in the Metaverse! Phone's out and fingers on that freaky app, people!"
Although Yusuke was miffed to be cut off mid-rant, more pressing matters had clearly come up. In unison with the others groups a relatively short distance away, they readied to enter the other world.
Metaverse: Shibuya Commercial Shopping Districts
With both speed and urgency, every member of the group met up near the storefront where Sae had been taken in the real world—or at least it's Metaverse equivalent.
"So, where they at?" Skull inquired.
"They seemed to quickly take off in that direction," replied Naoto, motioning just down the twisted streetway.
Without needing any further talk on the subject, Morgana took the initiative to transform into an elongated bus.
"Leave the transportation to me," stated the feline with pride.
"I can drive," Makoto volunteered.
"I'll serve as the guide then," Naoto stated. "Let's get moving. Keep in mind we need to keep a fair distance away so as not to be noticed. Our goal, above all else, is to find their main base of operations and save their captured victims."
Metaverse: Unknown Location…
The White Masks had captured their intended target and secured her with brutal efficiency as per usual. Sae's arms and legs were secure to the large pseudo-operating table in the van's center and she'd been given a small dose of an inoculating drug.
It went without saying that they had expected her to lay there motionless as they were in-transit to one of their many facilities just as had been the case with all of their other victims. However, at the moment she was anything but. Odder still was the fact that that her actions didn't appear to be consciously driven on her part. It was almost as if she was experiencing night terrors.
Sae's limbs continued to tense and thrash against her restraints, her expression contorted in discomfort. Pained, if not strained wails escaped her lips through gritted teeth, leading the masked men tasked with observing her at a complete loss. They stood at her side, unable to do much of anything.
"I don't get it. Shouldn't she be knocked out cold?"
"Yes. Maybe we should use a stronger sedative?"
"Absolutely not," barked the driver. "She's a class-S candidate, so no risks. We're five minutes out from facility A2, so just make sure she doesn't get out of her restraints."
Metaverse: Outskirts of Shibuya…
"Take this right up ahead," Naoto instructed.
Queen did exactly that, bringing the Mona-mobile into what had to be the widest-open section of the city they'd thus far been. It had the appearance of Shibuya's fringes, albeit a more banged-up version thereof. Spiked rocks and hilly terrain mapped the area, though sadly not so densely as to easily mask their approach.
Put simply, the change in scenery made them far easier to spot, which was something Yosuke was all too quick to point out.
"Anyone else worried about sticking out like a sore thumb here?"
"He's right, I think we run too big a risk going in like this," said Yu in agreement. "We should consider getting out and continuing on foot. Besides, at this point, I'd be shocked if we weren't nearing their facility. It wouldn't make sense for it to be too much further away from the main city."
There seemed to be a silent agreement with the two Wild Card users among the other members of the team. It was clear at the very least that Makoto and Naoto were in agreement. The pair quickly saw to it that the mini-bus was guided over behind a nearby pile of twisted rock formations.
"Watch your step!" Morgana said good-naturedly as the group disembarked.
They wasted no time rallying themselves before heading off in the direction of the signal the tracker was emitting, though they did so as carefully as they were able.
"Hey, somethings been bother me about this…" Kanji offhandedly spoke up. "When that one girl got kidnapped about a week ago, didn't they have to dump the van in some random parking lot and burn it down?"
"Yeah," answered Yu.
"Okay, so then why'd they do that? I figure if they can take someone and get off to the Metaverse as quick as they just did, why bother getting rid of the car? Wouldn't it be easy to just stash it here? It just doesn't make a lot of sense to me…"
"Two explanations," Naoto stated. "Firstly, they simply weren't able to traverse the Metaverse as readily at the time. Secondly, the vehicle was compromised, so regardless of whether or not they could make a quick escape to the Metaverse, they didn't want to take the risk of being spotted in the real world when conducting their activities."
Although it appeared that Kanji was about to prod further on the subject, the task at hand intervened.
Abruptly, Naoto announced, "It looks like they've stopped moving. It should be just a short distance up ahead."
It was at this point that the terrain became a bit less open and hospitable than prior. The undulous hills and craggy splinters of the landscape became more plentiful, making it impossible to make out where their exact destination would be.
"I can still sense multiple signatures up ahead too, so I don't think they found the tracker," Futaba stated. "There are clusters of Shadows nearby, but none in the immediate area. We should be good to make our way there."
"So far so good then," Yu mused. He took a quick glance in the direction they were headed, debating internally on the best way to approach. "We should try to get a good vantage point. Think you can guide us in, Naoto?"
With a nod, the detective went back to her phone and very quickly deduced the optimal location to get a good view of the situation. Conveniently, the signal was resting at the bottom of an incline that overlooked a plateaued area. They needed to simply set up on one of the furthest edges to get a good look without inviting any suspicion.
In yet another stroke of luck, the view they were met with was beyond anything they could have hoped for. The van was currently parked at the bottom of the incline, which while nice to see, paled in comparison to the massive steel-gated building that was just a short distance away from it.
The size and feel of the building all but screamed that it was the enemy hideout.
"…okay, even I can tell that's supposed to be where they're keepin' all those people," Skull thought aloud.
"Seems like our plan worked like a charm," Yosuke mused, sporting a toothy grin.
"Seems that way," a very relieved Makoto remarked.
Abruptly, the large metal gate to the building began to open and as it did so the van began moving forwards yet again. The group of Persona users readies to move in to cut the vehicle off before it entered, obviously intending to get Makoto's sister out of harm's way before storming the facility itself.
Sadly, things would not turn out to be so straightforward. A loud booming echo bathed the area as the side of the van quite literally erupted. The vehicle itself promptly veered off course before tilting over on its side, smoke pouring out of its engine.
To say the turn of events had shaken the group was an understatement.
"W-What the hell?!" Panther shouted, her eyes wide with shock.
"Sis!" Queen exclaimed in a panic.
Reflexively, she readied to rush to the side of the overturned van. She was stopped, however, by an urgent warning from the groups pair of navigators.
"Hold up, Queen! I-I can tell Sae-san's alive, but there's something super powerful down there right now. You can't just charge in!" Futaba warned.
"And that's not all," Rise muttered with chagrin. "I'm getting signatures from a ton of approaching Shadows. Whatever's happening down there, it's attracting some serious attention."
As if on cue, a good number of Halberie's started to make their appearance. Fodder though they may be, in the numbers that were amassing, they'd undoubtedly inhibit their ability to approach.
"We should also assume that the White Masks heard the blast as well," Naoto grimaced.
"Divide and conquer then?" offered Joker.
"Seems so," she replied. "Our top priority is getting to Sae-san and ensuring her safety. Sending—"
"I'll go," Yu volunteered. His stern gaze shifted to his red-gloved teammate. "I can deal with everything in the way. Think you can back me up?"
A curt but confident nod was given in response.
"Kanji, Yusuke-san, Makoto-san, Haru-san," spoke Naoto. "The four of you should head off to the west side and cut off any approaching Shadows. Rise and Yukiko can provide support. The rest can clear up the east side while our ace's take care of clearing a path to the van."
Whether it was because debate was not really an option given the need to move quickly or because everyone simply agreed with the approach, no one protested. The group sprang into action, and leading the charge was none other than their leaders who sped forward down the incline with everything they had.
As they fast-approached upon a mass of gathered Shadows, a tarot card appeared in Yu's hand before it was crushed in his palm only a split second later.
"Futsunishi!"
The floating purple-faced sword god appeared, answering its wielder's call. The myriad swords that hovered around its body quickly shot forwards into the swarm of enemies that were amassing directly in Yu's path, slicing through them with impunity.
Swords culled enemy after enemy as he rushed onwards, meanwhile his pistol fired off round after round into any that were approaching his flank. Thankfully, very few actually managed that courtesy of his younger counterpart who warded them off with both Arsène and his own trusty sidearm.
As they neared the van, however, enemies ceased approaching from the side and were now converging on them from behind. Knowing Yu needed to keep his eyes forwards, Joker abruptly turned heel and recalled his iconic Persona to stop the incoming charge.
His hand met his mask, his form now beset by an aura of blue fire.
"Persona!"
A hulking fly-like monstrosity phased into existence, a skull-tipped staff firmly held in one of its gangly insectoid arms. Thankfully, it was every bit as powerful as it was grotesque.
Beelzebub extended its staff, sending forth a sea of black and red that coated each and every one of the enemy Shadows. The energy faded in an instant, but in its wake, not a single Halberie remained.
For the moment the pressure was entirely off, promoting Joker to take one final step in ensuring that nothing would manage to make it through.
He swapped his Persona to Black Frost, quickly using the opening to put its ice affinity to good use. The adorable-looking demon proceeded to coat the entire slope in a mountain of ice with a simple extension of its hands, effectively cutting off any and all avenues of approach from that direction.
'That takes care of that…' Joker mused.
Naturally, he knew the rescue could be left to Yu. His focus was needed elsewhere, and thus he looked for the nearest area where he could be of use.
Outside the Van…
Sae's eyes slowly came open, blurred vision clouding her line of sight. Thankfully, that proved to be temporary as her surroundings soon became clear. On reflex, she attempted to pick herself up off the ground, though her current state of disorientation made doing so a near-impossible task.
Her legs wobbled briefly when she finally stood upright, forcing her to grab on to whatever was nearest to her on instinct to avoid crashing into the ground. She controlled her breathing, attempting to gain control of her senses before she took a good look at the area around her.
A few short seconds thankfully did the trick, much to her surprise. Her disorientation seemed to recede as well, yet again to her surprise. That, however, solved only a small fraction of her problems.
Her own whereabouts quickly became her primary concern.
"Where am I…?" Sae wondered aloud.
She recalled the events leading to that point, understanding that she had been kidnapped according to plan and was likely in the Metaverse. That, however, raised the question of why she was out in the open area.
A quick glance to her right where her hand was placed revealed an overturned van with its side blown off. She quickly retracted her hand and took a few steps away as a precaution.
'Something tells me Makoto and her friends weren't responsible for that…' thought Sae.
It was clear that no activity was happening inside the an itself, and thus she opted to investigate. A quick glance revealed it to be entirely empty, much to her surprise. She knew there were likely several white-masked men that had to have been transporting her. That they weren't present meant only one thing.
"Going somewhere?"
Sae felt her wrist being grabbed, recognizing even the grip from when she was abducted in the Shibuya Shopping District. This time, however, she didn't need to play damsel in distress.
Without a second of hesitation, the silver-haired beauty pivoted and delivered a strong roundhouse kick directly to the side of the man's head. The mask itself began to crack on impact with her heeled shoe, shortly after which the man's grip released as he went flying several feet away.
Sae smirked pridefully when it quickly became clear that her kick had knocked him out. However, said expression quickly vanished after her legs started to buckle. She managed to stop herself from falling outright and merely fell to one knee.
"Damn," she muttered annoyedly. "Looks like I'm still a bit out of it."
"You looked plenty 'with it' to me," Yu stated.
A yet-again surprised Sae turned to see Yu arrive on the scene, looking the same as he always did. Save for the sword at his side and a holstered sidearm, of course.
"Nice kick, by the way," he complimented, sporting a friendly smile. "Gives me a feeling of déjà vu."
"If I remember correctly, last time I didn't end up on a knee," she joked, matching his expression.
"You also didn't down the guy last time."
"True enough," chuckled Sae.
"Here, let me give you a hand."
Before Sae could actually take the hand that was offered, a leathery, black glove tightly gripped his wrist. The tightness of the hold made Yu believe it was an enemy, and as such he made to grab his sword, ready to rip it out of its sheathe and fend off whatever had approached. When his eyes shifted, however, he found himself unable to make a move.
Gripping his wrist was a woman garbed in revealing black leather dress and a large hat with a golden flower sitting atop it. Her makeup was generously applied, and her black eye-liner even more so. The spiked choker around her neck and the tattoo on her right arm solidified her gothic appearance.
Outlandish as her accessories were, they hadn't been the reason Yu had stopped dead in his tracks. Her holden eyes and direct resemblance to Sae Nijima were the cause for that.
Sae herself seemed to be paralyzed as well in the presence of her doppelganger, leaving the Shadow to be the one to break the ice. She decided not to do this verbally, however, and instead opted to toss Yu away like a used soda can.
The gray-eyed man landed on his feet, cautiously gripping the hilt of his sword in one smooth motion. The Shadow didn't lunge off into battle, though the look she was giving Yu seemed like an attack in and of itself. Her eyes were narrowed like daggers and her lips curled into a scowl.
"She didn't need your help then, and she doesn't now," Shadow Sae abruptly spoke. Her eyes shifted to her real-world equivalent. "And will you pick yourself up already?"
Although still somewhat shell-shocked, Sae regained a semblance of her normal self and stood on her own two feet. Her eyes fixed firmly on the golden orbs of her ill-tempered double.
From the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of the remaining White Masks that were in the van, or at least their unconscious bodies. She quickly started to piece together what had happened.
Yu, for his part, was somewhat surprised at the current situation. When he first saw Sae's Shadow, he assumed the situation would quickly devolve into an all-out brawl—as was typical of when an individual encountered their own Shadow.
Given that this clearly wasn't the case, he took his hand off the grip of his sword and stood in place, curious as to how things would play out from that point. At the very least, if the Shadow wanted to fight, things would have gotten to that point by now.
"What? Lost your nerve?" challenged the golden-eyed woman.
"Hardly," Sae replied, her eyes downcast. "You're… my Shadow, right? You're the me that Makoto and her friends fought in the Metaverse."
The Shadow's eyes narrowed and her arms crossed as if to illustrate her displeasure at the memory, however she nodded all the same so give a proper answer.
Truth be told, Sae didn't need her Shadow to answer her question at all. She knew it just by looking into its—or rather her—eyes. Most people would likely have been simply put-off by their golden glow, but to Sae, it went far beyond that. Looking into them was like being confronted with the deepest most twisted parts of her own soul.
Every second of eye contact felt like an emotional beatdown. Each shred of anger and rage, sadness and sorrow, envy and regret, and much more pelted her very psyche. The feeling, she assumed, was more than enough to make any normal person run in fear, probably decrying the Shadows very existence. It was a like there was some kind of reflexive impulse to scream 'you're not me' with all she had.
A part of Sae wanted to do just that, but she knew better. She'd accepted the truth over half a year ago.
"So, this is what my Shadow looks like?" Sae wondered aloud. She cleared her throat, averting her eyes out of apparent embarrassment. "Your attire is… interesting to say the least."
"Your approval or disapproval is irrelevant."
The air grew silent, though the atmosphere remained, for the most part, devoid of tension. It seemed as if no one present knew what happened next, something that Sae took upon herself to ask.
"…what happens now?"
"I should know this why, exactly?" the Shadow asked, almost indignantly.
"Do you intend on rejecting her or not?" Yu abruptly called out.
The two Nijima's turned, surprised by the sudden question. Each was confused as well, though for different reasons.
"I'm not sure I understand…" Sae admitted.
"It's not for me to explain," Yu replied. He leveled the Shadow with his own gaze. "And I wasn't just asking her, you know."
In unison, the two Sae's starred into one another's eyes. One attempted to understand the meaning behind Yu's question while the other knew her own answer, but couldn't understand why she felt that particular way.
"I suppose I don't," Sae mused.
The uncertainty that breathed in her tone elicited a raised brow from her latex-clad counterpart.
"I beg your pardon?"
"I'm confused by the question, if I'm being honest," Sae replied. Her crimson orbs held a sternness to them as she went on, "When I look into your eyes, I can feel every deep, dark thought that's been plaguing my mind for so long. I've long-since accepted that even if those thoughts were deplorable, they are still my thoughts. There's no avoiding that."
"…perhaps that's why, then."
Sae intended to press further on the cryptic response, but it was not to be for the moment. A group of unwanted guests that had thus far been warded off arrived on the scene.
"Over here! I've found Transport-15!"
A group of White Masks began to gather on the perimeter. Their sights quickly locked on the twin-Sae's, their body language giving off a sense of urgency even if their masks hid their actual expressions.
"Stand down quietly," calmly ordered one of the men.
A bullet quickly launched itself through his shoulder, causing him to scatter in the wind like ash spread from a mountaintop. Stunned, they looked to Sae's Shadow, whose arm extended towards them and took on the form of a mechanized rifle.
She retracted the gun a moment later, her demeanor all but speaking the words 'you're not worth my time'. Insulting as this was, her would-be opponents were too shaken to act. She gazed across the group of gathered Shadows, venom and animus breathing from her eyes themselves in the presence of their fear.
"Anyone else?"
Several of the white masked men took a step back, though none retreated fully.
"Stand your ground!" barked one of the taller White Masks present. "We outnumber them twenty to one. Move in as a group and take her down!"
Finding conviction in the order, the humanoid figures began to morph. They split into the black ichor typical of a Shadow's transformation, birthing a large number of monstrosities across the open space.
Most notably among them were a pair of hulking Minotaurs, the sight of which had Yu ready to take immediate action.
No such need would arise.
"Pests…" Shadow Sae muttered under her breath with disdain.
Without warning, she grabbed the wrist of her real-world counterpart and dragged her close.
"Wha—"
"Do you accept a contract with me?" The Shadow asked demandingly. "Do you wish to have the power I can grant you? Will you wield it as only you can?"
It was more than likely that, in the moment, Sae had no idea what her Shadow was referring to. Power? That only she could wield? The cryptical nature of the question had her drawing a blank.
However, her response came on instinct as if her mind, on some level, understood perfectly.
"Yes."
The Shadow smirked handily, pulling her close and briskly whispering something into her ear. No sooner than she had pulled her in, she released her and took a step away.
"Now then, show me your resolve. I am thou, thou art I…"
A torrent of blue flames poured fourth, their power so intense and their height so great that the approaching Shadows were given pause. All across the area for like a mile, one could see the pillar of energy roaring into the sky.
It engulfed both Sae and her Shadow. Then, just as quickly as it appeared, it returned to the nothingness from which it came. In their wake, however, stood neither Sae Nijima the ordinary human, nor Sae Nijima the Shadow.
For his part, Yu could only marvel at the sight. He'd expected to see an Awakening one way or another upon spotting Sae's Shadow, but even he found himself surprised by the form that it took. Clearly, she'd gone the way of the Phantom Thieves if her attire was anything to go by.
Her upper body was coated in a jet-black short-sleeved biker jacket that stopped just beneath her breasts. Under it was a rather revealing white collared shirt that left her center chest a small part of her lower abdomen exposed. Her sleeves rolled up to her forearms, granting extra emphasis to her fingerless gloves of the same color as the jacket itself.
Dark-gray pants covered her legs while adorning her feet were a pair of knee-high high-heeled boots, each obsidian in color, save for a silver-covered tip. As far as armor went, her knees were covered with spiked guards and a singular pauldron, also spiked, covering her left shoulder. Across her hips was as holster for a lone weapon and an ammo strap that appeared to contain smaller variants of shotgun shells.
Lastly, but certainly not least, was her mask. It was a dark metallic silver in color, not dissimilar to her younger sister's. Sae's, however, was thinner, and across it was a black insignia of a scale, the sides of which extended to each of its corners.
Sae's rather intimidating appearance aside, the most noteworthy aspect of her transformation was the aura it gave off. It was a commanding, powerful presence that exuded a subtle dignity and grace. Even without a weapon in her hands or a Persona at her side, that alone seemed to be enough to keep the Shadows at bay. At least at first.
A trio of Hablerie's that had regained their composure charged her without warning, a decision that would prove to be unwise a moment later. Sae, standing perfectly in place, cocked her right hand back and waited for her attackers to get within range. Once they were, she slung her arm across her body, calling forth a twinblade with a circular guard around the grip that she subsequently used to slice through the spherical abominations as if she were cutting butter with a cleaver.
With that done, she turned to face those that remained, smirking at their clear lack of desire to charge her in the wake of her recent show of force.
"Well, I wouldn't want all of you to feel left out. So…"
A sea of blue fire formed around the silver-haired beauty, increasing in intensity each passing second that her mask continued to vanish from her face. It was painfully clear what she was about to do.
"Come forth… Astrea!"
A flash of light erupted and the fire vanished, giving way to her Persona for the first time. Her other half took the form of a tall, pale-skinned woman with long silver and black hair and dichromatic eyes—one a deep crimson and the other an oceanic blue. Above the pair of captivatingly contrasting eyes was an intricate circlet that rested across her forehead.
A shining-white breastplate covered her upper chest, leaving her abdomen exposed. Her waist was covered by a piece of armor of the same color, while a pair of black greaves covered her legs up to her thigs.
In Astrea's hands were gripped two elongated slightly-curved swords, one black and one white, while her forearms were guarded by a pair of gauntlets that matched the color of the sword on each respective side.
Her appearance was rounded off by a pair of golden tattoos in the shape of a scale, which took its place on her upper arms—one half being on each side of her body.
The stunning manifestation of Sae's Persona proceeded to prove that it had the strength to match its beauty and grace a moment later. In an instant, Astrea charged forward, slicing through a large portion of the enemy's center. Those on the flanks hadn't even been able to react to her initial attack, leaving them scrambling and disoriented in her charge's aftermath.
Taking advantage of this, Sae willed her Persona to quickly target the Shadows that still remained. Raising its swords high into the sky, it burned brightly with a pure white light that burst forth and shredded most enemies that were within its blinding radius.
When all was said and done, all that was left standing were the pair of Minotaurs, who were left standing and dizzied as a result of the prior attack. However, they quickly recovered and went on offense in a manner that matched their appearance.
"Graaaaaa!" One of the beasts roared as it dove fist-first at Astrea.
The elegant Persona handily dodged before bringing its blades to bare. It danced around the wailing enemy, waiting for the perfect opening do land a killing blow.
The other, to its credit, had the instinct to focus the wielder of the Persona while it was preoccupied.
Sae found herself having to dodge a fist aimed at squashing her like an insect. Immediately thereafter, it proceeded to sweep the grounds off to the side she'd dodged to in an effort to catch her off guard.
Sadly, the very same move would prove to be the Shadows downfall. Sae leaped off the ground, putting herself well-out of the attack's path and launching herself directly at the Minotaur's face. Still in the air, she reached for the holster at her hip with her left arm, yanking out the miniature double-barrel shotgun that was held within.
She primed the sawed-off barrel directly at the center of the Shadow's mask, pulling the trigger twice over without even a moment's hesitation.
The white surface fractured like glass, a moment after which the Minotaur itself fell to the ground and started to vanish into thin air. Astrea appeared to land its coup de grâce in tandem, slicing through the other Shadow with relative ease once it found an opening.
When the dust had settled, Sae recalled her Persona and holstered her gun once more, doing so with clear conviction.
"Impressive," Yu remarked.
"Not bad for my first time," Sae admitted with clearly synthetic humility.
Yu chuckled but didn't directly respond. The more important task of tending to the unconscious White Masks still laying on the ground took priority. A brief examination revealed that they were genuinely human, a fact that made the young lawyer smirk contentedly.
"Looks like that makes these the first real White Masks we've come across."
"Hm?" uttered Sae in surprise. "Then I take it all the others were like the one's I just defeated?"
"Shadows," corrected Yu. "And yes, they were. Mind helping me tie these one's up to make sure they stay put?"
In next to no time at all, the soon-to-be arrested suspects in the White Masks case were gathered and bound, being the first and only of their kind thus far. Any feelings of triumph would have to wait, however, as the main facility still remained ahead as their primary objective.
They walked towards it, being the first in their group to be in a position to do so. A curious Yu placed a hand on the metal surface to get a closer look, only for him to find it necessary to leap backwards in the aftermath.
A large series of spiked bars abruptly shot across the door in all directions, reinforcing it at least five-fold. One final layer descended from the top of the metal frame, bearing the insignia of a shield as if to further illustrate the symbolism that no one was meant to get past it.
"Well, I wish I could say I'm surprised, but honestly I expected as much," sighed Yu.
"…does this sort of thing happen often?" Sae asked, curiosity evident in her tone.
"Not this specifically, but yeah, kinda."
"Hm, then in that case, do you mind if I try something?"
Obviously not minding in the slightest, Yu took a step back and gestured towards the large metal doorway with the intent of leaving it to her. Sae approached, caressing the door with her hand carefully and with an analytical expression.
The honest truth was that Yu was interested to see what she would actually choose to do. He knew the talented young attorney long enough to grasp just how intelligent she was, so it wasn't beyond reasonable that she already had a plan in mind to deal with the situation at hand.
Naturally, she did.
In an instant, Sae called forth her Persona, winding up and preparing to perform a massive strike dead-on the surface of the large metal gate. Upon releasing it, the scraping of steel on steel could be heard as sparks literally flew, all the while her Persona's dual-swords carved through the entryway like a fine-knife through a fish.
The aftermath saw the creation of a moderately-sized hole and the arrival of Yu's rarely-seen expression of actual shock and awe. He was certainly impressed, but not in the way he imagined to be.
'Not what I was expecting…' Yu admitted in thought, a bead of sweat dripping down his temple. 'But effective in its own way.'
To his added surprise, it seemed Sae intended to head into the facility right at that very moment.
He quickly spoke up. "Wait, Sae-senpai, we should wait for the others before we head in,"
"You can drop the 'senpai', Yu," replied Sae, a clear confidence in her stride as she marched forward. "And I think we'll be just fine. Feel free to watch my back, I'll handle everything else."
He extended a hand and tried to call out for her to wait, but the words died in his mouth as Sae quickly sprinted forwards into the facility without delay. Yu blinked confusedly, unsure of exactly how to register what had just happened.
'That's not like her at all… is it? I mean, it's been a few years, but…' Yu mused internally.
A moment of thought led him to believe that perhaps this was related to her awakening. Perhaps the personality of her Shadow was too much for her to take in so readily and as a result she wasn't currently acting like herself. Regardless of whether or not that was the reason, he didn't have time to dwell on it further as the rest of the group started to make their way towards his location.
"Yu-san!" Queen exclaimed as she rushed forwards. She frantically started to look around every-which-way, clearly trying to find her sister. Her worry became apparent on her expression. "W-Where's sis? Is she okay?!"
"Oh, I'd say she's more than just okay…" Yu whispered quietly. "She, uh, went on ahead."
"Huh?" uttered Panther confusedly.
"Through the hole?" Skull asked. "But why though? Shouldn't she a' stayed back when you—"
"I'm not the one that made it. She did."
The rest of the group seemed completely lost, all except for one. Yu's fellow Wild Card user looked toward him nonchalantly, believing he understood to a degree what had happened.
"Awakening?" asked Joker.
"Yep, Awakening."
As ironic as it seemed, the simple one-word explanation had essentially given everyone all they had needed to know. The finer details aside, it meant that Sae Nijima was as of now a Persona user.
"But I—you… How?!" Queen stammered.
"A story for after we're done here," Yu replied. "She broke through the door and charged in on her own. We should get after her quick before she runs into more than she can handle."
"No time to waste then," Joker mused.
"You guys go on ahead," Kanji stated, earning a few odd looks. He gestured over to the unconscious White Masks tied up a short distance away. "I mean, someone's gotta stay and make sure those guys don't go anywhere, right? I'll keep an eye on 'em, but holler if ya need me, okay?"
"Agreed," said Naoto. "With that settled, let us proceed."
One by one, the group made their way through the entrance within an entrance Sae had made for them. They were then granted their first view inside the White Masks base of operations, which actually came as quite a bit of a surprise.
Most had expected some sort of a medical facility, but this gave off more the feel of a garage. There were a large number of vans and armored trucks similar to those they'd encountered the other day, though nothing else was present.
The navigators immediately found it peculiar.
"I'm not really sensing any 'normal' people," announced Futaba. "There's a large presence of Shadows up ahead at the center of the facility, but other than that, I'm not getting anything."
"And I have a hunch that's where sis is headed."
A moment later that turned out to be true. They neared the building's center, coming across a large automatic doorway split into three retractable pieces. In exactly said place, they found the crimson-eyed beauty standing confidently over a veritable graveyard of Shadows.
The sight itself felt oddly natural in spite of the fact that most everyone had yet to even take in her new appearance as a Persona user.
"Welp, looks like we found her," Yosuke thought aloud. "So… whose brave enough to actually talk to her?"
"Oh will you relax?" Chie scoffed.
"Sis!" Queen exclaimed, rushing to her sibling's side. "Thank goodness you're okay! But this is… what exactly happened?"
"If you're asking about my current appearance, that's something I myself don't fully understand," Sae admitted. "Although if you're asking about the deceased Shadows, it's simple: They got in my way."
A number of people present added her to their internal list of people to never piss off. However, prior to the conversation continuing on any further, the mechanical door that had been directly in front of Sae opened without warning.
"…okay, did anyone here do that?" Panther asked.
"Doubtful," stated Naoto. "Meaning we're likely expected. Stay on guard."
Everyone heeded the detective's words, though after a few moments, many wondered if caution was needed. The room they entered, for however massive it was, seemed devoid of any and all life. It was just metal railings, a bunch of miscellaneous equipment and the same twisted red glow that was present almost everywhere in the new Metaverse. Even sound itself seemed to vanish outside of a few steam vents blowing off exhaust.
"Okay, for however much this place screams 'big bad evil guy's headquarters' I'm sure not seeing a whole lot of bad guys," Chie stated.
"Maybe Queen's sis got 'em all," mused Skull.
Naoto was quick to point out, "Either that, or they knew we were coming and this happens to be a trap."
"Neither, I'm afraid."
The voice echoed from the room's century, and surely enough in the very same area stood a man walking down a staircase leading to an open area of the upper floor. Although tall and rather imposing physically, he appeared much the same as all other of the White Masks they had seen thus far.
"Hey, Mona," whispered Joker. "Shadow or human?"
"Definitely human, and seeing as how he's facing us alone, I'd wager a Persona user too."
"Then I'll make sure to be gentle," Sae proclaimed.
"Wait, sis, you can't just—"
Makoto's words went unhear as her sibling leapt towards the masked man with incredible speed, her twinblade drawn back and prepared to deal a decisive blow to end the battle before it even truly began. Sadly, it wasn't meant to be, as the man merely extended his left hand, catching the blade of the sword within his grasp.
Although stunned, the silver-haired young woman was more than composed enough to follow up so as to not give the man any openings. She called forth her Persona, which in turn began to drive its blades down towards her opponent in an effort to force him back.
Her attack was successful, as in turn the White Mask's evident leader leapt back and put some distance between them.
"Not bad," he complimented blankly. "A level of control and poise I would not expect to see from someone that had just awakened to a Persona. Now let's see how you handle yourself on defense…"
The blade the man drew from his scabbard appeared normal in every sense for only a moment. It quickly began to pulse with light blue energy, seemingly off the will of the wielder and nothing else. Once it appeared to hold a sufficient amount, he leapt forwards, charging at Sae in much the same way as she had prior.
She intended to meet his attack head on with both her own blade and her Persona, believing that the combination of the two would create an opening if her opponent opted not to reveal his hand and call forth the Persona she all but knew he possessed.
Sadly, she would get no such opportunity as the man was at her side in an instant, well in front of her still-incoming attack.
'What?!' Sae wondered in disbelief.
Her red eyes narrowed out of agitation as she repositioned her blade to block the strike. Steel met steel, but it was clear that her opponent's was far stronger likely on account of the energy that was pulsing through it.
She had expected simply to be pushed back, however the follow-through of her opponent's blades quite literally sent her flying. She crashed into a wall on the first floor, sending dust and debris flying.
"Sis!"
Queen quickly rushed to her sibling's side, though her path was ultimately blocked by the White Mask that had so easily dispatched her sister. His blade was drawn and primed to land a blow at the approaching Makoto. In a reversal of roles, this time it was his turn to be taken off guard by the speed of his opponent.
Ren and Yu were at his sides with their respective blades crashing towards him without relent. He had no choice but to make a hasty retreat, knowing full well that had he not done so, the fight would have ended then and there.
"Queen, we've got you covered," Joker said.
She didn't need any further assurance and rushed past the two. The suited man watched her as she did so, almost as if he were debating an avenue of attack. It was clear beyond all reason that the Wild Card users in front of him wouldn't be allowing him any such opportunity. Even if they alone weren't enough, the rest of the group started to file in, effectively surrounding him.
"Glad I've gotten your attention," he muttered amusedly.
"Oh you've got it all right," replied Joker with narrowed eyes. "You'll regret getting it soon enough though."
"Amen to that," Skull chimed in. "And goin' for that cheap shot on Queen was a big mistake, pal."
"You're quite confident," he remarked. "Perhaps that's because I'm at a numbers disadvantage. That's easy enough to rectify."
A number of large metal doors began to open in the ceiling and from the walls of the spacious room. Veritable legions of Shadows began to pour in, filling the immediate area with scores of the demonic creatures within seconds.
"Yep, saw that comin'…" Panther sighed.
"Ditto," Yosuke said in agreement.
"Leave this guy to us," Yu abruptly stated, his tone one of firm conviction. "Queen has her sister, the rest of the Shadows you all can clear out. Sound good?"
"Right," replied Naoto. "Just… be sure to call for backup if needed. It goes without saying, but this one seems strong."
Yet again, they opted for the divide and conquer approach. The group split and went to work, leaving their trump cards to deal with what was clearly the biggest threat in the room. Though they maintained a ready stance, they didn't make a move for a noticeable amount of time.
"Impressive," the man replied. "So many targets moving out in different directions, and yet I can't make a move on any of them—all because of you two."
"What's the matter? Not confident?" quipped Joker.
"I know my current limits, and I can't afford to get captured by the likes of you."
"Then why fight?" Yu asked.
The man was completely silent in the wake of the question. Still, it didn't matter; he already knew the likely reason that this one man had stayed behind. The rest of the base had likely retreated, leaving only Shadows to slow them down. Needless to say, that didn't bode well for their odds of finding something useful in the hideout.
Capturing this particular White Mask would go a long way in changing that though, and as such they wasted no time in getting to work.
"Izanagi!"
"Arsène!"
An instant after the two Personas appeared, a unison of thunder and dark raged towards the masked man. Much to the surprise of the attackers themselves, he didn't make a move to get out of the way. In spite of the power behind the attack, he needed to do little more than raise his hands and brace for impact. His body glowed with a bright white light as the energy bounced off of his torso. The sheer force he was under did happen to push him back a short but noticeable difference, though other than that the assault seemed to have no effect.
"That's a first," he remarked with deadpanned surprise. "My being pushed back by a basic elemental attack, I mean."
"We can do more than just push you back," Joker stated confidently. He brandished his knife and primed it at the White Mask. "But you'll figure that out soon enough."
For the moment, the raven-haired man seemed to contemplate his response. Regardless of his reasons, his defensive stance dropped away. He stood tall, gazing directly at the duo with what could only be described as absolute focus.
"I believe you might be right… which is why I can't afford to hold back," he stated evenly. His body started to pulse with a bright white light with such brilliance and force that the air itself around him started to lash violently. "Come forth, Nanami!"
The being that appeared at his side was disturbing to say the least. It wasn't as if it was hideous or grotesque in nature, rather it was just frighteningly nondescript. The Persona was humanoid in nature, but its limbs were only basic shapes—cylinders, squares and the like. It stood tall and rather lanky, being a pale white in color. Lastly, its face was devoid of any and all discernable features—be it eyes, a mouth, or a nose. It was simply a smooth surface, much like the rest of its body.
Lastly, it held a plain-looking set of swords in its hands much like its wielder, being the same color as his torso itself.
"Trial and error?" Joker asked, turning to his older counterpart.
"Yep."
Each called forth a separate Persona, their shared intent to flush out the weakness their opponent possessed as was traditional. Yu brought out Surt while Joker had chosen Black Frost, the result of which was a symphonic strike of ice and fire.
The Persona devoid of description stood its ground, bringing forth its swords and spinning them rapidly like a glaive and effectively tanking the brunt of the attack with relative ease. They quickly made to switch their Personas once again in an attempt to give their opponent as little room to breathe as was possible, but sadly it appeared that said opponent shared an equal and opposite intent.
Joker found himself on the receiving end of a rapid strike as the White Mask appeared at his side with his sword drawn. Thinking on his feet, he leapt backwards while simultaneously willing Black Frost to create a small ice barrier to guard against his tactical retreat.
He was surprised when the small barrier was torn to pieces by a still-charging opponent. The blade, however, was now glowing a bright orange and red, appearing as if energized-fire had coated the metal.
'What the hell?!' Joker wondered in shock.
At that point, the attack was destined to hit. He knew it was headed to his dominant arm, necessitating the use of the pistol in his left hand as a means to counterattack. If he was going to take a hit, he wanted to make damn sure it was taken without impunity. He just had to stay calm and collected through the pain of the attack landing to do so.
"Bishamoten!"
A glass-like aura coated Joker's body just before the White Mask's sword hit its mark. The impact was negated, although whatever barrier had been enacted had shattered in the process.
Joker, seeing the opportunity, brought up his knife and attempted to slash across the man's chest. He back off quickly, clearly seeing the move coming, and as such he was able to get away with little more than a tear in his suit.
That didn't bother the raven-haired Phantom Thief in the slightest, however. He smirked, handily, as the man was now retreating into his still-summoned Black Frost, which was now heading towards him with its fist bared and primed to land a knock-out punch.
The White Mask quickly pivoted, cocking back his sword before slashing directly at Joker's Persona. The sword sliced across Black Frost's torso and erupted in a fiery explosion, actually pushing the icy demon back.
'Agh, dammit…!' Joker hissed in thought. 'I really felt that, but how? Black Frost is immune to fire, but… Tch, no time to think it over.'
He felt the recoil from the blow, forcing him to recall Black Frost out of an abundance of caution. Thankfully, the White Mask was in much the same position, as he too put a fair chunk of distance away from the two Wild Cards.
"You alright?" Yu asked, joining the black-clad teen's side.
"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied, his eyes fixed in a glare at the suited man across from them. "Watch out for that sword though. It packs a lot bigger punch than you'd think, and it somehow got through Black Frost's fire immunity."
"Will do. Now c'mon, let's take him down."
"Took the words right out of my mouth."
Eastern Section of the Control Room…
Sae groaned tiredly, her body aching to an incredible degree for the second time in as many hours. She glanced down at her torso, seeing her newly-minted outfit torn and shallow wounds starting to form.
"Sis!" Queen exclaimed. "Sis, are you okay? You're… you're bleeding…!"
The dutiful sister began examining Sae's injuries. Although clearly not serious, the way she was looking at them, her face twisted in a panic, made it seem as if Sae had lost a limb.
"Relax, Makoto," she replied. "I'm perfectly fine. This is barely above a scratch."
In an attempt to further reassure her sibling, the crimson-eyed beauty picked herself up on her own two feet. Truthfully, the gesture was far more difficult than it appeared, but it appeared to do the trick.
"Still, it's more than enough to slow you down if you're fighting. Here, let me help you," Queen stated.
It was clearly not a request or something she wanted her sister's input on. The brunette called for Johanna, revving its engine and coating Sae in a green aura. Hardly a second went by and she was able to feel the difference. Even her wound closed and her outfit itself began to patch itself up, much to her amazement.
"Well, that's certainly new," Sae remarked absentmindedly.
"Healing ability," Queen simply said.
"It worked like a charm. To be honest, that last attack didn't leave much of a mark, but it still hit me far harder than I expected."
That comment alone seemed to explain a great deal, at least to Makoto.
"Hmm… in that case, I'd wager that he hit your weakness with it."
"Weakness?"
"Your elemental weakness, to be precise," explained Queen. "You see, every Persona and Shadow—mostly—have strengths and weaknesses typically based on their elemental affinity. Whatever he hit you with, it must've hit your weak spot."
"I see. I suppose that's just further evidence of just how much I have to catch up on," Sae mused.
"Which you no doubt knew before you charged at the enemy back there," she replied, her arms crossed and her tone possessing a clear edge. "What exactly were you thinking?!"
"Bold of you to take that tone with me, young lady," Sae shot back.
"First of all, you're only five years older than me. Second—"
Without warning, Sae picked up her twinblade and jammed it into the air directly next to Makoto's shoulder. In turn, she peered behind, seeing an incoming Halberie on the receiving end of a bifurcation courtesy of her sister.
As it faded away, Makoto could say little but, "…thanks."
"You're very welcome," stated Sae evenly. She walked past her sister as if brushing her off. "And by the way, I didn't charge in without reason. You see…"
Northern Section of the Communications Hub…
The battle between the representatives of the Fool arcana and the White Mask had thus far proven to be a complete and total wash. In spite of their best efforts, Ren and Yu were unable to land even a moderately impactful blow.
Conversely, the White Mask had been unable to land an attack of his own, though it was clear that he was more than fine with just keeping the battle in a perpetual stalemate.
In truth, it seemed more as if a standstill was his intent from the start, which could only mean one thing. He was stalling, and successfully at that.
"My gut is telling me we're running out of time to finish this…" Yu whispered.
"Mine too," replied Joker.
The two exchanged no further words. They merely shared a glance as if to agree on attacking in unison. The rest, it appeared, they would figure out along the way.
Seeing the two charge, the man called forth his Persona yet again. Nanami did little at first, waiting for the two Wild Cards to get just close enough. Once they were within striking range, it them primed its two blades towards the ground, charging them with bright yellow static energy before slamming the electrified steel into the floor.
A column of raw electric energy formed seemingly right on top of Joker and Yu, rising into the sky as far as the eye could see. However, the two had clearly seen it coming, as the very quickly proceeded to leap off to the side and effectively evade the attack entirely.
Now running alongside the walls, the two positioned themselves on the White Masks flanks before catapulting off and charging straight form him from both angles. Nanami moved into a position to strike them both down with its dual-swords, though in doing so it left itself exposed on both fronts.
"Yoshitsune!" the two exclaimed in unison.
The sword-wielding legend appeared on command, its swords drawn and at the ready. By the time the White Mask had seen their choice of attack, it was clearly too late. A myriad of slashes quickly captured Nanami from both directions, tossing it around like a rag doll in suspended animation. Its user was far from immune from the blow, causing even the White Mask himself to be incapable of movement for a short time.
Joker and Yu, now attacking free of any resistance, crossed the man's body in an x-shape and slashed into him with everything they had. Their feet now planted on the ground, they simply started laying into their suited adversary, intent of giving him no time to recover.
Much to their surprise, this lasted only a few short seconds before the man brought up his sword. In an instant, it began to charge with bright white energy, though it raged with far more intensity than at any moment prior.
Seeing the writing on the wall, the two Persona users were forced to retreat, barely managing to leap away in time before the blade pierced the ground and sent a massive sphere bursting out in all directions. It became clear they'd made the right call, as when the dust had settled, both the ground around the man and even the walls had been partially incinerated by the blast.
"Pretty thick skin you've got to come out of that with just torn clothing," Yu observed with a scowl. "Just who the hell are you, anyway?"
"If you're asking what to call me, then Shadow is as good a name as any," he replied. "Although I'm afraid we're out of time."
Before another word could be uttered on either side, a back end of a massive military-esque vehicle slammed through the nearby wall. Incredibly, the hull of the truck itself was entirely unharmed, though the same could not be said for the surface it had just rammed through.
"I'll be taking my leave now. Oh, and you have my thanks for willingly wasting your time at this facilities' center. It gave my men ample time to leave with the other vehicles," Shadow announced.
With the White Mask's intent to flee obvious, Joker and Yu rushed forward to ensure he wouldn't get the opportunity. However, their reaction had been equally as obvious, and so it would come as no surprise that Shadow had already more than prepared for his response.
The suited man's blades began to light up once more, this time charging with blindingly white power that felt nothing short of almighty in nature. In what would be a beautiful dance of blades, he moved like a flowing river, slicing into the air with elegance even if the end result was wanton destruction.
Bolt after bolt of synthesized energy shot out in all directions, demolishing nearby staircases, railings, and anything else that they happened to come into contact with. The ensuing chaos of falling debris and explosions forced the two Wild Cards to retreat. Once the attacks finally subsided, smoke littered the area, and while neither of the two could see Shadow escaping, they didn't need to. They could already hear the engine of the vehicle that had recently arrived fading away into the distance.
The smoke eventually cleared, and it was just as they'd feared—Shadow was already a fair distance away, likely looking back at them as he moved ever-further out of their grasp.
"Dammit…!" hissed Joker, his fists clenching reflexively.
"Yeah, I know how you feel," Yu sighed. "And clearly this isn't their main base, either. That means our search is far from over."
"By your expressions, I take it the masked man got away?"
The two turned to see the Nijima sisters approaching through the maze of rubble that littered the area. Though their moods were far from good, they were improved upon seeing that Sae in particular seemed entirely fine.
"Sadly, yeah," replied Joker. "Though it could've been worse. At least Sae-san's still kicking."
"Please, it'd take far more than that to take me down," Sae scoffed good-naturedly. "Who exactly was that, by the way? Did you manage to squeeze any information out of him in battle?"
"Again, not really. He ended up being the tight-lipped type," Yu stated. "He did tell us to call him Shadow, though."
"Shadow?" Queen asked, almost disbelievingly.
"What? Did you expect him to give his real name?" Joker quipped.
"No, of course not," replied the former student council president. "It's just that it seems… kinda lazy, don't you think?"
"Lazy naming or not, he was strong," Yu stated, his eyes steely and his tone stern. "His Persona didn't have any discernable weaknesses. Outside of that, his sword also packs a hell of a punch."
"You don't say?" joked Sae.
The silver-eyed young man couldn't help the but smirk at the remark.
"Was that a joke? Who are you and what have you done with Sae-senpai?"
"Melodramatic as ever," she stated with an eye-roll. "And I do believe I told you to drop the honorific."
"You also said you'd 'handle everything' and then as I remember it you were shot across the room before crashing into a wall."
It was then that, for perhaps the first time in her entire life, Makoto witnessed her sister blush from embarrassment. If her expression matched her thoughts, her eyes would have been a wide-eyed illustration of genuine horror.
"T-That's neither here nor there!" Sae exclaimed.
"I dunno, seems pretty relevant to me."
"If you must know, I had a reason or charging this 'Shadow' when we entered," Sae replied, her arms crossed and her gaze averted indignantly. "I managed to plant onto him the tracking device Detective Shirogane gave me. It's doubtful he managed to notice."
In that moment, any desire that Yu had of continuing to tease the newly-minted Persona user evaporated entirely. Her words took him genuinely by surprise, and pleasantly so.
"Wait, really?" Yu asked. "That's incredible! If we're lucky, they retreated to their main base. If so…"
"Then we can hopefully find where they're keeping the kidnapped victims," Joker reasoned.
"With any lucky, yes," Queen stated.
"Now that's the Sae I remember. Always has a plan," Yu remarked. "Glad to see not much has changed after all."
"Did you truly have so little faith in me?" Sae asked coyly.
"Well, you've surprised me a few times today, not gonna lie. Though that isn't exactly a bad thing," Yu admitted with a chuckle.
"Y-Yes, well," Queen quickly cut in, clearing her throat. "In any case, we have the means to track them and at the very least have apprehended a small number of their men. We should rally the others and return to reality as soon as is possible."
"Agreed," the three said in unison.
A/N And with that, we're done for the year! Nice way to end it IMO. To anyone reading, happy holidays, merry Christmas, happy new year!
Explanations:
Sae & Yu: Yes, they have met before in college. I somewhat alluded to Yu recognizing the name "Nijima" in a past chapter, and consciously avoided anyone mentioning Sae by name for that exact reason during the prior chapter itself, so kudos for anyone that picked up on that. I know I blue-balled people on how they actually know each other, and that was also 100% intentional because the next chapter is intended to be the story of how they met/came to know each other because as this chapter suggests, they were more than just acquaintances. I wouldn't tease it and then just leave it at that entirely xD
Sae Outfit: So yes, Sae is a Persona user. She got the PT outfit of course, and a lot of her design is based off of the motif of the scale of justice and in my mind the color balance is meant to be a mix of white and black to represent the duality of justice being impartial to either side. Her weapon is a twinblade, and the basis for this is somewhat like Kageroza's weapon in his fused state from Bleach, just not as large. She does have a bit of Makoto vibes with the leather biker jacket and metal mask just as a bit of a nod to their relationship as sisters.
Astrea: For those of you that are unaware, Astrea is the Greek goddess of justice. My image of her again goes back to the impartiality and duality of justice itself, the main color schemes of hers being black and white. Her abilities are pretty much what I'd call the 'OP party member' ability schemes—light and dark, physical, almighty, and mixed in are a few buffs/depuffs. It's strong, fast, a real all-rounder, and as for its elemental stats: Null's curse and bless, strong vs. physical & gun, and weak to nuke.
Astrea's Nuclear Weakness: Yes, this is exclusively because Makoto is her younger sister and it's meant to be a more poetic nod to her one weakness being represented by the thing in the world she holds closer than anything else.
Character Focus this Chapter: Obviously this chapter focused much less on the larger group of PT's and the IT and zoned in on Ren, Yu, Sae, and Makoto. I had considered giving the others time to shine in fights against the Shadows this chapter, but I felt it was too filler-esque and as the spotlight is ever-changing with so many characters in the story, I felt it was fine. Though I can understand if people would want more of everyone since the characters in P4/5 are so loveable.
Shadow & his swords: Strong, solid all-around fighter, and has a few tricks up his sleeve. In terms of speed and strength, he's on Joker and Yu's level (clearly) but his main strength is meant to be his elemental swords in his base state and his Persona's well-rounded nature. The elemental swords as well ignore weaknesses, nullifications, and strengths to a degree, which is why Joker couldn't outright guard against him.
Nanami: It means 'Living' in Japanese, which is meant to be ironic given that it looks like a white, expressionless, pseudo-ragdoll. It has no weaknesses and is strong against all attacks, and it can also use any elemental attack. Again, meant to be apart of its aesthetic of lacking a true identity. What else can it do? Wait and see.
Random Sapphire Easter Egg: Had to have it in there somehow since I mentioned a few chapters back, but yeah that's what Yu was listening to at the start when he walked into Leblanc.
Sae's Codename?: She will get one. I will just say that now because I might as well. Why isn't it in this chapter? Because they had more important shit to deal with, basically. I just felt like the way I would have to write it in would feel too forced.