Chapter 12: Inu Ka 3L
*Times before the Elite 4 being complete*
The REVOCS tower was considered as one of the largest buildings in Tokyo, not to mention that it's also surrounded by other smaller building owned by the Kiryuin Conglomerate.
In one of those buildings, Third-Year middle schooler hacker prodigy Hokuta Inumuta was hiding to see if his hacking abilities were capable to crack down the REVOCS main database.
"The REVOCS Corporation, responsible for the 70% of global apparel sales… I'm quite impressed." Inumuta seemed to already having a good track. "Oh! They are part of the Kiryuin Conglomerate. How interesting…" Hokuta was almost done with his cyber-attack. "Unfortunately, this little hacker has chosen to alter this Mega-corp's destiny." He smugly laughed as he was about to pull the hack of the century, no! The hack of the millennium.
With the push of one button of his keyboard, the entire stock of REVOCS went to 0%. "Uh oh! Seems that someone's stocks are in the toilet! My, oh my! How will they're ever going to recover from this?" Innumuta felt a sense of pure satisfaction over the hack he was able to pull off, until he noticed that the Kiryuin's have found out about such a tactic. "Oh crap, crap, crap, crap! They're tracking me off!"
"In the name of the Kiryuin, Freeze!" Agents of the Kiryuin conglomerated slammed the door where they have though the hacker was hiding in. but unfortunately for them, they found out that he has already left the building by supposedly jumping off the window. "Miss Hoomaru, the hacker has evacuated the building by the window." The agent informed Ragyo's secretary from a transmitter from his ear.
"Then don't stand there calling me and find the perpetrator, wherever dead or alive! Committing a such huge crime against the Kiryuin is unforgivable!" Rei seem quite furious about what Innumuta pulled off.
"Roger!" The men in suits then scatter in search of the hacker.
Meanwhile at a shady back-alley nearby the REVOCS buildings, Hokuta was trying to calm himself. If he didn't acted quickly, the guards would have found and arrest him. "Damn it! I was so close… B-but well, that's what happens when you try to show everyone you can hack into any digital web for your freelance services…" Hokuta panted. His job was to be a freelance hacker, and he lives from that job whenever he is not in foster school. He was born as an orphan, but he had an amazing skill when it comes to technology. "But how did they pinpoint my location so quickly?"
The game of the cat and mouse would be over once Rei Hoomaru who had more agents behind her blocked the genius' way.
Rei was giving a cold narrow to Inumuta, before slowly approaching him step by step and then grab him by the collar on a menacing way. "What the hell were you thinking about on flopping REVOCS' stocks? Does your "superior brain" doesn't know the consequences of what your actions could have done? The entire global economy would have collapsed if you have gotten away with your prank!"
"L-look! I'm sorry! I wasn't hired by anybody! I'm just a kid messing around with his computer!" Innumuta wanted to calm down Hoomaru, but she would only calm once the hacker is properly punished.
Rei punched Inumuta in the gut, causing him to spit some saliva and drop off his computer. "So much for a kid messing around with his computer, I suppouse…" The secretary pick up the computer before giving it to one of her agents. "Be sure to analyze and exctract any suspicious data on the computer's motherboard and be sure to delete or destroy any data that could damage the Kiryuin's reputation."
"Yes, Miss Hoomaru!" The agent replied, but someone much more superior person to interrupt them.
"It won't be necessary!"
Rei then recognized the voice and quickly turned around to see that famous white light of the young Kiryuin. "Lady Satsuki!" Rei instantly made a small vow to greet Satsuki.
"Grr… Let me get this straight, are you're going to either cut me in half with that overexaggerating katana of yours or strangle me with your big eyebrows?" Innumuta teased the future ruler of Honnouji, but Satsuki seem to ignore his petty insults.
"Did you said you were just a kid? I think that a trespasser chosen by the gods would be more like it." Satsuki responded, demonstrating great interest toward the young Hokuta.
"And this must be the part where you get all philosophical, don't you?" Hokuta deduced what would Satsuki say, but he was wrong.
"The REVOCS Corprotation's site possesses one of the most secure and tightest security on the planet, yet a nobody like you managed to crack it. You may be young, but you aren't ignorant."
"Judging by all those men in suit, I guess that you're Ragyo's little sweetie cutie pie. And I swear, I just wanted to test my hacking skills and see if they're good enough to crack the site flawlessly." Inumuta guessed again about who the girl could she is standing along is.
"Correct. I admire your skills on the computer, but unfortunately, you're just wasting your talents on twisting the digital realm. Say, have you ever wanted to use your skills to twist reality at your will?" Satsuki's offer seem out of crazy, and yet temptation.
The Kiryuin then looked at Hoomaru and nodded at her. The secretary then slid a document inside a folder to where the young hacker was.
"Honnouji, Academy?" Inumuta was intrigued by the name of the admission paper they gave him.
"Can't read perhaps? Honnouji Academy is the new High School created by Lady Ragyo. Anyone can enter, but the most fierce some and strongest shall prevail. Maybe that way you can use your intellect and hacking skills to truly change the world rather than wasting your talents on childish pranks." Hoomaru insulted Hokuta while ordering one of the agents to start the vehicle.
"Meet me there if you truly want to change the world, whenever for the better or for the worst. And maybe also know things the ignorant masses can't understand, Hokuta Inumuta…" Satsuki alongside Hoomaru then vanished like the wind, leaving the young middle-schooler alone, with his computer intact which was a relief.
*End of Flashback*
Joker was waiting for his next opponent's arrival. Which the brain managed to get into the arena in time by descending from the red stairs from his pillar. "My! Destiny sure has her biases. You know, I was expecting to battle Matoi after you destroyed Gamagori completely. But, Lady Satsuki's word is absolute, so it will be great to finally test our strength and show me more about you." The light-blue haired teen said as he seems quite intrigued. "I'm going to be honest with you, I don't consider myself to be much of a fighter myself since I like to battle my opponents with strategies and mind games, but it's always a pleasure to be on the frontline of battle if it means to get data. Just like how we did back at the 5-Star incident, Hall Monitor."
"Just hope that you aren't over reliant on data. Because it will be worthless once you lack the experience to execute it properly." Morgana pointed his Anti-Uniform weapon against the chair of the tactics and technology division.
But there are also stories to tell outside the ring, that Mako is experiencing right now.
"Darn it! They wouldn't even let me be Ryuko or Ren's assistant. I just wanted to help and don't be just a side-character." Mako sobbed in disbelief from the bleachers, before someone familiar to her sit beside her. "G-Gamagori!? Where the heck did your clothes go?" She exclaimed in shock seeing the giant of a man sitting on the No-Star benches half-naked.
"Take it easy Mankanshoku, I just been demoted. I'm now a No-Star like you. At least I can now experience what students like you suffer from." Gamagori explained his situation. "Since I'm not with the Elite anymore, it would be obvious to sit alongside you in the No-Star's section." Gamagori then closed his eyes and remembered Joker's lecture. "Lady Satsuki… I'll promise you I'll work as hard as I can in order to reach your good grace once again. I'll show you a better resolve this time for sure, and then you'll see a brand-new Ira Gamagori!" Gamagori clenched his right fist on a very melodramatic way.
"Then you want some?" Mako seem very pumped as she stood up from her seat and began to jump around and giving punches. "Come on, let's go! 1v1 me!" Mako exclaimed on a very cheerful matter. "I'm gonna cheer up Ryuko, Ren and Morgana! Because that what friends are about, even if Lady Satsuki doesn't like it! So if you're going to make trouble, then watch out because I'm gonna stomp you!"
Gamagori just smiled at Mako enthusiasm and determination of keeping those bonds she share as strong as possible. The girl was already growing strong on him. He just admires her power to always see the good side of things on everything. "Even still, knowing Inunuta's skills on analyzing, it will be a tough challenge for Kurusu. He will not have a chance if the dog knows all of his opponent's tricks."
Not only were things heatin' up on the spectators area, but also inside Class-K where Aikuro was watching the battle taking place.
"So, seems that Kurusu's skill outmatched Gamagori's power. Even still, I'm still in doubt that he will just magically defeat Satsuki Kiryuin for us." Tsumugu who managed to sneak across the hallways thanks to some of Akira's teachings in espionage told his boss inside the classroom before lighting up a cigarette.
"Heh… Still as stubborn as always, Tsumugu. You came a bit late, probably you were to bring out some snacks. Anyway, any sign of wild Shadows roaming Honno town?" Aikuro asked the spy while still being busy watching over Joker and Inumuta.
"I could tell you about 2 important things. 1: I noticed that the Shadows that we've come across have these collars on either their necks or tails. I don't know about you, but my guess is that mommy's favorite off-spring has something to do with those monsters' sense of fashion. 2: So, did you finally have the balls to ask him about the damn Courtier?" Tsumugu said before puffing out a cloud of smoke.
"I can say so." Aikuro then turnen around where his partner was to assure it. "Seems that Nui Harime has shown the interest on Akira. I don't know about you, but she seems to know more about Joker than us, even if he doesn't know it himself. But, you know how that hell-spawn tends to act."
"Right…" Tsumugu muttered before letting a sight.
"Ahh! Sorry for the waiting!" Hakodate who seem to have bruses all over her half-naked body panted before entering the classroom carrying a steel case.
"Hakodate? What the hell happened to you?" Aikuro was surprised to see Omiko on such wounded state.
"What do you expect, Professor Stripper? Those Shadows were a freaking pain in the ass to deal with only plain-normal weapons! Geez! And those things keep getting weirder and weirder every second and stronger by each millisecond." Hakodate reaffirmed, remembering that weird fight she had against a purple demon sitting on a toilet while she had nothing but her sniper riffle.
"Now that you mention it, ever since that pretty face enrolled into our organization, you haven't got the idea into infusing our weapons with Kurusu's fragments." Tsumugu pointed out. "But then again, you're just going to respond me with some bullshit about being respectful with others."
"Precisely. I mean, we can just persuade Akira from taking his fragments, but then we will go against everything that Nudist Beach stands for. Remember, we are a family and not just numbers." Aikuro reminded his partner why he refuses to milk Akira like a cow. "Anyway, did you brought what I asked you, Hakodate?"
"Oh! Right. The package." Omiko then opened the case she was carrying with her, showing 3 golden bullets with some kind of Life Fibers woven on them. "3 adhesive Anti-Life Fiber bullets ready to be deployed once you give me the signal. Thanks to Ogure, we managed to make 3 rather than just 1."
"Hmph… seems that you finally got over that sentimental phase with that girl over there and decided to plan something if either of those Kamuis go batshit insane. " Tsumugu was left a bit surprised that Aikuro ordered to craft a special bullet to kill Senketsu if it ever breaks out of control.
"Don't take it as if I've lost full faith in Ryuko, Tsumugu." Aikuro then looked at where Isshin's daughter was standing at, seeming to be humanity's future hope once the inevitable battle with the Kiryuins and the Life Fibers occur. "I still have faith in what Dr. Matoi's last invention and its wearer. If Akira can even make a bond with Senketsu, I can still believe that the Kamui can be kept under control." Aikuro then looked where Satsuki was alongside her 2 guardian Shadows protecting her. "Not to mention that with Junketsu powering up her new host, bullets like these would be necessary."
"You're still with your people and clothing can be friends bullcrap as always, Mikisugi, the guy who loves to be naked." Kisanage growled, remembering what Akira lectured him back when that clown was chasing them. "But, if that abomination of clothes ever breaks out of control and you and Kurusu don't have the balls to kill off that brat…" The nudist then grabbed one of the bullets to load it into his needle gun. "I will…"
Back with the other 2 at the arena…
"This battle will prove to be tricky. Not only do we need to watch out for Inumuta's knowledge about our moves, but we need to be careful to not feed him any kind of data to him. He knows that this battle will only benefit Honnouji Academy, even if he loses." Morgana thought to himself as he looked at Joker. He seem to also think the same thing as his comrade. "Maybe one of my special bullets can help a lot since it seems that Inumuta relies over his data."
"Since you're not able to transform, then allow me." Inumuta said before activating his Goku Uniform. "Three-Star Goku Uniform, Probe Regalia."
"Begin…" Satsuki ordered the 3 to fight as the horn that indicated the start of a fight wailed out.
Even when the siren toll, Innumuta didn't even tried to attack first. He was just there, typing on his may keyboards of his Goku Uniform.
"We barely starting and he's already stripping us down!" Akira shouted as Innumuta was analyzing all over the 2 thieves. Analyzing the odds and probabilities of success, chance of patterns, weaknesses and much more.
"Hmm… Seems that you're not trying to attack me to stop me from analyzing you." Innumuta analyzed while preparing what it appeared a digital cube. "Then allow me to make the first attack!" Inumuta then threw off 3 digital cube projectiles against the thieves who managed to dodge them.
"Well you look at that. Seems the nerd can fight after all?" Ryuko said from her pillar.
"You can't have it any other way, new girl." Nonon smugly responded Matoi. "I think a lot of people know the saying that you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but whenever a freaking antique or not, the nerd is an exception."
"Come on! Summon Raoul! Don't you want to win or not? Show me what the embodiment of Arsene Lupin can do!" Inumuta persuade Joker into summoning any of his Personas who hasn't used ever since the battle began by overwhelming him with a barrage of kicks as he protected himself with his Tailor's glove.
"And feed you more information about me? Not even if your dreams inside dreams!" Akira thought that he found a part to cut Hokuta's Uniform, so he prepared his knife and was about to slice the bastard.
"Got ya!" Inumuta yelled as he vanished from Joker's sight in the form of data cubes, only to reappear behind him and plant him into the ground by a roundhouse kick.
"Ngh… I know that you're the type of "I can analyze and predict all of your moves" kind of guy." Morgana told Innumuta as he prepared his slingshot and a Molotov Cocktail. "Guess we only have to be unpredictable as we can be!" Morgana shoot out the cocktail out of his slingshot toward the brain of Honnouji Academy.
Inumuta quickly avoided the home-made bomb out of pure panic. "Hey! Be careful with the Uniform! Don't you have any idea how much budget we blow on Three-Star Uniforms?" Hokuta exclaimed in anger. His Goku Uniform is liked to his computer, so any damaged data can pass through his computer as corrupt data.
"Didn't you forget about me?" Joker sneaked out from Hokuta's behind, pointing him with his gun and shooting out 2 needle guns.
"Oh! I certainly haven't! In fact, I always remember you!" Inumuta quickly stroke Joker with a sweep kick and dodging the needles, followed by a storm of breakdance kicks and then ending it with a straightforward kick.
It sent Akira far away, but the thief stands still on the platform. It would be difficult to defeat Hokuta without the help of his Personas.
"Come on, Kurusu! What's with you holding your own punches? I thought you were determinate in winning this tournament! Has your battle with Gamagori inflated your ego or what?" Hokuta was trying to pressure Joker into summoning any of his Personas to strip him from his data while attacking him with a barrage of data proyectiles.
"Believe me, even with me having to restrain myself to not feed more info to Honnouji-" Akira told Inumuta while sliding down Inumuta's legs to avoid his attacks and plant a mine field similar to the ones Tsumugu uses. "I can beat you with or without my powers!" Akira exclaimed before detonating the explosive under the chair of the strategic and informatic division, causing a colorful explosion that sent the hacker into the sky.
"D'ow! At this rate, that guy's not gonna have any descendants at all." Ryuko commented on the explosion from her distance.
"You think so, Matoi?" Inumuta responded with a malicious grin on his face. The typed commands on his many keyboards, causing more data cubes to be summoned. "My Goku Uniform Is capable of transforming data into digital matter. And I can reshape that matter into anything I want!" Inumuta cried out as the cubes became a dozen of digital spikes. "Now taste this attack based on your past data!" Hokuta descended into the arena with grace, not before causing a rain of spears among the 2 thieves.
"Damn it! They're too many to dodge without a Persona!" Morgana yelped out seeing the insane amount of arrows coming their way.
Joker grit his teeth seeing that he is forced to used a Persona. "Tetrakarn!" Joker quickly called forth his main Persona Raoul to raise the magical shield. Only to find out that the arrows managed to penetrate the shield, hitting the Phantom Thieves, but they miraculously dodged some of those thrust without any fatal injuries.
"What the!? How the hell did the computer freak managed to get through that cheap trick?" Ryuko's jaw dropped by the mere watch of Joker's trusty Tetrakarn not working as expected.
Joker was as impressed and frightened by how those spears pierced through Tetrakarn as if it was nothing. But well, he already knew about things like Tetra Break and Makara Break. "Heh! Now that I think about it, I'm not that impressed about how you pierced through my defenses. And let me guess, seems that our friend Iori made some improvements to your uniform using my fragments. Which I might say, it's quite gross if you ask me, but still impressive." The trickster joked about while having that cocky grin on his face.
"My, my! Seems that you're quite the analyzer." Inumuta complimented the Phantom Thief's deduction. "But to be precise, I was the one who spice up the recipe of my Probe Regalia. Although this Uniform was designed as an analyzing and espionage weapon rather than for combat alone, with these upgrades using your fragments I can penetrate your magic defenses with the powers of technology and science! So you either have A. Summon your Personas or B. Summon your Personas!"
"Heh… Guess I don't have nothing to hide then…" Joker smirked while standing on a threatening matter alongside Raoul. "But, since you're not an old dog, I guess I have to rely on old tricks! Eigaon!" Joker prepared a ball of dark energy with Hokuta Inumuta's name on it.
"At last! You finally decide to show me more about your enigmatic Personas! Come on, don't hold anything back! Whatever you throw at me, I don't care! I live and breathe for data and the truths of the world! I want to know your true origins! I want to know the origin of your powers! I desire to harness those powers! I want to know why you can transform anyone around you Into allies! Your powers capable of rivaling Kamuis! Come on, SHOW ME EVERYTHING!" Inumuta's obsession over Personas seem to take him over as he waited for Joker to strike him down.
"Then it's a show you're going to have!" Joker responded as he cancelled his attack and instead, attack him with a sliding kick powered up by a Heat Riser.
Hokuta got fooled by such technique that he got hit and fell into the ground.
"Call us coward hyenas, but this is how we fight!" Morgana then casted Miracle Rush to where Inumuta was, only to then noticed that he was almost about to hit Akira with his attack.
Kurusu took the hits, causing him to trip down and feel a bit dizzy.
"GAAHK! I'I'm so sorry!" Morgana quickly apologized for summoning Diego on such a reckless manner and hitting Akira with it as he tried to help him to get up and also casted a healing spell on him.
"N-no, it's fine Mona… Just be careful next time. Alright?" Akira quickly forgave his comrade in battle.
"Still… Where did Inumuta go? Unless…" Morgana's feline instincts felt something invisible coming from Joker's behind. "Joker! Watch out!" Morgana leaped to his partner's behind to protect him from the incoming attack, meowing in pain as he felt his personal data being taken away before collapsing into the ground.
"M-mona!" Joker seem Morgana to be quickly knocked out as he picked his unconscious feline friend from the ground. He was planning to use Recarmdora, but those types of reviving skills then to take too long to be cast due to its reviving nature of knocked down teammates, let alone Samarecarm.
"D-don't worry Joker… I'm still alright… But not in the position to fight anymore…" Mona grunted very tired while joker put the car on his shoulder to carry him.
"Ahahaha! Yeah, sorry for not telling you about this move of mine! It just so happens that due to my tendency to not fully analyze my opponents when fighting, I myself modified my Goku Uniform into having the ability to steal someone's data by just touching him by my bare hands." Inumuta's voiced echoed through the whole arena while Joker seem to know the hacker's name. "I can tell that touching your feline friend was truly been a miracle. If we consider that you 2 are supposedly experienced thieves."
"Wow! Inumuta just disappear like nothing!" Mako gasped at Hokuta just not being there.
"No Mankanshoku. He didn't disappeared. When Inumuta's Goku Uniform glitters, it's like a white butterfly on a Snowman." Gamagori remarked. "He didn't disappeared, IT'S OPTICAL CAMMOUFLAGE!"
"Nu'uh! The're no way! Butterflies die in the winter for the cold! And Ren is good at winter things like how he uses that snowman clown of his! And Inumuta is no butterfly, so he can't do what you say!" Mako without any clue, tried to prove herself a point.
"Hmph… Typical Mankanshoku, you're missing the point. No wonder you are a No-Star." Ira looked at the ray of sunshine that is Mankanshoku before looking at the screens of the arena. "Although, Inumuta tends to get pretty arrogant when camouflaged and when he's fed up with a lot of data. Maybe Kurusu can use the dog's obsession at his favor."
Akira stood on the center on the arena. He then closed his eyes and crossed his arms to gain as much concentration as possible, before reciting something he says ofter. "Focus…"
Inumuta who remained invisible was walking around all over the trickster, like a shark praying for its next meal. Waiting to make the perfect strike. "When it comes to sly fighters just like yourself, it is important to memorize the opponent's techniques and never let your guar do-"
"Eiagon!" Joker launch a sphere of darkness against Inumuta, taking him by surprise and thus, being hit by a dark explosion.
Inumuta rolled into the ground before standing up. "Hey! What the hell! I was in the middle of my damn expli- Oh… I see! You have some sort of third eye, don't you!" Inumuta deduced, seeing how Joker attacked him while his eyes were closed. Causing big red letters to appear.
"Heh! You're as smart as ever, Inumuta." Akira complimented his opponent as his Third Eye vision projected Inumuta red as the other dangerous shadows. "You know, this power grant me the one bastard who killed my friends. But I don't go full "Hurr Durr… I won't use this power again!" These powers that I gain are my own and are perfect to defeat you!" Akira exclaimed as he brought out his Gun and shoot his needle guns against where Hokuta was.
"HA! Don't you get it? I know about your trick with the needle bullets! Then how about this? Makarakarn!" Inumuta then summoned a digitalized version of Arsene to protect himself from the bullets as they bounced out like a mirror and redirected where Kurusu was.
Akira was forced to used his Tailor's Glove to reflect all of the incoming bullets. It was quite easy since he was getting used to getting his attack deflected.
"Surprised? I forgot to mention that thanks to your data, I can also copy your moves! I'm like a mirror of yourself!" Inumuta responded on a very arrogant way. "But enough about me, let's see if you're able to dodge myself!" Inumuta then typed on his many keyboard, causing it to create a lot of digital copies of himself preparing Eiga before attacking Akira with their curse skills at the same time, causing a medium explosion.
"Damn! This is getting frustrating!" Akira gritted his teeth as he was on one knee, recovering his breath. I wouldn't take too much time until he felt millions of kicks hitting him.
"You're out of options, Kurusu! I know all of your moves! It doesn't matter what you try or make, I'll always have a way to use your data against you! So better bring it all if you want to not lose!" Inumuta who was viciously laughing as he continues to give a flurry of kicks against Kurusu alongside his copies.
"Damn it! How I hate these kinds of enemies!" Joker grunted as he hacked and slashed any attacks coming his way with extreme grace, but in reality, he had something perfect to improvise. "But for your information, a good Phantom Thief is always prepared!" He declared before bringing out freeze sprays and spraying them out, causing not only an icy cloud around them to give Joker time to escape, but it also made some ice stuck in Inumuta's Goku Uniform.
"Gah! Do you have some decency? Do you have any idea on how delicate my Goku Uniform is?" Hokuta seems to break out from his cool as he was more worried about the data of his Uniform/Laptop to not be damaged.
"Want some help with that? perhaps I should turn up the heat!" Joker exclaimed on a snarky way before Summoning Decarabia's Agidyne, causing the ice on Inumuta to melt and some copies to be destroyed. "But as a computer expert, I'm sure you definitely know what happens once a liquid spills over your computer."
"Uh oh…" The member of the Elite Trio gulped before getting electrocuted by the fried circuits of his Probe Regalia, thus, making all of his data clones dissapear. "My Analyzer! My clones! All ruined. I knew I should have made the repairment system of my Goku Uniform perform faster!"
"And that's where you fail!" Akira interrupted as he gave Morgana a Life Ointment he managed to keep thanks to Takemi, alongside a Croquette to give the cat full Mankanshoku energy.
"You obsess so much with data and your computer that you don't get to put the data you use in experience. It doesn't matter what you say, Experience will mostly always beat analytics. Call me wrong, but that's what I believe in!" The cat scolded the hacker from the flaw he had before loading his special bullet on his slingshot. "Oh, and if you think you had any backup plans."
Morgana fling out a technological ball against where Joker was pointing him to where his target was, causing a small electromagnetic pulse field to be deployed, covering half of the arena.
And that's when Inumuta's Goku Uniform started to malfunction. "GYAH! MY DATA! MY POWERS!" He cried in panic as his Goku Uniform released sparks as he was struggling into getting his systems together.
"He's vulnerable and unable to gather data! Let's give it everything we got!" Morgana exclaimed.
"Hey Fuzzy Hair!" Ryuko called out Joker from her podium. "You wanna know how to defeat nerds like him? Go full reckless!" She exclaimed while cracking her fists.
Joker considered it for a moment. Now that he thought about it, going full Ryuji will do the trick. "Alright then, it's showtime!"
Showtime
Inside a bank, an explosion occurred with Joker and Morgana running away with bags loaded with cash with police choppers chasing them. The duo got on their getaway bike, only to be obstructed by Inumuta with a lot of signs with stop.
"Let's clear out the road!" Morgana told Joker as the thief nodded in response as he hopped from his vehicle and throw his bag of goods that resulted to be actual explosives alongside Morgana, causing a gigantic explosion.
Morgana was preparing a gigantic tornado with Diego. "Joker! Let's bring down the fist!"
"Oh! We'll bringing it down, for sure!" Joker's expression changed from brave to downright malicious. "I summon thee, Baal!" The trickster then summoned the Emperor Persona he gained from Gamagori as it was preparing a missile in the form of a fist. "God's HAND!" He cried out as he directed his missile alongside Morgana's twister against Inumuta, causing a massive windy blast in the process.
The 2 thieves landed on their feet before giving themselves 2 thumbs up.
"Urgh… D-did you just created… A pocket dimension out of your assholes? H-how even…?" Hokuta growled as he was slowly getting up from the beat-up he received, only to then be being pointed by Joker's Gun and Diego's sword.
"It's over, Inumuta. Your systems are down, you cannot analyze me and you're out of attacks!" He narrowed at the chair of the information and tactics division with cold, dead and threatening eyes. It was like a dog being looked by its disappointed master.
"Not so fast!" Inumuta stopped Joker as he de-transformed. "I hereby forfeit this match!" Hokuta raised his hands into the air, singing that he has conceded.
"What? Aw come on! I was waiting to see the asshole getting it!" Ryuko fumed, seeing how the battle didn't ended with Inumuta's Goku Uniform being destroyed.
"Ryuko, you must be glad that you haven't battle Inumuta. I've doubt that your reckless nature could surpass his strategic mind." Senketsu gave his wearer a small scolding like if he was his dad or something.
"Oh yeah? I bet that I could beat his whole dead ass before he could even type one of his shitty fingers down his keyboard." Matoi seem quite triggered toward the Kamui's words, but you know how the girl tends to act.
"Good." The Phantom thief nodded as he raised down his weapon. "Seems that you aren't that stupid when it comes to common sense."
Inumuta got up, but not before letting out a maniacal laugh. "Wow! Man, that felt incredible! I haven't got these kinds of battles since forever!" Inumuta rejoiced in exitement, feeling really alive. "Geez! I must admit it! You truly are the man of mystery. And still you refuse me to analyze you! God… What a challenge you are!"
"What!? Forfeit! You coward *BLEEP*!" Nonon cursed out a really bad slur, it made her club gasp. "Lady Satsuki, how can you allow this kind of bullshit?"
The Kiryuin then looked at Nonon to give her the response. And it was with her mere glare she communicated her reason why.
"Wait… You aren't mad?" Morgana was quite intrigued to see Inumuta happy rather than frustrated.
"Not to worry, whatever you are." Inumuta responded with some snark. "Still, I've managed to save the data I've gathered through this battle. But, it seems that statistic and battle data can be pretty useless even when the analyzer isn't able to use them at it's fullest. Hence why I must thank you for opening my eyes, Akira Kurusu." Inumuta then did s small bow. "I also forgot to thank you for the task Iori and I gave you back them. So, even if we're enemies for now, I hope that we can be comrades on the field of science and discovery in the near future."
Joker felt… odd. It was really, weird, but funnily enough, he felt his bond with Inumuta got stronger…
I am thou, Thou art i…
Thou hast acquire a new voy
It shall become the wings of rebellion
That breaketh the clothing of captivity.
With the rebirth of the Moon Persona
Thou hast retrieve a power dormant within thee soul
That shall lead to salvation, and new power…
With that, the tarot card of the Moon Arcana fell where Joker was, giving him access to Mothman. And with the Elite 4 now as his confidants, he felt a great satisfaction within himself.
"And now if you excuse me, I'll be on my merry way." Inumuta declared as he turned around to go. "Oh, and by the way Joker, remember well my words." Inumuta then turn his sight where the wild card was. "Whoever wins at the Sports Cultural Festival, It will be an event that shall shake the earth, oceans, heavens and even the pits of hell. And I can't wait to see the outcome…" He said his final words before disappearing out of his sight.
Akira hold his finger between his chin. He knew that once the Cultural and Sports Festival of Honnouji Academy comes to be, it will be the end of this world as he knew it. And he really doubts it would be by contests, haunted houses and maid cafés.
"You have fought well your battles, Kurusu. You demonstrated once again that you don't only rely on brute force to emerge victorious, and that's something I can admire. You deserve to finally rest for now." Satsuki congratulated Joker as the red stairs appeared behind him to where his pillar was.
"Then I guess this is where Ryuko finally takes the wheel." Akira Joked before going back into his pillar to watch his friend fight and hope that he wins.
"You heard Joker. It's time to finally show me your resolve you got in your days at Honnouji Academy, Ryuko Matoi." Satsuki ordered the angsty girl to be present on the polling place.
"Alright! Been waitin' in this damn pole to finally bust some heads for once!" Ryuko got up from her quick nap as the red stairs of her pillar to pop up. "Senketsu, hope you are as pumped as I to kick some ass."
"Heh! As long as your blood boils with passion, I'm always ready for battle!"
"Don't worry, Akira. I'll give it all in your name!" Nonon tried to flirt with Joker from her pillar as she was preparing herself. "Oh! And you too, Lady Satsuki!"
"Then I'll advise you get yourself together Nonon, because it's now your turn to fight Matoi." Satsuki popped Jakuzure's daydreaming bubble and order her to call to her arms ready.
But back with the strong guy and the bubbly girl, Mankanshoku was sleeping on Gamagori's lap who seem to not mind, until a familiar presence came nearby to wake her up.
"Gah! Oh, my GOD! What are you doing here?" Mako asked Inumuta as she seems now frightened with the presence of the 2 members of the Elite Trio.
"What do you think, Coconut-Head? I'm just here to watch the whole fight, just like you" Inumuta replied while having his full attention on his computer as he tried to redact all the data he collected on his fight with Joker. "I gave up, so I got my Goku Uniform revoked alongside my rank. Although, I'm glad that the data I collected is being transferred to the Kiryuin's main computer."
"You now how I feel about people conceding their fights, right? Seems that Kurusu gave you quite the lecture up there. But why a tracksuit from all clothing? Have you no shame?" The Toad smirked against the dog, looking quite disappointed by the blue-haired teen's action.
"Haha. Says the guy who got his whole Uniform and pride thrown against the window and with a body so massive, none of our spare outfits can seem to fit him. And much if we count, you're the chair of the disciplinary committee- oh sorry, I mean, were." Inumuta croaked back at the frog just as snarky as ever.
"Is that a threat I see? You know how I feel when provoke, don't you? And it seems that what am I about to do will have no consequences since there's no more Disciplinary Committee. That of course, if you don't shut up that is." Gamagori cracked his knuckles against Inumuta as he felt quite angered by his response.
"Could you just stop croaking nonsense for a moment? I'm trying to decipher something very important." Inumuta hushed Ira down as he was most concentrated about his laptop work.
Mako slowly slide where Inumuta was like some sort of cartoon. She tried to peep on what the hell was Inumuta talking about even if she couldn't understand it, but the dog was trying to prevent her from knowing.
"Daw… Why are you doing that? I wanna know! I wanna know!" Mako pouted as she was flapping her arms and puffing her face.
"Sorry Mankanshoku, but this investigation is off-limits to No-Stars." Inumuta replied as he pushed the bobble-head from himself.
"Hph… So that means you can't even develop your own investigation then." Gamagori laughed as he played around on what Inumuta said. "Just let the girl see for once. She's a lot of things, but someone that you can't trust isn't one of them."
"That's right! Because the Mankanshoku never, never, never, never, never break their promises!" Mako then make a salute while having her tongue out like the innocent girl she is.
"*Sight* Fine.. but this is a secret between me, you, Gamagori, Iori and Lady Satsuki." Inumuta gave up on shooing Mako as she then showed her discoveries with the big guy and the croquette bag. "You know how Life Fibers are able to boost the human physical capacity and even transform, right? The Three-Stars, the Kamuis, Akira's Fight Club Uniform, Mecha Champion, from many others… I always wonder how these red threads of fate were able to morph out their structure and grant the user amazing powers."
Gamagori then put his fingers on his chin to think out. "Now that you mention it, you're right. How can these things are able to do so then? It's still is a question Lady Satsuki hasn't managed to discover."
"I know! It must be the power of friendship and bonds! Because bonds are the tightest type of threads you could ever find!" Mako declared out with handsights.
"You're as simple-minded as always, Mankanshoku." Gamagori added out.
"By basing myself some of Isshin's leftover notes Lady Satsuki has managed to provide me with, it seems that Dr. Matoi has theorized that the Life Fibers are actually that originated something named Spy… Spy… Energy?"
And that's when Mako's lightbulb started to work.
Hallelujah!
"You mean spy energy? What if all the Goku Uniforms work for a secret spy organization made entirety of clothes? I mean, we live on a world where all sorts of amazing stuff happens! So there's a chance that there is a spy organization made out of clothes! Do they protect other clothes from things like dirt and roughed fiber? Are there responsible for our clothing to smell fresh and clean?
While Mako continued to ramble her tall tales, there was an unknown yet familiar figure wearing an emerald Oni Mask, a semi-burned out and very long green scarf, a mostly white spandex suit with 2 green stripes themed after traditional japan of the Edo Period, a silver belt with the symbol of an Oni, light green technological boots and an wielding an Katana similar to Bakuzan.
"Heh! Seems that the dog and the toad are as bitter as ever." Said the mysterious figure from far away. "Wonder how's Akira doing? Meh… It won't matter… I'll just have to wait a bit more to show the world the great debut of Oni Mask!"
There was not only Life Fiber conflict in Ryuko's world. Back at Garterbelt's world, he seem to be in a hurry, dragging Chuck the dog to his secret temple on Daten City's church where he practiced the holy art of BDSM and pray for the lord. The black priest has a lot of secrets not even Panty nor Brief know, and he swore to keep them secret for their own good.
"To think that da' day of reckonin' would say 'Yo nigga, guess what? I came moar earlier than usual! I'm here for da' holidays'" Garterbelt seem truly desperate about the situation, as he knows about the existence of other worlds, the Original Life Fiber and its evil intentions. "Well guess what, this lil' priest ain't gonna have it's fingers on his ass and don't know nothin' about…"
"Chuck! Chuck!" The zipper dog seem to be ready for something.
"Yo' right Chuck." Garterbelt then opened his secret diary and went to a page where a secret spell was written upon to have some sort of astral talk. "It seems that I'll have to reunite with ma' friends of old."
Sometime latter, Chuck tied up Garter oh his sacred place of BDSM. "Chuck, I beg you to punish me as hard as a black guy's cock can get. Becuz I haven't been a bad boy! I've been a mess of a man!"
Chuch then pulled up a rope causing the missionary to spin around and be tighten more.
"Shit, ass, fuck, tits, cock, balls, suck, penis, blowjob, pedophile, crap, retard," Garter was starting to chant some sort of spell that consist of him shouting every slur in the dictionary. As he continue to curse with his sailor mouth, he was beginning to glow! The last slur was so offensive, it was impossible to pronounce it without anyone getting offended. "We're we goooo!" Garterbelt bellowed as a flash of light covered up his body.
Time latter, Garterbelt has taken the form of a spiritual projection and was transported into an astal realm.
"Heh… To think I'll see your bitch ass ever again. But, we're facin' desperate times, so we must make desperate calls, Lordgenome…" Garterbelt then looked to a semi-naked bearded man with a spiral chest hair who seem to take the form of a spirit.
"heh… I'll be honest with you, my old friend. seeing you ever again surprises me even more, Garterbelt…" The Spiral King responded as he materialized a chair resembling Lazengan to sit down.
"Hey! Speakin' of homies, where in the 100 fucks is Ovah Justice? I loved that man!" Garterbelt was surprised to see the skeleton of the Space Patrol not being on their meeting.
"What I could gather is that unfortunately, after Over Justice became chief of the Space Patrol, his travels into the different worlds have corrupted him… Although, we aren't still sure what kind of monster he has transformed into has become… And I'm still not sure why neither Shiny Chariot or Shirou haven't joined our meeting, even when our universes are at risk." The Spiral being responded.
"Well, enough filler and let's get to the good stuff…" Garterbelt then also materialized a chair to sit down. "Seems that the day of reckonin' is getting closer by each minute… All thanks to that good for nothin' of a hoe Panty!"
"Hmm… You talk about the nothingling that crash landed into your world?" The King questioned the priest. "I know that your world is full of corrupt and filthy people, but why do you seem to find interest In him?"
Garterbelt gulped his saliva for a second before informing the one who sacrificed himself to defeat the Anti-Spiral about the problem. "It's… The Primordial Life Fiber… He's targetin' him and the descendant of Hell's monkey."
This made Lordgenome's calm state go into a full scared one. "No… b-but we though we all banished that thing into that desolated world How could he discover to how to finally escape from its prison? Unless…" Lordgenome then remember something that the Anti-Spiral told him the first time he met him about one of the ways the Spiral Nemesis could arise. "When the fool from another plan interferes in the world of the Spiral Nemesis, the gates of hell will open and the red thread of fate shall pull every universe to its end."
"I'm sorry to interrupt you gentlemen, but I'm as much to blame for your situation." A butterfly came by to latter transform and reveal to be none-other than Philemon himself.
"Eh? And who da' hell are ya?" Garter seem stale about the intruder, but as the missionary of the lord he is, he felt a holy and good aura around the god.
"Sorry for interrupting your chat, but this situation worries me as it worries you." The creator of the Velvet room then made a small bow. "I am Philemon, a dweller in the rift between consciousness and unconsciousness of all souls... Well, not the souls of this world that is."
"And I suppose you have something to do with the incoming rise of the Spiral Nemesis, don't you?" Lordgenome seem to treat the god as indifferent as how he saw humans before the digger dethroned him.
"Yes… And for that I'm terribly sorry…" The benevolent god replied with some regret on his voice. He then created a small window to Akira's world that's being governed by the Holy Grail. "You see, my champion Akira Kurusu was the last hope of his world against the god of control. He has enslaved humanity by its own desires and wishes and somehow managed to overpower my magic. I then proposed Akira to help free himself if he could save a world in need for freedom and salvation. I… Never knew the consequences that would leave my actions… I am truly a fool…" Philemon, felt quite the regret as he felt he failed himself to what he stands for…
"WHAT THE FUCK WAS YO' BRAIN THINKIN' THEN!? DID YO' HAVE ANY IDEA THAT YO' EXPOSED DA MULTIVERSE THEORY TO DA ORIGINAL LIFE FIBER'S LIL' FUCKERS!? WE'RE AL GONNA DIE BECUZ OF YO' FAULT!" Garter then grabbed the god by the collar and began to shake the god like some sort of cartoon. "HEY! WHY DON'T YO USE YO' POWARS OF GOD AND FIX THIS ASS OF A MESS!?"
"I… Can't…" Philemon liberated himself with calm. "Don't get me wrong, I wish to also fix the disaster I left due to my actions, but I can't use my powers in the psychical realm. I am a god with the intention to help humanity to create their own path where they can prosper as a species and become the best version of themselves. It's not my duty to make a path for them… That's not how life works."
"My, My… Just look at yourself Philemon… Kickstarting humanity's full downfall. Not only here, but it seems that the ruin shall be disperse toward the whole multiverse." A black butterfly then popped up only to materialize as none other then Hitler himself.
"Nyarlothep…" Philemon gritted his teeth against the crawling chaos and embodiment of the evils of humanity.
"What da shit? Who invited Hitler over here!?" Garterbelt gasped by just looking at the Furher's appearance.
"Relax, Garter. He's not the person you think he is." Lordgenome calmed down his partner, since he was sensing some king of inexplicably evil energy coming from the elder god. "So... I'm guessing you're just here to cause more destruction, I suppouse…"
The Lovecraftian creature then looked at the 3. "Nah… To be frankly, I just want to see Philemon's face of despair over here. But, being the embodiment of the "good side of humanity", it seems to not be the case."
"Because it takes more than that to despair humanity until they give in completely" The benevolent god replied with slight anger. "No matter how dark the despair is, there will always be a spark of hope."
Nyarlotep seem to react quite chill. "You still having so high hopes into these humans, don't you? Fine…" He then began to morph into such a grotesque creature of thousand tentacles, it was impossible to describe. "Just like you, I'll just want how the Primordial Life Fiber is liberated from it's prison and watch as the Spiral Nemesis assimilates and annihilates everything and everyone until nothing, but a blank black void remains!" He bellowed his last words before disappearing.
"Well, that was hella' random." Garterbelt sighted out. He was hopping for him to be more relevant, but today wasn't the case. "Hey! Why don't yo' tell the digger to clean this shit right up?"
"Sorry Garter, but I'm afraid we will just do more damage than good." Lordgenome rejected the priest's idea. "The boundaries between our universes are already too fragile.
"All we can do is pray and hope for Akira Kurusu and Ryuko Matoi to defeat the Life Fibers and restore balance to this world. I know, because I have my full faith on the trickster." Phildemon told everyone as he prayed to the Axion for Akira's success…
Persona Summary:
Hokuta Innumuta – The Moon: A prodigy hacker and one of Satsuki's Elite Trio who is also the chair of the information and strategy division. He tends to be snarky and obsessive, but otherwise, he is proven to now take a better path to actually putting his data to become a better person. If I could save Futaba, what's stopping me from saving him?
Persona Obtained: Mothman.
