Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or any content from the Megami Tensei series as a whole. I do not claim to own anything. All contents' right belong to their respectful owners. Once again, I do not claim to own anything.
Why am I such a perfectionist is a question I often ask myself when writing these. Note when I say perfectionist I'm referring to structure, not necessarily grammar, any errors like that I can fix later-on. Structure is obnoxious for this story, it really is. I have nine characters who I'm trying to give equal amounts of dialog as well and give them a say in important events. This chapter is a very, very defining moment in the game for Kandori as a villain, so I'm going to try my best to do it awesomely. Now going to focus on Naoya as the main POV here. I find him to be the important perspective to center on in this chapter for this segment of the game. AND I know I'm removing what's-his-name or whatever this boss was called for the Mana Castle and replaced it with a previous boss. I felt this would be better. This chapter is only two-to-three scenes all of which are important. I'm hoping now I don't become a stubborn prick during the writing process. With that aside, welcome to Persona: Be Your True Mind Chapter Twenty.
Chapter Twenty: Mana Castle Part 2: Takeda Round 2
Naoya sat crossed legged on the floor, sipping Cielo Mist with his comrades. He figured a momentary break to replenish their stomachs with the food and drinks taken from the Historical Society would be best. "We're gonna be fighting Kandori next and we'll need to be in tip-top shape. His Persona seemed really powerful."
Maki sighed, plopping herself next to Masao and accepting his offered Dr. Salt. "Well, I'm drained, Nao-kun. I don't now how much spiritual power I've got left in me for healing."
Naoya frowned. "Well…"
"Don't fret, punk." Reiji stated, setting down his Mad Bull. "I still have this bottle of healing meds from the Tadashi Pharmacy back at the Black Market. These things work fine in large doses." Reiji produced the medicine bottle from his pocket, shook it to demonstrate the sound of the dozens of capsules in it, and then returned it to his pants.
"I suppose we're covered…" Naoya lowered his head. "I have no idea what to aspect though, considering Kandori never once demonstrated what his Persona could do. I didn't even see it when he first brought it out."
"It was ominous and dangerous." Seimen Kongo spoke in his booming voice.
"Geez, give me a bit of warning before you speak! There's an loud echo in here ya know."
"I'd figure your fretting over the Chaos would have left you distracted with myself and yourself."
"No, I only lost the Neutral for a couple a minutes. I managed to bring it back from the Chaos once Maki revived Eriko."
"You care for her dearly, I assume. You lost the Neutral Alignment when she was attacked before."
"I care for everyone…" Naoya was blushing. "You know you still haven't answered my question as to why I can hear you."
Seimen Kongo sighed. "It's difficult to explain but easy to learn if you comprehend."
"No…no, I don't comprehend." Naoya sighed with his Persona. "This is hopeless."
"Hey, Nao, you feeling okay, dude?" Masao asked, snapping Naoya away from his conservation with Seimen Kongo.
"Yeah, Mark, I'm fine. Just thinking…" He finished his can of Cielo Mist, seeing Maki wipe sweat from her brow. "She must really have no energy. We have put the burden of healing on her in recent battles. The scrapes with the demons aren't bad but the Four Signs have taken a toll of her mostly due to her Persona's Skill Set."
"Sonomura, I do not mean to exhaust you beyond recognition, but I wish to hold a conversation with Jack Frost?" Kei asked, politely, choosing not to partake in either food or drink.
"Huh? Why Jack Frost, Kei?" She asked, puzzled.
"He is capable of speech and is well-versed in the…a euphemism could be etiquette and biology of demons and etc. I simply desire to ask him a handful of basic questions related to the rudiments of his kind. Do not worry, Todo, I do not indeed to breach your five-to-ten minute time limit on this reprieve."
Maki gulped, raising her hand to the air. "I guess I can summon, just not have him use his Skills. HELP ME!" A faint, velvet mist appeared, flickering like a weak candle. "Jack Frost!"
"HEE-HO!" The snowman spun and gave everyone a peace-sign. "Hi-ho, Mistress Maki-hee! I'm happy the fire's gone-hee."
"And the menacing bird that conjured it." Brown added under his breath.
"Jack Frost," Maki called. "I want you to answer some of Kei's questions, okay?"
"Sure, Mistress Maki-hee!" Jack Frost recognized Kei and immediately leaped on to his shoulders. "So, what do ya want to know-hee?"
"Off me!" Kei swatted the snowman who leaped and landed by Kei's leg. He hissed sharply. "This will be difficult…"
"What questions is he gonna ask? I mean what could he honestly want to know about the demon's biology."
"The boy is curious, he wants vast knowledge. He follows his Arcana of Hierophant well."
"What do mean follows his Arcana well?"
"The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed. It is a path of life men and women alike can or cannot walk."
"First question Jack Frost, explain to me the aspect of weakness of demons."
Jack Frost bounced all around, listening to the question. He childishly poked at the bag of ammunition Yukino had set down as she ate he chips and drank her Cyan Tea.
"Jack Frost!" Kei exclaimed.
"Uh, sorry, what again-hee?"
"WEAKNESSES! HOW DO THEY WORK?"
"Well, some demons have one weakness-hee others have many-hee and then some don't have any-hee."
"Then, what exactly occurs whence this weakness is exploited."
"Excruciating pain…"
"Really"
"Well, it's hurts a lot normally, but if it was a Persona-hee that was attacked with the weakness-hee then the User would feel the ouch-hee!"
"He's right." Maki stated. "When Suzaku hit me with fire, I'm guessing Maso and Jack Frost are weak to fire. I couldn't move and my stomach felt upside down like it was being churned. I was totally paralyzed though. I couldn't do a thing."
"Yep-hee! That's how it is!"
"The same case applies to Suzaku, when Nike and Michael attacked her with electricity." Eriko chimed.
"Indeed." Kei cupped his chin and cleft. "Second question: Is Arcana important to demons as it is to Persona-Users."
"Well, demons, gods, and angels-hee, have a saying-hee…" Jack Frost rubbed his round chin mocking Kei's posture. "What was it? Oh, the Arcana is the means by which all is revealed! That was it-hee!"
"Hold up, you just said that?"
"Yes, it is a common saying amongst demons, angels, and Gods alike as he has stated. To you humans Arcana is, as I said earlier, a path of life you are assigned and can choose to followed it or not. To those outside your scope, such as I, and the Jack Frost as well as the other Personas. We are not only facades of protections that are representations of you, we are representations of those paths of lives: The Major Arcana."
As Seimen Kongo elaborated the details to Naoya, Jack Frost was doing it to Kei albeit a sporadic and cluttered less definite explanation that left Kei in a fuming mood.
"Third question regards the evolutions of our Personas." Kei stated, calming after drinking the can of Cyan Tea Yukino had given him.
"Evolutions-hee?" Jack Frost shook his head. "No clue! Sorry-hee!"
The vein in Kei's neck and forehead was visible as he grinded his teeth. Yukino rubbed his shoulders. "Relax, just relax. He's just a cute little snowman." She comfortably said.
"Demons and angels don't do much evolving-hee. It must only be Personas-hee." "Can you answer the question then?"
"It's-"
"Let me guess difficult to explain, easy to learn."
"I have no more questions." Kei waved away the energetic snowman. "Of course, you were incapable of answer the most prudent one." He whispered.
"Okay, Mistress Maki-hee? I'm leaving! Bye-ho!" He waved goodbye to everyone.
"Bye-bye!" She waved back, as he and the blue aura surrounding her vanished.
"Hey, Nanjo, what did you want to ask him about the evolutions for anyway?" Mark casually asked.
"It was a question bettered suit for Philemon, but since we lack the means to visit his domain on a whim, I presumed Jack Frost would be able to enlighten us to the natures of the demons which in-turn would alleviate the mysteries behind certain Persona characteristics. After all, they are gods and demons themselves."
"They're also us." Naoya retorted.
"Brave leader, you are correct, I myself can vouch for that. When Nike revealed herself I knew we were the same." Eriko added.
"All of them, announced they were us, when they first appeared." Brown recalled, throwing in his two cents considering he was the initial User to speak with his Persona. "Thou art I and I am thou…"
"I was hoping earnestly that Jack Frost could have extrapolated the details about communication with them as well as the exact trigger for these evolutions." Kei explained. "I can hear Yamaoka clearly now, but before Aizen Myuou spoke not a word."
"Same here, Nanjo. Ogun didn't say a thing until Susano-o popped out." Masao added.
"I was unable to hear Nike or Michael surprisingly, but I suppose the Chief of the Angels chooses not to converse with a lowly mortal." Eriko said, believing she was right.
"Archangels do not speak out of respect and honor. They only converse which each other, Metatron, and YHVH."
"The voice of god himself is Metatron, right? Whose YHVH?"
"Take a vivid stab, myself. You will be able to answer your own question."
"Well, I could hear Nemain when we fought Seiryu and Tyr hasn't said much. Occasionally, a sentence or two here. Nothing much." Brown said, finishing up the remainder of his drink, chucking the can leisurely away.
Ayase was resting next to him, she had Hori make a minor flame to be used as a light while they stayed, though there eyes were all ready well adjusted. "Not a word…" She replied to the open-discussion.
"Vesta has spoke not a single word." Yukino said, checking the numbers of shells, cartridges and clips were left in the duffel bag.
"Jack Frost only since I got him as a Persona, but Maso is a no on all-accounts. What about you two? Nao-kun? Reiji?"
Reiji scowled, not really caring for the topic of conversation, wanting desperately to get moving to take down Kandori. "Yeah, I hear Bres, but I told him to keep his trap shut, because he annoys the shit out of me when he lectures me."
"Nao?" Masao called.
"I can hear Seimen Kongo. I been able to since the Karma Palace."
"Oh, when he pointed out the right direction? I was wondering how you did that, Nao-kun."
"I could feel the wind and was able to trace the right path based on the hormones originating from Chisato's room."
"You were quite good at it too. It's almost disappointing you can't understand why we speak or these evolutions for that matter."
"So, all of us excluding Kido and Todo and briefly Uesugi were unable to hear our initial Personas, but Masao, Uesugi, Kirishima, and I were able to have a-" Kei's statement gained mimics as Eriko, Brown, and Masao spoke the words they had heard.
"Revelation of the heart." Kei ended. "I'm unsure how one is able to have a revelation of the heart, despite experiencing it myself."
"I didn't understand it either, Nanjo. The dude in my head said I was demonstrating these traits and I was worthy of the power of Chariot or whatever. I didn't understand. Even now that I remember the Chariot was my Arcana Igor predicted I don't understand. I just went with it."
"Same here." Brown nodded.
"Mine was clearer." Eriko said, recalling her thoughts after her dream of a memory. "I was following my Arcana, Judgement, with my actions and thoughts."
"That could be a contributing factor but the entire formula is not completely revealed." Kei replied.
"Following their Arcanas, there paths of life. You said gods, angels, and demons are representations of these paths of life. SO, is it because I followed the role of leadership and the ideals of the Emperor Igor had informed me of that I can hear you."
"Ah, you are worth your salt after all, myself."
"By following our Arcana we can hear our Personas? How do they evolve?"
"The hearing of our voices is brought upon by following the Arcana: opening your eyes and unplugging your ears. We as we are now are at a state of synchronization. That is why you can hear me. You are following the path of life that I represent. Evolution, you will have to come to light off on your own. I am unable to foretell the details. Only your heart and true mind can."
"My true mind?" "Todo?"
"Yes, Kei." He replied, snapping back to reality yet again.
"Are we ready to move?" He asked, standing with Yukino.
"Yes…" He picked up his katana beside him and secured it to the back of his waistband horizontally as usually. He shouldered his MP5, taking the head of the group, the other eight standing behind and abreast, prepared to climb the stairs to the largest floor of the castle. "This fight, I don't know what to expect, but I'll lead them no matter what. I won't back down."
Persona: Be Your True Mind
Kandori sat on his ruby throne a cardboard cut-out of a castle set-up behind him. Aki was floating next to him. His mirror was placed to the sides. Sconces were mounted and lit on the left and right walls to provide partial illumination. Kandori retained his recumbent position, scabbard and saber in his lap as his enemies rushed into his throne room, standing and waiting at attention. They were prepared for battle.
Kandori snickered.
"He's relaxing! He's think he has won." Naoya glared.
"Takahisa Kandori!" Reiji shouted, utter spite and hatred in his words. "You're going nowhere!"
Kandori grinned his conceited grin. "Don't be so coarse with your brother's name. Watch your tongue. You may be the child of Father's mistress but Kandori blood flows in you…unfortunately. But, what's the use? A stray bitch will breed stray dogs."
"I can't believe your that slime bags brother." Masao hissed. "At least you're not an egotistical dick!"
Reiji gritted his teeth, baring his canines. He clenched his fist, shuffling on his feet, the chain around his choker jingling. "My name is Kido! Reiji Kido!" He yelled at Kandori. "This is for my mother, the woman you and father used and threw away like a dirty rag!" He tapped his forehead scar. "This wound will never forget!"
"What you speak is nonsense, Reiji." Kandori was snide. He kept his composure not accepting Reiji's threats as viable. "Take your grievances up with my father's grave."
"Kandori!" Reiji growled, ready to charge.
"Shit, Reiji's about to explode! Gotta stop him quick!" Naoya was prepared to yell at him to wake his senses, but Kandori's tongue was quicker.
"What a bothersome cur. Muzzle him, Aki…."
"Yes, Daddy! ERUSAER TSYMMOM!" Aki pointed her finger to the sky and lighting bolt, a basic Zio, struck Reiji without warning.
He felt the numbing shocks course through him and fell to a knee. "That didn't hurt worth a shit, Kandori!" The electricity was still discharging. "I'm made of tougher stuff than you think!"
"Aki…"
She pointed up and a second lightening bolt struck in the blink of the eye. A third, and a fourth struck him, the other eight Persona Users not fast enough to defend him. After the fifth, the lightening stopped, Reiji was on both knees, the discharge sparking off him briefly. "Ngh…Damn it all…" He cursed.
"She fried him like Eriko did to Suzaku. He's smoking for Christ sake!" Naoya turned to his child hood friend. "Maki!"
"Nao-kun…" Maki hung her head and spoke somberly. "I can't. Remember."
"Shit! I forgot she's spent! She needs more time to regain her strength! Wait! Reiji has the pills! He can heal himself!"
"Mark, help Reiji, get the pills from his pocket!" Naoya order.
Masao had stepped to Reiji's side before Naoya had given the order. He retrieved the medicine bottled and helped Reiji's jittering body to take them.
"Reiji, come on, man, swallow the stupid things." Masao glared with contempt towards Aki and Kandori.
"What's the matter, monkey?" Aki asked playfully as she did her monkey imitation.
"Shut up, you brat! You've messed with us one too many times!"
"Everyone!" Naoya called. "We'll charge and all-out assault him!"
"Wait, Nao-kun?" Maki pointed to Aki. "There's Mai's compact!"
Kandori had entered his suit jacket and returned with the half in his hand. "Hm…Youth oft destroy itself…a common failing of headstrong boys." Kandori was referring to the dawdling healing Reiji.
"Aki!" Maki exclaimed. "He's not your Daddy! Don't you know that? Give the compact back, please!"
Aki held her own half of the compact. She blew a raspberry. "You can't hurt Daddy!"
"HELP ME! Jack Frost!" Maki summoned her companion who rested on her shoulder, a bereaved expression replacing his festive face.
"Mistress Aki-hee!" He waved at her, but she blew a raspberry at him.
"It's doesn't look like Maki or Jack Frost can talk Aki in to giving us the compact back."
"Mistress Aki-hee, please come back-hee! We miss you-hee!" The snowman was actually crying.
"Go away, Frosty! I don't need you to play with anymore!" She let the compact half fall from her grasp into the open palm of Kandori's other hand. He had final stood.
"Is he going to attack?" Naoya touched the hilt of his katana, but retracted his fingers when Kandori placed the two compact halves together, creating the full compact as expected.
"The two compact reunite in my hands. I have to thank you, young man." Kandori spoke to Naoya, the one who had placed Mai's half in the pedestal.
The fact Kandori was thanking Naoya made him sick.
"You snake!" Kei snapped, perturbed at the completion of the object that created this world they occupied. "What's your plan for the compact?" He demanded.
Kandori pointed to the mirror. "Show them, please, Aki."
"Okay, Daddy! ERUSAER TSYMMOM!"
"The mirror!" Naoya stuttered, turning to watch what Aki had done. The mirror was displaying an overview of their town, Mikage, it centered on the S.E.B.E.C. Building.
"Like, what's happening?" Ayase screamed.
"It's my ambition given shape…Now witness its power!"
"What is he doing? Mikage! What's the hell is happening?"
The compact in Kandori's hand was matching the light of the mirror. Broadcasted by the incandescent mirror was a scene no one would fathom. The atmosphere was pseudo peaceful. Demons were continuously popping up around the streets and buildings but the S.E.B.E.C. Building and the business district around it's foundation. The buildings were sound in structure and undamaged in surface. With a prominent flash, they were erased. A sphere of cobalt blue in the shape and near the diameter of the sun appeared, consuming the entirety of the S.E.B.E.C Building and the business district surrounding it. At the loss of the orb a indentation in the earth was made. It was a clean square impact crater, the sphere had sliced the buildings into nothingness, there matter gleaned and collected to be rearranged into the next construct. Arising from the square clean crater, emerging passed the matter sliced buildings was a giant slab of concrete laid in the square with four towers, one at each corner made of the same concrete material and reaching up to the air. In the center where the S.E.B.E.C. Building stood and now it's matter recreated was a Mayan temple-like tower that rose to breach the cloud covering of the dimming skyline. The structure mimicked that of a staircase ascending and descending on all sides. It was an obelisk set in place on the grave of the buildings used to create it. The mattered, the pure essence of the constructs were siphoned and morphed into Kandori's new age building practically at the drop of a hat.
"W-what is that? Don't tell me that's OUR Mikage?" Masao asked.
"That's right." Kandori answered. "It's my new castle…I call it Deva Yuga. A worthy name for something that will usher in a new shining era!"
"Ngh…you bastard…" Reiji grunted, standing.
"Kandori, you devil…" Kei scowled.
Maki gasped. "I can't believe you did such a thing…"
"Like, what does Deva Yuga mean? What's he like talking about?"
"It could be titled as he has referred, God Era." Eriko explained.
"What the hell did he even do? How'd he make something that friggin' tall?" Brown exclaimed in panic and awe at the embellishment and renovation of the business district and S.E.B.E.C. Building of their world.
"Boy, this Mirror of Chaos is how! It's just what I've yearned for! It is exquisite is it not…You may recognize the design from the Karma Palace. The Harem Queen's mirror was a prototype of my Mirror of Chaos. This is the real deal. It's no mere compact. This trinket is only the Mirror's power supply! You've seen its majestic power! My mirror and the completed compact, I have acquired the power to make my desires reality! Power over the dimensions without the need for the Deva System!"
"We're idiots! We delivered a deus ex machina. It's all he fuckin' needed! The damn thing was like a portable Deva System! Now he can bend matter to his whim without a single repercussion or delay! Where did he even get this Mirror of Chaos? It has to be a part of his plan. The mirror interacts with the compact and it acts as the Deva System!"
"I'm starting to see now, Kandori." Kei spoke before Nao. "The compact and the Deva System were only laying the groundwork. Now you-"
"I will become a god on Earth and a god has only one duty…to wield the rod of judgment upon the wayward human race!"
"I get it…you're planning on annihilating humanity!" Yukino spat.
"Like hell he will!" Masao drew his axe out of his backpack.
Kei brought out his broadsword. "I won't allow it, Kandori!"
"Neither will I!" Naoya yelled, covering his face with his left hand.
"I'm going to kill you, Kandori!" Reiji bellowed, putting up his fists.
Jack Frost jumped to Maki's feet and acted as a shield for her. "HEE-HO! Mistress Aki-hee! I'll bring you back-hee to Pyro Jack and Mistress Mai-hee!"
Brown raised his spear and Ayase readied her whip. Eriko drew forth her rapier and Yukino held razorblades between each finger and her Ithaca sawn-off shotgun.
"You nine…such senseless defiance…Aki!"
"ERUSAER TSYMMOM!" Aki's chant brought down a storm of lightning bolts, barrages of astir succession. The strikes landed consecutively with no fault or failure. The constant weaker Mazios brought each down to there knees as Reiji once was. Eriko was unharmed due Michael's Null Elec effect, but she was pushed downward at the varying weight and build of the lightning on her Persona.
"Damn it! AW! Damn it all! I can't move! My insides are writhing! What the hell?"
"I…should have mentioned…ARGH!" Seimen Kongo shouted in pain, his voice shaking, his confident demeanor gone. "I am weak to electricity…AR! I'm apologies…"
"DAMN IT!"
Aki continued with her languish Mazios until Kandori spoke. "I'll now return to the real world. Do you despise me? If so, do not worry. Aki's attack Skills are incapable of killing you. At most you are disheveled. If you survive, then follow me to the real world…after defeating an old friend…"
"ERUSAER TSYMMOM!" At the flick of Aki's finger, a flash of white light summoned a man dressed in a fine-tailored brown business suit and clean-cut brown hair. It was Takeda, Kandori's right hand man. He played a smug grin and drew his firearm of choice: a fifty caliber action express Desert Eagle. This was his second chance, a chance for the new-and-improved Takeda to prove he deserved to be Takahisa Kandori, god of the Earth's right hand man any longer.
"Objects of one's desire cannot be easily obtained, but the joy of overcoming obstacles to obtain them is the highest bliss. So speaks your new god!" With his preaching preached, a flash of light took Aki away with Takahisa Kandori and his Mirror of Chaos, his godly weapon.
"He's gone and we're stuck with this bastard!" Naoya's legs buckled, the effects of the thunder bath and his weakness being exploited reprieved. He had not had time to bask in the pain when Byakko had attacked them all with a Mazio in the S.E.B.E.C. Building due to Maki immediately using Media to heal all of them.
Naoya checked the conditions of his friends. "Hard to believe a kid did this. We killed a tiger, turtle, dragon, and a phoenix and we get screwed over by Aki!"
Jack Frost had vanished, Maki most likely was unconscious. She truly was enervated, lost of all her spiritual energy. "She did too much…"
Eriko was up and running to Reiji's sprawled body, the bottle of pills spilled slightly on the floor next to Masao. "Brave leader, I have the medicine I'll-"
"Eriko! I want you stay right there and give everyone those pills! I have unfinished business!" Naoya locked eyes with the austere Takeda, his hand firmly attached to the handle of his katana.
"Caution…Todo…" Kei hissed. "Recall his Persona repels physical attacks…"
Naoya nodded, Takeda paying them no attention. He was checking his Desert Eagle, loading his clip with twenty-four .50 caliber bullet. "You brats are dead this time! Master Kandori has granted me additional mental and internal brawn!"
Masao spat to his left, Eriko giving him his pills. "That's funny, you still look dumb and ugly!"
Takeda's eyes narrowed. He pointed his Desert Eagle at Masao. Eriko had scurried to Brown and Ayase, her back turned. Takeda's eye twitched, seeing Naoya's feet on their toes. "My finger is itching, but my bullet is killing the fucker who messed me up last time!"
"He knew I'd try to swat the bullet and Mark would roll out of the way! He read my stance! Maybe he is mentally stronger."
The Desert Eagle barrel snapped it's sights on Naoya. "I'll kill you!" He pulled the trigger seven times, letting the seven high power rounds fly.
Naoya's vision began to delay. He saw the actions he would perform in slow-motion compared to Takeda who saw it at the fast-paced speed. Naoya raised his left hand back to his face, his cloudy white aura of the Neutral Alignment encasing him. "PERSONA!" He called, drawing forth his katana, backhanded and slashing it in front of him. Seimen Kongo emerged at the exact moment Naoya unsheathed his katana. The god unleashed a streak of wind with a righteous left and right cross at the exact moment of Naoya's backhanded slash. The bullets met this wall and the normality returned to Naoya's vision. The contused and diced .50 caliber bullets innocently fell to the ground. Their momentum was stopped and their dangerous penetration and trajectory defeated.
"How did you…?" Takeda gnashed his teeth, reviewing the clip again.
"Yeah, how did I?"
"Remember when I said with your eyes open and your ears unplugged we are in a state of synchronization. You can fully feel me and I can fully feel you. We are one in mind and body."
The words were spoken from the true lips of the deity. He was hovering behind Naoya, the cloudy white covering the both of them. His arms were crossed.
"Why now? And what did we do?"
"Synchronizing as this is only viable whence you have embraced the Arcana completely. As time progressed and you fell into the path of life, the synchronization developed. It was almost to this extent in the maze. You could utilize my ability to feel the wind and air. Now with me present here as I am thou and thou art I, you can control the wind through me."
"The wind? So, when I went to evoke you, YOUR instincts and MINE combo-ed the bullets with wind and the sword! Shit, I wish I could have done this earlier. I feel a little special compared to everyone else."
"Remember, myself, wind can be as sharp as the finest steel or as dense as the thickest rock."
"So, we crushed the bullets with the wind and then sliced them."
"Yes. Your opponent is back."
"Listen, brat! I don't need this gun! I never needed it!" Takeda tossed the Desert Eagle aside, emulating his previous actions back in Kandori's office. A scarlet mist and aura consumed the tall man. "BEHOLD THE POWER! TITAN!" Titan was unchanged. He was naked, pale, and wearing his ornate lilac snake tattoos. His hair was still brunette and styled wildly. Titan remained at Takeda's head.
"I know what he plans to do. He's not as smart after all. You know what I want to do, yes."
"You can hear my language in your ears, I take it. I will warn you, it is adroit at both death or injury. You choose how you want the wind to be and I will spin it to cleave or pound!" Seimen Kongo's words returned to Naoya's mind, not wanting to announce his capabilities to the enemy.
"Will do!" Naoya sheathed his katana and cast aside his MP5. "Here it goes!" Naoya swiped his arm through the air, lifting it at a diagonal angel adjacent to his head. He kept his arm curved and raised, Seimen Kongo mimicking him. When the Persona raised his clenched fist to the location with his master's, a squall of verdant wind surrounded Naoya with the Neutral mist. It towered beyond their combined heights to the ceiling, rotating and swirling in a colossus spiral close to the rampant currents of a cyclone.
"TITAN! EARTHLY VORTEX!" Titan punched the floor, sending spurts of giant boulders underneath Naoya's feet.
Naoya never hesitated or broke his pose, the howling wind whistled with each boulder being buffeted and reduced to pebbles by the pressure of the dreadful spiral of wind. The currents dragged the pebbles up to the skies at Takeda's screeches. The green of the wind was densening, the speed increasing further. Naoya planted the flats of his feet in the eye of his cyclone, his and Seimen Kongo's arm still raised, gyrating the zephyr to destructive and critical levels.
"TITAN! AVALANCHE!" Titan punched the ceiling, the pebbles ascended by the wind crafting together into a shower of deadly stalactites. "You're dead!"
The wind ripped and shredded the falling cones. The encumbrance reduced the boulders turned pebbles turned stalactites to a spray of sand and dust, whafted away. "That was new…are we ready to end this?"
"The wind is at it's maximum velocity! It we had not been attacked with my weakness previously, I would have been able to manipulate the wind in a shorter period." "All right!" Naoya's arm tensed and strained, his demeanor softening. He sensed the common breathing return to his friends. Eriko had completed healing them all with the medicine. Takeda's breathing was rugged and husky, he was huffing, pissed off.
"TITAN!"
"HERE IT GOES!" Naoya and his Persona exclaimed both at once, thrusting there arm down through the wind. "TEMPEST!" At Naoya's signal, the massive eddy of green wind let loose from him. It was boundless and ravaging, dashing across the room to consume Takeda in it's fury. He was taken aback by the tremendous attack laid upon him. He growled in frustration, soon it deafening as the tempest's own roar beat his. He was trapped within the circling wind, all the while it was expanding and ensnaring the ruby throne and cardboard castle cut-out around itself. The squall wailed and spun, decimating the ruby into chunks and the cardboard into shreds. As far as the wind expanded, the deeper it sunk. All the pressure and structure of the tempest and the objects around it dug into Takeda as he traveled his own round-about with them. With the expansion the height had drifted but with the regain of the pressure, the height magnified, doubling to twice it's original size. The gigantic cyclone crashed into the peak of the room, it drilled and punctured into the outside, ripping tiles and brick and other material from the construction. The entirety of the throne room's ceiling, inside and out was stripped away and sent askew as Takeda's pounded body traveled up the pipe of wind, battered with the debris and the iron-clad pressure of the technique. The tempest let out it's concluding clap and roar, the precious ruby, discarded cardboard, and the dilapidated roofing viciously slung to the corners of the decaying ground under the polluted sky. Takeda was motionless, voiceless, the tempest died and dropped him down from the dirtied skies to the edge of the crumbled castle top. He hung lazily, defeated, unconscious, and covered in caustic contusions brought on by the air pressure and density of the unstoppable Tempest.
Seimen Kongo faded, Naoya collapsing to his knees, panting. "Good job…partner…" He congratulated.
"It was both of us, myself. Now I need to rest. We're both gaunt from the excessive exploitation of our weakness."
"Yeah, good idea…" Nao fell forward, exhausted.
Persona: Be Your True Mind
Naoya awoke after the sensation of five or so medical capsule were massaged down his throat, most likely by Eriko. He cracked his neck, rejuvenated from being electrocuted. His eyesight adjusted to the fire-lit room, everyone was standing around him, astonished or concerned.
Kei broke the silence. "That was quite impressive, Todo. How is it you came about doing it?"
"Long story, let me give you the clip notes." Naoya groaned, Masao helping to his feet. "If we follow our Arcana we can synchronize with our Personas. What happen was basically like a new found mastery of my Persona because of my following of the Emperor Arcana. We were one I suppose you can say."
"Intriguing, perhaps that relates to the formula of hearing and speaking to Personas as well as the evolution." Kei rubbed his chin in thought.
"How are you, Nao-kun?" Maki asked.
"Yes, brave leader, did five pills do the trick." Eriko examined the half-emptied bottle which Reiji snatched back.
"I hold these, Kirishima."
"I'm better, guess my weakness is lightning." Naoya flicked his earring.
"Either way, this whole mess was just a waste of time." Masao stated, getting set on the serious track. "If we don't hurry and catch that scumbag, things in our world are gonna get out of hand!"
"But how do we get back?" Naoya asked. "Aki accidentally brought us her the first time and the portal Chisato and Yosuke fell through and this Maki used to go to our world is closed, right."
Reiji snapped. "There must be a way, punk! That's the kind of bastard Kandori is. You heard him, he wants us to chase him and challenge him. He's still toying with us!" Reiji whitened his knuckles. "I'm not giving up until my hands are around that son of a bitch's neck!"
"Kido is correct, Todo. There must be some way…" Kei said, pushing up his glasses.
"But where, Kei? No portal, no go right?" Yukino shrugged.
"Maybe there…" Maki's voice cracked. "The place were rumors of people being spirited away."
"Spirited away?" Brown exclaimed. "Un-uh! NO way! I ain't messin with ghosts! NOPE! Not part of that at all!"
"Oh, shut up, Brown!" Masao flipped him off and turned to Maki.
"Where is this place Maki?" Naoya asked, gathering his sub-machine gun.
"I assume she's referring to the vacant and alleged haunted mansions back in our world, brave leader." Eriko informed.
"Like, that place has nothing." Ayase spoke, callously. "It's a totally rickety dump where everyone goes to smoke cigarettes after school."
"For once she's right." Masao commented. "I used to sneak in there when I was a kid. Ma would get so mad…"
"Ayase may indeed be right…for our world's reality, but…this world is different in that respect." Kei explained.
"The haunted mansion is where the S.E.B.E.C. Building is…sorry, I mean was in your world."
Masao sunk. "Back through the subway again. Jesus, this guy likes making us run after our own tails." He grunted in displeasure. He looked to Maki. "You know, Maki, Kandori's only screwing with our world, now. It's our problem exclusively. You can go back home. I mean, you're worn out aren't you?"
Mark had a point. Naoya agreed. "Kandori's our problem, Maki. You can stay here and we'll handle him. If Jack Frost insist on going, I'll take him with me." He offered.
Maki pouted and puffed her cheeks. "NO!" She exclaimed suddenly. "I'm not going to be the only one who has to sit back and watch! I like your town! I like all of you! I like…me…" Her voice was a crescendo, ceasing with a hiss. "And I can't just stay quiet and watch the things I like be destroyed. It's just not something I would do."
"This Maki…is Maki Sonomura…I was skeptical that this world's Maki was different but they are the same. They want to help everyone, they care for everyone, they want to protect everyone. She is Maki Sonomura, no doubt in my mind any longer." Maki's heartfelt statement had caused Naoya's mind to stir and reach a final epiphany about this secondary Mikage world's Maki. His sisterly friend who he's know since childhood very well could be standing in front of him right now. She holds her appearance, her heart, and her mind. Maki Sonomura as Naoya Todo had thought was standing there, not the actual Maki, but she passed.
"The things we like, huh?" The realization hit Mark as well. Everyone else kept quiet. "Looks like no one has any more complaints. Let's go to the haunted mansion, ASAP, Nao!"
Naoya nodded. "Let's go!" Naoya took the lead, the ache semi-prevalent in his legs and the numbness under his arms. He worked through it. "We have to rationalize the pills. I feel better physically for the most part. I don't need to be a hundred percent. I'll regain my energy as we head to the haunted mansion. What we'll find there? Who the hell knows?"
Persona: Be Your True Mind
A lot to swallow and comprehend. I did my best. Basically Kandori with the compact and the Mirror of Chaos Kandori has a portable and all expansive Deva System which he can utilize to manipulate matter into whatever he wants: Deva Yuga. So he's basically succeeded in becoming a god and in chapter Twenty Four we'll see how that faired for him. Yes I removed Saurva in favor of the now short lived Takeda. I thought it might fit better due to Naoya now in Neutral Alignment and beating him with Tempest. The next chapter I'm not going to lie is probably going to be the last short chapter for awhile. Chapter 22, 23, and 24 are going to be LONG. They are the entirety of Deva Yuga which technically is not the penultimate dungeon of the game but is the last dungeon the characters will explore, the other three after that are gonna be skimmed down to the grits. Either way, I hope you enjoyed Chapter Twenty of Persona: Be Your True Mind and I'll see you next time for Chapter Twenty One: The Haunted Mansion.
Masao, Kei, Brown, Naoya: DO! DO! DO! DO! When the crypt doors creak and the tombstones quake, spooks come out for a swinging wake. Happy haunts materialize and began to vocalize. Grim grinning ghost come out to socialize!
Me: *Claps* Good, we got the reference across, you can come out from behind the artificial busts.
Masao: Dude, I don't even know what we're referencing.
Kei: I can't believe I accepted to doing such a foolish thing.
Brown: Hey it was kinda fun as long as no real ghost show up.
Naoya: Something tells me this was foreshadowing.
Me: Not really, just for a laugh. Either way, don't sue us!