It was a rather long and exhausting day for all parties involved. They would be heading to Osaka tomorrow and hopefully, with Konoe's keyword in tow with Ichinose's help. With the police pursuit finally over, the group could relax for the night. Luckily for them, they had at least one more night in the hot spring hotel. Considering how the police suddenly stormed the place, they were able to get eek out that one final night for free as an apology for the severe inconvenience.
It was just late enough for the woman's side of the bath to be open, so Mika was going to take that chance after the stressful day. But she also invited Hifumi along with her, so the two of them were sitting along in the water. "Ahh...I did not realize how much this was needed."
"No kidding. I felt gross and sweaty after being in that Jail." Mika said with a small sigh. "You guys really do a lot, don't you? Is this how it's always been?"
"Yes." Hifumi nodded in response. "That is the sort of danger we face every time we step into the Metaverse. It was much the same last year."
"Geez. I'd have more of a heart attack if I didn't see you in action." Mika rolled her eyes. "But it didn't actually seem that bad. And there's a reason I asked you to join me, Hifumi-chan."
"Eh?" Hifumi blinked, tilting her head.
"Take me to one of those Jails. I want a Persona and I want it now." Mika demanded. After seeing the Phantom Thieves in action, and even watching Zenkichi's own awakening with her own two eyes, she wanted one.
"W-Wh...!?" Hifumi's eyes were wide. "That's too..."
"You can't even tell me it's dangerous." Mika shook her head, scowling. Every time Hifumi insinuated it was too dangerous for her, it made her upset. If it were anyone else, she could brush it aside. But Hifumi wasn't just anyone else to Mika. "I was in there with you, and that old guy was able to get a Persona. So, Hifumi-chan. Can you really look me in the eye and tell me that it's impossible for me?"
Unfortunately, Hifumi could not do that. Mika had a point. She was exposed a fair bit to the Metaverse by now and witnessed so much. Mika had her in a pinch manuever and there was simply nothing she could do about it. So she sighed. "No. I suppose I can't say that...I do not like the idea of thrusting you into danger, but I also know once you set your mind to something, you will see it through."
"How else do you think I became such a top tier model?" Mika said with a wink. She was very adamant about this and Hifumi had no choice but to relent. "Oh, but I am NOT stepping foot in that freaky place in Okinawa. That place lives in my nightmares..."
"That's fair." Hifumi nodded. She effectively had little choice but to go along with Mika's request. "You make it near impossible to deny."
"You are not the only person to who said that." Mika said with a smug grin. After she said this, she stood up and wrapped a towel around herself, motioning for Hifumi to follow her. "Come on, Hifumi-chan. I bet we can do this before the night is over!"
"I hope I don't have to drive tomorrow." It was already a little late. Hifumi was hoping this was going to be quick. So they both had towels wrapped around them and proceeded to make their way back inside. But right as the door opened, Ann and Sumire were standing right there. "A-Ah?"
"Eep!" Sumire squeaked.
"What are you two doing?" Mika quirked a brow. "Worried things were getting steamy between me and Hifumi-chan?"
"Don't say it like that..." Hifumi said while blushing. Nothing even happened, but it felt embarrassing.
"We heard what you were talking about." Ann pointed at Mika. "You can't make Hifumi drag you into danger because you want a Persona. It doesn't work that way!"
"I've seen how it works with my own two eyes." Mika crossed her arms. "You can do it. That old man can do it. I can do it too."
"She's really not going to budge..." Sumire whispered.
"Damn right I'm not." Mika shook her head. "If you're so concerned, you can simply come along with Hifumi-chan and I."
"Ugh." Ann shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. Mika was really pushing this.
"I do not see the harm." Sophia chimed in from Sumire's phone. "If we go as a group, we can protect Mika from danger."
"See? Even the AI girl knows." Mika grinned smugly. There was really no way around it. "We'll be quick. I'm a fast learner."
"That's not really how it works, but...fine." Ann had no choice but to concede for now. Hifumi taught her the meaning of that word, and it unfortunately applied so hard right now. "Get changed...we'll be quick about it.
So the girls went to get changed. It was late for Ren and he was just trudging along, noticing Ann, Hifumi, Mika, and Sumire going somewhere. "...Wonder what they're doing..." But the only thing he would do is wonder. Because he was not going to risk sticking his nose in woman's business. He was lucky the girls let the boys off with a warning in the hot springs...
.
.
As per Mika's request, Dragon, Panther, Violet, and Sophie brought her to...Sendai Jail. It was Dragon's decision. Being able to go to previous Jails was extremely useful. Mika blinked, taking a look at the architecture of the Jail. "What in the world is THIS place?"
"This is..." Violet began.
"This is the realm of the Demon Lord!" Dragon exclaimed. It had been a while since they actually stepped foot in here, so the others forgot that Hifumi was like this in here.
"Uh, what?" Mika blinked.
"This is the realm of the Demon Lord. The Prince of Nightmares." Dragon said, her tone dropping to something more dramatic. She fell into the role so easily, it made Panther and Violet sweat. "The Prince of all monsters, who sought to cover the world in darkness. Many heroes tried and failed to slay him...but we, the Phantom Thieves, were able to defeat him. So it shall be here that we begin the quest to unlock your latent potential!"
'Uh...what's happening...?" Mika looked to the others. Why was Dragon acting like this? And why did she kind of like it? They sighed.
"She really likes this place." Violet rubbed the back of her neck.
"If you're going to awaken to a Persona, she thinks it'll be best here." Panther is good at translating Dragon's language at times. "Although, I have no idea how we're going to do that. Do you even feel stressed about anything?"
"Is that important, or something?" Mika tilted her head.
"That's the driving factor for how we got our powers." Panther sighed. She really had no faith this would work. "These outfits are our ideas of what a rebel looks like. We started all this so we could fight back against society and all the crap it tried to force onto us."
"And how did you get your powers, then?" Mika asked.
"I hit my limit when a bastard teacher forced my friend to nearly end her own life." Panther explained. She would never, ever forget that day.
"And when I could no longer stand my mother, I awakened to my own." Dragon said.
"That tracks. Your mother is-" She was about to say something, but for Dragon's sake, she decided against it for once. Nobody knew how much of a pain Mistuyo was than her own daughter. "I'm surprised she even let you on this trip." She then turned to Violet. "And you?"
"...Long story." Violet rubbed the back of her neck. It was not as simple as Panther or Dragon's.
"If she learned I was a Phantom Thief, I doubt she would..." Dragon said with a sweat drop. "But no matter, we are here to unlock your potential!"
"Where is the first place we should try?" Sophie asked. "We do not have Oracle with us right now, so I believe it would be wiser to stick to the entrance where we can see everything."
"Curses, you are correct. I would've enjoyed taking Mika to the Demon Lord's throne..." Dragon snapped her fingers.
"I'm okay with that." Mika waved a hand. "I don't really think I'm missing out." She did take a look over the ledge, where she could see numerous Shadows wandering around, minding their own business. "Huh. Lot of ugly shadows walking around."
"I really don't think this'll work." Panther still had her doubts. That alone made Mika scowl.
"I'll show you." Mika huffed. "Dragon-chan, bring me down there!"
"Dragon-chan?" Dragon blinked and Mika was already climbing into her arms to be carried down. Shrugging, she leapt down with Mika, with Panther, Violet, and Sophie following suit.
Mika then stepped down and placed her hands on her hips. "So, where do we start?"
"You mean you don't even have a plan?" Panther groaned. "Were you just gonna throw yourself at Shadows until you figured something out?"
"Of course not. I was going to throw you at a Shadow." Mika replied, making Panther a bit more upset.
"Is there even anything that would get you upset?" Violet tilted her head. "You seem pretty calm about most things in your life...at least from what I've noticed." As far as she was concerned, Mika had everything together.
"As if I would tell you." Mika flipped her hair.
"We won't know how to push you if you don't tell us anything." Panther said.
"..." Dragon furrowed her brows. She did have one idea, based on Mika's attitude thus far...but before they could delve deeper into that conversation, a car drove by. It was Jose once again, making the rounds through the Jails. "Huh?"
"Oh my gosh! Is that Jose!?" Panther's eyes sparkled.
"What the..." Mika watched as Jose pulled up.
"Hello again!" Jose smiled with a cup in hand. "Where are the rest of you?"
"Oh, we're doing something that won't take long." Panther waved a hand. "It's so good to see you!"
"It's nice to see you too, Panther! You look pretty as always." Jose nodded innocently. The compliment made Panther sway her arms and giggle.
"What are you doing here?" Sophie tilted her head.
"Oh. Looking for more flowers." Jose replied casually. "These places have stranger tasting flowers than Mementos."
"Uh. What." Mika blinked.
'Oh! Another pretty lady. Hello!" Jose smiled at Mika, who smirked from the compliment. "Where are your clothes?" He meant Phantom Thief attire, but Mika did stand out compared to the others.
"I'm working on it!" Mika huffed. "Who even are you?"
"I'm Jose." Jose replied simply. That didn't really help. "I'm sorry, I'm not really good with words..." Whenever he was asked a question about himself, his responses only raised more questions than answers. Which is precisely why the Thieves just let him be. He was harmless, but also helpful.
"It's okay." Dragon nodded. "You can continue what you were doing. We'll tell the others you said hello."
"Okay. Thank you!" With that, Jose drove off.
"...Weird kid." Mika rolled her eyes. "Moving on! How are we doing this? Is it just throwing me into some kind of fight and waiting to see what happens?"
"That's way too dangerous!" Dragon exclaimed.
"It worked for that old guy!" Mika replied. "Besides, I work wonderfully under stress. Pressure turns me into a diamond."
"Pressure?" Sophie tilted her head.
"Stress?" Mika looked at Sophie. Right, the AI. She was not going to get used to that... "When I'm stressed, it only brings out the best in me. I have no intentions of letting the people expecting things of me down, simply because I fold under the pressure. As one of the most popular models around, I have no choice but to step my game up. Unlike...some people I know."
"Another comment like that and I'm dragging you out of this place with my whip!" Panther growled.
"Jealous because you're falling behind? I thought you weren't going to lose to me!" Mika replied slyly. While the two were arguing, Sophie was just taking in what Mika told her.
"Ooooookay!" Once again, Dragon had to break it up between them. "We are not going to make any progress at this rate..."
"Allow me to help." That voice came from Lavenza, who calmly approached the group.
"Hey, you're that..." Mika remembered Lavenza from Sapporo, and the occasional spotting in Okinawa. "Why is SHE here!?"
"Longer story." Violet said with a sweat drop.
"If you are seeking a fitting place, then I have a good spot in mind. Meet me in Shibuya Jail, please." With that, Lavenza walked off.
"Shibuya?" Dragon sighed. "And here I was hoping we could ascertain your true strength within the Demon Lord's realm."
"I honestly don't think that would've helped her whatsoever..." Panther said while patting Dragon's back.
.
.
From one Jail to another, the group of Dragon, Panther, Violet, Sophie, and Mika made their way to Shibuya Jail. The moment they did, Mika had to cover her eyes from all the glowing neon lights. "Oh, what the hell is this? It's so bright...!"
"This is...er, was...is? Alice's Jail." Panther wasn't so sure how to phrase it. Alice was the Monarch, but they changed her heart, yet the Jail was still present.
"It is Alice's Jail." Dragon said.
"Is this what you had to go through to get to her? How tragic. I feel like I'm gonna vomit from seeing all these sweets around." Mika gagged.
"They're fake. Don't ask me how I know that." Panther did not want to bring up how she tried to eat one.
"Right..." Mika just ignored that. "So what are we doing here?"
Lavenza approached them once again. "There you all are. There is something I would like to show you. It is nothing of great importance in the grand scheme of things, but to your specific situation, I believe it will be quite helpful."
"Okay, Lavenza." Sophie bounced on her feet. Once again, they followed Lavenza to the base of Alice's Castle. Or rather, what was left of it. In front of the wreckage was a strange blue rift. "And here it is."
"What is this?" Mika pointed at the rift.
"This is something of a memory." Lavenza explained. "The will of the Monarchs was strong and left an impression, even after their defeat. If you step into this rift, you will come face to face with the Shadow of the Monarch. Not them in the flesh, but what was left behind. This is true across Sendai and Sapporo Jails as well."
"So we can talk to Alice's Shadow again?" Violet looked at Lavenza, who nodded.
"Truthfully, I planned to reveal this to the Trickster as a means to test his and your strength once more. But from what I have heard and learned about your friend specifically, I believe this may bear some fruit." Lavenza responded. "You had a strong dislike for Alice, did you not?"
"That's putting it lightly. I wanted to stick it to her myself! And I get the chance to do that right now?" Mika had a grin on her lips. "Sign me up!"
"You know Alice herself won't remember this, right?" Panther said.
To that, Mika waved her hand dismissively. "Who cares. I missed my chance to lay into her before. It'll be good practice for later."
"Later...?" Dragon slumped her shoulders.
"Very well." Lavenza nodded and stepped to the side, allowing the girls to enter the rift and see for themselves.
.
.
The scene shifted slightly. When the girls stepped through the rift, they were atop a rebuilt castle, with Shadow Alice sitting at throne. "Well, well...look who's come back." Shadow Alice said while lightly tapping her baton against her palm.
The girls didn't even have the chance to take in the scenery before the memory of Shadow Alice spoke to them. Mika took one look at her and her eyes widened, a mixture of emotions flowing through her at that very moment from seeing Shadow Alice. She wasn't sure if she wanted to laugh, gag, or something else. "Whoa...what IS that outfit? That is the tackiest thing I've ever seen you wear! And put some pants on, nobody is trying to see all of that!"
"Oh? You brought Mika-san this time?" Shadow Alice quirked a brow. "Isn't that just wonderful?"
"This...doesn't sound like the Alice we fought..." Violet whispered to Dragon.
"Did something change?" Sophie asked.
"It is a lingering memory...since we changed the real one's heart, I believe this is just leftover emotion. That is how Lavenza made it sound." Dragon did her best to clarify the situation. Whatever the case, what was happening in front of them was very real. In a sense, the memory of Shadow Alice was still Shadow Alice. There was just no heart to change...
"What do you think of my castle? It's lovely, isn't it? Did you come to be my new toy?" Shadow Alice stood up and sauntered forward. "I wonder how quickly you'd break...you seem so strong willed, but I bet you'd snap in half like my previous managers..."
"Your toy? Hah." Mika scoffed at the idea. Even though Alice already admitted to her wrongdoings in reality, seeing this unfiltered, raw, ugly side of Alice just made her feel extremely vindicated. "I knew you were fake from the very beginning!"
"You're calling me fake?!" Shadow Alice could hardly believe what she was hearing. "Have you looked in a mirror?"
"Oh, at least I own it." Mika looked at her nails. There was nary an insult Shadow Alice could throw at her that could get under her skin. "I worked for my status. You had to sink so low as to brainwash people for yours."
"...Is this a good idea?" Panther was a little worried now. Shadow Alice looked like she was about to strike.
"Work is what you call it. Clinging to the highest person around just to leech your way to the top. I guess it worked for you!" Shadow Alice frowned. "You're even worming your way with the Phantom Thieves now. But I wonder how useful you are to them like that?" And as she spoke, she began to transform in an instant into her monstrous rabbit form.
"W-What?!" Mika's eyes were wide. Her first instinct was to comment on how hideous Alice looked, but she hardly had any time for that as Shadow Alice lunged right at her. The others yelped, but it was Dragon who acted first.
With the power of Aegis, Dragon was able to repel Shadow Alice's attack. She looked over her shoulder, frowning at Mika. "I am sorry, Mika. Perhaps this was an unwise idea after all. It is too dangerous for you without the correct trigger...so please stand back as we handle this."
"Will we be okay? It did take all of us last time..." Violet remarked.
"It's only a memory, right? And our elements are effective against her, from what I recall." Sophie said. "I believe we should be fine. We are also stronger than last time as well."
"..." Mika felt that twinge of anger again. It wasn't speaking to Alice that made her feel this way. It did annoy her to a degree, but that wasn't it. It was once again, the one person whose opinion actually mattered to her...saying she was no good here.
"Stand back, Mika. It is not safe for you here. I'm afraid...you cannot help us right now." Dragon said as she stood with Panther, Violet, and Sophie. It wasn't going to be fun fighting Shadow Alice again, but they would be able to manage. So they lunged at their foe while Mika stood in the background, being told that she was...no help. Words said by her very own, and only friend...
"I didn't come here just to be some kind of burden..." Mika grumbled. She couldn't fall behind Ann, who had been doing this for as long as they knew each other. Hifumi, too! Or even Zenkichi, she saw it happen with her own eyes. Why not her? She wasn't useless. She was tired of people telling her what she could and couldn't do! "If I have to force it to happen, I will...because I'm not...sitting on the sidelines as my one friend puts herself in danger...I'm not letting her tell me what I can and can't do...!" Nobody would tell her that ever again.
"Does it sting? The pain of rejection?" A voice spoke out to Mika and her eyes widened.
"Ngh!?" A sharp pain hit her head and she gripped it while falling to her knees.
"Afraid of your own feelings? Are you just going to watch as your dignity is cast into the abyss? What is it you truly want?"
"I..." Mika grit her teeth. It was at this moment that the others started to realize something was wrong with her. What did she really want? "I want her to look at me...the same way she does with Ann..." She mumbled while clenching her hand into a fist, her nails digging into the skin, a bit of blood trailing from her palm. "I won't allow a single person to look at me and say what I can or can't do! I will NOT be left behind!"
"Then take it upon yourself to force their gazes onto you once more." The voice said excitedly. "Show them who you are! Remind them!"
And at that moment, as her eyes burned yellow...a mask appeared on Mika's face, similar to that of a snake's face.
"No way!?" Panther gasped.
"Is she...!?" Violet's eyes were wide.
Mika staggered to her feet and grabbed the mask on her face with both hands, letting out a piercing cry as she tore it off in all of its bloody manner. There was a brilliant blue pillar of energy that exploded along with her, causing all of the ensuing action to stop on a dime. As that light faded, Mika was revealed in an entirely different outfit; knee high boots, a skirt, a top and long green gloves that extended to her elbows. The gloves were adorned with sharp claws that leaked a very toxic substance. The outfit was colored green, patterns similar to the scales of a snake. Behind her? A Persona; a woman wearing a red kimono, yellow eyes, and the back of her head extended like a serpent, long enough for her to rest on it. "Oh, now that feels so much better!"
"...I can't believe this." Panther genuinely had no faith this would happen, so she was slack jawed at the events before her.
"Whoooooooooa!" Sophie said with wide eyes.
"She really did it!?" Violet exclaimed.
"..." Dragon didn't say anything, but there was a faint grin on her lips.
"Too dangerous for me now?" Mika lifted a brow, drinking up the reactions to this new power. Now she was finally on equal footing with Dragon and Panther! "I'll show you just what I can do! Nuwa, let's sink our fangs into that faker!"
.
.
It was the dead of night in Kyoto now. The girls returned after a very surprising night. They were trying to be quiet not to wake anyone, while also getting ready to crash for bed themselves. "Whew! I feel so good right now. Really socking it to Alice felt very cathartic." Mika said while stretching her arms over her head. She was riding such a high, until she then came crashing down, quite literally. "Ooof..."
"I still can't believe that actually happened..." Ann shook her head. "Mika has a Persona. This just had to be a dream. I'm going to wake up and none of this actually happened..."
Hifumi made sure to keep Mika steady. She held on long enough for the recoil of her awakening to hit just now. "Easy..."
"I need a codename now, right?" Mika already had one in mind. "Viper."
"Makes sense, considering you're a snake." Ann rolled her eyes.
"And you're a coug-" Mika was about to snap back, but she was too tired too and groaned when she felt it.
"Today was certainly a day..." Sumire said with an exasperated sigh.
"It is currently 12:12 AM." Sophia reported. "
"...Bed time..." Sumire yawned.
"Bed time..." Ann dragged her feet. The shock of the night would set in the next day. For now, Ann wanted to sleep the day off.
With them gone, Hifumi brought Mika down to sit. "How do you feel?"
"Tired." Mika felt the recoil hit hard. But she still held a smile. "But it's not too dangerous for me now, is it? You shouldn't have doubted me, Hifumi-chan."
"I didn't doubt you, Mika." Hifumi explained. This made Mika blinked. "I was worried, yes. But I understood that once you were serious about this, all you needed was a little push. I apologize for saying those things to you, but...I had a feeling my words would be the push you needed."
"..." Mika was stunned. Hifumi read her like a book, huh? "That's just like you, Hifumi-chan. I guess I needed that. You're the only person whose words even mean anything to me. So, hearing you say that things were too dangerous, or that it was a mistake to bring me...Oh, I hated it a lot."
"I wouldn't let your efforts go to waste. You looked out for me in your own way when it came to my mother, so I wanted to return the favor somehow." Hifumi admitted with a bashful smile. "But I was wondering...did you have some issues in your past about people telling you what to do?"
Mika paused for a moment. She never really talked about her past before; it didn't matter considering where she saw now. But Hifumi was the only person she would trust with it. "I'll tell you and only you later." Mika said while standing up, yawning. "It's late and I wanna hit the bed. But...now that I'm a Phantom Thief, I have my eyes set on one thing."
"And that is...?" Hifumi tilted her head.
Mika pointed at Hifumi, and then winked. "I'm going to steal YOUR heart, Hifumi-chan!"
"W-...What?" Hifumi blinked once. Mika did not elaborate and instead went off to bed. This just left Hifumi confused, blinking a few more times as she had no explanation to Mika's statement. "...What?!"