The infiltration of Osaka Jail finally began. Right as the Phantom Thieves jumped down, Oracle had to halt everyone, because she picked up something unfamiliar on her radar. "Whoa, wait, hold on! There's something behind us?" And on that cue, everyone immediately turned around, only to see an a stranger standing where they just came from. "What the?"
"...Who is that? Did someone else follow us into the Jail?" Fox asked.
"...Well..." Dragon could tell who it was. It was time for the moment of truth. "It's not an enemy."
"Huh?" Those who were unaware looked at her confused. It was then that Viper dropped down from above.
"I finally caught up to you guys. About time." Viper said while flipping her hair. It took a second, but there was only one person it could be.
"Wait..." Wolf stared at Viper. "Are you...Mika?"
"No effin' way." Skull's eyes were wide. "It's only been a day since Kyoto!? How the hell!?"
"You must be joking." Crow could not believe this.
"Amazed, are we?" Viper said while striking a pose. "I told you all that I wasn't going to stay around on the sidelines. With help from Dragon-chan, Violet, Sophie, and Panther, I guess...I awakened to my Persona!"
"YOU GUESS?!" Panther growled, annoyed. She knew this was going to be a bad idea in the long run and she was paying for it already!
"...Wow. Okay." Joker genuinely had no idea what to say.
"This is a bad idea. What is SHE doing here?" Mona pointed at Viper.
"Careful, monster cat." Viper leaned down while glaring at Mona, her claws dripping with toxins. "I have fangs AND claws now."
"This is already getting off to a poor start." Queen pressed her index finger to her mask and sighed. "Well, before we go any further, what should we call you?"
"Snake." Panther said quickly.
"It's VIPER, you Cougar!" Viper shot back. She and Panther were about to jump at each other, but Dragon had to hold Panther back, while Violet did the same to Viper.
"Well, I wasn't expecting this." Noir found it a little amusing.
"I can't believe she actually did it." Oracle was at a loss. "Uh, are you gonna be okay like this? It's kinda serious business...and don't you have work to do?"
"Yes, go and do your job. Stay out of our affairs." Crow spat.
"No." Viper shook her head. "Everyone is too obsessed with EMMA to even do their job properly. Besides, I'm never going to get this chance to show A-er, Panther up here again. Gotta make the most of it!"
"...How did you even..." Fox began to ask.
"We helped." Violet said meekly. "She also swore us to secrecy until this moment. It was hard not saying anything." But at least she didn't have to worry about holding a secret anymore. That was the worst part of it.
"As long as you know what to do, I guess it won't be a problem." Joker rubbed the back of his neck. The only objection they had was that it was too dangerous. But since Viper had a Persona now, well...they couldn't tell her no for that reason.
"It will be a problem if this novice gets in our way." Crow shook his head. He still wasn't sold, but unfortunately there wasn't a lot he could do about it.
Then it's settled!" Viper grinned. "So let's go." She took a step forward, but Oracle was the one who immediately pulled her back.
"Whoa, whoa! Stop stop stop!" Oracle shouted, pointing at the spotlight Viper almost walked into. "You don't wanna walk in there! Look." And then she pointed to the mounted gun nearby.
"What the?" Viper's face went pale. "A machine gun? Seriously?!"
"And it's topped with a security camera, too. It'll probably open fire if you get too close." Oracle stated.
"Unnecessary." Viper huffed.
"This is the same setup we saw in Shibuya..." Mona noted. "The castle is beyond here, so we'll need to do something about this thing first.
"It's been a while since we've been into a proper Jail. So it stands to reason that there is a Prison Keep nearby that is supplying power to it." Dragon said.
"Then, I guess that's our first stop! Let's get going!" Skull said.
"Prison Keep?" Wolf tilted his head. Both he and Viper were in the dark about the real workings of a Jail, since the two they had been in so far were special exceptions. "I guess I'll find out when we get there."
Just when they were about to walk on, an announcement chimed in, and EMMA of all things was the one to speak. "Greetings, good citizens. Have you seen any evildoers nearby? If you do see any, please report it immediately. Our hero will then come to change their hearts. Akira is our one true hero. He is the one who will change the world. Akira will keep everyone safe with the power to change hearts. He will protect our way of life."
"Akira...?" Panther blinked.
"It must be referring to Konoe. He must be a hero in this world." Mona said.
"So this is how he views himself. Ironic that the villain is playing the hero." Fox added.
"Don't make me laugh." Crow said with a low growl. Clearly he was disgusted with Akira's Jail right off the bat.
"Keeping everyone safe with the power to change hearts. What does it mean by that?" Queen asked. It was a good question and a worrisome one as well.
"And this voice...is it EMMA?" Noir knew it sounded familiar. Too familiar.
"It is." Sophie nodded in response.
"A phony hero parading himself around in a futuristic city. Getting some major dystopian vibes from this one." Oracle shook her head.
"So we're the villains in this world? What a load of bull." Wolf grunted.
"I'm used to being the villain." Viper shrugged. "I play the role well."
"Then we should follow your example." Joker said with a slight smirk. "We need a villain name if we're going to take on the hero."
"That's not what I..." Viper began.
"That's a good idea!" Noir chirped happily. "What about...the Super Phantom Thieves?"
"That's hardly any different than-!" Viper tried to object, but...
"I like it!" Panther grinned.
"The Super Phantom Thieves are here to defeat the hero!" Violet giggled.
"Ironic. It seems that no matter where we end up, we are forced to slay the protagonist." Dragon said while crossing her arms. "First, the heroes were treated as villains in the Demon Lord's domain. Now, the villains are here to slay the hero!"
"Ugh..." Viper dropped her head.
"He wishes to treat us the villains, very well. No matter what he wants to call us, we'll bring his Desires to the slaughter and bring an end to this warped world of his." Each and every word from Crow's mouth dripped venom.
.
.
With all of the mounted machine guns plaguing the area, the first order of business was to power them down. So they had to take the long way around. This meant they had to scale a few rooftops. As they did, Skull did take a moment to look over Viper's outfit. "But daaaaaaaaaamn..."
"I know, right?" Viper said with a smug grin. She did not mind that she was being checked out. She welcomed it. "Look as much as you like!" She even struck a few poses.
"For real?" Skull's eyes were a bit wide. He was mostly used to being rejected for any wandering eyes.
"Don't encourage him!" Panther snapped.
"What? Just because you don't like people looking at you, doesn't mean I don't." Viper gave Panther an annoying smile. "My outfit shows more skin than yours does, but it doesn't bother me. I like the looks. I'm a model, after all."
"Grrr..." Panther was getting more and more annoyed with Viper's presence. This was such a bad idea!
"Panther is a modest and dignified woman!" Mona exclaimed, coming to Panther's defense.
"The last thing any girl needs is a monster cat coming to their defense. You are not a knight." Viper rolled her eyes.
"Are they going to be alright?" Noir blinked innocently.
"I have no idea." Dragon replied with a heavy sigh. She knew this was going to be a difficult Jail infiltration with Viper here.
"In other news...there are a lot of friggin' cameras around." Skull wasn't going to touch that issue at all.
"Those who refuse to do as they're told will be eliminated without exception. I imagine that's Konoe's goal here." Fox said.
"But why would go so far? He's nothing like the Phantom Thieves." Sophie questioned.
"I can only imagine it is because his sense of justice is warped beyond all recognition." Crow spat. Ever since hearing that Konoe associated himself with the heroic type, he felt visceral anger about it. "I truly have to wonder what sort of person looks at this and considers themselves heroic."
"You're really itching to get your hands on him, aren't you?" Joker looked over at Crow, who just nodded. The bloodlust was clear as day.
"Creepy." Viper shuddered. Crow unsettled her, but she would deal with it.
"So, this is what cities look like in the future, huh?" Wolf was noticing how desolate the city was. There wasn't a person in sight. "Place is so rigid and orderly, it's giving me the creeps."
"I don't like it either." Sophie remarked. "Not to mention, there's not one sweet old lady in sight."
"Ahaha...I gotta say I agree too." Panther added with a faint smile. "I prefer cities with actual people them."
"Are we making any progress?" Viper complained.
"We're getting closer to the path of the first Prison Keep!" Oracle reported.
"We've arrived at Juoji Zoo. Would the Prison Keep be somewhere in Mt. Chashiro, then?" Fox guessed.
"Mt. Chashiro it is, then. Let's go, everyone!" Queen told everyone.
.
.
Juoji Zoo was their first destination. The moment they arrived, however, there was a large Shadow standing in front of them. The Believer of Justice glared down the Phantom Thieves. "Wait a minute...there's something not right about you! I get it, you must be the villains!"
"Say what?" Skull scoffed. "If anyone's a villain here, it's you!"
"The Super Phantom Thieves are here to take you down!" Noir pointed at the Shadow.
"Did we actually agree on that?" Viper shook her head.
"Enough talk!" The Shadow exclaimed. "In the name of our hero, Akira, I will execute you here and now!" The Shadow then transformed into a large, Auspicious Pachyderm. The elephant wielded a blade and began to charge at the Phantom Thieves. Several orbs of nuclear magic formed in front of it and it launched every single orb forward. They Phantom Thieves scattered in all directions to avoid the ensuing explosions.
"Ready for a fight! Here we go!" Oracle told everyone.
"We don't need everyone to take down something this weak." Crow scoffed, opting to stay out of it.
"Viper, let's go!" Joker exclaimed. He was curious to see what this new...temporary member was capable of.
"Why would I listen to you?" Viper tilted her head. She was aware that Joker was the leader of the Phantom Thieves, but that did not mean she was inclined to listen to him. A team player, she was not.
"Please help us?" Dragon asked.
"Of course, Dragon-chan!" Viper nodded, more than eager to help out Dragon upon request. Her attitude 180'ed in an instant.
"Ugh..." Joker knew this was going to be a long mission. Regardless, his mask burned away and he called upon a Persona. "Legion!" The multiheaded Persona appeared before Joker, releasing numerous orbs of psychic energy towards the Auspicious Pachyderm. Each one was a direct hit, causing the elephant shadow to roar out in pain as it attempted to swing at Joker. He was swift enough to dodge it, and in doing so, left it open to Noir.
"Take this!" Noir's axe was coated in psychic energy, which she proceeded to swing around and slam into the AP's chest. Another direct hit allowed it to stagger back. She followed this up by releasing a rocket from her rocket launcher, the point blank explosion throwing the large shadow backwards. "Hehe."
"Geez..." Viper was a little unnerved by Noir. Why was someone that short wielding a weapon that powerful?
"You don't get used to it." Violet added.
"Valjean!" Wolf took this opportunity to strike, summoning his armored Persona. Valjean swung his arms twice, his large chains slamming into the Shadow to knock it back. It was another direct hit, but the Shadow wasn't going to take any of this lying down. It attacked once again, swinging with a mighty force that knocked Wolf, Noir, Joker, and Viper down.
"OW!" Viper growled in annoyance while standing back up. That pissed her off. "How dare you hit me!?"
"Are you just going to complain, or are you going to do something about?" Mona asked, ready to jump in at a moment's notice.
"Move aside, Monster Cat! You are needed here.!" Viper was going to take action here. Not a complete novice to this short of thing, she took a charge ahead while her mask burned away. "That fake Alice was a good warm up into this! So now it's time to put my new skills to the test! Nuwa!" Viper's Persona appeared behind her, and this was the first time the others had the chance to see the serpent woman.
"A snake!?" Skull gasped.
"Seems fitting." Joker quipped.
Viper pointed her hand forward and Nuwa charged ahead. The AP attempted to slash at Nuwa, but her slithery movements allowed her to evade with ease. She coiled around the AP, her fangs biting into the Shadow's body. There was some signs of damage on Viper's body, but those wounds were slowly receding as Nuwa proceeded Life Dragon the opposition, which in turn, healed Viper's body. "Ahh, that's much better!"
"She's healing?" Queen blinked.
"I always knew she was a parasite!" Panther pointed at Viper accusingly.
"Hah!" Viper flipped her hair, but she wasn't finished yet. "Watch this!" She then leapt forward while Nuwa kept her target coiled, unable to move. Life Drain turned into Spirit Drain, which sucked the magic from her target as well. The AP struggled and squirmed, but there was no escaping Viper's grasp. She latched onto the AP with her claws and began to dash all around its body, clawing into it at every turn. It was a high speed rush that ended with her leaping into the air, holding her hands over her head. With Spirit Drain, she fueled her magic supply to generate a potent bolt of lightning that she dropped down on the AP. "There."
"How could this...I don't..." The AP's struggling ceased, the toxins in Viper's claws and her blast of magic making short work of it. It vanished within Nuwa's grip and Viper's mask returned to her face. "That wasn't anything fancy, but I did enjoy it quite a bit."
"Whoa, that was pretty kick ass!" Skull complimented, which only fed the ego.
"It was competent, I suppose." Crow wasn't impressed. But at least Viper displayed some level of aptitude. Not enough to fully convince him, but he was glad to know she wouldn't bog them down too much in a fight.
"Well done!" Fox said.
"Excellent job, Viper!" Sophie beamed.
"I know." Viper said with a smirk and a flip of her hair.
"She's not bad." Queen nodded. At least they wouldn't have to worry about anything.
"That was just the first enemy. We've still got plenty left." Joker didn't want Viper growing too complacent. They had barely just entered the Jail, and despite that fact alone, that wasn't going to stop what they were about to see next.
"Um...hey, guys." Violet called everyone's attention over. "Look at this..!" She pointed at a display not too far ahead. Behind bars were figures of Alice, Mariko, and Natsume.
"Are these...are these the people who were made into Monarchs!? This was all just one big show to him!?" Panther grit her teeth. Having them on display, behind bars...for what!? He assumed control of their lives and actions and for what!?
"In reality, he likely saw them as a means to an end. They weren't much more than that." Mona shook his head.
"Rgh...so this dickhead uses these people for all their worth, and this is how he treats 'em? What an asshole." Skull cursed. They had yet to be face to face with Konoe, but everything he had done successfully pissed him off.
"He's gonna pay." Wolf grit his teeth. Konoe had gotten away with far too much, and that wasn't going to last for much longer.
"I agree." Crow said. "I really can't wait to see his reasoning behind all of this." What sort of man who used other people boldly declared they were a hero? Whatever the reason was, Crow could not wait to get his hand wrapped around that man's throat. Justice? Don't make him laugh...
"Look up there." Dragon pointed to the sky. It was a fair distance away, but they could see it: The Prison Keep.
"I see a radio tower, too. It's probably how they're keeping surveillance. If we can steal the core, they'll be totally bricked." Oracle snickered.
"Then, let's slip inside and steal it." Fox said. That was their main plan anyway.
"Not so fast." Wolf objected. "There are cameras here, too. What are we supposed do about those?" If they tried the frontal approach, they'd be pumped with lead.
"Alright, Skull. Go for it." Joker said, jokingly.
"And thus, Skull was riddled with holes." Oracle sighed.
'Rest in peace, Skull." Sophie said with a frown.
"You were only the 3rd most annoying guy here..." Viper shook her head.
Skull turned to the girls that were acting as if he already died. "I ain't dead! And I ain't going out there either!" And then his gaze turned to Viper. "Wait, third most annoying!? What's the order here?!"
"The straight path isn't always the quickest, right?" Queen had to try and bring everyone back to the topic. "Let's go around and see if we can't find another way through." Their infiltration of Osaka Jail had only just begun. Three Prison Keeps separated from the heart of Konoe's Castle. As far as they knew, this was their final operation, and they could not afford to mess it up...