Chapter 56: Astrid's Awakening

The real Astrid then looked at what was going on.

"Did I really deserve all of this?" She said, "Why did I hack them in the first place? I just wanted Cattleya to notice me again, but not like this!"

Astrid was frustrated and emotional.

"Damn it, what do I do?!" She shouted, "What would Mom always tell me when I was little?"

Astrid then thought for a moment and then finally calmed down.

"I know what to do…" She said, "I'm gonna fix this mess, right here, right now."

I was struggling to get up after another attack from Shadow Astrid's tentacles. She laughed menacingly.

"Joker!" Cattleya said, "No! We can't go out like this!"

"I'm finally better than The Phantom Thieves!" Shadow Astrid shouted, "And let it be known that I am the best–"

"--Hey!" The real Astrid shouted,

"Huh?!"

"Huh?" I said,

We saw the real Astrid walking by me and looking up at her Shadow self.

"This isn't how I wanted this to be." The real Astrid said, "I get it, I fucked up. I fucked up real bad through hacking and threatened to end the lives of my new friends and my lifelong best friend, but this is my mess and I'm gonna clean it up!"

Shadow Astrid laughed a bit.

"What's my shitty other self gonna do about that?!" She shouted, "You're not even gonna confess that I am you and you are me!"

"I already know that." The real Astrid said, "Which is why I'm never gonna let you haunt me, because you're about to no longer exist in my past!"

Cattleya was shocked.

"Astrid… She's standing up to her Shadow!" She said, "I've never seen anything like this before!"

Shadow Astrid then groaned in anger.

"It doesn't matter how long you'll live, I'm ALWAYS gonna be there, haunting you!" She said,

"Not anymore!" The real Astrid said, "I decide my own future, not you! And my first order of business…

The real Astrid then pointed at her Shadow self.

"Let go of my friends you fucking fraud!" She shouted at her,

Shadow Astrid was shocked. Then, the real Astrid felt a pain in her head. She screamed in pain as her hands were on her head.

"I am thou…" A voice said to her, "Thou art I…"

Cybernetic powers started to flow around the real Astrid.

"You have finally found what is right and wrong, including yourself…" The voice continued, "Take this power and now help those who have helped you return to the right path you chose to control."

The real Astrid was revealed in a new style. She was wearing a green jumpsuit and had goggles on her face. Astrid somehow reminded me of someone.

"Oh my…" Selene said, "Is she…"

"Oh yeah!" Cattleya said, "She's got herself a Persona now!"

A futuristic head and hands out of blue futuristic flames appeared behind the real Astrid. It used its hands to take off her mask to activate its powers.

"I can sense it…" She said as she pointed to a tentacle that's grabbing Lars, "That tentacle is weak to Physical attacks!"

The real Astrid turned to me.

"I'll be able to help you!" She said to me, "So get your friends!"

"Right!" I said as I took off my mask to call forth a Persona of mine, "Setanta!"

Setanta then thrust with its spear at a tentacle that's holding Lars. Lars was then freed as the tentacle returned to the seas.

"Woah, that was amazing!" Lars said to the real Astrid, "That's your Persona?"

"If that's what you called them, then yeah!" Astrid replied as she pointed to the tentacle carrying Willow, "I probably won't fight like you guys, but I can pinpoint some weaknesses on some of these tentacles!"

"Good!"

Astrid's Persona then used its hands to feel Astrid's head. Astrid then snapped her fingers.

"That tentacle carrying that girl is weak to fire!" She said,

"Oh my time has come!" Lars said as he took off his mask to summon his Persona, "Mad Hatter!"

Mad Hatter appeared and shot out Agilao fire magic at the tentacle, freeing Willow as the tentacle went back into the seas. Willow went over and hugged Lars. She kissed him on the lips and turned to Astrid.

"How did you do that?" She asked,

"I don't know…" Astrid replied as her Persona feels her head again and Astrid turned to the tentacle holding onto Boris, "...But I can help with this next tentacle! It's weak to Lightning!"

"I can help with that!"

Willow took off her mask to awaken her Persona.

"Neith!" She shouted, "Shock that tentacle!"

Neith fired Zionga lightning magic at the tentacle that's holding Boris. Boris was free as he almost lost balance.

"Damn, it almost sucked my life dry!" They said,

Boris looked at Selene.

"Alright, me next!" He said,

Astrid then pointed at the tentacle that was holding Selene after her Persona felt her head.

"That one is weak to Ice!" Astrid said,

"Good!" Boris said as he took off his mask to awaken his Persona, "Ullr!"

Ullr then shot out Buffula ice magic at the tentacle, freeing Selene as she then flew with Evaki after taking off her mask to awaken Evaki.

"Now to get Cattleya!" Selene shouted,

Astrid's Persona then felt her head some more as Astrid turned to Selene.

"It's weak to Wind!" She hollered at her, "It's all your's!"

"Thank you!" Selene hollered back, "Soar, Evaki!"

Evaki then breathed out Garula wind magic at the tentacle, freeing Cattleya as she landed on the floor. She then went over and hugged Astrid.

"Amazing!" She said to her, "I can't believe you can actually tell weaknesses!"

"DAMN YOU ALL!" Shadow Astrid shouted,

We turned to Shadow Astrid.

"I'M NOT DONE YET!" She shouted,

Shadow Astrid then breathed out a powerful sphere of explosive magic.

"It's a big one!" The real Astrid shouted, "It looks like you guys have to use all of your Personas to push it back to my Shadow!"

We all used our Personas to then catch the explosive sphere from going any further.

"NOW!" Cattleya shouted,

We then tossed it back at Shadow Astrid as it exploded on impact.

"GAHHHHH!" She shouted in pain as she was then weakened,

"She's weakened! Now is our chance!" Willow said,

"Go get 'er!" Astrid shouted,

We all performed an all-out attack on Shadow Astrid, defeating her completely as she then fell back to the ocean, creating a big splash on us.

Later, Shadow Astrid appeared back to her normal disguise, weakened and out of breath. The real Astrid then walked up to her. Shadow Astrid then smiled and chuckled a bit.

"It seems I have underestimated you…" She said to her, "Guess you can change your own future after all…"

Shadow Astrid then tosses the treasure chest to Cattleya. Cattleya shook it a bit.

"Huh, it's empty." She said,

"That was the treasure, huh?" Lars said, "Just an empty chest."

"Aye, you can put anything in it and make it a treasure anyways." Shadow Astrid said, "Now, get out of here. My time here is done."

Shadow Astrid then faded away into the shadows. The real Astrid then felt dizzy as if she was about to faint. Cattleya then caught her after giving the chest to Lars.

"Astrid!" She said,

"Mm… Cattleya…" Astrid said slowly while groaning weak,

"Wait, it's the mental shutdown! We have to get out of here!"

The ship started to shake.

"That explains it!" Willow said, "Astrid's palace is collapsing!"

"Guys!" Selene said as she called forth her Persona, Evaki again by taking off her mask, "Come here!"

We all got on Evaki.

"Soar, Evaki!" Selene shouted, "Let's get out of here."

We all escaped Astrid's Palace and headed back into the real world. I checked my phone and went to the metaNav app to see if Astrid's Palace was still there.

"The destination has been deleted." The app said,

It looks like it's gone.

I turned to my friends as Cattleya was still holding onto Astrid.

"Astrid's still breathing." Cattleya said, "She's just unconscious, and hurt."

"Let me take her back to Sloth." Selene said,

"Please do, but how are you gonna get to Sloth?"

"Considering that me and her are Hellborns, we'll probably take a bus there."

"Well hurry!"

Selene got a hold of Astrid.

"Don't worry, she'll be in good hands." Selene said, "I think we should call it quits for today, yeah?"

"Certainly." Cattleya said,

"Right, let's go back to the Hazbin Hotel." Lars said to me, "Charlie's probably worried sick about us or something."

I nodded as we left.