Hey, I almost have a life together now! UknownHero here and welcome to another chapter of Senran Persona. To anyone reviewing please don't say "Update pls". We are constantly working on the next update. Every. Single. Day. For the love of God, we are going to complete this stupid fic eventually. Maybe not this year, but some day.
VividMind17's contributions to Senran Persona should be coming up in the next chapter and holy shit, they've done so much in the short time they started writing, it's amazing. It's also causing my computer to struggle to list all the changes to the document.
Onto the reviews. Oh, wait! We reached 1k reviews! Last time that happened was when I did that cringe reaction fic! God I was mentally disturbed… Actually, sort of inaccurate considering I have deleted some crap reviews but hey!
To Namikaze Yo: Our 1,000th reviewer...Took me a bit to realise you're talking about Neo Hebijo. Well, you'll find out. It will take a while for them to show up though. We still have to unlock Miyabi's confidant. To a random Guest: There is no harem...yet.
And...that's it! Alright, time to finish this Palace!
Load Game...Start!
Chapter 83: Raiders of the Tomb 2
(7/27, Daytime)
(Futaba's Pyramid of Sloth & Wrath, Great Corridor Midway Safe Room)
"Alright, you guys go outside while we girls get the sand out of our suits." Panther ordered. "And no peeking!" She then declared while bringing out her whip.
"Or else someone dies, I think we know." Joker finished in an understanding tone. "We'll be out here and live to steal another heart, thank you. Just don't take too long, okay?" He then assured.
"We won't. Now leave." Yang got out before shoving the guys out and slamming the door in their faces. "Whew! Finally..." She then breathed out, already taking off her clothes.
"I don't know why we didn't do this in the last safe room..." Panther mumbled as she took off her boots and shook out the sand in them. "Gah...it's under my nails..." She groaned in annoyance.
"Moh...it got in my panties..." Yin whined as she pulled them off.
"You better wash that. Here." Widow advised as she tossed the Vice Leader a water bottle.
"Thank you." Yin replied with a smile before tipping some water into her hand and, without thinking, began washing off her private parts. "Ah! Cold! Cold, cold, cold!" She yelped.
"I...I thought you were going to use it to wash your panties." Widow got out with a sweatdrop as she watched the Vice Leader jump around.
BOING! BOING! BOING! BOING!
"So, now our group has four massive size girls." Panther got out in an envious tone.
"Their chests...move individually..." Queen mumbled out, still not quite used to such movement. "They sway at the tiniest movements..." She then added.
"I just put it up to whatever physics-defying god that allows them to be superhuman." Panther sighed, shaking her head.
"Hm? What are you two going on about?" Serpent asked with a raised eyebrow while shaking out her suit.
"Nothing." Queen and Panther quickly got out, going back to taking off their outfits.
"Why are you stripping, Queen? You probably don't have any sand under that suit." Serpent asked and pointed out.
"It feels grimy though. I'm just dusting it off." Queen answered as she tried to undo the corset.
"You need help with that?" Yang offered.
"Thank you." The advisor replied as the tan skinned girl went behind her.
ZIIIIIP!
"Hah..." Queen breathed out as the skintight suit loosened.
"You know...these spikes on your shoulders might hurt someone if you're not careful." Yang noted as she flicked her finger on one of the spikes, creating a distinct metallic click.
"I know, I make sure to keep my distance." Queen assured as she shrugged her suit off.
"You're lucky. I think my suit needs to be surgically removed." Serpent grumbled.
:What are you talking about, Serpent?" Yin however asked in confusion while approaching the newest member from behind "Your zipper's right here." She then revealed as she took hold of it.
ZIIIIIP!
"What!?" Serpent exclaimed as she slipped the suit off her shoulders. "Was that always there!? I was sort of expecting it to be attached to my skin." She then asked and admitted.
"I mean...it does mostly look like the structure of your muscles..." Queen noted before looking down. "Especially that area." She then added.
"Yeah, well- Wait, IS THE DOOR FUCKING OPEN!?" Serpent started before suddenly calling out upon seeing the door was open slightly ajar.
"YOU PIECES OF SHIT!" Yang roared as she stomped over to the door. "I'LL SKIN YOU ALL THE FUCK ALI-" She then declared as she threw it wide open. "Huh?" She got out.
"Yang, are you gonna-" Panther blinked at the boys on the floor quietly reading manga. They barely even noticed her...or the fact that she was topless.
But then she noticed Mona on the ground face first in a pool of his own blood.
"Not surprised." Yang bluntly declared in a sigh to the sight. "Injured or blood loss?" She soon asked.
"Eh." Skull got out, not really paying attention.
"Injured because of blood loss?" Yang soon enough guessed.
"There you go." Joker answered. "Now, if you guys aren't dressed by now, I'm gonna look up and see that you're naked so are you good?" He soon pointed out.
The ash blonde soon looked down and covered her chest. "...Ah!" Panther yelped before going back to the safe room.
"...I'm watching you..." Yang soon growled in a low tone before going back to the safe room and fully closing the door.
"O-Ow..." Mona groaned in pain as he picked himself up. "Why did I sit there?" He grumbled.
"Told ya not to sit there. What, you tryin' to take a peek inside?" Skull chuckled out.
"No way! I have more respect than that!" Mona stated...though his nose began bleeding again.
"You need to work on your body language." Joker deadpanned.
"Okay, I have to ask, how do they move like that?"
"Move like what?"
BOING BOING BOING!
"Like this!"
"Huh? What is shaking your tits at us supposed to prove?"
"Yeah, besides, they move normally. Watch."
BOING BOING BOING!
The boys shivered, silently cursing the thin walls of the safe room before quickly going back to their manga.
(Chamber of Guilt)
Once everyone was rested and ready, the Phantom Thieves moved onto the next area, and instantly ran into another stone tablet.
"Another slab." Yin got out as they approached the object.
"Hm, let's see..." Queen murmured as she leaned closer to the tablet. "When red and blue align, the illusion shall rise. Only proper guidance shall form a path." She read out loud.
"...I don't get it." Skull bluntly admitted, already holding his head in frustration. "Goddamn puzzles..." He groaned.
"I'm sure the solution will come to us when we actually see the puzzle." Yang assured as she rolled her eyes before going on their merry way.
It was then after going down a hallway where they spotted Shadow Futaba waiting for them once again at a sloped corridor.
"You're late." Shadow Futaba got out as soon as she saw the group jump down. "What took you so long?" She asked.
"You know. The usual. Traffic, delays, traps and Shadows trying to kill us." Joker sarcastically answered.
"Dammit, will you just let us steal your Treasure! This tsundere shit's gettin' old!" Skull growled only to be slapped upside the head.
"Skull, be patient." Queen got out as she shook her head. "This will all be resolved soon enough." She then stated before seeing the Palace ruler walk off.
"Wait, we still have..." Serpent began to call out, only to trail off once Shadow Futaba left their view. "...Questions..." She finished with a sigh.
"After her!" Joker ordered as they ran after the girl.
However, when they turned the corner, they saw that she was already at the top of a sloped corridor with sand piled to the sides as if it was pushed by something.
"Wow, she's fast." Yang muttered as she watched the Palace Ruler's Shadow walk off.
"Or she teleports." Joker guessed. "Her Palace, her rules." He then reminded.
The ash blonde soon looked behind them and saw a dark hole at the bottom. "Whoa, look down here. I can't even see the bottom..." Panther got out.
"And this corridor is...suspiciously slanted." Serpent admitted as she began to step back.
RUMBLE!
"Oh no..." Yang groaned, already knowing what's going to happen.
THUD!
"Yep. 'Nother boulder. CHEESE IT!" Joker ordered before turning tail.
"OHGODNOTAGAIN!" Yin cried out as the Thieves ran away from the boulder.
"Wait, where's-" Fox began to ask before answering his own question by looking behind.
It was there, the Thieves saw Serpent standing bravely against the ball of death and security, preparing for something. "Wait for it..."She whispered as she took out her sword. "And...!" The white haired woman then declared as she raised her-
CRUSH!
It was only after the rest of the group dived for safety out of the way of the uncaring boulder where they saw the damage. "Serpent!" The Thieves exclaimed as the woman was flattened into the ground, leaving an indent in the shape of her body. Only her boobs appeared out of the hole...once they popped out.
BOING! BOING!
"...Uh, Recarm!" Mona called out, reviving their newest member.
"G-Gnghnaaaaaaa..." Serpent moaned in pain, even sobbing a little while she laid within her hole.
It took both Panther and Queen to pull her out and carry her back to the others. "Are you okay?" Joker asked in concern.
"I felt my sword...bounce off it...before I saw my mother for about ten seconds." Serpent got out, sounding somewhat traumatised.
"How many...of those things...does Futaba...have...?" Panther panted out.
"Looks like Shadow Futaba learned from last time. Brute force won't work here." Mona stated.
"Maybe we triggered a laser or something..." Joker guessed before turning on Third Eye. "Uh..." He then got out in an awkward manner, upon seeing nothing.
"No lasers...no pressure plates..." Yang muttered as she looked with her own Third Eye. "Um...Maybe it was just a present left behind by Shadow Futaba?" She soon guessed as they began to walk up the corridor again.
RUMBLE! THUD!
"Nope. We're just screwed. CHEESE IT!" Joker ordered once again before they ran away once again.
Once they were safe, they came to a conclusion. "Okay, that corridor is not an option right now." Widow panted heavily. "We need to do something about those boulders." She then stated.
"Yeah...sick of 'em..." Skull grumbled.
"Hey, I can see a hole in the wall there." Widow informed as she narrowed her eyes. "Think that'll get us around this obstacle?" She soon suggested.
"Only one way to find out. Ladies last." Joker responded before heading over and crawling through the small hole. Soon enough, everyone was on the other side, taking in the new area.
"Urgh! I could barely fit through..." Serpent groaned.
"I wonder why." Queen deadpanned before focusing on the task at hand.
"This seems to be the backside of that giant boulder trap. We should carefully survey the area." Fox suggested.
"Yeah..." Yang agreed with a nod as they went forward, a little creeped out by the ten sarcophagi here, five on each side with a button on an elevated area.
"God, I bet this place has- AAAAAAAH!" Skull exclaimed as the floor gave way underneath him.
THUD!
The Thieves quickly looked down the collapsed flooring, seeing nothing but darkness. At least they knew it wasn't a bottomless deathtrap. "You ok, Skull!?" Panther called out in concern.
"FINLAND!" Skull responded in a delirious tone.
That in turn caused the others to sweatdrop.
"I'll get him." Serpent responded in a blunt manner as she jumped down. "I swear to god, if you have a broken leg..." She then grumbled under her breath.
Eventually, Serpent helped Skull out of the hole, both looking significantly dirtier than they were before they went in.
"Did you break anything? Your arm, leg...your head judging by that last comment?" Joker questioned.
"I'm...I'm fine. Just almost said the real eff." Skull assured as he shook his head. "This place is effin' falling apart everywhere..." He then groaned.
"We better be careful around here..." Queen awkwardly advised.
"We really should've thought of the possibility of pitfall traps." Yang soon admitted.
"At least there aren't punji sticks at the bottom." Joker pointed out before groaning. "Oh, please don't tell me Futaba heard that." He soon groaned.
"Well, I'm not willing to find out." Serpent got out before summoning her sword. "I'll use this to check the flooring's stability." She then informed.
"Good idea, but that means you're in front." Mona soon stated.
"Just don't stare at my ass." Serpent warned before lightly tapping the ground in front of her. Upon nothing happening, she moved forward, the rest of the Thieves slowly following behind her.
It was only a matter of time before the white haired woman managed to cause a part of the floor to collapse by her sword.
"There it goes!" Serpent exclaimed as everyone stepped back.
"Okay, that works." Panther breathed in relief. "Why didn't we think of this earlier?" She soon groaned.
"Because unlike everyone here, there's a wise adult here- FUCK!" Serpent began to brag a little, only to nearly fall down another hole, only managing to catch herself before she did. "...That didn't happen!" She soon declared.
"We didn't say anything." Widow spoke up, unable to fight down the amused smile from her face.
"Just follow me." Serpent grumbled before continuing on, being a little more slower this time.
"Just what are these things?" Skull asked as they passed by the coffins.
"I'm not sure." Fox answered. "Maybe these represent each of Futaba's relatives? Or perhaps something we may not know yet."
Yang narrowed her eyes before trying to pry the coffin open, but to no avail. "Well, they don't open." She soon informed. "We shouldn't mess with them just yet, or at all."
"Yeah, desecrating graves is not exactly on my bucket list." Panther agreed.
"Hey! Treasure chest!" Yin called out as she pointed at the chest in the corner of the room.
"Oh, that is totally a trap if I've seen one." Serpent deadpanned while narrowing her eyes. "Next thing we know, the floor goes underneath taking us with it." She then stated.
"Experience?" Queen guessed.
"I really wanted that sandwich." Serpent simply replied.
"I don't think we've ever encountered any chests that were traps in the past." Yin meanwhile pointed out.
"Just because it hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it can't." Joker admitted. "We should probably heed her advice..." He then decided.
"Thank you." Serpent thanked the Leader before turning around. "Now, there's a thing over on the other side of the room. So I say that's-" She soon started.
"It's safe!" Widow suddenly called out, interrupting the woman mid sentence.
Serpent gained a flat, unamused expression as she turned around to see the rest of the Thieves gathered around the chest.
Joker pulled a small, flesh-like doll out of the chest. "Homunculus." He got out as he tossed it to the Vice Leader. "I've seen one of these at Takemi's..." He then added.
"Protects against instant-kill attacks once in the Metaverse." Mona informed. "It's really creepy though..." He soon admitted.
"Well, it's going in the bag where it won't hurt anyone." Yin assured as she placed it into the duffle bag.
"I only turned around for five seconds." Serpent deadpanned.
"Hey, we're thieves. We can't help ourselves." Mona chuckled.
"Other people would call that reckless and stupid." Serpent remarked with a sigh. "But fine, I signed up for this, so I guess I could be a little reckless and stupid myself." She added.
"Glad you're coming around. Now, let's see whatever is over there." Joker replied with a nod before the white haired woman guided them back to the other side of the room.
"A button and a slab, huh." Mona remarked.
"There's nothing visible on the slab...what do you think we should do?" Queen soon asked.
"What we've been doing throughout this whole Palace: pressing buttons and seeing if something happens." Joker answered he pushed the button. However, it seemed that the button was stuck.
Yang soon pushed the Leader to the side. "Gimme a shot. HA!" She soon got out, charging into the button with her shoulder, only for her to bounce off. "Ow...Okay...this isn't the solution." She then groaned.
"Either we need to fix it, or there's something we're missing here." Widow guessed.
Yin then pulled out the map and read it a little more carefully. "According to the map...there's an entire area we haven't gone to yet right over there." She soon informed before diving for cover upon seeing a Shadow patrolling the area.
"It's crawling with some tough Shadows though. We should proceed with caution." Mona quietly warned.
"Why not just clear the area so we can just walk around without any trouble?" Serpent however suggested.
"That's why we're proceeding with caution." Joker replied before checking with Third Eye. "I like having fights end before they've begun." He soon got out before tearing the head off of the wandering Shadow.
Up ahead, there was a door with some sort of red forcefield on it and a plank standing upright next to a gap.
"Yep...I don't think this door will be opening for us." Panther stated before poking the door, when it then sent a jolt through her finger. "Ow! It shocked me!"
"Guess we're going around then." Skull muttered before kicking the plank down, creating a bridge to the other side of the gap.
"We really could've just jumped up here..." Serpent muttered before crossing the bridge.
From there, they entered another area, although it was quite small. They only needed to turn a corner to find something at the end of the room.
"There's another slab here too...but there's nothing legible inscribed on the surface." Queen noted with a frown.
"If we can't read it, it's worthless to us." Serpent stated in a blunt manner. "Still, it wouldn't hurt to at least see if there's a way to make it readable here..."
Joker frowned in thought before carefully touching the slab. Suddenly, there was a rumble as the words on the slab began to glow a purplish-blue.
"Ooh, look! It's shinin'!" Skull got out in a pleasant surprise.
"What did you do?" Panther had to ask.
"I just touched it, like what I did with that TV screen earlier." Joker answered. "Let's see what it says..." He then muttered as he leaned down.
"Why is it purple? The other slabs were green..." Yin wondered out loud.
"I see blue." Fox however stated.
"B01010..." Yang read out. "The hell does that mean?" She then got out.
"Apart from the English letter 'B', it's binary. You know, one equals on, zero equals off." Widow answered. "It may be some sort of clue. We'll need to go back and check if anything has changed." She then suggested.
"Can you read it, senpai?" Fox asked with a raised eyebrow.
"No." Widow automatically answered. "It's one or two numbers short. I doubt it means anything other than the answer to this puzzle." She soon got out.
"Let's head back. Maybe something in the Palace changed." Joker assumed before the Thieves went back the way they came.
"W-What the-!? Panther suddenly exclaimed as they arrived back at the room, where they saw several holograms activate from the coffins.
"Are those..." Serpent began as her eyes widened.
"The Death Star plans?" Joker finished with a raised eyebrow.
"What?" Yin got out in confusion. "What's that? I think those are the boulders that Futaba keeps sending at us..." She then pointed out with a shiver.
"I don't get what you mean but...it seems that this thing's link to the stone slab is what powers it." Mona soon concluded.
"Quite an impressive contraption. Why don't we examine it more closely?" Fox suggested.
The team nodded before jumping down and heading towards one of hologram projectors, taking the time to study it.
"It seems this hologram's coming from this coffin. Should we try fiddling with the control panel?" Queen soon asked.
"That I do Queen." Joker responded before touching the control panel. However, all it did was shut off the hologram. Panicking a little, Joker touched the control panel again, causing the hologram to flicker back on.
"All it does is turn it off and on again..." Yang got out with a frown.
"It looks like we should be able to turn the holograms on or off by accessing each control panel. Do you think this is related to that code from earlier?" Queen assumed as she crossed her arms.
"Yeah..." Joker muttered out with a thoughtful expression on his face. "Someone check the blue hologram at the end there." He soon ordered.
"Roger that, Joker." Yin responded before dashing over to it. "Hm? There isn't a control panel here!" She then informed.
"What makes that unique?" Widow wondered as she closed her eyes in thought.
"Wait...remember what Widow said earlier? Binary, on and off, right?" Joker reminded everyone.
"Yes..." Mona replied before his eyes widened. "Oh! I think I know what you're getting at." He then got out.
"B01010. From the right of this blue hologram, it's off, on, off, on, off." Joker explained, getting noises of realisation from the other Thieves.
"Ah, I see..." Fox responded before they proceeded to input the Leader's pattern. "That looks about right...Why don't we check that button from earlier again?" He then suggested.
Everyone nodded and headed back to the button quickly.
"And...submit solution." Joker declared he pushed the button. This time, the button sunk in, causing another rumble. From there, they saw the angry red forcefield over the second door in the room go down before opening up for them.
"Ah! The door opened!" Panther got out in a pleasant tone.
"I suppose this is the first step in the process? The next device must be beyond this point." Fox assumed.
"By the way...what's up with these things? Are they all because of Futaba-chan's mental state?" Panther muttered in a concerned tone.
"It's hard to say...But it does prove that she might not be as simple a target as we were hoping she'd be..." Mona stated with a shrug of his shoulders.
"I wonder about the meaning behind that stone slab..." Queen soon got out.
"You're just figuring that out now, Mona?" Skull meanwhile groaned as he slid his hand down his face.
"You know what I mean!" Mona called out as he flailed his arms around.
"No I don't!" Skull yelled back.
"Shut up, you two..." Serpent growled, causing the two boys to shut their traps.
"Hey, our path's open now. Can we just keep goin'?" Skull sighed as he went on ahead towards the now opened door.
The rest nodded and followed the dyed blonde. The hallways this time were longer, and filled with Shadows patrolling, but it didn't delay the Phantom Thieves all that much, allowing them to reach the end in record time.
"Another slab, just like the ones before it." Yang got out as they went up to the thing. "You gonna turn it on, Joker?" She soon asked.
The Leader nodded and did so, causing the Palace to rumble again while the words began to glow.
"Woo! It's lit up now, just like we were expectin'!" Skull got out with a fist pump.
"There are red inscriptions on there this time. They say...R01100 and B10011." Queen informed with a frown.
"If this code is similar to the prior one, these would surely be hints for those buttons." Fox stated with the Leader nodding in agreement.
"More binary..." Widow soon mumbled.
"It makes sense, given Futaba-chan's hacker background." Panther admitted. "Well then, let's go see if anything has changed."
"Hackers don't code in binary...right?" Yang muttered as she scratched her head.
"Look, let's be glad it's binary and not C#...or Whitespace...or for the love of God, not Malbolge." Joker got out with a shiver as they headed back to the main room.
"Aha! Look!" Mona called out as the holograms reset, with now a second set of holograms appearing. "Something changed in the room, just like we expected." He then stated.
"A red hologram..." Yin muttered as she frowned.
"There should be some connection between that and the code that appeared on the stone slab." Queen assumed. "It should be straight forward though." She then deducted.
"Yep." Joker agreed as he imagined how the solution would go. "R01100...B10011...from the left of red, it's off, on, on, off, off. From the right of blue is on, off, off, on, on." He then started.
"We'll put that in for you Joker. Head for the button." Yin offered as she, Skull, Fox and Panther jumped down.
"Thank you." Joker replied as the rest of them headed back to the button. Once Yin and her team turned off the correct holograms, they returned to the group. "And...submit solution." The Leader declared as he hit the button.
"THERE THEY ARE! GET THEM!"
However, instead of doing something like open a door, alarms started to blare around the Palace before Shadows spawned in the area.
"What the-!? Why did the security level just jump!?" Yin exclaimed.
"Shit, Shadows!" Skull swore as the Thieves dived for cover.
"Urgh...I guess that wasn't right." Mona grumbled. "Let's take care of them first before we do that again."
"Hai." Yin responded with a nod.
The Shadow were nothing they couldn't deal with, and with Joker's Instant Kill technique they were able to clear the area relatively easily.
"Alright, let's make sure that doesn't happen again." Fox breathed out as he flicked off the blood on his katana before sheathing it.
Meanwhile, the Vice Leader was frowning in thought, walking up and down the room while looking at the holograms. "Oh...I get it!" Yin suddenly got out as she snapped her fingers. "Look, when one side is off, the other side should be on and vice versa. I think that's what that stone slab we saw earlier meant." She then informed and deducted.
"Wha?" Skull got out in a dumb tone.
Upon seeing everyone's confused looks, Yin knew she had to show the others her solution somehow. "Um...Fox, do you have some different colored pencils?" She asked the young artist.
"Huh? Why would you think-" Serpent began, only to stop when the young artist pulled out an entire set of colored pencils. "You really do drag your art everywhere, huh." She soon deadpanned.
"It pays to be prepared. Sensei at least taught me that." Fox responded before handing the Vice Leader the pencils.
"Alright, um..." Yin soon got out before pulling out the map and began doodling on it.
"I also have paper..." Fox reminded the Vice Leader. However, she ignored him and continued drawing. Eventually, she finished and showed the drawing to her fellow Thieves.
"It should look like this. We approached the puzzle wrong." Yin soon stated.
"Oh...I get it now..." Skull got out in an impressed tone.
"That is a little devious from Futaba." Yang admitted. "And smart of you, Yin." She then praised.
"Ehehehehe..." Yin giggled, a little glad that her blush was hidden behind her mask.
"Alright, let's input the solution." Joker got out as they went over to the control panels to input Yin's solution.
Soon enough, the pattern was replicated with the holograms and the Thieves were back at the button.
"Okay, that wasn't too hard. Submit solution." Joker got out as he pressed the button to finish the puzzle.
Suddenly, the ground started to shake rather violently.
RUMBLE!
"What the hell!?" Serpent exclaimed.
"This is a stronger reaction than anything up to this point!" Mona got out, looking a little freaked.
"Guys, look!" Queen called out as she pointed upwards.
The Thieves looked at where their Advisor was pointing and saw the boulders rolling down a slope. "Wait, aren't those the stupid boulders that kept us from going down that corridor!?" Yang realized.
"Was that always there?" Serpent asked in a rhetorical manner.
"Yup..." Yin got out with a nod. "Um, they're not stopping...!" She then pointed out, beginning to sound a little nervous.
"Dude, we have to do something!" Skull got out in panic.
"There's only this one button Skull." Joker reminded before sighing and pushing the button again.
RRRUUUMMMBBBLLLEEE!
Suddenly, the boulders just started going even faster!
"Ngh...! That only made it worse!" Fox then stated.
"D-Do something about this, Joker!" Mona shouted out.
"There's only this one button!" Joker reminded once more in frustration before kicking the button...and putting his foot through it. "...Oops." He got out in an awkward manner.
However, it was just then that the boulders abruptly stopped.
"Did it...stop?" Mona hesitantly asked.
"Is this what the slab could have meant by form a path?" Queen guessed.
"Well, we should check the corridor to see if we can make it through this time." Widow suggested with everyone nodding in response.
"Uh...do you guys mind helping me? My foot's kinda stuck here." Joker soon asked with an awkward chuckle.
Serpent merely rolled her eyes. "Fine." She got out in annoyance as she pulled the Leader's foot out.
"Thanks. Let's go." Joker soon ordered, dusting off his coat before spotting an area they could climb up to, knowing that the crawlspace was a no-go.
When they actually got to see the corridor, they noticed that it was a little...full.
"Goddamn! Talk about a mess!" Skull exclaimed at the sight. It was completely congested with boulders.
"...It's broken. Well, I guess it would be more precise to say we broke it." Mona soon stated.
"The Phantom Thieves of Heart: Better at destroying stuff than stealth." Yang muttered out in an awkward manner.
"A path of destruction is a path nonetheless." Serpent then concluded. "We can jump on these boulders and make it to the next room. And from the beam of light above us, I bet our next stop will have a mirror we need to redirect." She then informed.
"I don't think this is what the slab meant by forming a path though." Queen replied in an awkward manner.
"Let's just go." Yang soon sighed as she rubbed her forehead. "Serpent, don't get moused again." She then quipped.
"I will stab you." Serpent growled out.
"Just speakin' the truth." Yang once more quipped out as her roommate giggled in amusement.
"You're laughing now, but when you get rattled..." Serpent grumbled before walking along the boulders first.
Once they made it to the end of the congested corridor, the Thieves jumped down and checked their surroundings to make sure they weren't ambushed.
"I bet Futaba's gonna be pissed when she can't send these things after us." Skull mumbled.
"Can't she just...spawn them though?" Panther however pointed out, causing the boy to groan loudly.
The Vice Leader winced before pulling out the map. "Alright, according to the map, it's smooth sailing from here. Nothing more than a few hallways and a couple of stairs." Yin informed.
"And I'm not detecting any Shadows..." Mona then added. "Looks like we're in the clear for now." He then stated.
"...Please don't say we just jinxed that." Fox quietly muttered, already prepared for the worst.
However, nothing came to pass as the Thieves made it to the next area without another fight.
(Great Corridor)
Once again, the Thieves found themselves in an area looking above the great stairs along with a mural to activate like the one they encountered before.
"This is the same mechanism we saw before." Queen stated.
"Then we just gotta touch it and make something happen, yeah? C'mon, let's try it out." Skull reminded.
Joker nodded as he touched the console. On the mural, they could see Futaba again, but this time the picture was much harder to figure out before they even moved any of the pieces.
"This one is completely scrambled." Yang stated as she narrowed her eyes. "At least with the last one we could probably guess." She then added.
"Yeah." Yin agreed. However, she couldn't help but shake off the feeling of dread in her gut. "But we just have to take our time and think it through. This shouldn't be too hard, Joker." She then encouraged.
"Some of the pieces look like they're upside-down." Widow soon noted. "I guess this one involves rotation." She then assumed.
"I can see that, Widow." Joker responded, wanting a little silence as he solved the puzzle.
However, as Joker unscrambled the picture, the Thieves realised what it was depicting.
"Done." Joker got out, although he did not feel proud.
"What the hell...?" Yang whispered out as the Leader finished the puzzle.
"Is she jumping in front of a car...?" Queen realised as she took a step back.
"Could this be the moment when Futaba's mother committed suicide...?" Panther gasped in horror.
"Ffffuuuuutttttaaaaaabbbbbbaaaaa..." A demonic, yet distinctly feminine voice screeched, shaking the Place from her voice alone.
"Holy shit." Yin cursed under her breath. This was not coming from the display this time.
"That does not sound happy..." Yang muttered, gripping onto her katanas.
"...Y-You...aaaaaareee..." The woman screeched before simply fading, along with the picture once the light hit it before unbarring the next set of doors.
"What the...What the hell was that...?" Yang got out in disbelief.
"...I don't know." Joker answered before focusing back on the mural.
"That...That woman in the picture..." Yin managed to get out, her voice shaking. "That had to be Futaba-chan's mother..." She then stated.
"She killed herself by jumping into traffic...?" Yang mumbled, already able to imagine the scenario.
"That's horrible..." Queen whispered as she placed a hand over her heart and looked away.
"So, did her desire to forget those memories cause her to repress them?" Fox assumed with a frown.
"This...This can't be right..." Widow whispered. "Who would do such a thing...?"
"Doesn't it look like she's...tripping...?" Skull however muttered as he narrowed his eyes.
"She...threw herself in front of a car...in front of her daughter..." Serpent got out in disbelief before grabbing her head. "Oh God..." She sobbed and shivered as the memories came back.
This in turn got the attention of the rest of the group. "Are you alright, Serpent? What's wrong?" Joker asked in concern.
"I-I'm fine, Joker." Serpent lied. "We...I just need a minute..." She soon requested.
"Serpent, do you have anything to share?" Joker once more questioned in a serious tone. "There's more to you helping us than what you led us to believe." He then stated in an accusing tone.
"...Can we go to a Safe Room? I'd rather not have Shadows on my ass while I pour my heart out." Serpent requested.
The Leader in response nodded to this request. "Of course." Joker replied as they began heading their way to one.
(Corridor Midway Safe Room)
The Thieves soon entered the safe room and sat down, with Serpent at the head of the table.
After passing around some drinks, the Leader let out a breath and mentally prepared for whatever trauma the white haired woman may have. "Ok, where do you want to start?" Joker asked.
Serpent was silent before she opened and closed her mouth, hesitating, as if she was trying to figure out how to say something.
"Miyabi-chan." Yin got out as she lifted up her mask to reveal her kind face. "It's alright. We won't hurt you." She then assured.
"I'm not..." Serpent started, before trailing off. "It's just...harder than expected...never really talked about it to anyone who didn't already know." She then confessed.
"Well, it's better among friends than strangers." Joker stated.
"...You really think of me as a friend, huh?" Serpent got out as she narrowed her eyes.
"Well, tolerable acquaintances but...I'm willing to see where it goes." Joker admitted.
"Ugh..." Serpent groaned. "It...It was...It was a couple years ago now, but it's still as clear as day. Me and my best friend were outside, playing Ninja. We played that a lot until we got the idea to use real weapons one day."
"Oh..." Skull got out, already knowing where this was going.
"It's not how she died, you asshole! I just got started!" Serpent growled. "Anyways, we went out into the woods, even though my parents kept telling us not to. It was barely a minute before we were attacked by a yōma."
"Yōma?" Yang repeated with widened eyes.
"Yeah. It must've been nearby when it smelled our blood." Serpent then started. "We ran so damn fast, crying and...god, we just...ran to...t..." She soon began to sob as the memories began to replay in her head over and over again.
"Serpent?" Panther got out in concern, putting a hand on the woman's shoulder.
"...Dammit, we ran to mama and she just...I always thought she was strong, she was a real shinobi and she just...stepped in front of us and died like nothing!"
The light gray haired girl's eyes soon widened in shock to hear this. "Serpent, you...you lost your mother as well?" Widow asked in a saddened tone.
"...She sacrificed herself to save us." Serpent soon revealed, sniffling it out as she held back the urge to cry. "...She was slaughtered...her head crushed before she could even scream." She then added.
"Oh my god..." Queen quietly breathed out, covering her mouth.
"I...I wanted to die right then and there. And I was probably going to get my wish if my father didn't save our dumbasses." Serpent then admitted, looking down at her hands.
"Hold up Serpent, why are ya blamin' yourself?" Skull soon asked.
"I wasn't strong enough and I allowed her to die at the hands of those monsters!" Serpent soon revealed as she slammed her fist against the wall in a frustrated manner. "I was weak and I couldn't do anything to save her!" She then declared in an ashamed tone.
Joker frowned at this. "Yoma are monsters. And you were what?"
"...I was only fourteen years old when it happened." Serpent then answered.
"Fourteen..." Joker repeated as he shook his head. "There's no way you could've survived even if you could fight..." He then stated in a serious tone.
"Still...without strength, you can't protect anyone. I know that now, and I'll keep that in my heart until the day I die." Serpent then declared, a hand over her heart.
"So that's why you freaked out the way you did..." Yang responded in realization. "It...reminded you of your own past." She then stated.
"Although, I don't think demons were involved..." Serpent humorlessly chuckled.
"Wait a minute, how old are you?" Skull then asked in confusion.
"Skull!" Panther exclaimed in shock to the sudden question.
"What? I'm just askin' about her age." Skull got out in confusion.
"You never ask a girl how old she is!" Panther then countered.
"That's dumb! Then I won't know what number I should put on their birthday cake!" Skull countered.
Everyone instantly looked at the dyed blond in disbelief at his explanation. "...This is why you'll never get a girlfriend." Mona deadpanned, metaphorically stabbing the dyed blond in the heart.
"Mona-chan." Yin chided as she began petting his head. "I'm sure Skull can get a date." She then assured.
"Are you offering, then?" Joker questioned.
"I didn't say that." Yin giggled out. "I just know he will someday." She then added.
"Well, it ain't gonna be any time soon if he keeps saying stuff like that we're getting off track here." Yang groaned out.
"Twenty-one." Serpent replied, slamming her head on the table.
"...I find that hard to believe." Widow however got out. "You still look like a high school student." She then admitted.
"Three year coma. Still feels like it was yesterday that I was 18..." Serpent then revealed, but trailed off at the end in a depressed manner.
"I cannot even imagine how it would feel to suddenly miss three years of your life." Fox admitted in a sad tone.
"No kidding. Did you know I used to have black hair?" Serpent then revealed as she tugged on her hair a bit. "Apparently the trauma from Blood Riot bleached it. I was so screwed up it caused a physical change." She remarked in a slightly ashamed tone.
"So, you recklessly used Blood Riot, went out of control and then became comatose for three years as a result." Mona simplified.
Serpent in response sighed as she took off and looked at her scaly grey mask. "Yep, that's about it. That's my pathetic story." She concluded. You know, it was kinda nice to get that off her-
SMOOSH!
Immediately, the Vice Leader enveloped the white haired woman's head in her bust. "Yin, personal space." Serpent got out.
Yin blinked, but didn't let go. "Oh, I just thought you needed one." She soon got out.
"Look, my mother's death still weighs heavily on my heart, but it's been years now." Serpent stated with a frown. "Unlike Futaba, I had someone to rely on to pick me up. Imu, my father, Suzune-sensei...I've moved on, or at least that's what I keep telling myself. We can't let her wallow in the same abyss I was in any longer." She soon added. "And we can't do that while sitting around hugging each other, so do you want to get a move on or what?" She then snapped.
"O-Okay." Yin meekly got out before pulling away. "But...if you ever need to talk about it, we're always here." She then offered.
"Like you people would understand." Serpent dismissively grumbled before getting up and leaving the safe room.
The rest of the group meanwhile looked at the door after it had closed.
"To think something like that happened to her." Queen got out. "At the very least, I wasn't there when my father died." She then added.
"Tragic backstory or not, it doesn't give her the right to act like a bitch." Skull however grumbled with a frown.
"Yeah." Yang agreed with a nod. "Still...at least we know why she's so determined. And why she awakened her Persona." She then added.
"Rebelling against one's desire to die, fueled by her own experiences." Mona muttered.
"No shinobi I know ever experienced a peaceful life before becoming one." Widow sighed before glancing at the Vice Leader. "...Yin, notwithstanding of course." She then added.
"I know..." Yin got out in a sad and sympathetic tone.
"Why do half the people I know have dead parents or parental issues?" Joker couldn't help but lament in his head.
"Hey! Are you guys taking a shit in there or are we moving onto the next place!?" They heard the white haired woman call out.
"Erm, we better get going." Fox suggested as he stood up.
The Thieves nodded to that and followed the young artist outside, ready to take on the rest of the Palace.
(Great Corridor)
The Thieves soon met up with an impatient Serpent, who had already made the door go down without them. "It's open." She informed.
"This Palace isn't physically exhausting, but it is mentally exhausting..." Widow mumbled as she held her head.
"I agree. My heart aches more the further we go." Fox admitted.
"Have to admit, I'm kinda regretting doing this in one day..." Joker sighed as he shook his head. "But no stopping now." He then told himself as he pushed on.
"We have to save her...we have to save her..." Serpent muttered to herself as they kept going upwards and into the next section.
(Chamber of Sanctuary)
As soon as they entered the new area, they couldn't help but gaze in awe of the two giant statues. It seemed that these statues were still in the process of being built before they were abandoned.
"Such wonderful forms..." Fox remarked. "Seeing such divine statues in person is exceedingly rare." He then got out, already pulling out his sketchbook and pencil.
"Yeah, I guess you prolly wouldn't be seein' anything like this shit if we weren't in a Palace." Skull stated as he blinked.
"Seriously. This almost feels like a trip abroad or something." Panther admitted.
"I don't think most trips involve tomb raiding, killing monsters and destroying the place though." Widow deadpanned.
"And at the very least, we haven't fought time-stopping vampires." Joker muttered. "Yet." He then quietly added.
"Hey, now's not the time to be letting your guard down. I can sense lots of Shadows up ahead!" Mona warned.
"Bring 'em on." Serpent got out as she cracked her knuckles before going forward.
"Whoa! This is deep!" Panther got out in disbelief.
"It seems like another bottomless hole..." Widow muttered. "I doubt we'd be able to make any sort of jump from here." She soon stated.
"But look over there," Yin spoke up as she pointed to a door on the right side of the hole. "That door isn't there for nothing if no one can access it. Maybe there's a way to create a bridge over there." She then pointed out.
"Still, there's nothing here we can use. Not even a plank of wood." Panther mumbled.
"Then let's explore." Serpent got out as she walked over to the carefully built hole in the wall. "Come on, there has to be something that can allow us to cross that chasm." She then suggested.
Joker and the rest of the Thieves nodded, however the Leader noted the weak wall above them a light beam was hitting before heading for the crawl space.
From there, they ran through the hallways of the place, taking care to not alert any Shadows before dipping into a nearby room. Once inside, they saw more coffins, with a button in the middle.
"Futaba really likes buttons, huh." Joker remarked. "Guess it's from all her time on computers and video games." He then added.
"Make sure there aren't any traps in this room before we start pushing anything." Serpent advised.
After a quick check, Yin called it off. "Welp, no suspicious holes on the floor or walls, no weak flooring...I think we're in the clear. Unless those coffins here open up." She soon informed.
"Ugh...close enough." Serpent sighed before pressing the button.
Suddenly, the ground rumbled for a second as they heard something happen nearby.
"Hey, did something just move?" Panther questioned.
"I wonder what it was. It didn't feel far away..." Queen noted.
Joker agreed with the advisor's assumption and headed out of the room to check.
"Black Robe..." Joker got out as pulled out the item. "Great for transmogrification."
"...What?" Serpent got out with a raised eyebrow.
"T-Transform in a humorous or grotesque manner." Joker answered before blinking. "...I make items, armor and weapons from my Personas."
"Oh." Serpent simply responded before blinking a bit. "...You can do that?" She then questioned.
"I think Mona is wearing Jack Frost armor..." Joker muttered as he frowned. "Frost Ace Hood." He then added.
"Nooooo..." The Vice Leader quietly whined, tears beginning to edge out of her eyes.
"I got him back afterwards, Yin." Joker sighed out. "Those two keep a detailed record of every Persona I get and I can summon them back in the same manner as before they were fused." He then reminded.
"...From the loli paradise?" Serpent guessed.
The Leader instantly gained a flat expression before slowly turning to the tan skinned girl, who stifled her laughter. "...If you ever meet Caroline or Justine...or both...they are going to murder you." He bluntly stated.
"Pfft...! I can beat up children." Yang scoffed. "...I'd rather not, but I can." She then admitted.
"Can we keep going please?" Panther reminded before heading off...and nearly falling into the darkness thanks to the floor giving way.
"WHOA!" Yin exclaimed as she caught the ash blonde and pulled her to safety.
"GAH! I THOUGHT WE WERE DONE WITH THE CRAPPY FLOORING!" Skull exclaimed.
"Quiet down, dumbass!" Serpent growled. "We need to be careful again." She then advised while taking out her katana and began tapping the ground again.
"Hey, can you hear that?" They suddenly heard a Shadow ask.
"Yeah, some sort of incessant tapping." Its buddy answered as it looked around. "I think it's coming from over there." It then guessed before turning to the dog walking around. "Hey, boy! Sniff 'em out!"
"Arooof!" The patrolling dog woofed in affirmation before attempting to track down the Thieves.
"Shit..." Serpent swore before the Thieves dived for cover.
"I think that's a sign for us to say to not bother with most of these guys." Joker muttered as he watched the bandits pass by them. "Let's just gun for the next room and leave 'em behind."
The other Thieves nodded before dashing to the next piece of cover.
"Up here." Yin whispered as she helped everyone up before climbing up herself. From there, they walked down the hallway, where they spotted a button. From where they were, they could also see that they were above the room with the large hole and that there was a ballista at their level aimed at a cracked wall, where a light beam was hitting.
Joker didn't hesitate and hit the button.
CRASH!
"And that takes care of that." Fox got out. "Another passageway only revealed through destruction."
"How are these ballistas not a trap..." Skull muttered as he narrowed his eyes.
"They're a little obvious, Skull." Mona deadpanned. "But let's not give Futaba any more ideas here. We still need a way across that hole to get to that passageway after all."
"There was crawl space back the way we can, just by where we climbed up." Queen informed. "I bet that's progress."
"Alright, let's go. And remember, ladies last." Joker got out as they headed back before going through the small hole in the wall.
On the other side, they spotted two doors and a sarcophagus in the corner of the room. "Alright, which way?" Yin mumbled to herself. However, Joker's eyes flashed gold before approaching the sarcophagus.
"Is there anything...weird about this one?" The Leader questioned.
"Hm?" Mona hummed out before putting his hand on it. "What the...that's weird. There's a draft coming from it." He then stated and revealed.
"There might be an open space behind it." Widow assumed. "Or another Shadow waiting to ambush us. Should we open it?" She then added and questioned.
"I don't think we can though..." Yang however pointed out as she felt the sides of the coffin. "It's smooth. Not cracks, hidden buttons, outward hinges or anything to hold onto. We should leave this alone."
"Hai." Yin agreed before the Thieves moved on. From there, they went to the next area and got past the dog...where they ended up in a room with nothing but sarcophagi in it.
"That's it? Just a bunch of these stupid Cofagrigus?" Skull complained as he slapped his face.
"Sarcophagus." Queen sighed out her correction.
"They do look a bit like that Pokemon..." Yin meanwhile admitted in a mutter.
"That's...because they are?" Skull awkwardly replied.
"There has to be a purpose to this room..." Widow muttered as she looked around.
Joker blinked before activating Third Eye, where it revealed that one of the coffins was important to them; the one depicting a bird instead of a person. "Why is that sarcophagus glowing for Third Eye?" He wondered out loud.
Yang raised an eyebrow at that before confirming with her own Third Eye. "Well, let's see." She responded as they went up to that particular sarcophagus.
"Hm, this one has a different design from all the others. Does it not make you wonder why?" Fox remarked as he narrowed his eyes.
"That is odd..." Queen agreed as she studied it a little more closely.
"Maybe we can..." Yang began as touched the sarcophagus, only to step back as it opened on it's own...revealing a hidden button. "Okay, that works." She then got out.
"If only Third Eye worked for homework and tests..." Joker sighed as he hit the secret button.
"Hey, did anyone hear that?" Serpent got out as she looked to check if anything changed here.
"Yeah..." Mona replied. "Maybe something changed somewhere else. Let's go look." He soon suggested.
Joker nodded before heading back into the room where they found the coffin with the draft. However, this time, it was open.
"Hey, another one!" Yang got out. "I guess that button opened this one up." She then assumed.
"Hit it!" Yin called out as the Leader did so. Suddenly, they jumped back when it began to move, revealing that there was something behind it.
"Ah! It moved!" Mona yelped.
The Thieves cautiously moved closer in case of a trap behind heading through the secret door. "There was a secret room here..." Widow muttered before spotting something. "And another Anubuis statue..."
"Well, I don't remember reading anywhere here that there's a curse on that orb. Maybe it's okay to take it." Yin assumed.
"Yeah, it might be useful in the near future." Joker agreed as he swiped the Sanctuary Gem.
"Alright, let's go put it to use." Serpent got out as she pumped her fist before leaving the room. Instantly, a Shadow burst out of a coffin, forcing the Thieves to hide.
"Dammit, of course it would cause more Shadows to spawn..." Mona grumbled.
"We really should've suspected that after last time." Yang admitted.
"Ignore them. They are trying to waste our energy." Widow advised. "There was another we didn't go through back there. I assume it's our way forward."
"According to the map..." Yin whispered as she pulled it out. "You're right. Long hallway with lots of cover." She then added.
"Perfect. Move." Joker ordered. And with that, the Phantom Thieves made their way to the long hallway, where they snuck past the only guard patrolling and climbed up to another level, where they saw that they ended up above the room with the giant hole again with a stone pedestal this time.
"Hey, we've seen these receptacles before..." Widow got out. "We should insert the gem we just got into it." She then suggested.
Joker nodded and inserted the gem into the slot.
Suddenly, at the giant hole, platforms made from green light rose up from the darkness and created a path to the other side.
"This pathway of light is quite impressive. It seems we will be able to pass over it!" Fox stated with a smile on his face.
"It's not gonna disappear while we're using it, right? This is a little scary..." Panther mumbled in a worried tone.
"It'll be fine." Mona however assured "...I think." He awkwardly and unsurprisingly added.
"You're going first." Yang instantly responded.
"Dammit!" Mona swore out before shaking his head and jumping down. When the rest of the Thieves followed him, he went up to the light bridge and stopped. "You guys better catch me if I fall through."
"Don't worry, Mona-chan. You can count on me." Yin cheered as she brought out her grappling hook.
The not cat let out a dreamy sigh before cautiously stepping onto the first panel of the light bridge. After not falling through it, he jumped on it before nodding to himself. "It's safe."
"Oh thank god." Panther breathed out before the Thieves began to walk across it without worry.
"What are all these statistics...?" Serpent wondered out loud, noting the various meters and percentages on each of the panels.
"I think these platforms are reading out her PC specs." Joker noted as he looked down. "Huh, she has a EVIDIA BTX 1990 graphics card..." He then informed.
"I have...no idea what the hell you just said..." Skull awkwardly admitted.
"Just keep going." Queen got out as she made it across. Soon enough, the rest of the Thieves made it and went into the next room, which was a lot more open than they were comfortable with. However, the pillars made for great hiding spots.
"Careful, that one over there's gonna give us some serious hell." Serpent warned as she gestured at the glowing red bandit.
"Hey, look. There's a chest right near him." Skull whispered, spotting the golden chest by the strong Shadow. "Think we can take it right under their noses?"
"Won't even be a challenge." Joker answered with a smirk before dashing away.
Without even getting a Shadow to glance at them, they managed to get to the treasure chest undetected.
"Alright, let's crack it open." Joker got out as he pulled out his many, many lockpicks...courtesy of Becky.
"Move out of the way." The white haired woman interrupted as she shoved the Leader out of the way. "Lockpicking will take too long." She then bluntly explained.
"Do you know anything faster?" Panther questioned with a raised eyebrow. "Other than just smashing the chest?" She then added as her eyes drifted towards Yang.
Serpent studied the golden chest, especially the large padlock on it...before simply breaking the lock and throwing it over her shoulder. "There. Lockpicked." She bluntly concluded.
"So uncivilised..." Widow sighed as she shook her head.
"It worked, didn't it?" Serpent scoffed as the Leader opened the chest.
"A Robe of Hatred..." Joker muttered. "Probably not worth the lockpick..." He soon remarked.
"Let's just move." Queen got out as they slipped into the next area. It was a small hallway that went around a corner, with a door in front of them that shimmered.
"Huh, safe room. I thought they would only be at the stairs." Joker got out, feeling the lessened distortion behind it.
"This area is probably going to take a while to get through..." Queen assumed as she crossed her arms. "Should we take a break or keep going?" She soon asked.
"I'm feeling good, and I'm itching for a fight." Skull got out as he cracked his knuckles.
"Me too." Yang added as she relaxed her shoulders.
"I guess we're all ready for whatever's going to happen." Mona assumed, with everyone nodding in confirmation. "Let's just leave it for now. We can always use it later." He soon decided.
"Alright, I hope we don't regret it." Queen got out as they moved onto the door at the end. Suddenly, everyone shivered, feeling something emanate from the other side.
"This door...I can feel the distortions leaking from it..." Mona remarked.
"I'm getting a bad feeling about this." Yang admitted, her roommate nodding in agreement. Still, they opened the door, where the Palace Ruler stood silently at the end.
"Look, over there!" Skull called out.
"She's here." Widow got out as her muscles tensed.
"She's tried to kill us so many times now..." Yang sighed as she rubbed her forehead. "I doubt this meeting will be any different." She then added.
"Yeah, I think we know by now." Serpent sighed as she shook her head. "However, we aren't giving up here. She needs to know there are people out there who want her safe and sound. She's not alone. Joker, are we ready for an all-out fight?" She soon asked with a fire in her eyes.
"Hai, Serpent." Joker responded with a nod. "Get ready." He then advised as they approached the Palace ruler.
"You're early this time." Shadow Futaba greeted.
"Really?" Yin replied with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes. I expected you all to die and not come so in my mind you're early." The Palace ruler bluntly admitted with a shrug.
"Thank you. Your praise is much appreciated." Joker deadpanned.
"Come on! We're here to help but you just keep trying to kill us every damn time! What do you want from us!?" Skull called out in a frustrated manner.
"...I'm not sure. There's not much left at this point though." Shadow Futaba answered.
"Don't say that." Serpent growled as she stepped forward. "No matter what you throw at us, we're gonna keep going! So give us all you got, and we'll prove to you that you can be saved!" She then declared.
"Fine." The Palace ruler soon replied before disappearing.
"Uh...I think you're gonna regret those words very, very soon." Panther got out. And as soon as she finished, a tough Shadow appeared in front of them.
"WHO DARES INTRUDE UPON THE PEACE OF THIS SACRED GROUND!?" The Shadow roared. "THIS IS THE PHARAOH'S TOMB! NONE MAY DISTURB HER SLUMBER!" It then declared.
"What are we doing to piss her off so much!?" Skull exclaimed.
"Well, if you'd stop antagonising her, we wouldn't be getting into so much trouble." Yang grumbled.
"Ngh, we can't retreat now. We'll just have to do this!" Queen got out with a wince.
"Shutting herself away...wishing for eternal slumber..." Serpent muttered in a somber manner before glaring at the enemy. "This is all a nightmare then. Well, let's help you wake up, Futaba!" She then called out.
(Cue Dark Hero Female ver. By Kei Shimojo, Beverly)
"Another Coffin-borne God!" Queen informed as they jumped back from the enemies.
"They're starting with friends this time!" Mona informed before they all pulled out their weapons.
"I really hate this formation..." Yang growled at the two Lamia at the main Shadow's side.
"Everyone knows what to do this time, so this should be easy." Joker got out as he tugged on his glove. "Mona, you're in charge here."
"Glad to see you recognise my talents." Mona got out with a cocky smirk. "Witness my resolve! Zorro, Magarula!"
WOOOOOSH!
"Way to go, Mona!" Skull cheered.
Mona nodded with a smirk before dashing over to the advisor. "Passing the baton to Queen!" He declared as she jumped in the air.
CLAP!
Queen felt the energy flow through her body before summoning her Persona. "PERSONA! Mafrei!" She commanded as Johanna rained nuclear energy upon the Shadows.
KABOOOOM!
"You think you had a chance? All-Out Attack!"
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! WHAM! CRACK! SLASH! SLAP! WHAM! SLASH!
"Great opener, everyone!" Joker praised as they jumped back down. "Let's keep it up!"
The Shadow soon growled as they recovered from the onslaught, already retaliating by stinking up the place. "Ack! Foul Breath!" Fox coughed.
"They're getting ready to cast Ominous Words!" Queen warned.
"Everyone get ready!" Joker ordered as everyone raised their arms.
"MEGIDO!" The Coffin-bourne however declared, blasting the Thieves with Almighty spell!
BOOOM!
"Guh!" Yang grunted out, breaking the team's guard and allowing one of the Lamia to take advantage of this moment of vulnerability!
"RISING SLASH!" The Lamia suddenly declared, stunning the Thieves.
"AAAHHH!" Panther exclaimed as she was taken down by the attack, leaving her vulnerable.
"No!" Joker called out, however he didn't have the time to say anything else as it took it again!
"AGILAO!" The Slithering Snakewoman then declared, aiming for the infor broker.
"Senpai!" The young artist called out, jump into the way of the attack. "GGGGAAAAHHHHH!" He then screamed, writhing around on the ground in pain.
"Yusuke!" Widow gasped.
"No, get them up!" Yin exclaimed as she began to rush over to the two fallen members.
"Too late!" Widow called out.
"OMINOUS WORDS!"
"AH!" Yin screamed, unable to do anything but flinch and hope she wasn't affected.
"No! Panther and Fox are in Despair!" Mona informed as the two went to their knees.
"Someone save them before they kill themselves!" Joker ordered.
"Little busy here!" Skull shouted out as he dodged an attack from the Coffin-borne God while Yang sliced up a Lamia.
"I got it! Johanna! Energy Shower!" Queen commanded as she revved her Persona's engines.
"Panther, Fox? Are you guys okay?" Queen asked as she and the Vice Leader got to them.
"That...sucked." Panther panted out. "I...He was...Kamoshida...ugh..." She then got out as she rubbed her body.
"It's fine. It's fine, you're safe...relatively speaking." Yin assured, attempting to ignore the explosions and gunfire nearby. "Fox?" She then asked.
"I...I am fine. Just...woozy." Fox mumbled as he shook his head. "How long were we out?" He questioned in concern.
"Only a few seconds, thank god." Queen answered in relief.
"That felt like half an hour!" Panther exclaimed before turning her attention towards the enemy. "I need to blow off some steam right now." She then growled out while bringing out her tommy gun.
"I am inclined to agree, Panther." Fox responded before heading into the fray.
"Kaiwan! Makajamaon!" Joker called out, summoning the star-shaped Persona to inflict Forget on all his enemies.
"Hah! You got them all, Joker!" Yin cheered as they saw the Shadow look severely lost, wondering why they were here.
"Give 'em a physical reminder, Serpent!" Joker soon ordered.
"Gladly. Nobunaga! HEAT WAVE!" The white haired woman responded as she swiftly tore off her mask.
WHAM!
"Come on, they should be dead by now!" Yang complained.
"Maybe Futaba gave them a boost in power." Fox assumed.
The strongest of the Shadows growled as it prepared its retaliation attack. "TRAPPED RAT!" The Coffin-borne God cried, flaring its energy around the battlefield.
"Everyone guard!" Joker warned as the Thieves raised their arms.
"Hey, Serpent, watch the-" Yang began, however...
POOF!
"...Squeak squeak..." Yang groaned as she slapped her tiny paws onto her masked face.
"Hah! Told ya you'd be rattled eventually!" Serpent laughed out before quickly dodging out of the way.
"Wah! Yang-nee!" Yin exclaimed in a panic as she quickly scooped up her changed roommate. "Got you!" She got out in relief.
"Squeak!" Mouse Yang exclaimed before snuggling into the palm of her roommate's hand.
"She's safe! Kill 'em all!" Yin assured before ordering.
"That's the plan!" Panther responded. "Mona! SHOWTIME!"
"Let us entrance you into our dance of death!" Mona declared before jumping into the air.
"Go for it!" Joker responded as he pulled out the star and raised it to the sky, shining bright as it warped the area around them into a field of flowers.
"What the fuck...?" Serpent got out in disbelief as she watched the attack unfold.
"Oh right. The star wasn't mentioned in the pamphlet..." Fox realised. "I will have to revise it in the future." He then stated before seeing the ash blonde rain down bullets before the not cat threw his bomb.
"And that's game!" Panther and Mona declared in unison as they posed.
KABOOM!
"Both Lamia are down! Nice going, you two!" Queen informed and praised.
"Like there was any doubt." Mona replied as he high-fived the ash blonde.
"...How the hell did they just do that!?" Serpent meanwhile exclaimed in awe and disbelief to the showy display of destruction.
"They just had the star grant their wish." Skull explained, causing the woman's eyebrow to raise. "It's very picky in what it grants it ain't gonna be giving us infinite beef bowls."
"...How are you people not ruling the world..." Serpent soon asked in disbelief.
"Aiming for it." Joker simply replied.
POOF!
"WAH!" Yin exclaimed, suddenly holding her roommate in a bridal style. "Yang-nee! You're back!" She got out in relief.
"I am." Yang breathed out. "...Do you have any cheese?" She then suddenly asked.
"At home. Fight now." Yin giggled before setting the tan skinned girl down.
"Right." Yang replied with a nod. "Time for some payback!" She then growled out as she saw Fox knock down the Coffin-borne God.
"This is it! All-Out Attack!" Joker ordered.
"Go DIE!" Serpent screamed as they rushed the remaining Shadow.
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! WHAM! CRACK! SLASH! SLAP! WHAM! SLASH!
"Why do you even try!" Serpent declared as the Shadows died.
(End Music)
"That...sucked..." Yang breathed out as she checked her body.
"So...inevitable, huh?" Serpent repeated with a smug smirk on her face.
"Fuck...you..." Yang grumbled as she flipped her off.
"Yang..." Widow meanwhile got out in a chiding manner of disapproval.
Yang in turn winced as she looked at her light grey haired friend. "Sorry Widow..." She mumbled out.
Widow however just giggled in response. "It is alright Yang, a spur of the moment is nothing to be ashamed of." She replied.
Serpent meanwhile was confused by this interaction. "What's with those two?" She thought to herself, but shrugged it off.
"What is up with her!?" Skull growled as he stomped in frustration.
"Can you just try to calm down? Nothing good will come of letting your temper flare up like that." Queen snapped, having enough of the boy's outbursts.
"She did say there's not much left though. The end of this Palace may be drawing close." Fox assumed with a worried frown.
"Or our deadline is about to move up a month..." Joker mumbled. "Come on, we're so close I can almost taste the distorted desires." He then ordered.
"...What does it taste like?" Serpent had to ask.
"Figure of speech." Joker deadpanned before thinking about it."But I imagine it tasting really bittersweet and-not the time, we can taste it when we get our hands on it." He then got out.
"Don't...Don't lick the fucking Treasure." Panther awkwardly got out.
"And don't jizz on it, Mona." Yang kindly requested.
"I never jizzed on Treasures!" Mona declared while jumping into the air while flailing his arms. "Hugged it, maybe, but no ejaculation!" He then added.
"You were doing more than hugging Treasures, man." Skull deadpanned.
"It's the distortions to my body causing it!" Mona insisted before sighing. "I promise I will not drool over the Treasure this time!" He then promised.
Serpent meanwhile sweatdropped to that. "This group is going to be the death of me..." She muttered.
"It could be worse. You could be on a team full offruit loops that fight more amongst each other than the actual enemy, and is one Your Mom joke from setting off a nuclear bomb." Joker pointed out.
"Hm...I guess you're right." Serpent had to admit with a shrug.
(Hebijo Academy)
"Murasaki, you should be taking out your own trash instead of leaving it out the door! I can't kee- Achoo!" Imu suddenly sneezed. "...Could Miyabi be talking about me?" She soon questioned in a dreamy manner.
"Onee-chan...You've got issues." A dark purple haired quiet girl got out as she held an unusual bear plushie.
"No I don't, Murasaki!" Imu snapped, despite having a blush on her face.
"Your response...says otherwise." Murasaki however responded.
A distance away, the three Crimson Squad members looked at how the blonde temporary leader was getting flustered.
"Never thought I'd see Imu get riled up like that." Mirai remarked in amusement as she then looked at the dark purple haired girl she was arguing with...before looking down at her bust. "How the hell is she the younger sister of the two of them..." She then grumbled.
"I think the universe just hates you." Hikage assumed while Poochie looked on from in her bust. "Or it's allowing you to compensate for something." She then added while her eyes drifted down to the loli's skirt.
"HUH!?" Mirai got out, feeling offended by that. "My guns are perfectly sized, thank you very much!" She then declared.
"You keep telling yourself that." Hikage deadpanned before the little girl attempted to tackle her to the ground.
"What...What are you two talking about?" Yomi meanwhile got out in confusion while tilting her head.
Meanwhile at the same time, somewhere near Hebijo, a pair of twins sneezed.
(Chamber of Sanctuary)
"And...dead." Joker breathed out, the Thieve having just killed a Stone of Scone that popped out of a random urn.
"It's raining money...!" Serpent gasped as the Treasure Demon's body faded away. "Ow! Ow! Freaking coins hurt..." She grunted in annoyance.
"At least they aren't being fired out of a shotgun as ammo." Joker joked out.
"Oh God, did that bank Palace you mentioned earlier involve that?" Serpent got out in disbelief while wincing to the thought.
"No, but it did rain money and that practically shredded us." Skull answered with a wince.
"Would coins being fired at us really hurt more than just falling on us?" Panther meanwhile asked in a skeptical tone.
"I hope we don't find out..." Queen stated as she began to pick up the money.
"I wonder how much money we've made per-Palace." Yang soon wondered.
"Probably a lot more than your usual part-time jobs." Panther assumed.
"Hm? Where's Yin?" Fox suddenly realised as he looked around.
"Guys! We missed something over here!" Yin called out as she jumped down and dashed over to the group. "Look! There was an Anubuis statue with a gem!" She soon revealed.
"Huh, nice one, Vice Leader." Skull praised with a thumbs up.
"Yep." Joker agreed...before pulling out his gun and blasting the Shadow that jumped out of its coffin in the face.
BANG!
"Great work. Saves us a headache of finding it later." Joker casually added as he reloaded his pistol.
"Nice shot." Serpent admitted in an impressed manner.
"Thank you." Joker replied. "Now, let's be on our way." He then ordered as they continued on.
Eventually, they found a button and pushed it, causing another light bridge to appear over the hole.
"Huh, this sight brings a tear to my eye one again." Fox admitted while wiping his face.
"You're so freakin' weird dude..." Skull muttered as he shook his head.
"Well there's that, and the sand..." Yang added before coughing. "Urgh, this place is way too dusty..." She then groaned before walking onto the light bridge and following it to the yellow doorway at the end.
There was a chest there as well, which the Leader swiftly opened. "Black Rock...and the exit." Joker got out.
"Hm..." Yin hummed out as she pulled out the map. "I...think you're right..." She soon muttered.
"Come on, we're so close." Serpent got out as they headed through the doorway...only to end up in the room they first arrived in, except they were higher up at the level of the statue's heads. "What the..." She gasped.
"We're back where we started..." Fox noted.
"We really need to start looking up more." Skull muttered as she scratched his head.
"Whoa...!" Widow gasped in awe as they stared at the crystals bouncing the light beam across the room. "My...Look at all this..." She breathed out.
"How are they all floating like that?" Serpent wondered out loud.
"Metaverse logic." Joker answered as he brought out his grappling hook. "Be careful everyone. It's a long drop from here..." He soon warned.
"We can assume." Widow muttered before spotting a point where they could hook onto. "That should be strong enough." She then muttered before shooting her grappling hook and zipping away.
The Thieves proceeded to swing and zip from each of the floating crystals, making their way to the other side. However, they did take one pit stop at a chest.
"Helper Knife. Finally, something for me." Joker noted as he held the new weapon with a smirk on his face, giving it a twirl to get a good feel for it.
"So...is that a model in the real world or is it real?" Serpent had to ask.
"Model." Joker answered as he put away the knife. "Really realistic models, but models nonetheless." He then stated.
"But...why models? Wouldn't it make more-" Serpent began to question before she stopped herself. "Ah, screw it. Don't ask, just go with it." She sighed out.
"We'll figure out the secrets of the Metaverse eventually, just not now." Joker assured before swinging away. Serpent merely shrugged in response before following him.
The Leader soon let out a breath once everyone reached the other side where the exit was. "Alright, this should be it this time." Joker breathed out as they went to the next room.
(Great Corridor)
"Another mural, another one of Futaba's traumas in the form of a puzzle..." Yang sighed as they got to the new area.
"It looks like it's the last one." The Vice Leader informed after checking the map.
"Let's just get this over with." Joker got out as he touched the panel, causing the screen to turn on to reveal another scrambled picture.
"Wait, what!? I can't even begin to tell what this one is." Panther exclaimed.
"I can recognise...Futaba and her mother..." Widow muttered as she narrowed her eyes.
"It must be from when she was alive." Queen assumed.
"So from after her death, to her death and then before her death..." Fox got out. "My, what a troubling turn of events to focus on..." He then mumbled.
"You know what to do, Joker." Yin stated as the Leader got to work on solving the puzzle.
It didn't take very long, the previous puzzle was more difficult than this one, so Joker solved it in no time flat. "There we go." Joker announced before everyone felt the Palace rumble again.
RUMBLE!
"Where are these earthquakes coming from!?" Yang called out. "This place is going to collapse long before we reach the Treasure if it keeps up!" She then stated.
After regaining their footing, they instantly focused back on the mural. "What is this anyways?" Panther had to ask.
"Futaba pulling on her mother's clothes?" Fox assumed.
"Actually, not as bad as the triangle one." Joker admitted. "She even has her own PC there..." He then noted.
"Yeah. It doesn't seem so bad." Serpent got out before narrowing her eyes at the screen. "Now how does Futaba see this?" She then mumbled.
"Mom..." Suddenly, the Palace ruler's voice filled the air.
"Futaba?" Serpent whispered out as her eyes widened.
"More of this..." Joker got out, frowning as he listened carefully.
"I'm...I'm tired of eating dinner alone all the time. It's always just convenience store bentos..." The voice of Futaba whined. "I wanna go somewhere. Take me on a trip!" She then begged.
The Thieves winced at that. Such a turn around...
"Don't be so selfish!" Her mother snapped. "You know I'm working hard to support you, right!? Ugh!" She then scoffed before the light beam hit the mural, causing it to disappear and hit the last door at the great stairs.
"And that's that." Joker sighed.
"She seemed pretty angry..." Widow noted. "Is that the maternity neurosis those men in the first mural mentioned earlier?" She soon assumed.
"I thought it was pretty normal for a child to want to spend time with their parents though..." Panther muttered with a frown.
"It is." Yin answered with a nod.
"Yeah. Looks like Futaba was a pretty lonely kid growin' up..." Skull mumbled. More than a few of the Thieves nodded at that, knowing the kind of feeling.
"So all these incidents compounded, forcing her mother to suicide...?" Fox guessed.
"But...the way Chief described her..." Mona murmured sadly. "There's no way he would..." He then began before shaking his head.
"That...That doesn't make sense at all!" Serpent snapped as she stomped around. "Something is wrong here! The suicide note, the method..." She soon got out before pointing at the screen. "That! This is...This is all...I can't..." She then mumbled as she clutched onto her head.
"I must die..." Shadow Futaba stated as she appeared in front of the Thieves. "I killed her...that's why I'm here in this tomb..." She soon revealed.
"Stop saying that you have to die!" Serpent shouted out as she grabbed the shoulders of the orangette's Shadow. "This...is this really what your mother wanted you to do!?" She then questioned.
"..." Shadow Futaba said nothing in response to that as she looked at the woman holding her shoulders. "It was what those men read from my mother's suicide note..." She then revealed.
"Wait, read? You mean you never saw her suicide note?" Joker then questioned.
"It does not matter. I will die..." Shadow Futaba responded as she vanished without a trace.
"Dammit!" Serpent growled out as she then slammed her fist against the wall. "There's something wrong with this entire goddamn story. I will save you, Futaba..." She soon muttered in a determined manner.
"So you think so too huh Serpent." Joker stated more than asked in his own serious tone.
"She didn't even try to kill us this time..." Skull noted.
"She sounded quite somber too..." Fox added as he narrowed his eyes. "Could her heart perhaps be growing weaker?" He then guessed.
"Dammit! We're running out of time! We have to steal her heart!" Serpent called out before jumping down to the great stairs, with the others following suit soon afterwards.
"We finally made it to the top..." Widow breathed out as they climbed the last of the stairs as the door gave way to them.
"It's open...but what's this!?" Panther exclaimed as they ran up to the next thing blocking their way.
"Is it out of service or somethin'?" Skull guessed as he tried to tear off the caution tape, but to no avail.
"Well, it doesn't seem like it's going to open any time soon." Yang sighed out.
"No! We have to keep going!" Serpent called out as she tried to force the door open. "COME ON!" She then got out as she kept struggling.
"Stop it Serpent, doing that is a waste of energy." Joker stated as he pulled her away. "Looks like we're gonna have to find another way in." He then informed.
"Hold on...this door..." Queen muttered out.
"So you see it too, Queen. Yes...we've seen this design before..." Widow noted.
"It definitely looks familiar..." Mona added.
"It does, doesn't it." Yin then admitted in agreement.
"Wait, yeah. The police tape and sign...that's on...oh, fuck!" Yang suddenly swore out as she face palmed.
"Language, Yang." Widow sighed. "But...I think this warrants a swear." She then admitted in a sheepish manner.
"This is most likely Futaba's bedroom door in the real world." Queen informed.
"Yes, it's her cognition that no one can enter it." Mona then stated.
"Which means we're gonna have to convince Futaba to...open her door in the real world." Joker concluded as he looked at the rest of the group, all of them (except Serpent who was glaring at the door) knew that it was a lot easier said than done. "Everyone, it's time to go back for now." He ordered.
"No we're not." Serpent countered in a threatening tone.
"Yes we are." Joker commanded.
"No, we're not." Serpent once more countered as her anger was rising
"Yes, we are." Joker commanded in his own serious tone.
"I am not leaving her here like this Joker! WE NEED TO DO THIS NOW!" Serpent then demanded.
"Serpent. Calm down." Joker ordered.
"How can I be calm!? Futaba doesn't have a goal or a drive to keep living! She's wasting away while everyone else she cared about is dead!" Serpent snapped in a furious manner. "I CAN'T JUST LEAVE HER LIKE THIS!" She soon declared in a more panicked tone.
"Miyabi! The Treasure isn't going to show up until we send a calling card! You're wasting your time! We can't go any further so calm down or else you're not coming." Joker soon ordered as he narrowed his eyes as a red glow formed in them.
"But we could-" Serpent started, however...
"Or, we can just stop right now and let her die. Is that what you want?" Joker interrupted in a serious tone.
Upon hearing that, Serpent's eyes widened as she looked at the Leader of the group. "..." She was speechless as she slumped forward and sighed. "...Let's go." She soon got out in defeat.
"Good. Now don't act like that again, or else you'll get us killed. We're supposed to be a team here." Joker stated before breathing out to calm himself down. "Now, who wants a soda?" He soon offered as he took out a can from his pocket.
"...I do." Serpent sighed out as she took the can and opened it before chugging down the contents in one go.
Soon Joker sighed as he looked at the rest of the group. "Okay, is everyone ready to leave?" He then asked.
"Yeah. I'm tired and I'm sure everyone else is too. Let's get some rest before we continue." Mona answered as everyone turned around.
"God, that's a lot of stairs we have to effin' climb..." Skull grumbled.
"No complaining Skull. We've defeated stairs before, we can do it again." Panther however got out in a deadpan tone as they started to walk, only for the target's Shadow to stop them in their tracks.
"I'm surprised that you made it this far." Shadow Futaba commented."Beyond lies the Pharaoh's Chamber." She then informed.
"So the Treasure's behind here?" Skull guessed.
The orangette's Shadow in turn nodded to that. "Indeed. And, as you may have figured out, you need my permission to open this door." She soon revealed.
"...You mean from the real Futaba-chan." Yin soon stated.
"Just like from Madarame's Palace." Joker added with a nod.
"Yes. Considering that you made it all the way here, you may be able to do it..." Shadow Futaba vaguely stated.
"Eh? What do you mean?" Widow however questioned in confusion.
They unfortunately didn't get an answer as Shadow Futaba disappeared once again.
"Well, that's that. Time to prepare the calling card." Panther stated.
"Something seems...off though..." Yang however got out as she narrowed her eyes.
Widow in turn nodded in agreement to that. "Yes, she keeps helping us then trying to kill us all." She replied in agreement.
"Well, her mind says she wants to be saved but her heart says that she deserves to die." Yin muttered out as she looked at the antsy white haired girl.
"Either way, we're not getting the Treasure unless we convince Futaba to open her door." Queen stated. "However, Boss did say she doesn't let anyone in so..." She started, but trailed off at the end.
"We're gonna have to get the shut-in to open up." Joker concluded.
"How will we convince her to allow us entry though?" Fox questioned as he tried to think of a way.
"We're not solving anything standing around and talking. We'll just have to figure it out when we get there." Widow stated.
"Even if it means we have to force our way in." Panther added with everyone nodding in agreement.
To that everyone nodded as they began heading down the stairs to the exit.
"We may need to sneak our way into Boss' house again." Fox sighed out.
"Yeah. But man, it's gonna be really awkward if we end up breaking in by uh...breaking the door down." Skull pointed out.
"Well Joker, it's your call when we do this. Like always." Yin stated.
"You should probably make up a few excuses just in case Boss catches us." Panther soon suggested.
"Don't worry, we won't get caught." Joker assured, already having a few contingency plans in the works.
"Oh, that reminds me. Gimme the calling card. The one Alibaba sent us." Skull requested.
"Already got plans for it?" Yang soon asked.
"Expect it to be done before you can even say hikikomori." Skull replied in a confident manner.
"You want me to help you again?" Queen offered.
"...Yeah..." Skull answered with a sigh.
"I will assist as well. Even if it's only seen by one person, I will not tolerate substandard quality." Widow then offered.
"Thanks. Just tell us when to barge into her room Joker!" Skull got out as the rest of the Thieves nodded.
Meanwhile, the white haired girl looked back to the locked door at the top as she narrowed her eyes. "...I will save you Futaba...no matter what it takes..." Serpent stated in a dead serious tone.
Soon, the group made it back to the bottom of the pyramid and exited it.
[Now leaving (Futaba Sakura's Pyramid of Sloth & Wrath)...have a nice day...]
(7/27, Evening)
(Leblanc Attic)
The Leader soon returned to his room with the not cat in his bag.
"Goddammit..." Akira muttered, head in his hands.
"Yeah, I know how you're feeling." Morgana sighed out as he hopped out of the bag. "To think someone was suffering so much...and she was practically at our front door...it feels like a failure on our part, even though Chief had good reasons not to reveal her very existence." He then got out. "Still, it was nice work out there. By tomorrow, Medjed won't know what hit them." He then thanked the Leader.
"We didn't even find a cognition of Boss in there..." Akira then got out with a frown.
"That's honestly concerning." Morgana soon stated while narrowing his eyes. "If she doesn't have a cognition of Chief...either he's not an important part of her life, or she thinks nothing of him." He then concluded.
"...We'll need to change her heart as soon as possible." Akira decided as he then cracked his back. "God, didn't Kawakami's maid service offer massages too?" He then groaned as he stretched his tired body. "I wonder if she'll give me one..." He soon thought.
BZZT! BZZT! BZZT!
"Why do they keep texting me at the same time?" Akira asked as he pulled out his phone.
[RiceThrasher: Akira? I've been trying to text you all day but all I get is an error message...]
[TheWildJ0ker: My internet went out. It does that sometimes.]
[TheWildJ0ker: It's back now, obviously, how are you?]
[RiceThrasher: Things could be better honestly...]
[TheWildJ0ker: Why? What's wrong?]
[RiceThrasher: Nothing to be concerned about.]
[TheWildJ0ker: Okay, but if you're texting me, it must mean someone is coming to Tokyo soon?]
[RiceThrasher: Actually...me and my friends...we're going to stay at my school for the foreseeable future.]
[RiceThrasher: Our grandfather has fallen quite ill. We're going to take him to the doctor soon.]
[TheWildJ0ker: Hope he gets better soon then. And be sure to tell Yumi too.]
[RiceThrasher: Don't worry. Once he's better, I'll introduce you to another one of my friends.]
[RiceThrasher: Ah, I need to go. My allies need me.]
[RiceThrasher: Good night.]
[TheWildJ0ker: Good night and sleep well.]
"Yeesh, you gotta feel bad for Lady Yumi's friends." Morgana admitted.
"Hey, have you seen her grandfather? He could lift trucks if wanted to." Akira stated. "...Actually, all the shinobi I know can." He then awkwardly noted before going to the next conversation.
[Futsure: Where have you been!? I've been trying to text you all night.]
[TheWildJ0ker: Sorry, I've been busy with homework. Turned off my phone to focus.]
[TheWildJ0ker: I'm just about done though. Just one more day and I'll be free.]
[TheWildJ0ker: Hopefully.]
[Futsure: Ugh, it's the worst isn't it?]
[Futsure: Well, if you have the chance, Yomi-oneechan will be heading there soon. Show her around town.]
[TheWildJ0ker: Isn't she the last of you I have to meet up with?]
[Futsure: Yep.]
[Futsure: I really hope you can convince her into stopping her crusade against...everyone, I guess.]
[TheWildJ0ker: I'll try. I have a way with words.]
[TheWildJ0ker: Actually, give me her phone number.]
[TheWildJ0ker: Let's not have our next meeting by chance.]
BZZT!
Akira then looked to see the new number attached. "And there's Yomi-san's number." He stated as he went and saved it into his contacts.
"So the last of Lady Homura's friends is coming now." Morgana noted. "Better you have her number in advance this time." He then added.
"Why didn't I think of this earlier? I keep bumping into shinobi. My shoulder is starting to get sore." Akira stated as he rolled his shoulders before going onto the last of the shinobi conversations.
[Haruka: Good evening.]
[TheWildJ0ker: Hey.]
[TheWildJ0ker: Heading to bed soon, so make it quick.]
[Haruka: I'm just wondering how things are with Miyabi since...]
[Haruka: You know...]
[TheWildJ0ker: She's been fine. Really fun to work with.]
[Haruka: But...]
[TheWildJ0ker: Why do you assume there's a but?]
[Haruka: Butts are always a factor.]
(...)
(...)
[TheWildJ0ker: Buts*]
[Haruka: I know what I wrote.]
[TheWildJ0ker: She's been a lot of help. She just needs someone to open her heart.]
[TheWildJ0ker: I think I know who might be able to do that.]
[Haruka: Well, as long as she's not trying to kill me again, I'd say you're doing a good job, Akira-kun.]
[TheWildJ0ker: I try.]
[Haruka: Speaking of butts...]
[TheWildJ0ker: Goodnight, Haruka.]
"...You know way too many women." Morgana deadpanned with obvious disapproval and envy in his voice.
"That I do." Akira simply replied. "...I really need to focus on my non-shinobi friends. I feel like I've been neglecting them lately." He soon muttered, looking at all the other conversations he had left.
"Well, not tonight. It's pretty late." Morgana responded and reminded.
"Don't put your tail in a twist. I'm not going out. Just gonna study a little before I head to bed. Summer homework and all that." Akira assured, glancing at the pile of homework he had dumped onto the table. "...After I talk to everyone." He then awkwardly added as he went back to his phone.
"Your social life must be tiring. I don't think I could handle so many relationships." Morgana admitted. "So, what do you think your luck will be if you meet Lady Asuka's friends?" He then suddenly asked.
"Eh, probably the same to be honest." Akira responded as he shrugged his shoulders. "Though I do wonder what they're like." He then admitted.
"Isn't one of them a massive pervert?" Morgana reminded.
"Hey, at least it's not Kamoshida." Akira stated before pausing. "For the love of God, don't be another Kamoshida..." He then whispered before deciding to turn in for the night, already taking off his sweaty clothes.
(Gessen Academy, Elite's Room)
The bluette sighed as she shut down her phone. "He finally answered, Yozakura?" Murakumo assumed.
"Yes." Yozakura offhandedly responded.
The brunette in turn sighed in relief at hearing that. "You must be really interested in him if you were texting during a mission." Murakumo calmly remarked.
Yozakura in turn blushed pink as a result. "I-I was simply worried." She mumbled out.
"Hey, I at least turn off my phone when sneaking around." Shiki pointed out as she opened the door into the Elite Room. "Hey! Minori-chi! We're back!" She soon called out.
No response.
"Minori? We're back from our mission, I'll take care of Kurokage for the rest of the evening." Murakumo soon got out a little louder. Still, no response.
"Wait...where's Minori?" Yozakura eventually asked while looking around.
"Hey, look, there's a note here." Shiki soon noticed a piece of paper on the table, which the masked girl picked up.
"Went to Tokyo to get some more medicine for Jii-chan and some sweets. Be back in a few days. From Minori." Murakumo read out.
"Wait, wha-" Yozakura began, however...
"Hold on, she wrote more." Murakumo interrupted. "XOXOXOXO, smiley face, smiley face, smiley face...and one of her homemade candies taped to the bottom." She then finished while popping the candy into her mouth...of her mask, where it naturally bounced off.
"She...She left?" Yozakura got out in disbelief. "Oh God, she left Kurokage alone!?" She then exclaimed before rushing over to his room. She soon let out a sigh of relief upon hearing his snores.
"Don't we have medicine here? Or, like, in town or something?" Murakumo soon reminded, her eyes narrowing underneath her mask. "I mean, I get the candy, but what medicine does she need from Tokyo?" She soon questioned.
"...Wait, wasn't the doctor supposed to come in today?" Shiki soon remembered before sighing. "Dammit, someone call her." She soon got out.
Murakumo nodded and pulled out her phone, calling the childish shinobi in her contacts. And that's when they heard something coming from under one of the cushions of the couch. Without much thought, the masked girl lifted it up to reveal a pink phone with a candy-covered casing.
"Check-it-out chocolate. Can I have a bit of chocolate? But my weight worries me a bit these days."
"...She left her phone here." Shiki deadpanned as the de facto Leader silently palmed her face. "At least she was able to sneak around like a shinobi should?" She awkwardly pointed out.
However the glares from her friends immediately caused the blonde of Gessen to shut up. Still, they were all left with one question.
Why did Minori need to go to Tokyo for medicine?
(Shibuya, Shin Megami Apartment Complex, Asuka and Homura's Apartment)
"That was...That was a good dinner." Miyabi admitted as they headed back to their respective apartments. "Thank you for paying." She then added in an awkward yet grateful tone.
"We have plenty of money from killing Shadows. It's fine." Asuka replied with a kind smile. "Plus, we have to get well-fed and rested when we steal Futaba-chan's heart." She then added.
"Yeah..." Miyabi got out.
"So...I guess we'll see you tomorrow?" Homura awkwardly stated, sounding somewhat unsure.
"I see you every day now so it's not exactly necessary..." Miyabi deadpanned. "Besides, I'm still not trusting Good Shinobi and traitors." She then stated while slightly glaring towards the brunette, who slightly hid herself behind the tan skinned girl.
"Hurt her and I hurt you." Homura soon threatened in a dead serious tone.
"Homu-nee, please don't fight with Miyabi-chan..." Asuka however mumbled. "I thought we were over this..." She then added.
"Sis..." Homura got out.
Asuka then took her roommate's hand into her own. "We're a team. We shouldn't be fighting amongst each other." She then stated in a firm tone.
"And why not?" Miyabi then questioned.
"Cause I'm the Vice Leader, Miyabi-chan." Asuka soon reminded in a more serious tone.
"The Vice Leader that stole one of Hebijo's top students." Miyabi countered.
"Look, I was probably gonna leave anyway so can you please drop it?" Homura sighed out.
"And why were you going to leave?" Miyabi however asked.
"There were many reasons I was going to leave." Homura stated in a serious tone. "Though I recently gained a new one, to be with my new family." She then answered.
"Let me be blunt and say that I don't give a shit." Miyabi stated. "You still betrayed Hebijo, and they're going to go after you once your year is up. Remember that little insurance policy you have on you." She then reminded.
"I'm already free of the Yoke Technique." Homura soon revealed in a dead serious tone. "Sis's Grandfather is Hanzō and was able to remove it." She then added.
Miyabi's eyes widened after hearing that piece for a brief moment before coughing into her fist. "O-Okay, that helps a little but..." She then started, however...
"Miyabi-chan, why are you acting like this?" Asuka suddenly asked. "I can get Jii-chan to remove the Yoke Technique from you as well." She then offered.
"You don't get it do you? You may not have any reason to stay at Hebijo, but I do. I'm an Evil Shinobi, and there's no changing that." Miyabi however countered in a dead serious tone of her own.
"You can change. You just have to try." Homura stated.
"And tell me, what am I supposed to do afterwards if you get rid of the Yoke Technique?" Miyabi suddenly questioned the two. "My father is the principal of Hebijo and I plan to take over the school when I am of age." She then declared.
"...There's more to life than being a shinobi. After all, you're still human." Asuka pointed out.
Miyabi however narrowed her eyes to that statement. "Oh give me a break. Look, after we steal Futaba's heart, I never want to see any of you again. Got that?" She all but ordered.
"Miyabi-chan..." Asuka got out in a sympathetic tone.
"I agree." Homura replied before walking away. "Even after all that, you still won't see the truth. You don't deserve your Persona." She darkly declared.
"H-Homu-nee!" Asuka exclaimed in disbelief after hearing that declaration. "I'm so sorry, Miyabi-chan." She soon apologized with a respectful bow.
The white haired girl however shook her head to that apology. "No, it's alright. You don't have to apologize for her." Miyabi replied, unphased by the declaration.
"And...I am sorry about what happened to you." Asuka then apologized in a sympathetic and saddened tone.
"It's not your fault, Asuka. Stop acting like you could do anything about it." Miyabi stated in a dark tone before walking away towards her apartment.
"..." Asuka tried to say something before stopping herself. There was no point for the time being. When Asuka entered the apartment herself, she spotted her roommate with her face in a pillow. "Are you alright?" She soon asked.
"Just...frustrated Sis..." Homura hesitantly responded, her voice muffled by the pillow. "This...This sucks...Why out of all people did it have to be her to get a Persona...I would've preferred someone like Hikage, or Haruka...hell, maybe even Tsumugi..." She then stated.
"Hm? Tsumugi?" Asuka repeated in confusion.
Homura however sighed. "Just some hanger-on. Shy, nervous. Just kinda...followed me around Hebijo..." She explained before shaking her head. "Whatever. The point is that Miyabi sucks." She then simplified.
"Thin walls!" They suddenly heard Miyabi call out.
"It was on purpose!" Homura called back before looking at her roommate. "It was not on purpose." She whispered.
"Still, the way she acts around Futaba-chan's Shadow..." Asuka quietly pointed out.
"...Ok, you got me there." Homura whispered back with a nod. "But...why can't she act like that to anyone else? Like, to her she acts like an older sis-" She then questioned and started, however...
BZZT! BZZT!
And with that, Asuka and Homura pulled out their phones while changing.
[Shut7heFUp: Calling card's ready!]
[Sweetkat06: That was fast!]
[Shut7heFUp: I mean, I already wrote three of 'em before this, remember?]
[FireGirl20: Yeah but you needed help the last two times. And the first one sucked! How much did you...?]
[Road2Queen: I came up with almost all of the sentences...]
[Negative8Degrees: And I corrected all the mistakes.]
[FireGirl20: Ah. There we go.]
[Shut7heFUp: You don't gotta mention that!]
[Road2Queen: Smooth, Ryuji...]
[All4Painting: The real question here is when we should go to Futaba's room...]
[SushiRoll23: We have to do it as soon as possible or else...!]
[Negative8Degrees: We can't delay for long!]
[Road2Queen: Well, um...I think our leader should decide.]
[FireGirl20: Like always, Makoto.]
[Shut7heFUp: Look who's the smooth one now...]
[DarkEyeXI: Tomorrow.]
[FireGirl20: Hold it Miyabi, this is Akira's decision.]
[Negative8Degrees: Akira, please tell her to stop before we're ready.]
[TheWildJ0ker: No. Tomorrow's fine.]
[Negative8Degress: What?]
[Road2Queen: Are you sure Akira?]
[TheWildJ0ker: Yeah. We barely went into our supplies and...I'm not going to wait. Tomorrow, your heart will be stolen Futaba.]
[FireGirl20: ...Oh shoot, I forgot she could be reading all of this right now.]
"So we're doing it tomorrow." Homura breathed out as she rubbed her forehead. "Well, it gives us a chance to enjoy our summer without Medjed breathing down our backs." She then pointed out.
"...Oh! Them! I almost forgot that." Asuka sheepishly admitted with a blush.
"Sis, you silly little...t-toad." Homura began before trailing off. "Miyabi...she was acting like an older sister to Futaba..." She thought to herself.
"She was." Wolverine responded in agreement with a nod from within her mind.
"Well, I don't think they really matter anymore. I mean, the destruction of Japan's economy is a little scary but...Futaba-chan comes first. We can't let her own heart destroy her." Asuka then stated.
"Still, it makes you think how far she is going for the girl, despite just learning about her, barely even knowing who she was before all this." Wolverine started.
"I mean, we all are." Homura replied as she rolled her eyes.
"But will you be willing to do what Miyabi did for Futaba like you are towards Asuka?"
"Of course." Homura mentally responded. "God, you make me sound like I only care about Sis, not anyone else." She then added in her head.
"I meant as if she was family." Wolverine clarified. "You have still been hesitant since the offer to join her family ever since Kamoshida's downfall."
"Friends...family..." Homura repeated as she closed her eyes. "...The only difference is our blood. I don't give a shit about that, nothing would change if Asuka and I were sisters. Our bond transcends that of legality. I don't need the government to declare us as sisters. I know that in my heart. But...I know that I just...don't deserve it..."
"..."
"...Wolverine?" Homura thought as she narrowed her eyes. "...Don't go silent on me now! You started this whole conversation!" She soon began to mentally shout, only for her to realise what was happening. She knew the answer. "...I think...I know what to do now." She mentally realized.
"Homu-nee, are you paying attention?" Asuka got out, snapping the girl out of her thoughts.
"Huh?" Homura mumbled. "Uh...no. Sorry, just...I'm a little tired." She then admitted as she rubbed her eyes. "Why was I so hesitant?" She mentally questioned herself.
The Vice Leader soon enough was stretching her arms from exhaustion. "Mmmm~ Ah~" Asuka sighed out. "Yeah. It was a pretty tough infiltration. Still, we got so far into the Palace with all those traps and learned everything we did. Now we just gotta send the Calling Card and save Futaba-chan." She muttered in satisfaction and anticipation.
"..." Homura however remained silent as shadows covered her eyes at being reminded of what happened. What she saw. "Because I thought I didn't deserve it."
Asuka however noticed her roommate's silence as she looked at the tanned skinned girl. "Homu-nee?" She called out in concern.
"I...I decided..." Homura suddenly started. "I...I thought I was unworthy. That...That I just...couldn't accept her pity and take it. Asuka, you are one of the most important people in my life. Without you...I...I don't know. I can't imagine you out of my life now and...it hurts if I try."
"H-Homu-nee?" Asuka got out, concerned to this suddenly confession.
"I...I want..." Homura mumbled out. "I want a family again..." She softly revealed as tears ran down her eyes. "I...I want a Mama and Papa that would treat me like a person..." She soon whimpered out.
"Homu-nee..." Asuka muttered, surprised to see her roommate like this.
"I...The people I used to call my family are gone. And no matter what, they'll live on in my memories without paying rent, but...I...If you think I'm ready to be part of a family, so be it."
"Homu-nee...you already have a family. You already have me, and Akira-kun, Ryuji-kun. Everyone you've met, befriended and hung out with are all part of this family." Asuka softly whispered out. "I care for you Homu-nee, and that will never change..." She then revealed.
"I-I know Sis...but now...I want to make it official..." Homura then revealed, sniffling all the while. "I...I want us to be sisters officially..." She soon confessed.
Upon hearing that, Asuka silently gasped as looked at her roommate in realization. "R-Really Homu-nee?" She asked.
Homura in response nodded to this. "I held it off for too long now..." She confessed in shame. "I was afraid...but no longer." She soon declared.
"I mean...you're really sure about this?"
"...Do I need to sign paperwork?" Homura countered, already hearing her wrist crack at the thought.
"I...I...I don't know anything about the adoption process." Asuka admitted with a blush. "Um, I'll contact Jii-chan and let him know!" She then declared while getting her phone.
"Yeah. I might need some more forged documents..." Homura mumbled .
"W-Well, if we can't do it officially, you're my sister from now on until we die!" Asuka declared as she pumped her fist.
"You know, given our lives, that may be sooner than we think." Homura mumbled before shaking her head. Now was not the time to dwell on that. "But...yeah. We are...sisters." She then breathed out, as the reality of her decision settled in. "Erm, should we keep it a secret until it's all...official?" She soon requested.
"If that's what makes you feel more comfortable." Asuka assured. "We can tell them when you're ready." She then added.
"Thanks Sis." Homura got out as she patted the brunette's head. "Hey, I can say that and let it be literal now." She soon realised.
"Hehehehe...I love you, Homu-neechan!" Asuka happily declared with eye smiles.
BANG!
And with that metaphorical shot to the heart (where Asuka's cuteness was to blame). "Hey...do you mind if I faint? I am genuinely really exhausted." Homura soon requested and admitted.
Asuka blinked in confusion. "Um, sure?" She soon answered.
"Thank you." Homura breathed out. "Homura Shirokage-Shinkukage...It has a nice ring to it." She repeated in a mutter before smiling.
THUD!
"...You could've made it to the bedroom first..." Asuka couldn't help but say, but still giggled all the same to her now sleeping and smiling sister. "Time to call Jii-chan and let him know!" She soon decided as she got her phone out to call him, speed dialing him. "Hey Jii-chan! It's me!" She greeted as she then started telling him about her roommate accepting the adoption.
(Miyabi's Apartment)
Meanwhile in her apartment, Miyabi pacing around in anticipation. She was extremely glad they were going to change her heart to the point where she couldn't sleep at the moment, so she decided to head for the shower to try and calm herself down.
BZZT! BZZT!
...After taking this call.
Sighing, the white haired woman got her phone to see who it was. "...Imu?" Miyabi muttered in confusion with a raised eyebrow as she looked at it.
"Good evening. How are you doing?"
"Imu, you know you shouldn't call unless absolutely necessary. For the love of...I could be in the middle of an enemy base right now and you just gave away my position!" Miyabi soon stated in a lecturing manner.
"Why don't you put your phone on silent or turn it off?" Imu however pointed out.
"That's not the point here!" Miyabi countered in frustration with a sigh before calming down. "Good evening to you too. What are you calling about?" She soon questioned.
"I just got word from the principal that we're receiving two new candidates that are transferring in from a Good Shinobi school. Potential Elites."
"Two candidates?" Miyabi repeated as she pinched the bridge of her nose.
"I know that you're busy, but I would like to run it through you." Imu got out.
"I'll meet them when I meet them. I can't stay up tonight, I have business to attend to tomorrow." Miyabi replied, staring at the minigun on the floor. "You did get a chance to check their files, right?" She then questioned.
"I did." Imu responded. "Everything about these two seems to check out well. They'll make a great addition to our roster." She then informed.
"Test them anyway, hold nothing back against them." Miyabi soon ordered.
"I won't." Imu assured. "Well in any case, I won't take up anymore of your time. Have a good night."
"You too." Miyabi responded as she hung up and placed the phone back on the charger before heading for the shower.
She really needed one now to calm herself down.
Tomorrow, she will end the young hacker's despair and suffering.
Save Game...Quit!
(Persona Tracking)
Joker
Level: 37
Personas: Arsene (Resist: Curse) (Weak: Ice, Bless), Jack Frost (Null: Ice) (Weak: Fire), Lachesis (Resist: Wind) (Null: Ice) (Weak: Electric), Kaiwan (Null: Gun, Psychic) (Weak: Nuclear), Albion (Null: Physical, Gun, Earth), Otohime (Drain: Water) (Weak: Fire, Earth)
Persona Trait: Arsene- Last Stand (Allows use of ambush-only skills after Baton Pass), Jack Frost- Ice Lineage (Chance to halve costs of Ice skills), Lachesis- Internal Hypnosis (Extends buffs received by 1 turn), Kaiwan- Psychic Bloodline (Halves costs of Psy skills), Albion- Undying Fury (Strengthen Physical attacks by 30%. Doesn't apply to Gun skills), Otohime- Skillful Technique (Strengthen Technical damage by 25%)
Skills: Eiga, Maeiga, Snap, Speed Master, Tetrakarn, Tarukaja, Bufudyne, Mabufula (X2), Ice Break, Baisudi, Rakunda, Freeze Boost, Null Fire, Mabaisudi, Growth 2, Marakukaja, Elec Wall, Bufula, Ice Boost, Makajam, Psio, Forget Boost, Speed Master, Makajamaon, Psiodyne, Marakunda, Megido, Makouga, Tempest Slash, Giant Slice, Agneyastra, Mazionga, Ziodyne, Recarm, Water Wall, Brain Jack, Malaques
Accessory: SP Adhesive 3 (Skill: Invigorate 3)
Yin
Level: 37
Persona: Kaeru (Resist: Earth, Fire) (Weak: Wind, Gun)
Persona Trait: Path of Light (Gain some HP when using support/healing skills)
Skills: Magnara, Mediarama, Sukukaja, Miracle Punch, Mamagnara, Masukukaja, Earth Boost, Makajamaon
Confidant Rank: Rank 7
Accessory: Skanda Belt (Speed Master)
Yang
Level: 37
Persona: Wolverine (Resist: Physical, Gun, Fire, Wind) (Weak: Water, Earth, Bless, Psychokinesis)
Persona Trait: Path of Crimson (Gain some HP when using Physical/Magic skills)
Skills: Agilao, Cleave, Gokuentou, Regenerate 2, Terror Claw, Triple Down, Swift Strike, Fire Boost, Charge
Confidant Rank: Rank 6
Accessory: Tough Belt (Defense Master)
Mona
Level: 37
Persona: Zorro (Resist: Wind) (Weak: Elec)
Persona Trait: Proud Presence (Increases effect of allies' healing skills)
Skills: Garula, Diarama, Patra, Mediarama, Lucky Punch, Magarula, Me Patra, Recarm, Wind Break
Confidant Rank: Rank 6
Accessory: Attachment Pearl (Null Forget)
Skull
Level: 37
Persona: Seiten Taisei (Null: Elec) (Resist: Fire) (Weak: Wind)
Persona Trait: Raging Temper (Might increase allies' physical attacks by 40%)
Skills: Lunge, Zionga, Tarukaja, Headbutt, Adverse Resolve, Rampage, Mazio, Bad Beat, Assault Dive, Swift Strike, Shock Boost
Confidant Rank: Rank 10 (Max)
Accessory: Rakshasa Belt (Attack Master)
Panther
Level: 37
Persona: Carmen (Resist: Fire) (Weak: Ice, Water)
Persona Trait: Mastery of Magic (May decrease SP cost of allies' magic skills)
Skills: Agilao, Dia, Dormina, Tarunda, Maragion, Dekaja, Fire Break, Lullaby, Ambient Aid
Confidant Rank: Rank 7
Accessory: Crimson Necklace (Fire Amp)
Fox
Level: 37
Persona: Goemon (Resists: Ice) (Weak: Fire)
Persona Trait: Scoundrel Eyes (High chance to evade Phys attacks for all allies.)
Skills: Bufula, Giant Slice, Sukukaja, Vicious Strike, Mabufu, Counterstrike, Rising Slash, Dormin Rush, Speed Master, Tempest Slash
Confidant Rank: Rank 6
Accessory: Queen's Necklace (All stats+1/+30 SP)
Widow
Level: 37
Persona: Fūma (Resists: Ice, Water) (Weak: Fire, Curse)
Persona Trait: Dance of Justice (Chance to trigger a Baton Pass for the next ally when hitting a resistance.)
Skills: Bufula, Aques, Ice Boost, Water Boost, Dazzler, Makajama, Malaques, Snipe, Dormina
Confidant Rank: Rank 5
Accessory: Clear Crystal Necklace (Water Amp)
Queen
Level: 37
Persona: Johanna (Resist: Nuclear) (Weak: Psychic)
Persona Trait: Gaia Pact (Increase allies' chance of inflicting Burn/Freeze/Shock/Soak by 25%.)
Skills: Freila, Mafrei, Vajra Blast, Diarama, Rakukaja, Makajama, Energy Shower, Flash Bomb, Dekunda, Defense Master
Confidant Rank: Rank 6
Accessory: White Headband R (Life Surge / Endurance +8)
Serpent
Level: 37
Persona: Nobunaga (Resist: Curse) (Weak: Bless)
Persona Trait: Self-Destructive (Increase cost of skills when health is low)
Skills: Eiga, Maeiga, Kouga, Mamudoon, Mahamaon, Megaton Raid, Heat Wave, Foul Breath, Endure.
Accessory: Shackles (Null Rage)
Whew! Done! Alright, next chapter is actually the fall of Futaba's Palace! Yes, we decided on this because of the meme of the month long coma. But hey, it gives us plenty of time to finish off Asuka, Homura and Yumi's confidants.
UknownHero signing off, my friends!
