Welcome to the interlude arc!
I suggest you listen to the ost Fierce Confrontation from Octopath Traveler 2 when you get to the fight. It surprisingly suits Elizabeth.
Also, I've played Persona 5 Tactica. It's a damn good story if you're a P5 fan. It's a good midquel between Royal and Strikers. So much so that I'm tempted to re-write the first chapter a bit. Wouldn't really change much including Toshiro into the story with what I have planned. I definitely can include mentions to him and maybe an appearance in a future chapter…..
Anyways, pick up that game if you love P5's story.
Ren docked the ice boat next to the bridge that led to Clockbank.
Letting out an exhausted huff, he stepped onto the wooden dock. The second he left, in a sea of foam, the remainder of the boat dissolved back into freshwater, flowing back out to New Delsta and the Sundering Sea beyond.
The orange afternoon sun was starting to disappear beyond the horizon and the moon's visibility had increased in its place with every passing minute.
The meeting with Aeber was…Unsettling to say the least. Memories of the god's former life still swam in his vision.
Ren shook his head and refocused on his surroundings. He could see the eponymous giant Clock Tower of Clockbank right behind him in the distance, dwarfing the surrounding buildings and trees.
"I was wondering why not-London was lacking a Big Ben. Guess it ended up here," he thought to himself amusingly.
As much as he would've liked to explore the city where night met day, other endeavors had a higher priority.
"We can look but cannot touch. Alas… such is the fate of a traveler." Raoul whispered in his ear.
Ren reached into his pocket and felt the ice-cold jail key in his palm.
He scanned the area and when he saw that no one was around; he pulled the key out and inserted it into the air.
The sound of tumblers turning echoed unnaturally loud in the deserted forest.
The brilliant blue door materialized and swung up. Ren gave an audible gulp and then walked in to face the music.
"Ah! The devious brother-in-law! Long time no see!" Elizabeth shouted the moment he stepped through the door. Both her arms were up in the air, waving at him in glee despite the malicious word snuck in her ordinary greeting.
This time the harmonica notes of "Electronica in the Velvet Room" played in the background, Belladonna's voice performing her usual aria entwined seamlessly, giving the blend an image of the not-too-distant past meeting a mechanical future. Ren found it fitting for the steampunk aesthetic.
"Um….hey?" Ren said awkwardly, as he walked to the bar. "Where's Lavenza?" he asked, sitting down, and looking around the empty tavern. Ren mildly took notice of Igor's absence too. His exhaustion set in as he took a seat, drawing a curious glance from Elizabeth that he waved off.
"Working on the stage behind the work curtain, brother-in-law," Elizabeth informed him, looking him up and down, now noting Ren's sweaty, frayed appearance clearly lacking his Phantom Thief attire.
Ren angled his head toward the stage; sure enough, the sounds of construction could be heard from behind the lone thick heavy-duty privacy curtain in the area. It even had a label that said 'made with Asbestos' for that real old time feel. He hoped it was one of Elizabeth's eccentricities for decorations and not the actual thing.
"I assume you've brought information for me?" Elizabeth says, drawing his attention back to her. "Or are you simply here to fuse personas?" Her face turned smug. "Maybe you've come here for another illicit tryst with my sister…."
Ren cringed as his face showed signs of blushing under the dim bar lighting. "How do you even know about that?"
"I have my ways…." She said slowly, putting a finger to her chin. "Mainly tickle torture, but you get the point."
"This woman is very dangerous. She gives Astarte a run for her money!" Raoul balked in alarm.
Ren decided to change the subject. "Torture methods aside, I would like to fuse personas. I don't have many; I haven't encountered a Blood Moon event in a good while. I suspect it's partly due to me being in a city and another part due to being time-skipped by a god."
Instead of being shocked at his statement as most people would, Elizabeth laughed. Then again, Ren had caught on that she and her siblings were not most people.
"That certainly explains your rather disheveled appearance! I won the pool!" At Ren's confused expression, Elizabeth explained. "You see, me and my siblings have each been around the block so to speak. Multiple times for some of us. With that said we have organized numerous betting pools on your various milestones and endeavors."
He could feel Raoul's facepalm in his mental landscape. "I believe this headache is what the Hanged Man felt when talking to us."
"I bet that you would encounter a god within the first two months. You have won me a share of Margaret and Theo's snack staches! Oh, the joy I will experience at the expression on their faces! Especially Theo's as I take his prized green tea mochi as my reward."
Ren had never met Theodore personally, but he felt bad for him all the same.
"Isn't the first time people have bet on my life." Ren mused with dark humor. "Though I'm glad the fate of the world isn't at stake this time. Happy I could help."
Elizabeth beamed at him briefly before her face then regained a measure of seriousness. "My personal victory over my wayward siblings aside, what have you gained from meeting with the god, Brother-In-Law?'
Ren took a second to adjust to the frequent mood shifts the attendant threw out like darts on a board.
"I don't think I'll ever get used to you calling me 'Brother-In-Law," Ren said, shaking his head.
"That's exactly why I call you that. With time comes familiarity. If Theo can adjust, so can you." Elizabeth countered.
"Yeah, we'll see about that," he said, noncommittally shrugging his shoulders. "Anyways, the god I met was Aeber: the prince of the thieves and god of luck."
"How fitting."
Ren scratched the back of his head. "That's why he took an interest in me actually. He felt a kinship with me the moment I entered his territory. He simply waited for me to get close then set up a trial that guided me the rest of the way to his location. Turns out…...He was dead."
Elizabeth leaned forward on the counter. Her eyes were shining with intrigue. "Interesting. Death has always held a different meaning for divine beings than mortals, even in your own world. So…What business does a dead god have with you?"
"He had a proposition for me. He gave me part of his power and a peek of his memories. In exchange, my job is to find his also dead siblings scattered around the region to amass power and finally put an end to whatever dark god is trying to eat the world."
Pouting her lips, Elizabeth tapped the counter in a rhythmic fashion. Ren could see the gears turning in her head. "What did the memories contain?"
Elizabeth listened intently as Ren told her what he saw in the vision.
The gods mingling among civilians. Aeber's ideals and worldview. His amicable relationship with his consorts and the other gods. His younger brother's bloodthirsty ambition that led to the betrayal of his family. And finally, his grisly death at the hands of the formless, faceless abomination that made itself a blight on the world.
Once he had finished, Elizabeth pressed her hands together in prayer.
"He sounded like a great man. May he enjoy his afterlife."
Ren mirrored her and added a clap and a bow to honor the dead. The air in the room got lighter as if he had finally been freed from a weighted sin by someone else acknowledging the altruism the divine could bring to the world.
"The parts about the youngest son and the fated finale proved most curious. I assume that Aeber's siblings will paint more of the picture for us to view?"
"That's what he told me," he answered. "To be honest, I'm curious too. Finding the others is a priority now. He said Bifelgan is the closest on the Western Continent in the Wildlands. I can probably find him on my way to Crackridge to scout out some ruins and heretics."
He then started laughing. "Knock out three birds with one stone!"
"Would it not make more sense to find Alephan and Draefendi?" Elizabeth countered. "From my understanding, they could possibly be found on this continent."
"Either way the dice rolls," he said offering an idle shrug of the shoulders "I'll have to go back and forth between the two continents. I can't visit Aelfric until I've met everyone else…"
"Or else he'll smite you where you stand!"
Ren couldn't help but smile at the clear child-like amusement she showed at such a macabre concept. In some ways Lavenza was the same. Her golden eyes gleamed in wonder as she asked her next question. He was reminded of a big cat.
"….Do you know what sort of power he gave you?"
"Yes? Kind of? Images of the moves he performed are burned in my brain. If I focus, my body instinctively wants to do the moves. His signature move is called Reckoning. It allows me to move so fast I split into copies of myself. The faster I am, the stronger it is."
The light in her eyes grew stronger with every word he spoke, to the point Elizabeth was sparkling.
"Oh, I cannot wait to see this 'Reckoning' skill in action. It's not every day an individual acquires foreign magic. Good thing Lavenza was finishing up the latest theatrical wonder of the Velvet Room!"
The sound of rustling fabric caught his ear and he turned to face the curtain just in time for it to fully recede revealing a huge hippodrome-styled theater in its wake.
What had been a simple thrust stage before had been replaced by rows upon rows of seats sloping downward. The apron of the stage was onyx black accentuated by a deep velvet blue curtain. Lavenza stood alone in the middle of the apron, waving at him, a blush painted on her face.
Above the stage was a mural of eight personas in various poses, of which he recognized five.
Messiah.
Orpheus Telos.
Athena.
Izanagi-No-Okami.
And finally, his own persona Raoul.
He had fought with and against each of those five at some point in his persona-using career.
The three he didn't recognize had equally stylish designs in his opinion.
The first was a man with skin of bronze who donned a yellow and blue striped Egyptian kilt. A wrap of the same colors loosely hung around his well-toned body. His last article of clothing was a clear pharaoh's headdress anointed with wings.
A crook sat in the left hand while the right had a flail. A warm smile sat on his face that gave comfort and leadership to all.
The second was a strange cross between a spaghetti western cowboy and the rising sun flag of Japan. His face was obscured by the mask on his head that resembled a zippo lighter. Clint Eastwood taking a trip to Japan would be an accurate description.
He had extended two fingers forward in a finger gun fashion, further emphasizing his outlaw look.
The last wore a black bodysuit with white gloves and boots that contained small circular mirrors. Reflective decagonal polygons sat on her….womanly parts. Just like the man, her face was obscured. Except instead of a mask, she wore another reflective polygon serving as a broad-brimmed hat, allowing her ruby red lips to show in a dazzlingly beautiful smile.
"Presenting the…Battle Stage!" Elizabeth said, proudly puffing out her chest.
"This stage will allow us to evaluate your capabilities in combat as well as dancing. I shall now force you to show me your moves!"
"Oh ... .you really weren't kidding about that," Ren said "But I'm in no shape to fight—Or dance right now…" he pointed out, gesturing to his sweaty clothes and frayed hair.
Instead of giving him an answer, Elizabeth pulled out bottles of booze exuberantly and slammed them on the counter.
"Then drink up! There's a new blend I've cooked up in your absence. It might have some…...peculiar effects. But it's guaranteed to replenish your energy!"
Ren was from the country; being offered a free drink should excite him, yet he broke out in a cold sweat as Elizabeth rubbed the bottle lovingly.
"….Do I get a choice in the matter?"
"No!"
In a flash, she scooped some ice into a small glass and poured a milky-clear strong smelling liquid. The smell of pure spirits made his nose crinkle. Instead of sliding the drink towards him, she reached under the counter and pulled out plates of what appeared to be olives and antipasto along with calamari.
"Now eat and drink to your heart's content!"
Ren couldn't help but snark at the display of basically a full meal. "I thought this was a bar, not a restaurant."
"I have read that this particular drink is traditionally served alongside 'Me-ez'. So, I have prepared it succinctly. The food should also help in your recovery either way."
Elizabeth handed him a fork which he then loaded up with a sample from each plate. The attendant leaned forward in anticipation as his fork filled. Under her expectant eyes, he carefully lifted the sampler into his mouth. He chewed slowly, partially for his own amusement as he watched Elizabeth tilted her head curiously from side-to-side.
"….Pretty good." He said after a couple of moments.
Elizabeth clapped her hands as Ren swallowed. "Now then—Try the drink!" She picked up the glass and thrust the drink in his face, not giving him an option to deny.
Nervously smiling, (and afraid she'd grab his head and pour the drink down his mouth) he took the glass from her hand and put it to his lips. Ren's tongue immediately recoiled under the strong taste. It did contain a slightly fruity flavor and what tasted like….licorice?
"Elizabeth, what exactly is—"
His mask suddenly appearing on his face interrupted whatever he had been trying to say. The sheer surprise distracted him from the fact that his thief costume quickly followed.
"It's Ouzo," Elizabeth explained. "I have been experimenting a bit. The food and drinks I provide should now provide the same refreshing effect as the coffee and curry my sister tells me about. I am also offended you have not offered any to me yet."
Ren ignored the bait she put out with her last remark and focused as he could feel his energy returning in spades. However, that wasn't the only thing he felt. An overpowering light started to emanate from his mask, spreading warmth throughout his body.
Suddenly his mask burst into a vibrant rainbow light! The spectrum of color cascaded over the bar in an arc of light that kept curving until it completed a circle. The colors then expanded inward, filling the circle and making it look like a tie-dye blotch suspended in mid-air
Two sparklers emerged from the multitude of colors that had turned into a portal followed by a woman in a purple button-up bodysuit. She wore golden boots and gloves along with an equally golden breastplate. Her face and hair were obscured by a golden helmet with horns that curved backward giving the impression of pigtails.
"I'm Iris. I have a rainbow ribbon. I'll give you a rainbow mask! Then we'll be matching~! Let's go together!"
The new persona did a twirl, her sparklers letting off fireworks of various colors.
Sending off her last jubilee she disappeared into his mindscape where she immediately began an amicable conversation with Raoul.
"I didn't see any fusing so how did I get a persona?" Ren said, rounding on Elizabeth.
The silver-haired bartender gave him a cloying smile. "I told you, I have been working hard on new ways to mix alcohol. I found an old material card from the days of yore. I found myself irresistibly curious if I could turn it into a drink."
Ren narrowed his eyes. "So, you're telling me that—"
"Yes, you drank a material card! How wondrous! Iris is a persona that hasn't been seen in decades. Consider it a 'freebie'. My goal was to refresh you to perform on the stage."
"I'm a side objective. I feel special now, thank you Elizabeth." Ren wiggled his eyebrows to emphasize his sarcasm.
"You're welcome." She said with a bow. Whether she didn't get it, or simply didn't care; Ren couldn't tell.
"Let us transition to the battle stage. I cannot wait to see new skills and magic in action!" Elizabeth lurched forward toward the stage, paused, and added an addendum to her earlier statement "Oh, and Lavenza too. My younger sister would certainly be glad to see her husband-to-be in action."
Elizabeth then practically bounced to the stage and joined her sister.
Ren couldn't help but laugh. Elizabeth was truly one of a kind. He ate a couple more bites of the antipasto before getting off the barstool to follow after his excitable attendant.
He made his way down the stairs and between the rows of seats. The moment he stepped on the stage, the audience lights dimmed, and every seat gained a dark outline of a shadow, each with glowing red eyes or snarling mouths. Ren had to brace himself as the stage itself expanded to three times its size. More than enough space for a battle or two.
The atmosphere became thick and heavy from tension, bloodlust and killing intent. Ren was reminded of Caroline and Justine's 'prison labor', Sae's battle arena, or Alice's twisted rooftop circus. Gladiator-type spectacles he found himself thrust into.
Three separate stage spotlights illuminated himself, Elizabeth, and Lavenza. Ren walked over to Lavenza and got close enough to where their spotlights merged together. She let out a light gasp at his presence. He gazed down at his belle with a smirk, she had a light blush on her cheeks that was compounded when he put his hand gently on it.
"Greetings…." She struggled to meet his eyes. He could tell, she was walking the line between professional and personal.
"I'm sorry I had to leave so soon."
She leaned into his touch, and he tried to convey as much as he was able to without getting mushy.
"I understand, our situation is one that's in flux. Every moment I get to spend with you is another precious treasure I shall hold to in my heart."
Ren felt his face get hot and he gave her a soft smile which she returned. Without meaning it, his face got closer to hers and he saw her raise ever so slightly on the balls of her feet. He could feel her warm breath. Their lips were an inch apart…..
"Ahem."
They caught themselves and Lavenza abruptly stepped away from him. "We must cut our time short, unfortunately. We have business to conduct, my love."
Ren nodded and turned to face Elizabeth. Against his expectations, her face wasn't smug nor joyful, but wistful and a little sad.
She was lovesick.
He could easily guess why, but it wasn't his style to dredge up old wounds. It only served as a reminder of what he was doing this for.
"I need a sword." He said, breaking the silence. Seeing the two stare at him, he elaborated. "Aeber's techniques require a sword as well as a knife. If I'm going to perform them, I need both."
"Try to summon one with your thief costume," Lavenza answered. "If you truly need one, your call will be answered. Just as you started with a basic knife. The cognitive world bends to your will."
"I think, therefore I am," Ren said, smirking as he changed to his thief costume.
Elizabeth nodded. "In case it doesn't work, we'll provide a sword if we have to. Though we'll add the cost to your tab.
Joker closed his eyes and focused. He thought back to the time Arsenè first advised him to use his knife. A warm heavy presence appeared in his hand and when he opened his eyes, a silver sword of decent length sat in his grip. Lavenza gave him a hum of approval and stepped away to the backstage area and out of the way. The two remaining spotlights expanded until they covered and bathed the whole stage in hot light.
He swung the weapon, pleased at the swishing sound it made as it cut through the air. It didn't hum with power like some of Yusuke, Sumire, or Akechi's swords but it would do for a manifested weapon.
"I assume we're here to fight, Elizabeth."
Elizabeth tilted her head and feigned innocence. "What makes you say that?"
"Why else would you be standing directly across from me? Next, you don't strike me as a wait-and-watch kinda gal; you want to experience something new for yourself."
"Very astute. How did you come to that conclusion?"
"Easy, because I'm the same way. That is why we both have the mark of the Fool, right?"
A grimoire suddenly appeared in her hand after a blue flash of flame. A predatory smile crept onto her face. "Quite correct. I believe it's time for an aptitude test."
Ren steadied his sword, gripping it with both hands, not taking his eyes off Elizabeth. "I assume you won't be going all out. It wouldn't be fair otherwise."
"Exactly. You are not ready in the slightest to fight me at full power—But make no mistake, come at me with the intent to kill, not demonstrate."
Ren grunted in agreement. "Makes sense, the point is to test the effectiveness in combat."
A smile bloomed on her face. "I am very much excited for this fight, you know. The leader of the Phantom Thieves and a wildcard on top of that. It's rare I'm afforded the chance to fight someone other than my siblings these days."
The scoff over the speakers went disregarded by both parties.
Ren returned her expression and spoke. "The feelings are mutual. I've heard stories about you and Margaret from Yu and Aigis. I feel divided to be honest. Part of me is scared, but another part can't wait to indulge myself and see what I'm made of. I don't know if it's Raoul's influence or not, and I don't care. I just hope I don't disappoint you during our first dance together."
"I doubt you will if what I've heard about you holds true." Elizabeth waved her hand and the grimoire floated and opened, the pages fluttering as she grabbed the spine and snapped it shut. "You have the first move, come at me when you are ready."
On cue, music started to play from speakers unseen. Belladonna's chorus could be heard alongside an electric guitar, violins, horns, and drums, all played at high energy infused with a sense of menace.
Ren raised an eyebrow. He was used to "Prison Labor" being the soundtrack for whenever he fought in the Velvet Room.
"This song is a new piece called Fierce Confrontation," Elizabeth supplied. "As in I won't allow you to escape until I've seen everything you can offer."
"Bring it on." Ren said defiantly.
Molten golden eyes met cool silver.
Joker's blood began to pump. Elizabeth's presence on the battlefield proved overwhelmingly suffocating just like her sister's. He couldn't afford to showboat here. Every move had to have a purpose. He clenched his teeth as the shadow of death loomed over him.
A certain move of Aeber's came to mind to start the battle. He knew how to perform it, just thinking about it felt like a switch had been flipped.
He smiled and took a cautious step forward. Mama welled up inside his legs and into his sword which started to glow. All of a sudden, Joker disappeared in a blur and a harsh yellow slash line cleaved across the battlefield and past Elizabeth's flank.
"Surprise," Joker said as he reappeared behind her. His survival instinct kicked in and he rolled forward, narrowly avoiding a book bash to the head.
He managed to right himself to face her. Eyes wide, he waved his hand partially out of panic. Elizabeth was coated in a sickly orange light that coalesced around her wrist in silver manacles.
Joker clicked his teeth in annoyance while watching Elizabeth pass a hand over the rip in shirt, examining the angry red line with an amused expression on her face. She jangled the manacles on her wrists curiously.
Surprise Attack didn't do too much damage, then again it was meant to catch ordinary people off guard. Elizabeth was anything but ordinary.
He gripped his sword and decided to press his advantage now that he had gotten in close. He tried a downward slash only for it to be nonchalantly dodged. He followed up with a horizontal swipe to find it blocked by her book.
Overhead he heard a harsh crash of metal on metal. Above, Raoul had used his wing to block a strike from a familiar green-bodied persona with a combat Lyre.
"Oh, using Orpheus today, huh?" Ren said with an ounce of familiarity.
"Good to see you, my dear friend. Shame it has to be on opposite sides of the battlefield."
Orpheus gave a small enigmatic smile of acknowledgment to his fellow fool persona. He then opened his mouth and let out a wave of sound that sent Raoul and Joker flying back where he skidded across the stage.
Elizabeth's expression was full of joy. "Not bad for a first exchange. An attack like that will catch most opponents off guard if executed properly. Needs work though." She clicked her tongue and then gestured to Orpheus. "Let's put them through their paces, Orpheus."
Orpheus nodded and then screeched. Joker had to dive out of the way to avoid the searing heat of an Agilio that combusted right where he was standing. He wasn't given room to breathe, lunging from spot to spot as each sound from Orpheus' mouth brought another round of deadly flames, scorching the stage in every place they hit.
He had to make them stop somehow. Joker channeled new dark magic in his hand, an action Raoul mirrored with Eiga. Together they sent a combined blast of dark and curse magic. He didn't aim for Elizabeth herself but rather the ground in front of her. The two blasts collided and burst into a black cloud crackling with purple and dark red magic obscuring both Elizabeth and Orpheus. He ignored the jeers of the audience as he obscured the fight from them.
Joker leveled his sword and used Surprise Attack again to dash into the smog. Thief's vision allowed him to see that his attack landed cleanly, and he heard the close-quarters brawling of the two personas a ways away.
He wasn't allowed to marvel at the blood on his sword as he felt an impact against his gut. The drum solo from the music serving to highlight his pain.
A flurry of blows both fist and book impacted his body. Blood sprayed from his mouth. Each hit impacted with the brutality of a heavyweight boxer even with the shackles attached to her. The drums continued to play conspicuously in tune with the beating he was taking.
"I believe you call this an 'all-out attack'?" She said as she hit him repeatedly. "Shall I say 'your fate is in the cards'? It is my catchphrase after all."
Joker let go of the sword and blocked her book with both arms. He then summoned his knife and dealt her two consecutive swipes. He finished the combo with not a gunshot, but a kick that sent him away from her and out of the cloud.
He let out a grin as he felt her life energy flow through the knife and into him healing the damage, he took from her beat down.
"Your life energy is quite exquisite, Elizabeth!" He mocked. "It feels like fresh caffeine."
This time, Joker used his magic to cast Swift Step. He bent over, planted his foot in a runner's lunge, and kicked off. With a speed he hadn't known previously, he ran back into the cloud for a third round. He felt something wrap around his face, weirdly it was comfortable instead of restrictive.
Moves that were too fast for him before he could see. He wasn't able to avoid her blows cleanly, but he could block and counter.
He was The Flash, and she was Superman. He lacked power but managed to connect his attack through sheer speed. Even his mind's processing speed had been elevated. He could tell he scored a critical hit from the way she subtly recoiled. Luck was on his side today.
Elizabeth recovered and he saw the twitch of her shoulder, jumped back, and threw up a guard. She plucked a blue tarot card from her grimoire and held it up.
The High Priestess.
Joker took the dual impact of fire and ice as he was flung backward once again. His body felt lighter, he normally would've been able to stand his ground. Instead, he went flying way further than he was used to.
He skidded to a stop and planted a hand to keep his balance.
Elizabeth walked out of the magic smokescreen not a moment later, it dissipated behind her, it's job done. Her outfit had rips and tears on it, but she looked no worse for wear. The manacles on her wrist had started to fade.
"How curious. Your magic is now separate from your persona's. Speaking of…" She then turned her head upwards.
Raoul and Orpheus were dueling in air. Not dueling; Raoul was pummeling Orpheus the same way Elizabeth did to him. Raoul darted around like a hummingbird or a swarm of angry hornets striking Orpheus in every opening its guard presented. The Greek persona simply couldn't keep up with Raoul's markedly abnormal speed.
However, despite the number of hits connecting, they didn't do much damage. Raoul's claw swipes and kicks lacked their usual heat.
"...What's going on?" Joker said in utter bafflement. Raoul specialized in speed and luck, but he was never this fast. Sukukaja wasn't even active.
Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "Have you not seen your current attire?"
"Huh?" Joker's eyes locked onto his sleeves. Instead of red, they were now a midnight purple. The jacket had been closed. His hat was now missing, replaced by a purple headband and a black veil mask neatly tucked into his shirt. He got the feeling that if he saw himself in a mirror he'd look like an assassin.
"I retract my earlier statement, this foreign magic has influenced both you and your persona. Your attacks are faster, but you lack the strength you once had. I also sense an increased propensity for luck to offset that shortcoming."
"Aww notice me more, senpai. I feel special."
Laughing, Elizabeth pulled another tarot card from her grimoire. Instead of blue it was red. "You certainly are special. One of a kind even. Because of that, I want you to show me everything you can do."
She flipped the card around and revealed which arcana it contained.
The Hanged Man.
Joker found himself assaulted with blasts of darkness from the grimoire. He stood there and took it smiling as the waves of magic washed over him, the attack having no effect on him whatsoever.
"Phooey, I drew a dud," Elizabeth said disappointedly. "Resistances and weaknesses still apply. I should've known, given your fight and bond with Thronè Anguis."
"Lucky me."
Elizabeth drew another red card. The image of an angel holding a lopsided pair of scales could be seen as clear as day. "The one thing about luck….is that it eventually runs out."
Joker's eyes went wide as the Justice card floated out of her hand and glowed with holy light.
"Swap to me!"
"Wait! I just—"
Right as he managed to wrap Orpheus in a suffocating headlock, Raoul was forcibly covered in blue flames and a cheering Iris took his place. Not a moment later, Joker found himself on the receiving end of an unhindered Kougaon.
"Gah!"
Joker's vision went pure white, and his body stung while being forced to the ground. For what felt like forever he endured. Finally, the punishment ended, and his vision cleared. To his surprise, it didn't hurt as bad as he thought. He groaned and stood up, grimacing at the smoke rising from his jacket. The audience gasped in suspense at his recovery.
"Ta-Dah!" Iris cheered and spun in a circle, Orpheus still caught in her arm being spun with her. "I'm the goddess of rainbows. I may not be immune to light, but it'll take a lot more than that to kill me!"
Iris then gave a mighty pull backward and suplexed Orpheus. The sound that followed was akin to someone knocking over a metal shelf filled with pot lids.
Elizabeth clapped her hands in glee, showing no sign of resonance damage from Orpheus' predicament. "Oh my! You're a bubbly persona. I almost wish I had drunk the Ouzo instead."
"Allow me to show you what else I can do!"
Iris waved her sparklers and Joker felt his mana drain as two large boulders appeared in the air. Elizabeth watched wide-eyed and filled with marvel. Up in the tech booth, Joker heard another gasp of amazement.
"Magnus!"
At her cry, the twin boulders fell on the downed mechanical persona with the sound of a train wreck, the rock impaling themselves on the stage, giving Orpheus a makeshift burial. The shades of the audience cheered at the brutal spectacle.
"An earth spell…." Elizabeth said in unrestrained amusement. "Similarly, those haven't been witnessed in ages either. I'm so jealous!"
The whitish-blue light of a Concentrate enveloped Elizabeth, shortly after, a burning flame made itself known under the earthen material. The flame got stronger and stronger until it exploded upward in a volcano, turning the earth into rubble and lava. Iris squeaked in surprise as she flew over to Joker's side. Now free, Orpheus did the same for Elizabeth, the ever-present bored expression on its face.
Elizabeth gave him a dark smile. "However…It takes a lot more than capitalizing on my whimsy to claim victory today."
Orpheus roared at her command and spat out a fireball. Iris countered by sending a quick Zionga from her sparklers. The two attacks clashed in the air and exploded in more black smoke causing the audience to jeer.
Using the smoke and crowd noise as cover, Joker clenched his knife and jumped in the air.
"It's now or never!" He thought to himself.
He split into three copies as he came down on Elizabeth, each with knives held in different positions. They each connected with their attack. When they went for a second round Elizabeth began effortlessly dodging every attack the Jokers made.
Her feet moved in an odd dance in time with the music as she pivoted and pirouetted around her opponents attacks. The audience shouted Olé with each missed attack.
"This isn't working anymore!" One of the Jokers cried.
"Doesn't matter, keep going!" Another replied.
"I'm still hungry!"
Elizabeth laughed maniacally as she listened to the three bicker.
In mid-air, Orpheus started to get the better of Iris. Fire ate through lightning and Iris was seconds away from being overwhelmed.
The real Joker pulled out his gun and executed a Down Shot. Taking advantage, the other two Jokers didn't attack but fired a thief spell. The silver manacles reappeared on her wrist, while the other fired a green light that turned into a viscous liquid on her clothes. Elizabeth experimentally rubbed it between her gloves, a child-like wonder painted on her features.
"Now!" Joker yelled signaling all three to attack. They each connected with a slash from their daggers.
Elizabeth didn't pay them any mind and swatted them away like gnats with her book. Her attention was still completely on the liquid. "Interesting. It has the same effect as a Rakunda, but it has the added effect of making one's armor less effective via making it softer and thus more susceptible to breaking under a concentrated attack."
"It's called Armor Corrosive if you're curious…." Joker said slowly as the copies faded. He then fell to one knee. "Dammit….Not enough mana to keep that technique up."
Elizabeth finally focused her eyes on him. "That move is certainly impressive, I assume that's the Reckoning move you spoke of. You do not yet possess the mana pool to keep it active for more than seconds to a minute at maximum."
She walked over to his discarded sword and picked it up, letting her grimoire disappear. "Now then….I think I've figured out how to partake in this new facet of fighting."
Joker watched in mute shock as her blue vest turned the same midnight purple as his jacket. Her hat melted and turned into a ragged scarf around her neck.
"Impressed?" Seeing that Joker was only capable of small gasps of surprise, Elizabeth continued. "Through our exchanging of blows, I obtained a feel for the flow of mana in you and imitated it. Couldn't you tell? I thought the Hanged Man card gave it away."
The woman sauntered over and casually poked Joker in the chest teasingly. Looking down, he could see underneath her scarf she sported a wide wicked smile that threatened to split her face. "As a ruler of power, I am obligated to seek greater pursuits in strength."
Joker managed to overcome his surprise after remembering exactly who he was fighting and backflipped away from her in fear, not that he would ever admit it. "Obligated my ass! You just thought it would be fun to see if you could do it."
"Very true." She admitted and shamelessly wrapped her arms around herself, her face a cross between mischievousness and flat out ecstasy. "I honestly can't wait to use this against Margaret. My body is shaking in anticipation. She will not know what hit her!"
"Has anyone ever told you that you're crazy?"
"Countless times. Matter of fact Lavenza said to me right before you arrived today."
"As long as you know."
Not a second later, Joker winced as he felt Iris be violently thrown back into his mindscape screaming, the other personas immediately crowding around her. Raoul took her place on the battlefield but found Orpheus now matched his speed. Sparks flew as claws met lyre. Both personas let out ghastly roars as the battle intensified.
Elizabeth tilted her head and her gaze sharpened. A predator focusing on prey. Joker felt an ice cold chill go down his spine.
"Mind returning the favor and being my test dummy as I have so graciously been yours?"
Above, Orpheus caught Raoul by the body with his lyre and slammed the persona onto the wooden floor of the stage, the boards fractured and splintered as Raoul was forced below into the trap room underneath the stage. Joker let out a sharp grunt as he felt the damage with his own body. He tried not to watch in dismay as Raoul's hat fluttered out of the crater, carried away by the force of the impact.
"Do I have an option?"
"No."
Alarm bells went off in Joker's head. He obeyed his instinct and leaped to his left. Strands of hair fell off his head as a blur passed by next to him.
"Is this the part where I say surprise?"
Joker jumped again as Elizabeth appeared behind him, sword held against his neck.
"It's pointless to use Darkest Night right now on you, so shall I start the finale?"
Green magic washed over her, and Elizabeth then raised her sword to the ceiling. Leaping away, Joker watched in horror and fascination as she split into eight copies. He was helpless as they surrounded him in a holdup fashion. Then they began to speak concurrently, starting with the one he assumed was the original.
"This technique is based on speed as you said."
"More speed equals more copies."
"Up to eight it seems."
"If I wanted to hold back, I could've stopped at four. That would have been sufficient for one of your patented 'hold-ups'."
"But I wanted to see how far I could push myself."
"This area is meant to be a place to safely experiment after all."
"Practice and testing are both important parts of training if you aspire to use any technique in battle. As is defeat."
"Now it's time to finish this. Shall we ladies?"
"We shall!" They all said in unison.
Each of the Elizabeths aimed their sword at him and Joker closed his eyes. Just to add insult to injury he felt her cast Shackle Foe and Armor Corrosive.
Joker knew no niceties such as the opportunity to surrender would be given here—They played for keeps. Would some call it ethical? Not a snowball's chance in hell. But the rules, and the possibility of this happening, were respected the moment he took the stage.
He braced himself and felt each of the Elizabeths swords slice through him in turn, moving too fast for him to count the number of attacks. One of them finished the onslaught by smacking him with the flat of the sword, sending him flying across the stage where he crashed in a heap.
Right before he passed out, he saw all eight Elizabeths high-fiving each other. He decided to embrace the sweet oblivion of unconsciousness.
….
Ren came back to the world of the living when he felt Samarecarm wash over him. He opened his eyes to see Lavenza's face lovingly hovering over him. The comfortable feeling underneath his head indicated she was giving him a lap pillow. The smell of grease and grime from her smock entered his nose.
"Welcome back, my love."
Ren gave her a warm smile which she returned.
"Thanks, Lavenza. How long was I out?" Ren asked as he grasped her ungloved hand and gave a gentle squeeze. She leaned over and kissed him on the forehead.
"Not too long. Maybe five minutes at the most."
"Hmm. Where's Elizabeth?"
"….Already practicing."
Ren angled his head and saw at a different part of the stage Elizabeth was practicing her swing with a dagger—His dagger. He groaned and shifted his body so he could bury his head in Lavenza's lap. She chuckled in response and put her hand on his head.
"Do not take it personally. She does the same to me using my chainsaw whenever I lose to her. I try to hide it, but she finds it anyway. She calls it 'big sister instincts'."
"I'm not," he said as he let go of her hand and wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her tighter against him, not minding the grease staining his face. "A little disappointed. Thought I'd put up more of a fight."
Lavenza ran her hands through his hair, and he relaxed under her touch. "You were amazing. Your journey has just begun, my love; we didn't expect you to win at all. If anything, we were impressed you managed so much using so little."
"Thanks, Lavenza. But I really got lucky. Your support along with everyone else's is why I've gotten so far."
"I will always support you as you have done for me. Because I love you."
He shifted away to look at Elizabeth again, a vibrant blush on his face he didn't want Lavenza to see.
"….I don't deserve you; you're too pure and honest for me."
Lavenza let out a light chuckle. "You may be a shameless philanderer who attracts and courts women like flies on honey," she emphasized her point by pinching his cheeks. "But I love you all the same. We've seen each other at our highs and lows forging our bond into something unbreakable."
"Your–Caroline—Is coming out…." Ren said in between breaths.
Lavenza eventually let go and they lapsed into a comfortable silence watching Elizabeth train. She had two doubles sparring with her, each wielding a different weapon.
"Think I can stay here for a spell to train? Until I get the basics down of this new power at least?" Ren asked Lavenza.
"That's funny I was going to suggest the same to you. I want to also learn these new spells. I want to train alongside you." she gestured to the stage at large. "We designed this place under the assumption you wouldn't have as much leeway to train in the open without compromising your mission."
"….A way to train my personas. That'd be nice, Raoul probably won't appreciate it; he likes hunting in the wild."
"That means you like hunting deep down."
"You should come and try it with me. Solistia is so beautiful and full of life. The forests are so full, and the water and air is unpolluted. The best part is seeing the stars so clearly every night. Even in the city."
"One day when this is all over, we'll take a journey together."
Ren sat up and brought his face closer to Lavenza's. "….Is that a promise?"
Lavenza closed the gap and their foreheads touched. "Of a lifetime."
This time their lips met without interference.
"...This is awkward."
"Very much so…."
"Who would've thought Aeber's signature skill would have split us into these forms, Justine."
"Perhaps, it's the foreign magic interacting with our own unique circumstance, Caroline."
"I wonder if more of us or Lavenza would appear if we pushed this further."
Caroline and Justine stared at each other in confusion, both in purple versions of their outfits, tattered scarves around their necks obscuring their mouths. It had taken her longer than her older sister but by the end of day two, Lavenza had managed to pick up the Thief class as they called it.
"I love you whether you're Lavenza, or Caroline and Justine."
Joker gave his best disarming smile and extended his arms.
Caroline gave him a cruel smirk and Joker raised his sword just in time to stop the baton from bashing his face in. It didn't protect him from Justine executing a Surprise Attack and sending him flying back. Apparently, a baton counted as a sword.
"I love you too, Inmate," Caroline said.
"Deeply." Justine followed up and adjusted her scarf. "But that won't stop us from applying the boot to your posterior."
"We're gonna kick your butt!"
"As with your first journey, we'll hone your power until it hits peek perfection again."
Caroline summoned Bugs and the rotten demonic teddy bear assaulted him with three golden blasts spat from its mouth which he recognized as Triple Down. Joker hopped from spot to spot frantically to avoid ending up with an extra hole to breathe from.
"Consider this payback for manhandling us all those years ago," Caroline laughed while watching Joker dodge as his life depended on it. "Not so fun to be on the receiving end, isn't it?!"
"I've survived worse!" Joker said in response as he grappled away using the fly tower.
Archangel joined the mix with a Vajra Blast and cut off Joker's escape route and knocked the claw of his grapple off the tower. Like a cat, Joker landed on his feet. The two personas then started to attack in tandem. Joker pulled out his gun and fired at the Archangel, but it used its heavy shield to block.
"How nostalgic," Justine walked over and stood next to her sister who rested her hands on her hips. "Two short months ago he would have wiped the proverbial floor with us."
"Way to bum me out, Justine. We have to watch him get that much stronger aaalll over again."
"But that is our duty, Caroline. Tell me you are not happy, especially since we get to walk by his side. Both incomplete as we are, and complete as Lavenza."
"Do you get tired of being right all the time?" Caroline spat back, her cheeks pink.
"We are the same being, technically you are right. You're arguing with yourself."
"There you go again!"
"Be thankful we're fighting the inmate rather than our older sister."
Caroline pouted at the reminder of the freak of nature that was their older sister Elizabeth. "That's not fair and you know it."
Justine shrugged and then adjusted her scarf. "I am merely saying what we are both thinking. I too….find myself inadequate compared to her."
"I don't!"
The twins turned their heads to Joker who had managed to capture Bugs in a headlock while Archangel was in a triangle chokehold.
"You two were my original attendants, my trainers. Elizabeth may have taken that primary role for this adventure, but you'll always have a special place in my heart."
His voice was strained as he struggled to keep the two personas in a stranglehold, but his message was well received. Caroline saw that Justine's face was just as red as her's.
"Flatterer…." she mumbled to no one in particular.
Bugs raised its paws, grabbed Joker by his torso and then threw him against the drawn curtain, a loud almost comical thud came as a result.
"If that's how you feel, then we'll have to kick it up a notch so you can kick Elizabeth's ass for us!"
"Language, Caroline. Anyways, is this what they call 'tsundere'?" Justine asked Joker as he strained himself to sitting up.
"Correct? But….who taught you that term?"
"Our older sister brought us some of those man-ga teenagers tend to read. That term was constantly in the romance ones Lavenza and Caroline are fond of."
"D-Don't tell him that!" Caroline shouted, waving her baton frantically in embarrassment.
"Very tsundere," Joker commented with a cheeky smile.
"That's it! More punishment for you, Inmate!"
The sudden flash of light disguised the blades of cutting wind that sent Orpheus flying back. Two folding fans impacted next, the persona not having a chance to move. Ame-No-Uzume smiled at the fool persona's distress.
Orpheus roared and a fireball shot towards her summoner. Ame-No-Uzume swapped out to Iris and the rainbow goddess summoned a boulder up through the stage to protect Joker.
When Orpheus flew in for an attack using his lyre, he found it intercepted by a sword, Iris had tagged out for Matador knowing she wasn't suited for a contest of physical skills.
The musical persona roared, and a sound wave followed but found that it was countered as well by pink psychedelic ripples of brain power.
Joker gave a malicious smirk as he brought his sword down on Elizabeth's. The bombastic horns of Fierce Confrontation once again giving their fight an added spectacle.
"I'm doing way better today you have to admit."
Today marked day four of his impromptu training sessions with the velvet attendants and four days since he left Aeber behind. He quickly realized that his tried and true hit-and-run tactics would not work on Elizabeth. The reason why? He no longer had teammates. No Skull, Queen, Noir, or Crow to bear the brunt of the damage and draw attention away from him. He was always in plain sight, the focus was on him. Not ideal against a superior opponent.
He disengaged and brought his sword down her again where it met hers. He tried again, and again, and again. Each time she proved faster than him and perfectly blocked his attack. He used his free hand to try and stab her with his dagger while their swords were locked, but found she caught his wrist.
Elizabeth bore down on Joker, forcing him to pivot his leg back. "A tad." She then kicked Joker in the chest, sending him sliding away.
"Not done yet!"
Joker threw his sword and when she dodged, he charged in. He quickly summoned his knife, and he sent multiple slashes of magic at her, each a different element from the last. The first he sent was psychokinetic, then wind-based, next came Raoul's curse magic. He forced her to adjust for each element.
He leaped at her and swung down his knife. She avoided it of course by sidestepping, but his purpose was to get behind her and retrieve his sword.
"Oh?"
Aeber's words of advice rang true, his advantage lay in his flexibility. The ability to use multiple weapons as well as elements made him as unpredictable as his movement. The same concept as having multiple personas. That said, in hindsight, letting go of his sword in the first battle because he wasn't used to it, proved to be extremely foolish. He probably lost the battle right there. He wouldn't have dared to do so with his knife or gun; his sword deserved the same respect.
Joker leaped into the air and spun charging both weapons with dark magic. He was about to bring them down on Elizabeth when the music stopped like a record scratch and Lavenza ran out on the stage.
"Ren! Big Sister!"
Elizabeth easily caught Joker using one hand, snagging his jacked collar and stopping his moment dead cold. She then set him down like a parent would a toddler.
"What is it, Lavenza?" Ren said, walking to her. He tried not to let on how demeaning it was to be manhandled like that.
"Margaret and Theodore have made contact!"
Ren felt himself be flung out of the way by Elizabeth. He screamed as he went flying and landed face down a ways away.
"A…little ... .warning…would've been nice." he croaked from his spot on the floor. It didn't help his self-esteem that the audience was giving canned laughter like they were watching a sitcom.
"Ignore him," Elizabeth said, taking his place. "What do our siblings need? Have they acknowledged my victory in the betting pool and mean to grovel at my feet?"
Lavenza blinked then spoke slowly. "Ren's boss Mitsuru has figured out he's gone AWOL."
Both Elizabeth and Lavenza turned to stare at him, and Raoul disappeared in a flash of flame. In the background the audience Oohed.
"I'm so executed…." Ren thunked his head against the stage.
"It was nice knowing you."
Omake:
Ren's Thief Class Voice Lines:
Steal: "Su casa es mi casa!"/ "You won't miss that."
Darkest Night: "Darkness is where thieves work best!"/"I belong to the night."
HP Thief: "Does this make me a vampire?"/ "Sharing is caring."
Surprise Attack: "….How about a Last Surprise?"/"I'm taking over!"
Swift Step: "Speed kills…."/"You can't hurt what you can't touch!"
Armor Corrosive: "Bye-bye…"/ "That was yours? That's a shame."
Shackle Foe: "Chains….I hate them."/"I need for you to not hit like a truck."
Aeber's Reckoning: (laughter)/ "Reckoning!"/"Seeing double?"
Elizabeth's Thief Class Voice Lines:
Steal: "This looks rather interesting…Mind if I borrow it?"/"I'll add this to the stache!"
Darkest Night: "A darkness unlike any other."/" I shall take away the light."
HP Thief: "Sustainability is key!"/"To be pushed this far…"
Surprise Attack: "Greetings!"/"Is this where I yell surprise?"
Swift Step: "Do you fancy my footwork?"/ "Let's bring the tempo to a fever!"
Armor Corrosive: "My next attack will hurt twice as much."/"I know several effective ways of inflicting pain…"
Shackle Foe: "I'd rather face you at full capacity…But the others will appreciate this."/"I admit…You hit pretty hard…"
Aeber's Reckoning: "I call upon the great god Aeber!"/"Aeber, please do my bidding!"
Lavenza's Thief Class Voice Lines:
Steal: "Oh dear, this is considered contraband."/"I have to confiscate that."
Darkest Night: "En Garde!"/ "Drown in the absence of light!"
HP Thief: "Two for the price of one!"/ "Double the trouble."
Surprise Attack: "You've broken the rules."/ "Nothing personal…"
Swift Step: "I think not!"/ "Fleet of the foot."
Armor Corrosive: "It's punishment time."/ "You knew that wasn't allowed."
Shackle Foe: "I was a prison guard you know."/ "Restriction leads to correction."
Aeber's Reckoning: "Don't be naïve."/"Aeber, allow me to deal the finishing blow!"
AN:
Given that Thieves use swords in OT2, now that we're in the nitty-gritty of the story that means Thief vs. Thief leads to blade-on-blade action. I took a lot of inspiration from Bleach(Thank asdf0789 for getting me into it) and Ghost of Tsushima. Joker's fighting style in particular draws from Hollow Ichigo which is the sort of craziness he would do.
I've gotten this comment a lot, but there will not be a Solistian branch of the PTs. I said as much in my first AN. Ren also talks about it with Raoul in the last chapter. One of the goals is to focus on Ren alone as much as possible. I want to experiment with Ren thinking and feeling for himself without input from a team. That's the crux this story is based around. I'm not saying Ren won't eventually join the travelers, just that it's a very long way off. When planning, one of the biggest inspirations was Tatsuya's additional scenario.
Besides, I feel that trope is way too atypical now, so I want to do something different. It almost feels…philandering in a way.
Thank you for reading! Please comment, review, kudos, follow and fav. I really like interacting with you guys.