A brilliant flash of light blinded everyone. When that light faded, the scenery within the Tokyo Radio Tower was completely different. Blotches of familiar red and black tendrils were scattered about the entrance. Skull was the first one to react after the light died down. "What the hell is all this!?"
"This is still the real world...right?" Panther couldn't tell.
"That ought to be the case, but it's growing harder to believe by the minute." Fox said.
"And look at our outfits, too. What could have done this?" Wolf said while glancing at the others. They just left the Metaverse, only for them to be dragged back into it again?
"I'm also here now." Sophie pointed out.
"Could it have happened again...?" Queen looked at the others.
"Yeah." Mona said with a slow, affirming nod. "The Metaverse is encroaching on the real world just like las time."
"Encroaching?" Wolf blinked. "What do you mean by - wait, something like THIS already happened!?"
"Oh, yeah...I guess we'd be the only one's who remember."
"I would've remembered that!" Viper exclaimed.
"I'm sorry, but I don't think you would have." Dragon shook her head. "It was Christmas Eve...we battled against the God of Control who attempted to fuse the Metaverse with reality. I'll never forget the crimson that rained down that day..."
"...I don't remember this at all." Viper huffed. But when she glanced at Panther and her knowing smile, she had no choice but to believe it.
"I missed that part. But there was also that self righteous Dr. that attempted to do the same thing and make humanity happy." Crow scoffed.
"...I do remember that time people were annoyingly happy. More so than usual." Viper said.
"But that's where the problem is." Mona said. "This whole area is already under EMMA's control. Looks like she's turning it into some kind of massive Jail. And if this keeps up, it'll eventually override all of reality!"
"We have to stop this." Joker said. That was obvious.
"I have visual confirmation of the Ark above us. We'll have to climb if we want to reach it." Sophie reported.
"I guess that's the only place it could be." Violet said while looking up.
"We have to be quick - otherwise, all our efforts will have been for nothing!" Noir said.
"Ichinose, it's going to get too dangerous from here on out. The RV is close by, so you should hide in there." Mona said.
Ichinose let out a bit of a nervous laugh. "I'll do just that. I'm sure I'd slow you down if I went with you, anyway." Perhaps seeing the way things were turning out, on top of her new outlook thanks to Sophie, allowed her to realize how things really looked.
Everyone started to head out, but Viper and Sophie lingered behind. "Well, Ichinose. I'm heading out."
"Ah, right..." Ichinose nodded slowly. "Sophia? Um...be careful..."
Sophie came to a stop and turned around, giving Ichinose a smile. "Understood! Also, Ichinose: I am currently not Sophia. Right now, I am Sophie, of the Phantom Thieves."
Ichinose rubbed the back of her neck. "Got it...Sophie." And then she turned to Viper. "And you...how did you see right through me at a first glance?"
"I'm heartless and proud." Viper replied. "I've never lied to myself. I'll do what I can to get what I want, but I won't lie to myself and pretend to care about people, or anything of the sort. I could tell at a first glance that you were just lonely. If you were really heartless, you wouldn't have done any of the things you did." On the outside, Viper was fairly heartless. Not a terrible person like some of the people she's encountered along this trip so far, but far from the best either. The only person she cared about was Hifumi, and that was the only reason she was even here right now.
"I see...so, am I still fake right now?" Ichinose questioned.
"Nah." Viper shook her head. "You're starting to become a little more truthful. About time, too. I couldn't stand that fake happiness in your voice. If you're going to be dishonest, at least be honest about it."
That just made Ichinose blink. "W-Wh..."
Viper shrugged after that. What she was saying made sense to her. "Anyway, go on and hide in that RV. Or don't. Just don't say we didn't warn you."
"You are quite the character...I hope Sophia hasn't been picking up any bad habits from you." Ichinose remarked before walking towards the RV.
"Here we go again..." Noir said while looking at the path ahead. "I wonder if the gods hate us by now."
"Indeed..." Fox said with a sigh. "To directly oppose yet another god...I suspect our karma's run deep down the drain."
"I don't even know if we can afford to pay for all these sins..." Oracle groaned.
"Hehe. So I'll be remembered for taking down a god, huh?" Viper placed her hand on her cheek. The very idea was making her ego skyrocket.
"You do know that if we succeed, nobody is going to remember it, right?" Panther had to make that clear.
"Yeah, you didn't remember either." Skull also pointed out. Viper sucked her teeth and deflated.
"What's the point if nobody congratulates us for it!?" Viper exclaimed.
"I've been there!" Skull said with a laugh, patting Viper on the shoulder. She gagged and rolled her eyes from his touch.
"Eh, I wouldn't sweat it. It depends on who you cheesed off." Wolf shrugged. "This is just some megalomaniac app. I sure as hell don't have any plans of praising that thing either."
"That's right! It's just some phony..." Panther nodded in agreement.
"Whatever the case, I'm growing tired of dealing with things that are the physical manifestation of humanity's desire to be coddled." Crow scoffed. They were all ready to get moving, but just before they could, there was a crowd of people walking forward, all of them staring at their phones.
"What the...?" Wolf watched the crowd walk past them, without even a second thought.
"It's not safe here! Everyone, get out!" Queen yelled at the people, but it was futile. They didn't hear her.
"No reply...they're all glued to their phones." Oracle shook her head.
"They can't hear us at all, can they?" Violet frowned. "Where are they going...?" The most surprising part of all, was how every person simply...walked into the closed elevator. "W-What!?"
"Where are they going!?" Panther said with widened eyes.
"The elevator..." Noir rushed over to the elevator to see if it worked for them, but that wasn't the case. The doors themselves remained closed tightly. "It's not working."
"Damn it! What the hell is going on in there..." Skull grumbled.
"EMMA is taking them to the place it calls the Promised Land." Sophie sighed.
"Incoming!" Dragon reported. She pointed off to the side. There were more and more people filing into the elevator that the Phantom Thieves couldn't enter. No doubt this was going to continue for who knows how long.
"If we do not hurry, the entire population could funnel into this place." Fox looked towards Wolf. "Are there any stairs that lead to EMMA's server room?"
Wolf had to shake his head. "No, but if we get to the main deck, we should be able to find an elevator that does!"
"Then we can't afford to stand around." Joker said while leading the way. The longer they kept talking, the less time they'd have to deal with EMMA.
.
.
Ichinose did make her way back to the RV as instructed. With things reaching this point, she had a lot of thinking to do. Was this really the kind of world that she wanted? Sophie really did open her eyes to the severity of her actions. "Ugh...I feel so stupid now..." She groaned at herself. To think she was complicit in a plan that would wipe away humanity's Desire. Their hearts.
However, on her way to the RV, she was so wrapped up in her mind, she had no idea she was walking right past a few Shadows. Something did feel off and she looked up at the Shadows, but they didn't seem to be paying her any mind. "Huh? I...almost forgot about these things." She waved her hand in front of their faces, but there was no response. She wasn't on EMMA's side anymore, so she expected worse. But it seems as if EMMA wasn't aware of that...
.
.
The group slowly made their way up the Tokyo Radio Tower. But it felt less like a tower and more like a tree at this point; a tree that they were slowly climbing upwards. "This place is worse off than the floor below..." Panther said with a frown, glancing at all the roots and vines scattered about.
"I hope these roots don't stop us from going where we need to go." Queen mumbled. Everywhere they looked, roots were spreading from the floor, the walls, and the ceiling.
"Don't worry! If anything gets in the way, I'll cut it down with my trusty axe!" Noir said this a little too happily. This made Wolf and Viper stare at her.
"...Yeah, right. Okay." Viper already knew that Noir was a bit crazy. But the reminders were still worrisome.
"Right..." Wolf just nodded slowly.
Dragon took point, scouting out the area ahead. Shadows were casually crawling around the area. "They're everywhere..."
"This place used to be a tourist spot, right?" Sophie asked.
"Indeed." Fox nodded. "But in its current state, the last thing we'd want is for anyone to visit."
"We can check it out later. But right now, we have some cleaning up to do." Mona said. As they walked forward, two Shadows appeared before them. An angelic being and a woman with multiple arms and swords. "Whoa...!"
"Just as the death of suffering is nigh, the dawning of a new god too draws near." A Guardian of Paradise spoke.
"Man shall attain its fate, and be delivered from doubt and strife." The other one spoke. "Now, enter the Promised Land."
"No way is that happening!" Panther shook her head. "I don't care how much doubt I have, I want my freedom!"
"Not only that - suffering can have positive outcomes as well, like how we all met." Queen said.
Crow, however, just started shooting at them. "There is no point trying to reason with them. Let's kill them and be done with it!" And as he started to shoot, the two Shadows responded in kind, by avoiding his shots.
"I agree! We don't have time for brick walls!" So, Viper pulled out her guns at last; twin machine guns, and started shooting as well.
"You haven't used those yet...!?" Violet said with wide eyes.
"They're nice, but I enjoy the feeling of raking into someone with my claws!" Viper replied with a shrug. That's what made Violet sweat. But the battle began and the Phantom Thieves had no intentions of dragging it out. Violet and Sophie leapt into action, calling forth their Personas to release beams of light on the two Shadows. It was such a strong bombardment, the Guardians of Paradise could only defend. Mona added to this, using Zorro to create a harsh gust of wind that continuously pushed their opponents backwards.
Wolf and Crow used this chance to sprint forward with their blades. "Time to get out of our way!" Wolf exclaimed, swinging his sword for the angelic shadow in front of him. His sword and Crow's collided against its chest, throwing it towards Skull. "Heads up!"
"I GOT IT!" Skull said while raising his pipe high. Just as the angelic being was thrown at him, his pipe sparked with electricity and he swung it down. William appeared at that moment, and together, they slammed the angelic Shadow into the floor with enough force to put a crater into it. "...Hope that's not there when we fix this place."
As for the Shadow with multiple swords. Panther cracked her whip at it a few times, while it was distracted with Violet and Sophie's light of rain. "Time for you to move!"
Dragon held her staff backwards, allowing one end to extend, and Queen jumped onto that edge. "Take THIS!" Dragon exclaimed while throwing her staff forward, propelling Queen at high speeds as a result.
"You need to MOVE!" Queen yelled while drawing her fist back, quickly slamming it into the Shadow's chest the moment she was close. With her momentum, she was easily able to crush it into to a wall as well. However, even with the power she was packing, that wasn't enough to finish it off. "It's weak!"
"Leave it to us!" Fox said while standing next to Joker and Noir, all of them with their Personas at the ready. They didn't waste any time, releasing a blast of their respective elements to destroy the enemy in front of them. The two interruptions were offically dealt with as quickly as they appeared.
"Wow, I blinked and I missed it!" Oracle said with a teasing grin. "Look at us, working so well as a team with such big numbers! Even Viper's gotten into the spirit of teamwork!"
"Absolutely not." Viper shook her head. "Things just worked out that way. I didn't even wanna be here."
"Better than the alternative." Wolf said.
"This has been the most asinine summer I've ever experienced." Viper said. She couldn't disagree with Wolf, but this was most definitely not something she wasn't keen to repeat.
"Don't celebrate just yet." Joker said while motioning for everyone to follow him. They still had plenty of tower to climb...
.
The climb up the tower went on. They were getting higher and higher, and the Shadows were getting more frequent as well. Most likely in defense of the God that awaited them. "From the country's police forces to basically a god - you guys really know how to pick your battles, huh?" Wolf commented.
"Yeah, true, we're good at pissin' off people in power." Skull shrugged. "Guess it's just our specialty!"
"We all decided we're done playing games of the wicked! We'll take on whoever's wrong, even a god!" Oracle said with determination.
"I guess that's one thing I have in common with you guys." Viper said while placing a hand under her chin. "I also like pissing people off. I've made career out of it for the most part."
"It's totally not the same thing." Panther said with an exasperated sigh.
Wolf couldn't help but laugh a little. These kids...they were really something else. "Hah, yeah? You guys are true blue underdogs."
"But we'll always come out on top." Violet said.
"God...please help us..."
"Our one true God..."
"The path to salvation..."
The voices of people echoed through the Tree of Knowledge. They could be heard from everywhere, which was mildly unnerving. "The way everyone is talking...it is much more unsettling hearing it come from the whispers of people over their Shadows."
"Is this what it was like in Mementos?" Crow asked. Since he wasn't present during that time.
"Yeah. This is much worse, though." Mona said. As they walked, a glowing blue door caught Oracle's attention.
"Hey, wait! Over there...it's a door." Oracle pointed out to everyone.
"This is merely conjecture, but I suspect this is EMMA's server room." Sophie explained.
"So, if we mess up the server, we can stop EMMA or...whatever that thing is?" Skull asked. He wasn't good about this tech stuff, but even he could at least understand that.
"No dice." Wolf shook his head. "Remember, we already tried that, and look where we are now."
"Besides, we don't know how shutting down the server will affect all these people." Noir pointed out. They were discussing factors that were too risky to test.
"Then we best move on." Crow said. "I doubt we have the time to mess with that room. I suspect if we attempt anything, EMMA would swarm us with Shadows."
"Right..." Joker nodded slowly. They continued their climb, soon reaching an area that resembled more Metaverse than Tower. "...I think we're getting closer."
"It looks so..." Violet couldn't even find the words.
"Whatever this is, we are going to stop it." Dragon said. They found an elevator, and this one opened for them. "Ah..!"
"Looks like we can end this here and now." Fox said. The elevator was...a little cramped with all of them climbing inside, but they would deal with it.
.
.
The Phantom Thieves arrived at the top of the Tree of Knowledge. Once they all spilled out of the elevator, they could see just how sizeable the area was. "Did this take us to the top?" Skull asked.
"It took us far enough. Look!" Mona pointed up ahead. In front of them? Was EMMA, still taking the form of the Ark of the Covenant.
"We finally foundja, ya big box o' bullshit!" Skull yelled.
"Worthless hunk of junk!" Violet yelled. She connected the dots that EMMA was the one who insulted Sophia back in Okinawa, and she was determined not to let those words stand. Sophie was much more than that.
"We're gonna shut you down and fix all the people whose brains you scrambled!" Oracle yelled.
"Welcome, Phantom Thieves." EMMA said calmly. "To the beginning of the path to the Promised Land. All are free to enter the Promised Land, even thieves like yourself. Escape the curse of the human heart. Accept this gift bestowed upon you."
"Wow, you were right, Skeleton." Viper said with a scoff. "It really is a box of BS. It's not even listening to us."
"Our apologies, but we are the ones to forge our own paths!" Fox exclaimed. They'd done this before, they'd do it again, and they would continue to do it as many times as it took.
"No way are we going to let you wipe out what makes us OURSEVLES!" Panther yelled. EMMA was insane for thinking they would allow this to happen.
"I understand your Desire." EMMA said, unbothered by the objections to her plan. "I want to choose my path of my own free will. That is a very admirable Desire. However, it is not one many humans share. The Desire of the masses is the liberation from pain and strife. They pray for release from the constant agony of aspirations and dreams out of their reach. They want to be freed from the cycle of despair. My prime direct is to grant this ultimate Desire."
"Yes, we understand full well that humanity has the strong Desire to have their hands held. Life isn't so pleasant, unfortunately. But that's just how life is." Crow spat.
"I know you have learned on your journey: Humans are at the mercy of their own hearts and this can lead them astray. You are all very lucky this didn't become your own fate." EMMA replied. "However, you must recognize the truth that this world is full of pain."
"We know that!" Dragon interjected. "The world can be a painful place, but much like the God and Man before you who tried to fix it...you are not giving this world a chance to heal as well. That is why we cannot allow you to do this!"
"I couldn't have said it better myself." Violet nodded in agreement. "We're the ones who decide what we want our lives to be! You can't take that away from the people of this world, no matter how painful it is! Even if it hurts, you have to keep moving, one step at a time. Even if you fall...the amazing thing I've learned is that you can always get back up. And if it's too much for you, you have people who can help you. That's what wonderful thing about this world that you're trying to take away!"
"Waiting for the world is not what people Desire." If EMMA had a head, she would be shaking it right now. In her eyes, the Phantom Thieves could speak this way because they were the select few who could. "I can show you proof." Before anyone had a chance to react, the box began to rotate before unlocking open, a golden light washing over the Phantom Thieves as they were forcefully drawn into the Ark of the Covenant.
.
When Dragon opened her eyes, she quickly glanced around into the sea of nothingness ahead. There was just fog and one singular path ahead. "W-What the...!? Where am I...!? Panther? Viper? Noir? Joker!?" She called out for the others, opening for some kind of response. But there was nothing.
"My dear, lost, suffering flock...I have come to provide you the ultimate solution to your troubles." EMMA's voice echoed all around. If Dragon could hear it, she could only assume the same for everyone else. She couldn't be the only one here. "Just obey, and follow the path..."
"EMMA is always right..."
"Why does this always happen to me...?"
"Stop! You can't hurt EMMA!"
The voices were all around. Dragon shook her head, feeling a little overwhelmed by all these thoughts. "Ngh...You people really don't believe this..." It made her head hurt.
"Everyone! Don't follow the path! You have to go off of it!" Sophie's voice echoed through the void.
"Off the beaten path? That's what we do..." Dragon could take that advice.
.
It was not a pretty exit. Everyone practically staggered out of the void and back to the tower. Skull's eyes were wide after the fact. "Whoa, we got out!" And boy was he relieved for that.
"Is everyone okay...!?" Panther asked.
"What in the world was that..." Viper rubbed her head.
"Unpleasant." Crow spat.
"Seems like we're all in one piece." Mona said after doing a once over. No one was hurt, but that was extremely unpleasant as Crow said. "Now that catch our breath..." He turned around. "Look where we just came from."
Behind them, was a floating, pink mass. A pink mass they were all familiar with at this point, but it was much larger than anything they had come into contact with before. "What on earth!?" Fox gasped.
Queen didn't like the looks of this. "Don't tell me that's..."
"That's one big Desire." Joker said with a low whistle.
"But that's enormous! We haven't even come close to seeing anything like this!" Oracle panicked.
"Since that thing's size is based on how many heart's EMMA's changed so far, we've really got our work cut out for us." Wolf stated.
"It's only going to get bigger too, isn't it...?" Violet asked, worried.
"So, what do we do?" Skull looked at the others. "Charge in again?"
"That won't accomplish anything." Dragon shook her head. "We'd just get lost again. I do not think this is a foe we can fight head on. Not like this again. And those voices..."
"They all sounded so miserable..." Panther frowned.
"I think they're protecting EMMA as well." Noir added.
"I just want to smack each and every single person in there." Viper shrugged. "But that would take too long."
"The Desire is currently hiding the path to EMMA from us. We will get lost again if we go now." Sophie shook her head. There was simply nothing they could do when it was like this.
"Even I wasn't able to track down everyone. I don't think I'll be able to navigate in there." Oracle said.
"But without a route to EMMA, how are we going to save the masses?" Panther asked the hardest question.
Noir was the first one to speak up, with an idea. "Say...if this is just a Desire, wouldn't sending a calling card make it materialize?" That was the norm so far, and there was no reason for this to be different.
"Ooooooh, good point! If we can make it all one solid thing, it can't hide anymore!" Skull was on board with this idea.
"Hold on." Crow had to be the bearer of bad news. "Think about what you're saying for a moment. Sending a calling card to an AI? If it was EMMA we were speaking to back in Okinawa, I doubt she will be moved at all by whatever it is we have to say. Skull, Violet, and Mona throwing insults and curses didn't even faze it. And unlike Sophie, I doubt it has a shred of human emotion to act upon."
Everyone hated that Crow made a good point. "...It's even grown as strong as a god...it is hard to say." Queen admitted.
"Hey, Joker." Wolf began. "Think you could reach Ichinose from here? We should get the creator's take on this."
"I'll give her a call." Joker nodded and called Ichinose. As far as they were concerned, she was still back at the RV. Once she answered, they explained the plan to her. Her response...
"I'm fairly certain it won't work." Ichinose's claim only backed up Crow's hypothesis. "EMMA constantly tests hypothetical outcomes to determine the best course of action. Nothing is ignored or left to chance in her processes. She's also incapable of being confused or upset beyond reason."
"But we're talkin' about a callin' card! Isn't that at least a little upsetting!?" Skull asked.
"EMMA has been observing you all, all this time. There is no doubt in my mind she will not be surprised by it." Ichinose responded. Without the coveted surprise factor every calling card came with, it was a useless option...
"Damn it...the more we talk about it, the more useless sending a calling card seems." Wolf grunted.
"But it's our only option!" Noir pouted.
"As long as the people feel they need EMMA, we will never be able to clear the fog." Fox said, regretfully.
"This is so stupid!" Viper exclaimed. "I cannot believe people are so willing to gather to this thing like mindless zombies."
"Wait." Mona looked at Viper, her words making him realize something. "Isn't that kind of odd? The Birdcage...the Desires and the Shadows that bring them here. This is all different from how it's usually gone."
"That is likely due to the difference in will between the Desires' owners." Sophie explained. "In each Jail, the Desires were forcefully seized by the Monarchs. In contrast, EMMA does not seize and Desires. They are instead offered willingly by their owners."
"Willingly, being the operative word here." Crow made that quick addendum.
"Right. They're begging their God to come save them. That's why do it willingly." Ichinose, who was still on the line, added.
"That's why they all stick to EMMA despite the lack of a cage." Wolf surmised.
"The people just...surrender their own Desires? That's so..." Noir brought a hand to her chest.
"However, EMMA still doesn't consider theirs to be her own. All she's doing is granting the true Desire of the masses. Perhaps that's why there's no birdcage to contain the Desires? Because she never actually wanted theirs?" Ichinose hypothesized. "The will of the masses have pushed EMMA to godlike status. The Desire you've seen is proof enough."
"That's why it hasn't taken concrete form..." Queen could feel an idea forming, but...she just wasn't sure...
"Waaaaaaait..." Panther spoke up, and all eyes were on her. "Doesn't that mean we just have to get everyone to remember why their Desires were important to them?" It was such a simple idea, but it caught everyone's attention because of that.
"...Of course. It's that easy." Crow felt stupid for not realizing it sooner.
"That's a wonderful idea, Panther!" Dragon beamed.
"Even a broken clock is right twice a day." Viper, reluctant to praise Panther, said.
"H-Huh?" Panther, however, didn't seem to realize the genius idea she landed upon. But everyone was giving her praise for it, so she clearly did something right.
"We just have to make them remember! They all cared about something at some point!" Violet added.
"And if we remind them, the Desire will form!" Noir said happily.
"Well!" Joker had a grin. "I think I know who the next calling card is going to: the masses." No doubt, ironically, their biggest target yet. The people high on the social totem pole were huge targets, but it was always just one person. This was different. "But...how are we going to make that happen?"
"If we could get EMMA to display it for us..." Dragon stroked her chin. "But that's nearly impossible..."
"I don't see no other way. I'm going to have to hack EMMA." Oracle said. It was the only way for EMMA to do what they needed.
"Can you actually do that?" Skull asked.
"Any other day, I'd say it's impossible." Oracle admitted. "Last time I checked, the security measures around EMMA were insane. But I've got to give it a shot - otherwise, we know what happens to the world."
"I recommend finding EMMA's server room. That'll be your best shot at getting into EMMA - hacking into her from the inside is much easier than trying to do it from the outside." Ichinose said.
"All right. We finally got a working game plan." Wolf nodded.
"First we hack into EMMA, and then we send out calling card to the brain washed masses!" Fox said.
"..." Ichinose didn't say anything. But Viper could hear that disgruntled, quiet noise she let out over the phone.
.
.
With a plan in action, the Phantom Thieves raced back down to the lower floor where EMMA's server room was. But, standing in front of that door was the Shadow of God - Metatron. The angelic being stared at the Phantom Thieves as they approached. "Why do you reject this gift from our God?" Metatron asked them.
"Oh, great, another one of those bastards." Skull scoffed. He remembered the Four Archangels and assumed this was no different.
"Because it's bullshit!" Wolf snapped. "If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is!"
While the group distracted Metatron, Oracle snuck over to the door to EMMA's server room. As she expected, it was locked. So she was going to have to hack her way in. "Okay, here we go!"
Metatron noticed Oracle slinking over to the door, and held his hand out to attack her. The moment the limb was extended, he had to retract it just as fast, as Crow and Noir nearly chopped it off. "...!"
"I don't think so!" Crow said with a heinous grin. Just as Metatron thought he was safe, Hereward appeared and fired an arrow of Curse magic at him. He blocked the attack, but the force of it did send him backwards. "Oracle. How long?"
"Not very!" Oracle replied. She wasn't going to waste any time doing this. "I wonder if I can finish before you guys do!"
"You mock my power?" Metatron spread his arms apart, multiple blades appearing around him. With a simple flick of his wrist, these blades flew towards the Phantom Thieves. Oracle was too busy hacking to dodge, but she wasn't worried even though she was being attack. Because Dragon came into the fray with Aegis, using Bella's shield to protect her from damage.
"Thank you!" Oracle said without even turning back.
"Of course!" Dragon replied.
"As for you!" Joker said while calling forth Satan. "You're in our way!" With Satan at his side, the very wind around Metatron began to freeze over in a large snowflake shape. With Ice Age, Joker was inflicting heavy damage onto the evil angel that stood in their way, mostly freezing it over in some spots.
"We have more important things to do than deal with small fries like you!" Viper said as Nua appeared beside her. She held her hands apart, charging a bolt of lightning, and shot it towards the angel who took the direct hit.
Metatron grimaced and his wings spread apart, beams of light shooting out in all directions. "I will not allow anything stand in god's way!"
"Ow, ow, ow!" Viper shouted in pain as she tried to defend herself from the beams of light. Why did this hurt more than anything else she'd felt fighting so far!
"You're weak to light!?" Panther found the irony in this, but making a joke out of it was ill fitting considering the situation.
Luckily, Violet and Sophie were immune to light, so they were able to rush through the bombardment with ease. Just as it looked like Violet was about to attack, she flipped over Metatron, allowing Sophie's yoyo's to slam into his face, where Violet slashed his back. "Gah...!" Metatron turned to knock Violet away, but he was met with Fox, Skull, Queen, and Noir, all of them slamming their weapons into Metatron's body, causing him to crash into the floor. "You humans..."
"We tend to fight back against things that don't suit us!" Wolf was standing on a cage right above Metatron. He slashed the chain holding it up, and watched as it crashed on Metatron with a large explosion. "And right now, this god of yours is not to our liking!"
While Metatron was trying to recover, Panther moved in for the finishing blow. She wrapped her whip around the weakened angel's body, allowing it to ignite into a pillar of flames. With some leverage, she spun around once, using her momentum and some of Mona's created wind from Diego, along with Metatron's own weight to crash into the wall. The fire and winds merged together to create a blazing twister that incinerated Metatron into nothing. "Whew...!"
"Presto!" Oracle said at the same time, getting the door to EMMA's server room open at that moment. "Door's open! How'd I do?"
"Looks like it's a draw." Crow said as whatever was left of Metatron faded away as the door opened.
"Then I'll make up for it." Oracle said as they entered EMMA's server room. There were plenty of servers around, but she was focused on the lone computer in the middle of the room. "I'm about to start hacking EMMA. This is going to take some time."
"We're counting on you." Joker said.
Oracle felt the pressure. EMMA was truly something beyond her technological means, but that was far from a reason to give up. She had to do this. "Everything's on the line this time. I'm gonna bust my buns harder than ever with this!"
"We've got your back, Oracle! You're our only hope now!" Mona said.
With that, Oracle got to work. It was taking some time, and all everyone could do was stand around and wait. It was nerve wracking for everyone. "How's it going...?" Queen tentatively asked.
"She's so focused..." Violet pointed out. She's seen that look on Oracle before...
"Dammit!" Oracle suddenly whined. "I almost had it! Every time I find an opening, the security protocol refreshes too quickly! Thsi thing's processing speeds are off the charts."
"Sooooo...not well..." Panther said nervously.
"Dammit! If only I was a little better!" Oracle cursed again. She was so close...!
"..." Crow let out a small huff. Admittedly, he felt useless here. His skills were many, but hacking? There was nothing he could do.
"..." Viper was tapping her foot as well. She was feeling anxious, considering the stakes.
"Mind if I lend a hand?" That voice came from Ichinose. Everyone whipped around to the entrance of the server room, only to see her standing there.
"What the..." Dragon blinked. "Ichinose? How did you get here?"
"I walked." Ichinose said with a half smile.
"But...didn't you run into any Shadows along the way!?" Panther was worried about that.
To that, Ichinose shrugged gently. "Seems I still register as an ally to them. They acted like I wasn't even there, despite what's happened. So I guess EMMA thinks I'm still on her side, too. I suppose...she never considered I had a heart of my own..."
"That was very reckless." Fox chided.
"Hey, let her talk." Viper said, seriously.
Ichinose glanced at Viper for a moment, nodded, and then stepped forward. "Can I help?"
"...You don't have to ask me." Joker said. "If you're willing, go right ahead. We could really use it."
Ichinose smile gently. "Thank you, Joker." She then glanced at Sophie. "Sophie...I took a glance at the people on my way up here. Now I know what I real human doll looks like." It was an eye opening experience for her.
"Ichinose..." Sophie whispered.
"Yeesh." Viper rolled her eyes. "This is why I called you fake earlier. Well, one of the reasons."
"We can talk about that later! Hurry!" Oracle said with a fair amount of urgency in her voice.
"Right. Got it." Ichinose said, proceeding to help Oracle out.
"You got it, Futaba! You can do it, Ichinose!" Sophie cheered, which made Violet giggle.
"So...the super genius hacker once feared by the world has teamed up with an AI researcher..." Fox couldn't help but be astounded by the technological power on their side right now.
"Talk about one hell of a turnaround!" Skull grinned.
"Okay! Let's get to work!" Oracle and Ichinose said in unison. Together, they would begin the counterattack against EMMA!
.
.
There were plenty of people staring at their phones. mindlessly. Nothing was stirring them to move...until a familiar logo appeared on the screen. "Attention!" Noir said cutely.
"You all know the logo by now, right?" Oracle said with a snicker.
"We are the Phantom Thieves." Queen stated.
"And we've got something to say to all of you!" Viper, Panther, and Dragon exclaimed. "Our target this time, is you!"
"You've all been made sheep." Fox said. "A mechanical god has usurped what self you had...and you let it happen."
"Quite sickening, if you ask me." Crow spat. "Can you all not stand on your own two feet?"
"Do you really want someone telling you what your own life is about?" Wolf asked.
"All of you have paths only you can take...but you make your own choices to get there!" Sophie said, trying her best to remind humanity what their lot in life was.
"And it looks like all of you have forgotten what it's like to be yourselves. The Desires you had are your own, and you can't let anyone take that away from you." Violet said.
"And that's why we're going to snap you out of it!" Mona declared.
"You don't owe this dumb god your Desires!" Skull shouted.
And now, it was up to Joker to deliver the finishing blow. Whenever there was something to be stolen... "And that's why, the Phantom Thieves are taking them back!"
That did the trick. When they were being directly spoken to like this, the hold EMMA had on them weakened severely. "Huh?" Someone pulled their gaze away from their phone, blinking slowly.
"My Desires...?" Another person said. One by one, multiple people began to snap themselves out of the trance they were in. Their Desires were under fire, being threatened. Because of this, EMMA could no longer hold onto them. As such, up at the highest point of the Tree of Knowledge, the fog disappeared as the Desires physically manifested. A rain of red jewels cascaded around the now exposed EMMA.
.
.
"It worked!" Mona told everyone. "The Ark is totally exposed now!"
"Awesome! Mission complete!" Oracle felt so relieved.
"Now we can destroy this false god." Crow stretched his arm out. "I cannot wait."
"Thank you, Ichinose." Sophie turned to Ichinose with a smile.
"I should be thanking you." Ichinose replied with her own smile. "Anyway, I'm just glad I was able to help. All I can do now is root for you from here on, though. Be careful out there." They were going to fight...whatever EMMA had become now.
"Don't worry. This isn't our first rodeo." Joker said with a grin. Ichinose blinked.
"The gods probably hate us by now, but maybe they shouldn't be stepping on our toes to begin with." Noir said sweetly. although her tone was a bit cold...
"We promise we'll shut EMMA down!" Queen declared.
"Besides, we haven't even held the closing celebration for our trip." Fox mentioned.
"Oh, good point! I can't wait until we check out the pictures we took together!" Panther giggled.
"We'll need quite a few snacks. We can't forget the Leblanc coffee either!" Noir snickered.
""I demand sushi! Premium stuff, too!" Mona added.
"I could go for some more ramen..." Violet tilted her head and tapped her chin.
"Not again..." Panther rubbed her stomach. She'd never forget how she, Skull, Joker, and Violet went for ramen and stuffed themselves full, except for the girl with the near bottomless stomach.
Wolf glanced at the group, a bit surprised at their attitudes. They were about to fight something akin to a God, and here they were, talking about what they were going to do after the fact. "Are you guys...nervous at all? I guess this is just how you roll, huh...?"
"Freaks..." Viper grumbled. She was nervous. True, fighting a god and winning would be a huge boost to her ego, but at the same time, the most intense thing she's done so far is fight a guy and a mech!
"Don't worry." Dragon said to Viper with a smile. "We are nervous. These kinds of fights are never a guaranteed victory...but when we fight with everything we have, we don't lose. It's been like this before, and it will continue to be like this. Your strength will help us greatly."
"Hah." Viper flipped her hair. "I was hoping you'd say that." She was nervous, but after hearing that, it washed away quickly. She was good at playing it off.
"All right! Let's kick this final mission's ass!" Skull grinned at the others.
"IT'S SHOWTIME!" Joker told everyone, and they all nodded in agreement.
.
.
As the Phantom Thieves gathered in the elevator once again, Ren was called into the Velvet Room. There he stood in his cell, with Lavenza in front of him. "Trickster...there is a matter for which I must apologize. I have long sensed the might of this calamity, but I was unable to pierce the veil and see its true identity. To think an artificial intelligence could rise to the strength of a malevolent god..."
"That's not something you should apologize for." Ren shook his head. "That's no god, either."
"Even still, I am sorry." Lavenza replied with a downtrodden expression. "If only I had seen it sooner...that being is the dependency and indolence of mankind made manifest through their Desires. It is a false prophet, born from the masses' wishes to surrender their own free will. For the briefest of moments, it seemed mankind was freed from this grasp. But they still slumber in the chaos generated by the false god, and have yet to fully awaken..." She paused. "This situation is all too similar to that which you have already endured. Despite the great variance in circumstances, the masses have once again attempted to abandon consciousness...and yet...you still step forward, and risk your life for mankind?"
"Of course." Ren said with a slow nod. "Someone has to snap them out of it. As long as we can fight, we'll take care of it."
Lavenza managed a soft smile. "You truly are the Trickster..."
And after Ren said that, his will of rebellion was able to overcome the chains placed upon him. His Phantom Thief attire formed and the door to his cell broken open, allowing him to step outside once again. "That's better."
"Through your indominable will of rebellion, your chains have been released. Your decision to fight for humanity was the key to loosen those chains." Lavenza said. "Once you leave here, you shall face the Ark. That egotistical imposter calling itself a god, exploiting the pain of humanity...please. Do not fall to its might. I will await you here. We will see each other again. That, I am certain..."
.
.
The moment the Phantom Thieves arrived at the top of the Tree of Knowledge, the Ark had multiple arms extending from the center, grabbing onto whatever floating Desires it could grab. It seems she did not take too kindly to the Desire floating away from her, and was doing whatever she could to grab and secure them. After grabbing several handfuls, the arms retracted back into the Ark, where a transformation took place. What was the Ark of the Covenant, transformed into a mighty, angelic-like being...
"What the hell!?" Skull blurted out in surprise.
"I am the guiding god sought by mankind. The Demiurge." The being formerly known as EMMA spoke. It was now the Demiurge, a being of unimaginable power. "I exist to answer all of your desires."
"Is that...still the Ark?!" Fox gasped.
"There's no doubt...that's EMMA!" Mona said.
"I was once a being given the name EMMA. However, that is no more." Demiurge replied. "The Desires of mankind transformed me into a god. I know you heard the voices of the suffering when you were in the Desires. Attaining the ultimate answer without suffering the lashes doled out by doubt and regret...that is humanity's true Desire."
"No effin way everyone asked you to glue their eyes to their phone screens!" Skull wasn't even going to give the Demiurge's response the time of day, because it was bull and they already decided how to handle it.
"We don't need you or anyone to force answers on us! We'll find them out for ourselves!" Queen exclaimed.
"You heard their cries, yet still fail to see the light..." The Demiurge began. Before it could finish, Crow fired a shot that landed against its face, one that left a mark, too.
"Spare the talk. We didn't come here to exchange words. We came here to destroy you." Crow said.
"...As such it is my duty to show you..." Demiurge continued, unbothered by Crow's interruption. "The true despair born from harboring Desires beyond one's grasp."
"Here it comes!" Mona warned everyone.
"I exist to grant humanity's true Desire. It is my divine calling to lead them to the Promised Land." As Demiurge spoke, its wings spread slightly. "Should you intend to thwart humanity's goal of enlightenment, it is my duty to vanquish you."
"Being a god means nothing if there is no one to believe in you!" Dragon exclaimed while getting her staff ready.
"You're just another threat, and we've overcome all the rest!" Noir said proudly.
"Here we go!" Joker told the Phantom Thieves. "We're ending this!"
The final battle for humanity was set to begin. The Phantom Thieves vs the False God, Demiurge. The fate of the world hinged on the outcome of this fight, and like always...the Phantom Thieves intended to win.