Chapter VIII - Perspective
"Collective... unconscious? Something like that truly exists?"
Yselt groggily ran a brush through her hair as she responded to what Wymare was explaining to her. Exhausted mentally and physically after the day she'd had, she had fallen into a deep sleep almost as soon as they returned to their quarters after their excursion to the Royal Library the previous evening. Only now, after getting some much-needed rest, was she in a state to listen to what Wymare had learned while she had been busy returning the materials they'd taken out.
"That's the general theory, according to what Merliad told me," Wymare continued, sitting on the edge of his bed as he spoke. "Nobody was ever able to supply evidence to back up the idea, though, so it never got any major traction with the Mage's Guild as a subject for study."
"And... you believe that this 'collective unconscious' is what Parallel Brilan is?" Yselt asked again.
"It makes too much sense for me to believe otherwise. A collective formed and shaped by how the common people perceive the world around them... It's almost one for one with what we theorized based on our own experiences in that world. But that's not all - if what they said to me is correct, there is a 'right' way for us to induce change in this world by acting beyond the door."
"Really?" Yselt perked up at this. "W-Well, don't keep me waiting, then! What is it?"
"Merliad said that they didn't think minor actions taken in the collective unconscious would have any impact on our world. According to them, we'd need to do something much more focused to have an impact on even one person. And I'd wager that means, rather than just aimlessly battling common Shadows, we should focus our efforts on something that stands out as being directly tied with one person."
"You mean... t-that prison, don't you?" Yselt set down her hairbrush to focus entirely on their conversation, a look of slight hesitation in her eyes. "I-I don't know... Does that mean destroying the prison as a whole, or simply defeating the Shadow controlling it? And what sort of change would that have on Clerebold?"
"That, I'm still not sure on," Wymare admitted, putting a hand on his chin as he thought. "Based on what we've concluded ourselves so far, I don't think it has to do with the prison. I want to say that targeting his Shadow would be the course to take, but there are still uncertainties even after learning more about what that place likely is. The next time we decide to enter, we should focus on exploring and finding out what we can in that regard."
"W-Well... if it's alright with you, I don't think we should try to go today." Yselt slid off her bed and ran her hands along her hair to make sure all of her bedhead had been worked out by the brush's bristles. "I'd... like to take a break, just for a day. So much has happened since we got here; I feel as though I've hardly had time to adjust... don't you?"
Wymare paused. His thoughts had been aflutter ever since the previous evening with nothing but the world of Shadows occupying them, to the point where he had struggled to get a decent amount of sleep. Despite his enthusiasm for the mystery laid out in front of them, however, Yselt did have a point: their lives as members of the labor unit were still present and demanded proper attention, and if he lost himself in an obsession then he risked losing the opportunity to pursue it further in the future.
"...Yes. Yes, you're right," Wymare agreed, nodding as he slid off his bed and onto his feet. "Let's take all the time we need. It's not as though that world is going anywhere, after all."
Yselt smiled at this. "I'm glad you think so. Now, let's get going, shall we?" With that, she turned and began to walk out of their quarters and into the hallway, leaving a puzzled Wymare behind her.
"Wait, what? Where are we going?"
"The Godhalls," Yselt answered, peeking back through the door. "Attendance at morning service on the first day of the weekend is mandatory for us. Did you not hear?"
"No, I didn't." Wymare shrugged and followed Yselt out of their room, chalking up his unawareness of the required attendance to missing Clerebold's formal address on his first day of arrival.
"Well, it is," Yselt repeated while walking alongside Wymare down the hall. "I believe it's because we work under the royal family by technicality. And of course you know how closely tied they are to the Church, given their extensive history."
Wymare nodded. "In truth, I've never been to a proper sermon before. We had to take part in small services back in Colkirk, but never in a cathedral like the one in the castle... I take it you've gone before?"
"Indeed, though I never found myself particularly drawn to the Church's practices," Yselt explained as the two of them made their way up the stairs to the castle's main hall. "The Brilanian armed forces may not be motivated by religion on principle, but you'll find that many Dämian are fiercely devout nonetheless. My mother and father were no exception, so I've been familiar with the Church and the Godhalls since I was young. The Scadarah laborers always sat in the back of the cathedral, and I expect we'll be seated there as well."
Wymare let out a dry scoff at this information. "Hardly surprising. Out of sight from the rest of the crowd and easily rushed out so they're not in the way."
"Indeed," Yselt concurred, smiling in good humor. "The services are nothing too extravagant - it's mostly preaching and songs, so you won't have much to pick up on."
"Thank Bahamut for that. Say, we don't have classes on mandatory sermon days, do we? Let's take that time off from investigating then and go out into the capital. Should be fun, don't you think?"
"Oh, that sounds great!" Yselt's face brightened and her mind began to race, thinking of things they could do while they were out on the town. "There's a fantastic bakery on the main road that I simply must show you; their scraps were the best things to find in the alleyways! Oh, and of course, we should walk to the north wall and look out over the field from atop it. The view from up there is fantastic!"
Yselt continued to list off ideas for activities and points of interest across Rìo Ghaile as the two of them exited the stairwell and entered Castle Gornemant's main hall, with Wymare smiling at his companion's enthusiasm as they walked. However, something glimmered in the corner of his eye that drew his attention to the other side of the main hall, and when he turned to see what it was, he nearly fell over out of shock.
Floating just in front of the wall on the other side of the great hall was a blue carriage door trimmed and ornamented with silver, with the letter V emblazoned in the center in similarly fine silver. Judging by the number of people bustling about the open space and the lack of reactions to the ethereal door that had surely not been present in the past, it seemed that nobody else but Wymare was privy to its existence, and that fact only strengthened Wymare's already present urge to check and ensure he wasn't simply hallucinating.
"Uhm... Yes, right," Wymare stammered, interrupting a still-talking Yselt, "Those ideas all sound good, but I, ah... forgot to use the garderobe. You go on ahead to the Godhalls, I-I'll be right behind you in a moment."
"Oh! Alright, go ahead," Yselt nodded, turning away from him and proceeding up the stairs to the next floor of the castle. "I'll save you a seat, so don't drag your feet!"
Wymare nodded and waved after Yselt until she disappeared from view over the top of the stairs before hurrying across the main hall, making a beeline for the levitating door. Upon arriving in front of it, Wymare looked to his left and right, waited for a moment where it seemed as though nobody was looking in his direction, and grabbed the door's handle when that moment arrived. The handle clicked and turned without a hitch, and as Wymare tentatively pulled open the carriage door, a bright white light shone through the open doorframe in the air. The light grew to envelop Wymare's vision in moments, and his body soon felt as though it were floating away from the floor.
. . .
"Ah... We have been expecting you, young man. It is a pleasure to see you once again."
Wymare's eyes gently fluttered open at the sound of the familiar voice. Indeed, just as he had suspected, he was back in the Velvet Room, seated across from Igor, Phoebe, and Archibald just as he had been before. Igor looked the same as ever, Phoebe looked as if she had just been woken up from a nap, and Archibald was staring at him with a gaze that made Wymare want to squirm.
"It would seem that you have discovered a place through which you can enter this Velvet Room," Igor mused, waving one hand as he spoke. "Be sure to commit it to memory - I am sure this will not be the last time you make use of it."
"That door... was it really in the castle's great hall?" Wymare asked, still adjusting to the change of scenery. "Why didn't anyone see it? Or see me entering it, for that matter?"
"Did you forget?" Phoebe asked, stifling a yawn before she continued to elaborate. "This place is only for those who have entered into a contract. Our guests are the only ones who have the means to enter here of their own volition." She gestured to Wymare's pocket at this, and when he reached his hand in and pulled out its contents, the key he had been gifted by Phoebe was sitting in his hand, shining as though it was reacting to the Velvet Room's presence.
"Before anything else, let us celebrate our meeting here once again," said Igor. "We have been watching over you since last we spoke. The power of Persona, and that of the Wild Card... you seem to be adjusting to them quite nicely."
As Igor spoke, Wymare slipped the key back into his pocket with a serious expression. There were a great many things that he wanted to ask about now that he had found his way back to the Velvet Room, but seeing how sternly Archibald was glaring at him made him think twice about interrupting Igor's dialogue.
"Now that you have returned, allow us to continue where left off before. As our guest, it is our duty to provide you with assistance that will benefit you during your forays into the world of Shadows. We shall explain these services to you now."
"Please do," Wymare commented. "For as much as I've begun to understand Parallel Brilan, this place still confounds me unlike anything else."
"Then let us begin," Igor nodded. "We shall start with the most essential service we can offer. Please, if you would, take out your weapon."
Following Igor's instruction, Wymare held his hand out in front of him with his palm facing the ceiling. In a flourish of blue flame, the green axe that tied him to Gawain appeared in his waiting hand, and he held it upright with the knob of its handle resting on the floor.
"Very good. Now, recall our words about the potential of the Wild Card. By acquiring new Personas, you may add their power to that of your preexisting Persona, allowing you to become one with their skills and affinities. However, it would surely be cumbersome if the only way you could gain new Personas for this purpose was by defeating Shadows. That is where we come in."
Igor paused to reach across the room and touch the tip of his finger to the highest glass orb on the side of Wymare's axe. Without a word, the old man swiped his finger across it and out across the carriage, drawing a line in the air that was filled by an ethereal shimmer that trailed out from the orb Igor had touched. From the line Igor had traced, three balls of light rose to float above it: one yellow, one purple, and one red. As he stared into each of the colorful spheres, Wymare could make out the hazy visages of familiar Shadows that he had culled while in Parallel Brilan.
"At present, you have three additional Personas in your possession: Raijuu, Mad Hatter, and Jack O'Lantern," Igor continued, gesturing to each of the orbs that had appeared as he named the Personas that had appeared. "Apart, each is a capable addition to your abilities, but here we can combine two or more of them to give birth to an entirely new power. This process is known as Persona Fusion, and I can enact this process for you."
"That's..." Wymare trailed off, not sure what to say in response to what Igor was showing and telling him. At his awed silence, Igor allowed himself a laugh.
"Perhaps it would be more helpful if I offered a demonstration, hmm?" Igor waved both hands below the row of orbs, gesturing for Wymare to take his pick. "Go on... choose two of these Personas, and I shall fuse their essences to create an entirely new one."
"Can you... really do that?" Wymare asked, still grappling with the concept of fusion despite Igor's attempts to explain it. "It won't harm me, will it?"
"Not at all," Igor assured. "You won't feel a thing. Now, please... make your selection."
The way Igor said those words made Wymare unsure about what he was getting himself into. However, given that all three of the Velvet Room's inhabitants were watching now him with expectant looks, he decided it was too late to back out of this meeting and went along with what he was being told.
"Very well... Then... these two." Wymare gently tapped the yellow and purple orbs, recoiling a bit as they abruptly rose above the red one to indicate their status as being chosen.
"Excellent," Igor grinned. With another wave of his hand, he dismissed the red orb and the shining line back into Wymare's axe, and he took both the yellow and purple orbs in either hand. The old man crossed his arms and closed his eyes as he clutched the two Persona essences, and as he took in a breath, Wymare noticed the lights in the Velvet Room dimming in preparation for what was about to happen.
"Witness it now, my dear guest... the potential of the Wild Card!"
Igor laid his hands out with his palms facing up, unclenching his fingers to reveal two glowing orbs of light, yellow in his left and purple in his right. As the Velvet Room's master began to slowly raise his arms to continue the fusion process, Wymare could not help but be somewhat unnerved by the old man's unblinking gaze, his eyes fixed on Wymare as if to judge his reaction to the ritual Igor was undertaking. From their places aside Igor on the carriage seat, Archibald and Phoebe watched the fusion as well, with Archibald rubbing a thoughtful hand through his facial hair.
The lights floating above Igor's palms began to shimmer with even more light as he brought his arms out to his sides. Then, to Wymare's surprise, a summoning circle pulsating with blue and white energy manifested at Igor's back, parallel masks of light and dark glimmering in its ethereal light. Imbued with the power of the fusion ritual, the yellow and purple orbs flashed even more, and upon a burst of light that nearly left the Velvet Room blinded, Igor crossed his arms over one another in one motion, bringing the orbs together in front of him and forcing them to collide.
Bolts of energy sparked from the fusing orbs as yellow and purple swirled amongst each other with the fervor of a storming ocean. The summoning circle behind Igor cast an ominous shadow over his wiry eyes and ever-present grin, creating a scene of unimaginable power that, to Wymare, almost seemed picturesque.
At last, the spheres of yellow and purple joined together into one, and as the fusion ritual came to a close, the circle behind Igor dissipated and the old man relaxed his posture to its normal condition. Now, where there had once been two, one solitary grey orb floated above the carriage floor between Wymare and the Velvet Room's denizens, emanating a power unlike what had been sacrificed to create it.
Not knowing what to do now that Igor seemed to have finished, Wymare began to reach out to the levitating sphere with an unsure hand. However, before he could grasp it, a burst of greyish light emerged from it, and from that light a figure took shape. It appeared to be a human-like creature with bones forming a bizarre skeleton on the outside of its body, but where one would have expected there to be a pair of arms, there were instead wings lined up and down with purple plumage, and a long, skeletal tail trailed its way from the figure's posterior. Observing this new entity, Wymare could not determine whether they were human or avian, the mishmash of differing features across its body throwing his mind for a loop.
"I am Gurr... Let us depart, and ravage these lands together!"
The bird-like demon returned into the orb as quickly as it had appeared, and in the blink of an eye, the grey sphere flew into Wymare's axe and embedded its light within the glass sphere atop the side of the steel bit.
"Behold..." Igor proclaimed as everyone in the room pondered the glowing orb. "Two familiar powers have converged to form a new one, widening your Persona's potential. This is what my fusions can offer - as you collect more Personas, you may fuse them here to create new ones, unlocking new skills and improving your odds against Shadows."
"That's... incredible, really. But, if I might ask," Wymare inquired, lowering his weapon to address Igor directly, "What about those Personas that are given up to undergo fusion? Would I need to defeat the respective Shadow again to regain it?"
"That is certainly one way to go about it, but you needn't preoccupy yourself in that manner. We offer a far more convenient method of reacquiring those lost Personas should you desire them. Phoebe, if you'd please...?"
Igor gestured to the drowsy female attendant beside him, and she covered a yawn with her hand before nodding and flipping open the large book in her lap. She leafed through the pages until she came to the desired entry, placing her hand in the center of the paper and closing her eyes as she concentrated.
"Raijuu of the Tower Arcana... bearer of the Zio skill... from the Compendium's infinite wealth of wisdom, I call thee forth!"
The book in Phoebe's lap began to glow as she drew upon its power, and with one fluid motion, she swept her arm away from the page and raised it over her head, a trail of light focused in her palm following the move from the book. As the bright light swirled and shimmered in her palm, Phoebe lowered her arm again and waved it towards Wymare's axe, guiding the essence of the recalled Persona back into his weapon.
"What you just saw me do was summon a Persona you've had before from the Persona Compendium and return it to your care," Phoebe explained through a yawn, closing the Compendium and holding it to her chest. "As you acquire new Personas, whether it be through battle or fusion, they will be recorded within these pages, allowing me to summon them for you whenever you wish. That is the function I serve, as one who rules over power."
"I see," Wymare nodded. "That chant must be a part of the process, then?"
Phoebe arched an eyebrow. "What, that? No, of course not. I only did that to follow the drama of Master Igor's example." A coy smile flashed across her lips and she leaned her head back to rest, finding the captured mental image of their guest's baffled expression a matter of great amusement.
"As Phoebe said, the act of Persona summoning is another resource provided to you as a guest of this Velvet Room," Igor reaffirmed. "Between the two of us, you will find great value in our ability to maximize the strength of your bonds."
Wymare started as Igor's use of the word 'bonds' reminded him of the question he'd resolved to ask them the day prior. "Oh, that reminds me! On the notion of bonds, I heard something speak to me yesterday after Yselt awoke to her Persona. It mentioned alliances, same as you, and invoked the Hanged Man... Do you know anything about what that meant?"
"Indeed I do. Recall my words about the Wild Card: its greatest asset is transforming the relationships of its bearer into new power. What you heard then was the embodiment of this principle. You formed a valuable alliance with a trusted partner, unlocking a new avenue of the Wild Card's potential: the Hanged Man Arcana.
"You see, each Persona belongs to an Arcana representative of their association with various facets of the human soul. To draw examples, your own Gawain belongs to the Fool Arcana, and the newly fused Gurr is of the Hanged Man Arcana. Because you forged a new bond with someone associated with the Hanged Man, the Hanged Man Personas you will eventually have access to will be much stronger than you can imagine."
Wymare folded his arms. The sheer amount of new information being thrown at him was somewhat overwhelming, and as he struggled to make it all fit with the preexisting information in his mind, he replied, "I see... well, at least I believe I do. How powerful can they truly be, though? I believe that Gawain is already plenty strong."
"Oho, confident in your current might, are you?" Igor chuckled, leaning back into his seat. "Then perhaps now would be a suitable time to demonstrate the third service that the Velvet Room can offer you."
Before Wymare could inquire as to what sort of service Igor was referring to, the room around him began to shift quite suddenly. The carriage interior began to grow in size until it was almost the size of Castle Gornemant's main hall, with Igor and his aides still seated on the opposite end now appearing far smaller due to the distance between them.
"The ability to fuse and summon Personas will be a monumental asset to you on your journey," continued Igor, his voice somehow still crystal clear to Wymare despite how far away the old man now was, "But they will be for naught if you cannot learn to properly wield your new strength in battle. Therefore... you, Wymare, shall be tested."
On cue with Igor's words, the invisible weight that had until now been keeping Wymare in his seat vanished, allowing him to move freely. For a brief moment, Wymare was unsure as to what the purpose of this was, but that began to make itself apparent when Archibald rose from his place at Igor's left, rolling his head from side to side as he cracked his knuckles with menacing spirit.
"Finally. I have been waiting for this," the tall attendant noted, beginning to cross the room and approach Wymare. The latter was still unsure of what exactly was being imposed upon him, but that rapidly became clear when a familiar blue fire burst to life from around Archibald's feet, surrounding him and making the sleeves of his jacket flap about. The look in Archibald's eyes suddenly became astronomically more intense, and as his burning gaze locked with their guest's, he bellowed out his first command.
"COME, QUETZALCOATL!"
A white serpent with angelic wings sprouting from its back appeared from the blaze surrounding Archibald, and it turned its focus to Wymare as it unhinged its jaw and, without hesitation, unleashed a colossal fireball in his direction. With scarce little time to think, Wymare flung himself off the bench and rolled across the floor, and the draconic Persona's fireball exploded upon impact with the spot on the bench where he had been sitting mere moments prior.
"Stand, boy," Archibald growled as Wymare lay on all fours, in shock at both the speed and power of Quetzalcoatl's blast. "Master Igor has deigned that I am to be your opponent for a combat trial of sorts. Even for a practice battle, however, I shall not hold back. Now, defend yourself!"
Despite still being shaken by Archibald's use of a Persona and how little regard he seemed to have for his safety, Wymare quickly did as he said, rising to his feet and wielding his axe as he prepared to duel the imposing man. Even as he did so, however, a nervous lump sat in his throat. Nothing he'd faced thus far had exuded the raw power that Archibald did, and that attack was almost surely just a sliver of his full capabilities. Perhaps, Wymare thought, he had been too capricious in his judgment of his own strength.
Wymare swallowed that inclination for now as he focused his will into his axe, calling, "Let's go, Gawain!" His Persona appeared in turn, spinning its blade to hold its hilt with both hands as it pointed the tip toward Archibald's neck. The Velvet Room attendant seemed indifferent to the gesture, folding his arms again and letting out a gruff scoff as if to invite his opponent to make the first move.
"Garu!" Wymare ordered, readying his weapon and moving in as Gawain unleashed a burst of wind that swirled around Archibald. The gruff man's jacket sleeves whipped fiercely in the spiraling gusts as he made no effort to avoid or even step out of the attack. Quetzalcoatl screeched and faded away from the twister, waiting in the wings for when it would be needed.
With Archibald unfazed by the whirlwind that entrapped him, Wymare moved in and swung his axe at the gruff attendant. To his surprise, however, Archibald waved the back of his hand and batted away the weapon's steel bit with the dismissive effort of swatting away a fly. With Wymare losing his balance as the weight of his strike was thrown off, Archibald stepped out of the verdant whirlwind as if it weren't there at all, rolling his head from side to side and cracking the joints in his neck.
Wymare stumbled backward for a few steps before the force of Archibald's counterstrike caused him to fall flat on his back, briefly knocking the wind out of his lungs. Although it was only his axe that had been struck, he had still felt the force behind Archibald's casual retaliation, and its sheer might was such that he could scarcely put it to words. With a newfound sense of dread stirring in his stomach, Wymare rolled over and pushed himself onto his hands and knees to stand back up, certain now that his foe would make good on his vow to hold nothing back.
"Is that all? My turn, then." Archibald raised an arm to hold his hand aloft, hailing his draconic Persona to return to him. Quetzalcoatl unleashed another guttural screech as it channeled its power into Archibald, shimmering lights of red, purple, and green sparking from the floor beneath his feet. Having recovered his stance, Wymare watched with his axe held defensively across his body, his nerves increasing as he sensed the Velvet Room attendant's increasing strength.
Then, as if he had warped from where he had been standing, Archibald appeared inches away from Wymare, his arm cocked back to throw a punch and his eyes gleaming with fighting spirit. Wymare only just managed to react in time to guard, sliding to the side and allowing Archibald's musclebound arm to scrape against the handle of his axe. Before he could even think to reposition or fight back, however, Archibald was upon him again, redirecting his fist to grab Wymare's weapon's handle and then jerking his arm back to pull on it. Wymare's grip was sufficient to keep himself from being disarmed, but this in turn led to Archibald simply lifting him off the floor and flinging him across the Velvet Room like a rag doll.
Seeing that his path through the air would take him into the waiting jaws of Quetzalcoatl, Wymare brandished his axe close to his chest. Gawain sprang forth and flew into Archibald's Persona, jamming the wide end of its blade into its open mouth and pushing it away from Wymare as he met the floor with a rough landing. As he recovered, Quetzalcoatl writhed and swung its head about, thrashing Gawain by the blade of its sword from side to side until it released its grip on the armored Persona's weapon. Gawain flew to the ground, landed hard on its side, and promptly rebounded with its free hand to hover preparedly at Wymare's side, the two staring down Archibald and his Persona yet again.
"Change: Raijuu," Wymare commanded, not taking his eyes off Archibald for a second. The orb on his axe's head shimmered yellow and electricity rippled up Gawain's sword, which it began to swing to and fro as it unleashed a wave of Zio attacks. Bolts of lightning arced across the Velvet Room in a patchwork of strikes, but even then Archibald was unfazed by the speed of the strokes. He waved his hand, causing Quetzalcoatl to dissipate and vanish from the field, and then began to dart between the bolts while approaching Wymare again, barely visible to the boy beyond a blue and black blur of movement.
Archibald appeared in front of Wymare again, looming over him and poised to strike, but Wymare now knew to anticipate this angle of approach and countered his fist with a full-force counterstrike from his axe. The two blows negated each other, resulting in Archibald stepping back with his hand out at his side and Wymare readying for another attack with his axe lowered to the floor. To his surprise, Archibald showed no sign of having been injured by the clash despite having punched the cutting edge of his weapon with his bare fist.
"In order to fend off all manner of Shadows, you must be prepared to adapt to foreign tactics and think your way around an enemy's abilities, rather than through them," Igor piped up from the sidelines. "Consider this: how will you surmount an opposition that can enhance their offensive, defensive, and evasive capabilities to gain the upper hand?"
Before Wymare could ponder over Igor's question for too long, Archibald was upon him again. With Quetzalcoatl reappearing at the burly attendant's side and beginning to launch more fireballs, Wymare was forced to split his approach between himself and Gawain, as he would have been unable to keep pace with both Archibald and his Persona. Thusly, Gawain began to pursue Quetzalcoatl about the Velvet Room, deflecting its flaming volleys with its sword as Wymare and Archibald engaged one another in close quarters once more.
Wymare's axe swung from a multitude of different directions as he attempted to break through Archibald's guard. His attacks came from the left, the right, overhead, and from below, yet Archibald was prepared for each instance, deftly blocking each attempted strike and responding with jabs that Wymare was similarly forced to defend against. For each axe strike that Wymare threw out, he was forced to block or dodge at least two punches in return, and his guard was beginning to diminish under the unrelenting rain of blows as a few slipped past his defenses and struck his face and torso.
As he continued to fight, Wymare desperately racked his brain for an answer to Igor's question. Offense, defense, and evasion... all three together were what constituted one's combat prowess. Through the spots in his vision left by Archibald's fists, he could still see the red, purple, and green energy sparking around the attendant's body from the skill Quetzalcoatl had used earlier. A skill that could boost all three traits at once... did Archibald's Persona truly have such a potent ability at its disposal? And if so, how was he to counteract it?
No sooner had an idea sprouted in Wymare's head than Archibald moved in to grapple the young man once again, grabbing the handle of his axe and trying to wrest it from his grip. Wymare was prepared for such a maneuver after falling victim to it once before, however, and he invoked Gawain to disengage from its aerial pursuit of Quetzalcoatl and appear next to him. A concentrated Garu skill whipped up between Wymare and Archibald, loosening the latter's grip on the former's weapon enough that Wymare was able to leap away and put distance between them.
A surly grunt rumbled from Archibald's chest as he shook the attack off and charged in yet again. Gawain, still floating between its user and the approaching enemy, held its blade with both hands and pointed its tip in Archibald's direction, unleashing a green gale that attempted to push back the encroaching attendant. Despite the winds, however, Archibald was still moving towards Wymare and his Persona, albeit his pace was so slowed that he summoned Quetzalcoatl to push against his back to assist him in fighting through the repelling winds.
Seeing this, Wymare put his idea into action, flourishing his weapon and looking ahead with a determined expression. Fighting through the exhaustion and pain that the battle so far had burdened him with, he inhaled, cleared his thoughts, and spoke.
"PERSONA CHANGE: GURR!"
The orb on Wymare's axe's head that had been shining yellow shifted its coloration upon his words, filling with a grey light as Gawain changed to accommodate the new auxiliary Persona that became integrated with its being. Preparing to make use of this new power, the Persona dispelled the winds pushing Archibald and Quetzalcoatl away and leaped up into the air. This meant that, once the winds subsided and Archibald lunged forward with unrestricted force, he was forced to pass directly below Gawain as he approached Wymare, who readied his axe and pointed ahead.
"Go! Dekaja!"
Gawain slashed in Archibald's direction from above at its user's command, casting a dark-looking wave that trailed down and enveloped Archibald's body for a brief instant. The bleak skill dispelled the increase to Archibald's physical capabilities that Quetzalcoatl had bestowed earlier in their combat trial, and now that Archibald's approach was proceeding at a more manageable rate, Wymare had no trouble stepping forward and intercepting the burly man with a forceful swing of his axe.
The blade of Wymare's weapon slammed into Archibald's upper torso. The attendant stumbled back, surprised, and held a protective hand to the point of impact. The attack hadn't managed to draw blood, but there was a noticeable tear in Archibald's shirt left as proof of Wymare's first real, clean hit on him throughout their fight.
The sight of the tear and the success of his new Persona's skill incensed Wymare to keep up the offensive. Preparing to strike again with his axe raised, he leaped forward with Gawain plummeting down at the same time to deliver a strike to the top of Archibald's head with its blade. Archibald, his hand still covering the rip in his shirt, seemed to submit to the incoming attacks, hardly moving at all aside from the rising and falling of his chest as he drew breath.
"...Don't get ahead of yourself, boy."
As Archibald spoke, Quetzalcoatl reappeared a few feet away from Gawain and lunged in from the side as the latter Persona flew down for its overhead strike. Having taken Wymare's Persona by surprise, the winged serpent sank its teeth into Gawain's neck, the razor-sharp fangs piercing through its heavy armor like a needle through cloth. Wymare's attacking stance instantly crumbled, and he doubled over in pain while clutching at his neck as his Persona's pain became his own.
Quetzalcoatl's jaws locked on Gawain's neck as it pushed the armored Persona down from the air and bashed it back-first onto the floor. Gawain lay still, paralyzed as a result of the agony overwhelming its user's thoughts, and Quetzalcoatl clenched its mouth tighter and tighter until it broke through the Persona's neck altogether, causing Gawain's form to flicker before it disappeared completely. With the enemy Persona vanquished, Quetzalcoatl let out a victorious screech before it disappeared, dispelled by Archibald now that it was no longer needed.
One hand on his neck and the other clutching his head, Wymare dropped his axe on the floor as a ceaseless agony overran his body's senses and rendered him a trembling mess. Incapable of self-defense, Wymare could only stand and watch as Archibald calmly brushed off the rip in his clothes, walked towards him, and twisted up his right leg before drilling the bottom of his foot into Wymare's stomach. The only noise Wymare could muster was a choked groan as he was sent flying back into his bench, where he slid down the wall and into a slouched seating position. With his mouth hanging open, a low, pained groan could be heard coming from him, accompanied by intermittent wheezing.
"You were open. Your two-prong strikes with your Persona are all offense with no thought given to defending your weak points."
With that, Archibald readjusted his uniform, walked a few paces to his left, and turned to sit down just as the Velvet Room shrank back to its original dimensions, bringing the bench right to where Archibald was and allowing him to drop precisely into his spot on the bench opposite Wymare's.
"Well done, however. I had not expected you to realize the meaning behind Master Igor's words so quickly. Perhaps I underestimated you in that aspect."
"Hah... Don't go saying that now," Wymare whispered weakly. He leaned his head back on the seat, still attempting to keep his stomach from turning on him after Archibald's kick.
"Hmhmhm... Most impressive indeed," Igor said with his usual smile. "Combat trials like the one you just underwent are the third service we can provide you as a guest of this Velvet Room. They will be administered by Archibald, and their purpose is to test your new Personas and encourage you to use your powers in new and unforeseen ways."
"You did better than expected, if I may be blunt," Phoebe noted as she channeled power from the Persona Compendium, using its energy to gradually heal Wymare's wounds and exhaustion from the trial. "To land even a single blow on Archibald uncontested is no small feat."
Archibald grunted at this, folding his arms and looking off to the side. He seemed cross about something in Phoebe's words, though what exactly it was that had soured his mood, Wymare couldn't be sure.
"Well... even then, I wouldn't exactly rate my performance highly," Wymare conceded, taking a deep breath to relax as the awful pains subsided thanks to Phoebe. "Are there truly Shadows as powerful as you, Archibald?"
"And many even stronger," the burly attendant replied. "If you value your life and still desire to explore that world, you'll make full use of the services we can offer and rely on your skills, not your raw power. Otherwise, you and your entourage will be torn to shreds by one strike."
Wymare nodded, curling his bottom lip somewhat out of shame. Archibald's harsh tone was nothing he would be perturbed by, but it was his choice of words that cut deeper. Gawain's strength and the versatility of the Wild Card may have both been impressive strengths in their own rights, but to become overconfident in them would place him, Yselt, and likely others in danger. After being routed so effortlessly by Archibald's towering might, this was a fact that he was eager to take to heart.
"Be not discouraged, young man," Igor piped up at Wymare's visible dejection. "The power of your Persona is currently limited, but in that way, it is like a seed in the ground: it has all the potential to grow and stand on its own in a world of hardship. That is precisely the reason you are here with us. We shall do our utmost to aid you in fostering that power, and given time, I believe you shall one day wield quite an impressive power indeed."
Igor's words were needlessly complicated and flowery, as seemed to be characteristic of the strange old man. Even then, however, Wymare found a strange comfort in them. His wide-eyed stare and unflinching smile kept an enigmatic air about his true nature, but through his words, Wymare felt as though Igor believed in him - an opinion that few had been known to hold before.
"Hmhm... I do look forward to witnessing that growth, and how the choices you make will inform it."
As Igor chuckled to himself, Wymare felt a familiar sensation shoot up his spine and rattle about in his consciousness. Along with it, an ethereal voice, just as disembodied and otherworldly as it had sounded the day before, spoke to him within his mind.
I am thou, thou art I... A new alliance has been forged.
The winds of change shall grow and swell, spurred on by this newfound power.
As ye awaken to the Hermit Persona, the power of thy bonds shall see thy journey through...
The Hermit Alliance with Igor has reached Rank 1!
"Very good, very good," Igor nodded. If Wymare hadn't known better, he might have thought Igor was praising the voice in his head. "I believe that concludes our explanations of what we can do for you. Should you ever have need of us, you need only seek us out and enter a door to this carriage. We will happily see you at your convenience."
"Right. Thank you," Wymare replied, nodding respectfully to the three Velvet Room inhabitants seated across from him. "I think I should get going now. I don't want to miss morning service."
Phoebe and Archibald both nodded back to him, silently returning his gesture of departure. Between them, Igor simply continued to smile, his expression as ambiguous as ever.
"We shall see you again soon, I'm sure. Farewell, young man..."