Book III: Fictional Edification
Chapter I: Aslaug's Arrival
Skyler and Hifumi's Apartment/Hamamatsuchō(浜松町)/Minato, Tokyo (港区, 東京)/December 6, 2019 (Reality: December 6, 2021)/12:35 AM (JST)
After hearing Lavenza's warning, Hifumi and Skyler reflected on the last part she mentioned. Unable to sleep, the couple stood on their balcony sharing hot cocoa.
"Do you remember that last part before we left the Velvet Room?" Hifumi asked her Revenant boyfriend, who nodded.
"That part about there being a new ally? Yeah, I know. What about it?"
"Who could it be? We've gone through so many allies that I've lost count honestly," she replied, sipping her hot cocoa.
"Does Io know who it is?"
"I asked and she denied who it could be. We'll have to see who it is, but I am curious. I hope whoever it is, they'll help us turn the tide against Mido, his followers, and especially the Yami Matter," Hifumi said, painstakingly staring at her reflection inside her drink. "I've also been thinking where Miki is and how she's doing?"
"That she's still missing? At least Makoto told us enough that she might still be alive since no body was recovered from that battle."
"Wherever she is, I hope I can see Miki again. I wanted to thank her."
Skyler genuinely smiled at his worried girlfriend. "Maybe you will. Then, we can take Mido and his crew down together."
"Yes, I wish that were true," she said, drinking more from her hot cocoa.
"C'mon, let's get inside. It's starting to get a little chilly out here."
"Of course," Hifumi said as she briefly stared out at the night sky and reflected on everything from their meeting with Lavenza. "Looks like our fight is far from over, Io. Let's both get some sleep so we're able to keep going forward." The couple stayed outside their balcony for a few more minutes before retiring for the night.
"Good day, I am Togo Hifumi. It's been a rough and turbulent past couple of weeks since the last Yami Matter Event and Mido's campaign against us. While Roppongi's damages were repaired by me and Io's powers, the citizens still haven't forgotten what happened. Juzo Mido left a lasting mark by releasing his Successor Beasts, briefly taking control of my Revenant friends, and nearly turning Skyler against me. He turned Theodore Salazar and his daughter Iris into instruments of destruction, turning them into monsters in hopes of destroying us. I also can't forget him nearly tearing Ren and Ann's relationship apart in hopes of throwing the Phantom Thieves into disarray. Mido seemingly killed my newest friend Nakamura Miki until we later found out her body went missing. The most unforgivable thing he ever did was kill Leonard's beloved Iris Salazar.
Combined with Io's power, I dealt the finishing blow to Mido, but at the last moment, the Yami Matter recovered that monster and helped him retreat. The battle was won, but we suffered moral and tragic loss. Just before Iris' funeral, Mido showed up on global broadcasts and exposed our Revenant friends to the world. Although he didn't give away their real names and faces, he warned every person watching that Skyler and his friends are 'vampire' monsters who are masquerading as defenders. This dreadful narrative led to a trial summoning at the Diet where politicians from all over the country and world discussed how to best deal with my Revenant friends. Ren and Leonard were joined by a few others to defend their case, but pushback from a hostile Korean politician caused a few to join his side to verbally disparage Skyler and his friends.
It was decided that if we defeated Mido, then the Revenants must leave this world. If they don't cooperate, then the Thieves are tasked to terminate the Revenants. As someone who holds the Revenants and the Thieves dear to me, I won't let that happen. I refuse.
If that wasn't enough, Mido announced he would create a Yliaster Utopia and create a race of superhuman beings called Yliaster as a measure to destroy my friends. Our allies, the Advent Eight, and former enemies, the Black Heralds, are among these Yliasters, but they have given their word that they won't side with Mido's campaign. Still, the prospect of Mido turning humans willing to kill my Revenant friends into superhumans terrifies me. I cannot begin to imagine how many Yliasters we'll have to face and if we're willing to kill other humans. It is indeed a moral dilemma we're not ready to face.
As if that weren't bad enough, shortly after Mido's global announcement and the Diet summoning, my Revenant friends saw people's homes with crosses on their doors. They even overheard people preparing to equip themselves with stakes and holy water. Mido has worked up parts of society into a frenzy, playing into their fear of my friends. I even heard them disparage my friends by calling them 'blood-sucking fiends' and 'hell's demons'. They know nothing. My friends aren't monsters out to harm the innocent.
After Iris' funeral, we were left heartbroken and lost. Though we beat Mido, our heads weren't in the right place. Then, Leonard, Makoto, and Haru came to tell us that they met with Iris' spirit and she told them that she had passed her faith onto us. Faith that we can defeat Mido and the Yami Matter. With that, our resolve became renewed.
The most surprising turn of events is learning that our Revenant friends aren't who we thought they'd be. They aren't the true Revenants from the other reality where the Sion clone came from. The people who we befriended in this reality are just stand-ins for these Revenants. However thanks to Io's presence, she converted their memories and their bodies to best represent those heroic Revenants. It was a bit hard to swallow, but I accepted it. Although Skyler is based on this unnamed Revenant, he is still Skyler Jones. Likewise, Leonard, Kaito, Rachel, Jacob, and Madeline are based on Louis, Yakumo, Mia, Jack, and Eva, they are still themselves. In a unique twist, it's as if they are actors playing the roles of these heroic figures. The exception would be Mido himself. He's the original one who crossed over into our world. However, these are real events and real people are enduring real pain, loss, and tragedy. But, at the same time, they've gained beautiful companionships and built new bonds.
And then there was Miki. Before her disappearance, I recall her telling Skyler and me about a realm of fiction crossing over reality. She had to mean our reality. She forewarned us of some untold force manipulating our side of reality, granting fictitious people and elements to integrate themselves into cross over into our world. Could she mean the Yami Matter? Io? Datenshi? The other realities we either already crossed over or have become aware of? I guess the part of Skyler and his friends becoming these Revenants adds up. And there's the part of Mido being the real one. But why do I have a feeling there's more than Miki was hinting at?
And then this new ally that Lavenza told us about. Could it be related to another entity crossing over from a different reality? How many entities have already crossed over without our knowledge?
A new chapter is about to unfold in our lives, and one that intertwines our world with other realities."
Ichigaya (市谷)/Shinjuku, Tokyo (新宿区, 東京)/12:52 AM (JST)
After leaving the Tokyo DisneySea park, Tori and Hiroshi went for a nightly stroll together. They hadn't felt tired yet and went to check out one of their favorite spots: the Ichigaya Fishing Center.
"I swear you're an absolute madwoman, Tori."
"Why? Because I'm not afraid of riding on those rollercoasters you're so scared about?"
"I… I just don't like getting on rides that move so fast and go up great heights," he mumbled.
"Dude, you can turn into a knight and fight off monsters. You're also a cop. You're saying theme park rides scare you?"
"That's not it at all!"
Tori smiled amusedly. "Look, I'm not teasing you. For as long as we've known each other, I'm still learning new things about you."
"Yeah? And why didn't you tell me you used to write fanfics?"
"'Cause I was a dopey teenager who had crushes on fictional characters and wanted to write stories to fulfill those dreams!"
"Then, why quit?"
Upon hearing this, Tori paused and sighed while turning away. "That's complicated. I had my reasons, Hiro." Her tone became more subdued when confronted with a personal issue.
"What happened?"
"Nothing. Just forget it," Tori said as she sat down with Hiroshi.
"We should come here more often."
"You're right. We should."
"So, what do you think, Tori? About us possibly fighting other Yliasterites?"
Tori shrugged. "If they come after us, then we'll fight them back."
"But, they're humans and are going to be manipulated by that Mido bastard."
"I know, but I'm not going to hold back if they try to attack us. Besides, we promised Niijima that she could count on us," Tori said while clenching her left fist. "Besides, I've wanted to see how far I can go with this Valkyria power."
"Who knows, but after watching what Cammy did, I think the eight of us have a lot more latent strength than we believed. We'll need to if we want to stop this Yliaster Utopia thing from happening," Hiroshi stated.
"You might be right. So, what we need to do is some training and then…" Before Tori could go on, she noticed someone covered in tattered rags standing on the side of a walkway. "Huh? Is that a kid?"
"Hey, kiddo! Get away from there! It's cold! You'll fall in!"
The child turned to face them but lost their balance and fell into the water. Tori and Hiroshi quickly hurried over to fetch the child out. Drenched in cold water, the child shivered. When Tori wrapped the rags covering the child, she saw the child as a teenage girl, roughly a 13-14-year-old middle school teen, with dark brown chin-length hair and a side-parted fringe. When the girl stared at her, Tori was drawn in by her hazel eyes.
"Hey, are you ok, kid? That was dumb of you," Tori said, picking up the drenched girl.
"No, I'm the dumb one for startling her like that. I'm sorry, kiddo."
Blinking obliviously, the teenager shivered while chattering her teeth. "C-Cold… so c-c-cold and wet…"
"Don't worry. We'll take ya back to our place. We'll get you warmed up."
"Thankfully, we don't live that far from here. Let's hurry before she gets a cold," Hiroshi stated.
"Ok, no time to lose. Can you hang on tight, kid?" Tori asked while carrying her back to her and Hiroshi's apartment. On the way, the girl clung to Tori for warmth.
"Th-Thanks…"
Hearing this, Tori slightly grinned. "No prob. Just don't die on me, ok? After that, we'll find your family."
"F-f-family?"
"Yeah, where are they?" she asked.
The teen responded. "D-d-don't know. Came alone."
"Alone?"
Hiroshi interjected. "Tori, we're going to have to figure out where she came from after we settle her in."
"I know. Maybe Niijima can help."
Leonard, Makoto, & Haru's Apartment/Roppongi (六本木)/Minato, Tokyo (港区, 東京)/1:30 AM (JST)
When her phone rang, Makoto quickly snapped out of her sleep and groaned. She checked the caller ID and frowned
"Tori? Is something wrong? Did you and Hiroshi get called at the precinct?"
"Nah, we went out for a stroll at Ichigaya and we were about to head home. Then, we found this homeless kid and she fell in a fishing spot. We're hurrying home 'cause she's cold!"
"A homeless child? Is she ok?!"
"As soon as we give her a warm bath, she will be! Don't worry we'll take care of her, but could you come in the morning? We could use help trying to find her home, but what's weird is she doesn't remember who her parents are."
"Hmmm, ok. We'll all be there tomorrow," Makoto replied while rubbing her eyes.
"Thanks, Niijima. See you then and sorry for calling this late. I know it's not a work call."
"No, it's ok. Handling homeless children's situations is important. Make sure she gets some rest. I'll see you in the morning." With that, Makoto heard Tori disconnect and she closed her phone. As she lay on her pillow, she heard Leonard and Haru waking up.
"Is everything ok, Mako-chan?" Haru queried her partner.
"Tori just called me."
"Something about finding a homeless kid?" Leonard added.
"You heard the whole conversation?" Makoto asked him.
"Yeah, I hope you can find out where this kid's parents are. I'd hate to see someone without a home during this time of year," Leonard said.
Makoto nodded. "I agree, especially a child. I told Tori I'd be at her and Hiroshi's place tomorrow. Would you two want to come?"
Hearing this, Haru and Leonard nodded together.
"Perhaps we should ask if the others want to come, too?" Haru suggested.
"Maybe. I'll give Ren and Ann a call first thing in the morning," Makoto said.
Tori and Hiroshi's Apartment/Shinjuku, Tokyo (新宿区, 東京)/2:45 AM (JST)
After they gave her a warm bath and dried her off, Tori and Hiroshi gave her fresh clothes. Borrowing some of Tori's old clothes, the teenager walked out wearing a short-sleeved pink dress shirt coupled with a black and white striped long-sleeved shirt under it, long black sweat pants, and gray socks. Looking over her new wardrobe, the teenager looked confused, but she grew to like it as she smiled.
"I just randomly grabbed what I could find from the back of my closet. I can't believe I still had those," Tori gawked at some of her old clothes. "I'm surprised they fit her."
"At least you didn't grab some of my clothes," Hiroshi said.
"I like. I like it!" The girl merrily cried out as she grabbed Tori and Hiroshi's hands. "Thank you."
"No problem, kid. So, tell us your name," Tori kindly asked her.
"Aslaug."
"As-la-what?" Hiroshi was befuddled, trying and failing to pronounce her name.
"Aslaug!"
Tori giggled. "Ok, Aslaug."
"You got my name right!"
"See, Hiroshi? I got it right on my first try!"
Hiroshi grumbled. "Hurray. You want me to give you a prize?"
"So, where are your parents, Aslaug?" Tori asked the teenager.
"Uh, I cannot say because I have never met them."
"Never met your parents?" Hiroshi was taken aback. "How long have you been on the streets?"
"Since today?"
"Just today?" Tori queried.
"Yep, I do not know where to go and I have no idea who my parents are. I do not know if they are even alive."
Hearing this, Tori and Hiroshi exchanged worrisome looks. They weren't sure what to do besides contact their precinct.
"Man, what are we supposed to do? I don't have time in my life to care for someone's kid," Tori realized the burden that's been placed on her and Hiroshi.
"Niijima and her friends will be here in the morning. We'll discuss it with them," Hiroshi said "Until then, let's just get some sleep. I'll sleep on the couch. She can have my bunk bed."
"All right," Tori nodded as she patted Aslaug's shoulder. "It's getting way late. Do you want to sleep in a spare bed? Hiroshi is giving it to you for now."
Hearing this, Aslaug's eyes lit up. "Really? Thank you, big brother!"
"Big brother? Yeah," Hiroshi chuckled under his breath and lay on the couch.
As Tori walked into their bedroom, she showed Aslaug their bunk beds. Aslaug quickly scanned their messy room carelessly.
"Don't mind the mess, we haven't cleaned up much 'cause we work a lot."
"Which one?" Aslaug pointed to the bunk beds.
"Whichever."
"I'll take the top one!"
"Heh, ok. That's Hiroshi's bed so have at it," Tori said as she lay on the bottom bunk.
As she lay on the top bunk, Aslaug sighed with relief. "It's so soft."
"Now, let's get some sleep. We'll figure out what to do about you tomorrow. Goodnight, Aslaug."
"Goodnight, big sister."
Hearing this, Tori rolled her eyes and smiled. Once Aslaug was dead asleep, Tori muttered to herself. "You're so adorable. I hope we can find out where you came from. Who'd leave behind such a cute kid like you?" She mulled over where Aslaug might have come from and shut her eyes.
Dimension: Akane-no-Mai-Vein/?-?
After being dismissed from their meeting with Mido and Pandora, Fredegund and Ildikó entered an inner chamber. They happened inside a barely lit room full of broken flasks and jars full of various ingredients meant to create magic calls. The duo turned over at a shadowed figure sitting on a chair. The figure opened its eyes, revealing flashes of emerald light. The entity unleashed a force that closed the door behind Fredegund and Ildikó.
"What has Pandora and Mido sent you here for now?" The figure addressed them with a distorted tone, concealing its voice to hide the fact it was male or female.
"We've come to ask if we could borrow her?" Fredegund asked her.
"You mean one of my Vamkyries?"
Ildikó nodded. "No, we mean her. Your daughter."
The figure darkly chuckled. "Oh, I see. Then, why didn't you say so." With that, the figure snapped her fingers and another shadow figure appeared beside her. The new figure opened her glowing green eyes and let out a sinister giggle. "Yes, I sense that 'she' has arrived in that world you two have been researching."
"Yes, and she will no doubt meet with the Phantom Thieves and Vein Remnants," Fredegund stated.
"She must not be allowed to awaken her full powers and join them. Send my daughter to finish her off."
"As you command," Fredegund and Ildikó willingly replied. Once the figurehead's daughter joined them, the duo escorted her on the way out.
"Make sure she gets the job done, my other parts," the figure addressed Fredegund and Ildikó, who turned to bow and left by closing the door.
Shinjuku, Tokyo (新宿区, 東京)/9:50 AM ( JST)
Once they convened at a meeting spot, the Phantom Thieves and the Vein Remnants headed to meet with Tori and Hiroshi. Makoto grew concerned about letting her officer friends become responsible for a teen they had just met.
On the way to the apartments, the group passed by several businesses. The Vein Remnants noticed a few crosses visibly hanging outside the front doors. They weren't sure what made them feel uneasy: the crosses or the reality that the people they protected feared them.
"Honestly, they think we're traditional vampires. Those crosses aren't going to do crap," Rachel scoffed with irritation.
"Well, they don't know we're not traditional vampires," Skyler reminded her.
"Crosses, sunlight, holy water, garlic, and even stakes won't do shit to us," Kaito remarked.
"Well, if push comes to shove, if a stake were to pierce our B.O.R. Parasite hearts, we'd be goners, but even that will take a lot of effort. We can fend off humans wielding stakes," Jacob recognized the only vital flaw to their design.
"Thankfully, Mido only showed us with our masks on and never our real faces," Skyler stated.
"Yeah, it makes walking out in the open easier," Leonard said. "That's less issues to worry about."
Hifumi put an arm over Skyler. "I swear I won't let anyone harm you."
"Heh, I know."
"Likewise," Io said while holding Skyler's other arm. "We will protect you."
"As far as I'm concerned, those people who believe Mido's word never believed in you all," Ren stated.
"Senpai is right. You still have many people who support you guys. Many supporters still view you as urban heroes and want to see you beat Mido," Sumire added, bringing light to the Revenants' calamitous situation.
"Namely us, but you have peeps on the social feeds backing you up," Futaba pointed out, showing off pages of pro-Revenant pages. "Though, there's a ton of haters trying to troll and gaslight y'alls fans, but I won't show any of that crap."
"Fans and haters, great. With how divided opinions are, we have become famous," sighed Kaito.
"Or, infamous depending on one's perspective about us," Madeline said.
"Mido better not try and reveal our real faces, or we won't be able to live our lives peacefully," Rachel said. "And that means worrying about my brother Owen."
"Don't worry. We'll kill Mido before he even pulls that off," Skyler said.
"Hopefully, I get to kill him," Leonard muttered.
"What did you say, Leonard?" Haru asked, almost overhearing what he mumbled.
"Nothing. Just wishing pain on Mido."
"Oh, well I say good on you. Think more ways you want to kill Mido," Haru openly encouraged her boyfriend.
"Guys? Can we think about this kid that my friends found?" Makoto suggested. "I do wonder where she might've come from?"
"Who knows? We're getting to the bottom of this and let's hope she's a friend," Morgana nodded while being carried in Rachel's arms.
"Yes, the last thing we want is a new enemy playing undercover for Mido and the Yami Matter," Hifumi firmly related.
"I agree. Times will be more unpredictable going forward," Io said as they came closer to the apartment.
As she texted Tori, Makoto got a quick message back. "Ok, they're all set. We're good to go."
Tori and Hiroshi's Apartment/Shinjuku, Tokyo (新宿区, 東京)/10:35 AM (JST)
As they arrived, the Thieves and Vein Remnants met Aslaug and introduced themselves. Aslaug was not overwhelmed by the number of unfamiliar faces and casually greeted them. Ren and Ann got a closer look at Aslaug, who merrily smiled and waved at them.
"So, your name is Aslaug?" Ren asked the teenager.
"Yep, nice to meet you. What's your name?"
"Ren."
"And I'm his lovely wife Ann. It's a pleasure!" the model introduced herself.
"Well meet both of you."
In the kitchen, Makoto confronted Tori and Hiroshi.
"Have you two asked her anything this morning?" Makoto queried them.
"We asked the same basic questions again. Still nothing. She doesn't even remember how she got to Ichigaya. She has no clue who her parents are," Tori answered.
"If we can't get anything out of her, we might have to find a foster family since she's still a minor," Hiroshi suggested.
"Why don't we let her stay a little while longer? Maybe something will come back to her if she remembers something?" Tori said.
Makoto interjected. "Yeah, let's not get hasty about sending her to a foster home yet. Who knows? Maybe something in your place might help her trigger some suppressed memories?"
"Like what though? I doubt anything I have will help jog her memories," Tori said.
"What about family photos? If Aslaug were to look at some of your family pictures, she might remember some memories spent with her mom and dad?" Makoto stated.
"That sounds reasonable. Try that," Leonard said.
"All right, we'll give it a try," Tori shrugged. "Honestly, I don't mind if we let her stay a little longer."
"But, who's going to take care of her while we're at work?" Hiroshi mentioned their busy work schedules being an obstacle.
"I can talk to the chief about letting one of you two come in to work a shift. There's no reason for both of you to come in on most days," Makoto said.
"That's a great idea, Makoto! I should've thought of that," Tori said while facing the dining room and watching Aslaug making friendly conversations with the Thieves and Vein Remnants.
"It'll be ok, Tori. I'm sure you and Hiroshi will help her regain her memories," Haru said with an optimistic mindset.
"Aslaug is a rather odd name. It sounds archaic. It's obviously not Japanese or American," Skyler noted as Hifumi and Io interacted with Aslaug.
"European maybe?" Ryuji wondered.
"You have to be specific 'cause Europe is a whole continent, dude," Futaba scoffed.
"This name sounds strangely familiar to a character in Norse Mythology, oddly enough," Yusuke said.
"You're right. That name comes directly from a character who appears in Snorri's Edda, the Volsunga saga, and the saga of Ragnar Lodbrok," Jacob pointed out.
"Dude, how do you know that?" Ryuji asked.
Madeline giggled. "Well, you see Jacob is a Norse Mythology aficionado. He loves reading all of those stories. I'd often sing of the songs in them."
"What characters are in Norse Mythology? I'm not familiar with it," Ann curiously asked.
"The names Thor, Loki, and Odin should be familiar. While they're characters in popular comic fiction, they originated in the old Norse folklore and tales," Yusuke stated.
"And they're equivalent to the Greek gods?" Rachel asked.
"Kinda but not all of them. For example, Zeus, Thor, and Odin are both known wielders of lightning," Jacob explained.
"Man, I forgot you know all of that mythology stuff, man," Kaito added with a smile.
"If Aslaug is her name, her family might be from a country like Iceland or Scandinavia," Madeline speculated.
"But, why leave their child behind like this?" Ann wondered. "How can anyone be so neglectful?"
"Maybe something happened to her parents? Perhaps some extraordinary event that also made her lose her memories of them?" Sumire questioned the possibilities behind Aslaug's memory loss.
"Geez that almost sounds like her parents got abducted by aliens and they also erased this girl's memories," Futaba pondered over such an outlandish scenario playing out in her mind.
"That's totally out there, Futaba, and out of a Sci-Fi Paranormal novel," Yusuke sighed.
"You got a better explanation then? Elaborate for us what you think made Aslaug's parents and memories go poof, Inari," the hacker snarked while blowing a raspberry at her partner.
"Guys, let's not argue here, please?" Makoto abruptly interjected as she, Haru, Leonard, Tori, and Hiroshi walked into the dining room.
"This is fun. You all seem like such good people. I like your company," Aslaug gleefully said to the Thieves and the Vein Remnants.
"We hope you can remember anything about your family. Sadly, you can't seem to remember them," Hifumi said, expressing her sympathy for Aslaug's tough situation.
"I can't get a reading on her, but I feel she's not even from around here, Hifumi," Io whispered to her.
"You think she might not be from this reality?" Hifumi asked the pale Revenant.
"Possibly and we can't rule out that possibility."
"You're right, but let's not jump to conclusions yet," Skyler suggested as he closely watched Aslaug.
Just then, Ren's phone rang and he quickly answered it, getting a quick call from Zenkichi.
"What is it?" Ren asked.
The detective quickly answered. "You might want to look up social media and the nearest TV if there's one around you. We've got an unwanted visitor who's wreaking some havoc."
"What? Who is it? Mido?" As soon as Ren brought up the Revenant scientist's name, the other Thieves and Vein Remnants instinctively reacted with shock and disgust.
"No, it's not, but this visitor can fly. Just look up your social feeds."
"Ren, is it Mido? Is that son of a bitch back?!" Leonard yelled out with vitriol in his tone.
"It's not Mido, Leonard. That's the good news. Everyone check your phones," Ren requested, prompting everyone to quickly scan their social feeds on her phones. When everyone pulled up the latest news, they turned on a video showing a winged figure gliding over near Shibuya Station.
"Damn, is it one of those Vamkyrie things we fought?!" Kaito wondered, getting a glimpse of the mysterious Valkyrie-like entity.
"No, it doesn't look like one of them. This one is new," Skyler clarified.
"Is this what Zenkichi told you about?" Makoto asked Ren.
"Yeah, and it's attacking Shibuya Station," Ren replied.
Just then, Zenkichi quickly chimed in through Ren's phone. "I'm not in town, so I'm sure you guys can handle this?"
"Yeah, leave this to us," the Phantom Thief leader promptly answered.
"Good, and so it looks like the government is willing to let you guys handle any threats that attack the city. That's part of the arrangement as long as Mido remains at large," Zenkichi said from Ren's phone speaker. "Oh, and someone else wants to say 'hi'."
Just then, Ren's phone made a ring tone as Sophia's app opened up and the AI greeted them.
"Hello, my friends! Seems we have trouble this morning, don't we?" Sophia chimed in.
"Man, it's always a pleasure to hear from ya, Sophie," Ryuji joyfully added.
"I've pinpointed the exact location of this anomaly. Here are the coordinates," Sophia said while providing her friends with a holographic map of Shibuya Station and the mysterious Valkyrie's coordinates.
"Hey, what is that? I don't see anyone there, but I hear an odd voice," Aslaug curiously asked, searching for the source behind the AI's voice. Just then, she felt an aching pain in her head as she fell to her knees and grimaced.
"Aslaug? Are you ok?!" Hiroshi asked as he tended to her.
"What's wrong, kiddo?" Tori worryingly asked the girl.
"Is she ok? What happened?" Makoto asked her officer friends.
"I don't know. She was fine for a moment and then she suddenly fell in pain!" Tori replied.
"Well, thankfully she doesn't seem hurt," Hiroshi verified no injuries that Aslaug could've gotten.
"No, but she's holding her head. What's wrong? Are you getting a headache, Aslaug?" Tori checked on the girl.
"Must… go… she must be stopped!" Aslaug gritted as her eyes turned rigid and stern. She quickly headed out the door.
"Aslaug!" Tori and Hiroshi yelled out for her.
"C'mon, everyone! We need to follow her!" Makoto exclaimed.
"Notice how she suddenly starts acting weird once we found out about this new Valkyrie attack?" Leonard connected the dots between the two.
"She knows more than she's letting on," Skyler said.
"She seems to know this enemy and we need to investigate this," Io strongly suggested.
"I'm following her scent! Follow me, everyone!" Morgana cried out as he sprinted ahead.
With that, the Phantom Thieves, the Vein Remnants, Tori, and Hiroshi followed Morgana and Aslaug's direction toward Shibuya Station.
Shibuya Station/Shibuya, Tokyo (渋谷区, 東京)/11:15 AM (JST)
Meanwhile, a panicked crowd started filing out of the Shibuya Station and the Underground Mall after the mysterious Valkyrie's attacks. The civilians' screams were drowned out by explosions caused by the hostile newcomer. As the Valkyrie-like entity glided over Shibuya Station, she watched the crowds fleeing in terror.
Several witnesses faced the sky and recorded the Valkyrie with their phones. One caught a picture-perfect close-up of a sandy blonde-haired teenage girl. Based on her youthful features, she looked as young as Aslaug. Her sandy blonde hair is long and waist-length and styled in a hime-cut. She is also seen garbed in dark blue body armor and helmet with silver trim and a white knee-length steel battle dress. Adorning the back of her armor is a pair of silver armored wings. Embellishing her centermost chest is a blood ruby gem.
Extending her right arm, the Valkyrie produced a sword that she swung and created a pressure that cut through the air. This produced a powerful force that blasted a section of Shibuya Station's rooftop. More civilians screamed with terror and fled from the Valkyrie's attacks.
Standing on a rooftop, Fredegund and Ildikó quietly observed the young Valkyrie from afar. They waited patiently for the Phantom Thieves and the Vein Remnants to respond to the attacks.
"Do you think they'll come?" Ildikó asked her colleague.
"Of course, it's what they do. They'll come," Fredegund reassured them. "And they'll bring that newcomer with them."
Just then, they and the Valkyrie heard the voice of the dark figure they met earlier.
"No need to worry. They will come. Hold your ground unless the situation calls for your intervention, Fredegund and Ildikó. They'll bring the girl with them. Then, my Kráka will finish her. Do you hear me, Kráka?"
Hearing the dark entity's voice, Kráka obediently replied. "Yes, my mother?" She addressed the source as her uranian blue eyes scanned the prefecture's vicinity.
"Your enemies are coming with the one we want to be eliminated. Pandora and Mido also expect you to get the job done. Do not let us down."
"As you command. I shall not fail any of you. This girl and her new allies shall know my wrath," Kráka replied.
Chapter Soundtrack
Wake Up, Get Up, Get Out There - Persona 20th Anniversary Concert - First song of Book III, signifying the different feeling, unlike the first two books. Hifumi and Skyler briefly talk about their meeting with Ren and Lavenza.
Beneath the Mask - Persona 20th Anniversary Concert - Hifumi's brief reflections on the events from the Fifth Yami Matter Event, Mido's defeat, Iris's death, and Lavenza foreshadowing the arrival of a new ally. As part of the clean slate from the first two books, Hifumi recaps events instead of Ren.
CLANN - The Stolen Child - Aslaug's introductions.
College & Electric Youth - A Real Hero (Drive Original Movie Soundtrack) - On their way to meet with Tori, Hiroshi, and Aslaug, the Revenants notice crosses pinned onto several business doors. They talk about how divided citizens are about the Revenants. Their friends reassure the Vein Remnants that they still have supporters and are still 'urban legend heroes' in their view.
Two Steps From Hell - Enchantress - Fredegund and Ildikó meet with a 'shadow' benefactor, who lends them her 'daughter' to hunt down and kill Aslaug.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim OST - From Past to Present - Discussions about Aslaug.
Two Steps From Hell - Northern Pastures - Interacting with Aslaug.
Miles And Miles - Schiller (ft) Moya Brennan - The Thieves and Vein Remnants discuss Aslaug's situation. Ren, Hifumi, and Skyler speculate that this is the 'new ally' Lavenza hinted at. Aslaug bonds with Tori and Hiroshi.
Moya Brennan - Against the Wind - Ren receives a call from Zenkichi regarding an attack by an armored, winged entity. Aslaug senses the new enemy's presence and wants to help the heroes stop the new threat. Kráka's first arrival outside Shibuya Station.
A/N: And that's the start of Akane no Mai Book III: Fictional Edification. To shake things up, Hifumi gives a recap of previous events instead of Ren. That's not to say Ren is taking a backseat to Hifumi and the Revenants. Because of course, he's not.
The chapter picks up after the meeting with Lavenza and that new ally is Aslaug. With Aslaug's arrival, Pandora's guardians convene with their mysterious benefactor, who wants Aslaug out of the way and sends her daughter. This mysterious figure has a connection with the Vamkyries and her identity will be revealed later.
The fallout repercussions from the Fifth Yami Matter Event and Mido's announcement continue to divide society about the Revenants. Yep, they've become famous and infamous in the eyes of the public. Gee, thanks Mido.
Found by Tori and Hiroshi, Aslaug recovers and finds her a new temporary home. With Aslaug's role in place, Tori and Hiroshi will have more to do than being Advent Eight members. Indeed, Aslaug's name is derived from Norse Mythology and Jacob/Jack already said as much. Some are suspicious about Aslaug but their minds should hopefully change when the bad Valkyrie shows up.
And now, Kráka wreaks havoc on one of the Phantom Thieves' old favorite hangout spots. I know Akechi and the Elven Princesses weren't in the chapter, but don't count them out in Chapter 2. The first big fight in the series shall happen next time and they wouldn't want to miss it.
Book III is off to a big start! See you then.