Chapter 33: Selene's Awakening

June 24th. We arrived outside of Vox Videos again. This time, Selene is with us. Selene looked at Vox Videos as it gives us a weird aura to her.

"Vox Videos…" She said, "I always wanted to go there for VoxCon…"

"Well it ain't happening anymore." Cattleya said, "Because Vox is not the person you always look at."

Selene sighed.

"Alright, get it over with." She said, "Whatever you're all about to do, do it."

I pulled out my phone and opened the metaNav app. We then entered The Cognitive World Of Hell. Then, Selene saw Vox Videos as it is now a factory.

"A factory?" Selene wondered, "That's dull. …Even duller than my unfinished paintings…"

"This is Vox's palace." Cattleya said, "It represents his desires."

"But why a factory?"

"You'll find out." I said,

Selene sighed.

"I don't like this already…" She said,

We then changed into our Phantom Thief outfits.

"...And I don't like where this is going from the outfits you guys are wearing." Selene said, "Are you robbing something from Vox?"

"His heart." Cattleya replied,

"Literally?!"

"No. We're gonna steal his desires so that he'll have a change of heart and then confess to his crimes."

"...Oh… This is confusing."

"Well, come on, we'll show you what's going on in there."

We entered Vox's Palace again through the roof. Selene looked around and saw the robot guards from below.

"Robots." She said, "That explains the factory."

"But you haven't seen the real deal." Boris said,

"That's right." Cattleya said, "Lead the way, Joker."

I lead the way to an area where we saw corpses being controlled as part robots and using Vox's electrical powers to continue working.

"He's… Working them to death?" Selene said in shock, "And he's even making them part robots to continue the business?"

"That's the worst move from a CEO I've ever seen!" Willow said,

"Shit still makes me sick to my stomach." Lars said,

"But… Why?" Selene wondered, "I thought he was different from other Overlords in Pride."

"Oh he and the other two VVVOverlords aren't like the other Overlords here in Hell." Cattleya said,

"The other two being… Velvette and Valentino?"

"That's right." I replied,

Selene then gasped.

"No way…" She said, "You're all associated with the… Phantom Thieves?!"

"Surprise, surprise." Boris said, "Took you a while to figure it out."

"I just know right away when we changed Valentino's heart." Willow said, "You and Selene weren't there though."

"So… What now?" Selene wonder,

"There's that door that Vox went to when I–" Boris said as he was interrupted by multiple alarms.

"--What the hell?!" Lars shouted,

We saw more robot guards with alarms going off. They surround us.

"Oh shit! We've let our guards down!" Cattleya shouted,

The two guards in front of us moved aside as Shadow Vox appeared again.

"Welcome back!" He said, "Fancy another break in, huh? Well, I won't let that slide!"

Shadow Vox then puts his arm around a guard.

"I've let this factory do the job by installing alarms on them in case they are near intruders!" He said, "Who needs cameras when you can have high quality robots as guards!"

Shadow Vox then saw Selene.

"Hmm…" He said, "I know you… Yes, you're that bat demon artist from Sloth, are ya?"

"Selene Vamp…" Selene said, "And you look… different, Vox…"

"Different? Ha ha ha! Good one! I always wear this around here!"

Shadow Vox then chuckled.

"I know your mother was a nurse in Sloth." He said, "Unfortunately, I taunted her to her death during my secret visit to Sloth with an Overlord there."

Selene gasped.

"What?!" She shouted, "It can't be you! I thought it was a phenomenon!"

"Phenomenon?! Woman, you're crazy!" Shadow Vox said, "But not as crazy as your father who went crazy after theorizing that I was your mother's death and eventually his…"

Selene then gasped again.

"Dad…" She said softly,

"Why did you do this?!" Boris shouted, "They're just innocent lives?! Yet, you took them all away from us!"

Shadow Vox laughed.

"Because I'm the best Overlord in all of Pride!" He shouted, "I can do whatever I want as long as Lucifer doesn't mind!"

Lucifer…

Selene then started to cry as Shadow Vox laughed some more.

"I can't believe I was blinded by a monster in disguise…" She said, "A monster that blinded me to enslave myself to my own hobby and depression…"

Selene then clenched her fists as she grew mad.

"Now I understand a better view of you, Vox…" She said, "All I see is a wretched psychopath that has done nothing but hurt others for his amusement!"

Then, a voice spoke out to them.

"Have you found yourself again?" She said to her,

Selene then got a big migraine all of a sudden. They groaned in pain as they put their hands on their head.

"Your lack of expression is starting to appear." The voice continued, "But don't worry, I'll make sure you'll find yourself again."

Selene then groaned loudly.

"I am thou, thou art I." The voice said, "We can finally form a contract together, wouldn't you say?"

A mask appeared in front of Selene. It was a beautiful mask.

"It's time for you to soar the skies with a brush to paint a parade down your foes!" The voice shouted,

Shadow Vox then clenches his fists.

"Oh no you don't!" He shouted as he pointed at Selene, "Guards! Get her!"

The guards then rushed towards Selene.

"No!" Selene shouted as they reacted by taking off their mask, "NOT THIS TIME!"

A blue flame then appeared around Selene as it pushed away the guards. When the flame died down, Selene was seen in the air, riding their new Persona.

"Is she…" Lars said, shocked, "...riding her Persona?"

"Unholy shit…" Cattleya said, "This is crazy…"

Selene then used her Persona's powers to create Magarula wind on the guards, blowing them away.

"No! My guards!" Shadow Vox shouted as he saw that the other guards behind me and the others were still there, "My other guards, kill them or else you're scrapped!"

Shadow Vox then ran away and Selene turned to see the other guards.

"Let me help you all!" Selene said, "I've found my inspiration to take to the skies!"

The guards then turned into Shadows.

"Alright, time to paint a picture of these Shadows downfall!" Selene said, "Fly with me, Evaki!"

The Shadows then went after us. Selene then used Evaki to swoop down and screeched at the Shadows. The Shadows were weakened as Evaki then blasted out Mazionga lightning at them from its mouth, destroying them.

"Her Persona also has lightning powers!" Willow said, "I'm impressed!"

Evaki was then recalled as Selene landed and put her mask back on while posing. We saw something behind her.

"Uhhh, one survived!" Lars said,

Selene turned to see a Shadow still standing and going to attack them. Selene then used their newfound spear to speared the Shadow, killing it.

"Never underestimate an artist like me!" She said,

Selene then took a breather as she looked at her new outfit.

"Huh, what a unique outfit for me." They said, "Love the color. Oh! This could be an idea for my next painting!"

"No time to stand around!" Cattleya said as she pointed Selene to more guards, "We gotta get out of here!"

"Alright! I guess we can take a fast cut!"

Selene took off her mask to awaken Evaki and ride on her.

"Hop on!" Selene said, "We're getting out of here!"

We all rode Evaki as we dashed out of Vox's Palace.