Chapter 3: The Castle of Lust. Take 2
Walking back to Leblanc, Ren's mind was in overdrive. While they had not managed to make it far today, and he only managed to recruit three personae, he couldn't believe that both Shiho and Mishima had followed them in. Or that they awakened their personas.
Then there was Mishima's Moon Tarot Card. Why was it locked at nine? Were the others still at ten? Was Sojiro's Hierophant Tarot back to one? It would be easy to find out if he still had his third-eye ability.
Then, there was Yaldabaoth. Ren knew that the false god must have a way of tracking their progress in the real world. It WAS the treasure of Mementoes, after all. It's possible he could hear them speak as well. We'll have to explain to Mishima and Shiho via text to be safe. Take longer, but worth the extra safety.
Morgana had remained silent in his bag, no doubt thinking about what had happened. Ren couldn't blame him for that.
Opening the door to Leblanc, Ren found Sojiro sitting on a bar stool, looking over the newspaper as he turned to look at him. "I see your back. And you certainly took your time." Sojiro says, placing the newspaper on the bar.
"Yeah. I was talking with some friends I made." Ren replies. He remembers when he came back the first time, how Sojiro was quite unhappy with him being late. Then again, when he later found out about the Metaverse, and Ren explained that it was because of that he was late, he apologised for how he acted.
"Friends, huh? I'm surprised you managed to make some." Sojiro comments, folding his arms.
"They are outcasts, like me. Somehow, my record has been leaked, and the Academy is filled with rumours." Ren chuckles bitterly. "So much for a fresh start."
"I see…" Sojiro narrows his eyes before standing up. "It's a shame about that, but nothing can be done now. A record always follows you like a stigma. Still, at least you have some people on your side." His phone rings, prompting Sojiro to pick it up. Ren mentally thanks Futaba for distracting him as Sojiro heads home and closes up the shop, with Ren disappearing to his room.
"Well, we might not have made as much progress as we wanted. But we managed to recruit two more persona users. That's still a plus." Morgana quips as he jumps out of the bag.
"Yeah." Ren replies as he sits on the futon, Morgana jumping up next to him. Just as his phone started to vibrate.
Chatroom: Return of the Phantoms!
Panther: So, today was interesting.
Fox: Oh? What has happened?
Skull: We got two more members joining us!
Oracle: Wait what?! For real?! (0_0)
Queen: Yes. Mishima Yuuki and Suzui Shiho. You probably remember Mishima-kun.
Oracle: Oh! One of our confident NPCS! Wait, he became an MC?
Fox: 'MC'?
Noir: It means 'Main Character', dear.
Fox: Ah, I see. Thank you for explaining. And If my memory serves, Suzui is Panther's friend who was… hospitalised because of Kamoshida. Was she not the reason for us forming in the first place?
Skull: Yeah, she was. To be honest, I'm glad she's one of us now. Both of them.
Panther: Yeah. I'm hoping this changes her fate.
Queen: Anyway, when we began our infiltration today, Mishima-kun and Suzui-chan were accidentally pulled in with us. Kamoshida's Shadow and guards found them, leading to us rescuing them. It was during that they awakened.
Joker: When you think about it, it is fitting that they now have a chance to take down the man who ruined them. Like how Skull and Panther did in the original timeline.
Oracle: So does that mean it will be even easier blasting through his Palace then?
Queen: Well, for us, it will be. But Mishima-kun and Suzui-chan need experience and training. Thankfully, Kamoshida's Palace looks to be an excellent training spot.
Noir: By the way, should we add them to the group chat now or wait until after we take Kamoshida's treasure? We will need to introduce them to Fox and Oracle anyway.
Joker: After we deal with Kamoshida. We did promise to tell them after. And judging by how tired they were after today, let's let them rest. Tomorrow, we're going back into the Palace and clearing it in one go.
Skull: What about weapons, gear and medicine? Shouldn't we talk to Takami and Iwai?
Joker: Mona says we should be alright for this Palace. And there should be some things we can grab while in there. But afterwards I will be reaching out to them. Hopefully, they are like Boss and Kawakami-sensei and have some vague recollections of us.
Joker: Wait, I just remembered I have to work at the Beef Bowl to get Tora-sensei's attention again. And possibly go through Takami's experiments as well. Fuck.
Oracle: RIP.
Queen: I think one of us should join you when you see them again. Hopefully, it might help stir up more memories. I'll help with Takami.
Skull: Then I'll tag along to Untouchable. Always did find that place cool.
Joker: If that's what you guys want to do, then that's fine with me. Meet you guys on the roof tomorrow. We've got a castle to map out.
As the conversation dies down, Yusuke silently sighs as he looks back at his empty easel. Finding himself back here, under the same roof with Madarame, had been tasking. Putting up the appearance of the grateful and controlled student while inwardly holding back his anger against the man who left his mother to die. It made him want to throw up.
Of course, if he considered himself to be Haru, he would say she could have it worse. It twisted his stomach to think of what Haru's ex-fiancé (to them) was doing right now but what annoyed him the most was being unable to assist with the downfall of Kamoshida. Futaba was in the same boat as him, of course, and he did have to wonder what the state of her Palace was but at the moment. His hands were tied.
At least in helping in the Metaverse, anyway.
Looking at a small box he had hidden, Yusuke couldn't help but smile at the small gift he had ready to send to Ren over at Leblanc. He had left it nameless and handled it with gloves to leave no evidence, with a man coming to pick it up tomorrow outside. The posting would take a bite out of his funds, which he would rather use for art supplies, but in this case, it was more than worth it.
Pulling out one of the similar items, Yusuke looks it over once more before placing it back on top of one of the small piles in the box.
I hope you enjoy this gift, Ren. I may be unable to assist, but I am still a Phantom Thief.
Something was happening that much Yaldabaoth knew. He already felt something when his newest pawn appeared before him. He had already formed bonds with other people. A quite large number at that.
But he brushed it off, thinking it as nothing more than already forged ties from childhood or some other human drivel. But now, seeing that he had awakened to a respectfully strong persona and carrying three more, Yaldabaoth could not help but question how?
Of course, he doubted his new pawn would even tell him.
"First…let us congratulate our reunion. I am glad to see you awakened to your power and, as you have no doubt found, special powers." 'Igor' speaks, seeing if Ren would leak anything. But to his annoyance, which he did not show, Ren did not.
"I honestly have no idea what I've even awakened. And why were those…things merging with my mask anyway?" So he had used his abilities without even knowing? He must have been very lucky.
"You have awakened the powers of a Persona. And a strong one at that. As for your other ability, you possess the power of the Wild Card. As you have seen, you can convince free Persona to join you in your quest for rehabilitation. But there is much more you can do with them." He was still reading the Guillotines for use. And his pawns awakened Persona would be the perfect one to use it on. Stifle his growth with weaker personae.
"I see…I think." Ren replies, looking confused. Yaldabaoth inwardly chuckles at the look on his face, relishing the fact that the fool has no idea he is in a rigged game. But he supposed he could try to make it a little 'fair' for his pawn. Not that it would help.
"But you should not just focus on your persona. For you should focus on the bonds with others. And I do not mean it in a superficial way. Lean on them as your trusted pillars of support, for they will also empower you. Do not be afraid to count me amongst their number." The moment his words left his mouth, Yaldabaoth could feel the forming of a Tarot Card between them.
As his pawn looked at him, he could feel the puzzled stare coming from Ren. No doubt in seeing the forming of the Tarot Card. Yaldabaoth could never understand Igor's fascination with those cards, but if he were to fool the creator of the Velvet Room, he would have to use them. It was then that a thought came to him as he held his hand up.
"There is another power which I can bestow upon you." With a flick of his hand, he shoots an orb of light into Ren's head. The young man flinches at the contact, rubbing his forehead as the power settles into him. "I give you the power of the Third Eye. May you use it well in your rehabilitation." Yaldabaoth swore he could see the ghost of a smirk on his pawn's face but dismissed it as nothing. Soon, the siren wails, signalling the end of the night as he watches his pawn return to the real world.
As he watches him disappear, Yaldabaoth returns to his mind about the details he had noticed in their interactions. Perhaps he should keep a close eye on his pawn when he returns to the Velvet Room. There is something that he is hiding. And he will have him spill it to him.
No matter what.
April 12th, 2016
Waking up the following morning, Ren was not sure what to think of his recent visit to the Velvet Room. On the one hand, he was happy to regain his Third Eye as he had immediately used it to check on the Tarot Cards of Morgana and Sojiro.
His suspicions with Mishima were confirmed when he saw Morgana's Magician Card was at max rank, but Sojiro's was locked at rank eight. The same rank when he had to change the heart of Futaba's Uncle.
As for Yaldabaoth, he had appeared at rank one, but Ren could still feel that he could carry twelve personae within him. Not that he was going to complain. It would make getting all the personae he needed from the Palaces a lot more easier.
But it was his observation of Arsène that made Ren worried. There was no doubt in his mind that Yaldabaoth would try and make him use Arsène for a fusion summon. But he was not going to let that happen.
Pushing those thoughts out of his mind, Ren idly listens to the nearby gossip as he makes his way to the station leading to Aoyama-Itchome before noticing two familiar faces walking up to him. "Ann, Suzui-san. Good morning." Ren says, nodding his head at the two girls.
"Good morning, Ren." Ann cheerfully replies while Shiho smiles back.
"Good morning." Compared to how she looked before, the new Shiho stood brimming with confidence. The bruises and marks that once dotted her face and arms were long gone, and her eyes shone with a bright light. She still wore the knee brace, but that was to be expected. Ryuji's leg wasn't cured by the Metaverse, so it made sense that her knee would be similarly left alone.
"How are you feeling, Suzui-san?" Ren politely asks. Knowing the kickback from an awakening can take a lot out of someone. Honestly, he was envious of how the other Thieves got off lightly compared to him.
"Like a new me." Shiho replies with a beaming smile. "Also, you don't have to be formal with me. Please call me Shiho. I'm going to ask the same from the others as well."
"If that's fine with you, Shiho." Ren replies while Morgana pokes his head out of his bag.
"Good morning, Lady Ann, Lady Shiho." He says politely, earning a chuckle from Ann, who scratches the top of his head, while Shido blinks owlishly for a few seconds.
"I'm going to need a while to get used to hearing him talk. Also, 'Lady'?"
"HEY! I am a gentleman!" That earned a chuckle out of Shiho as Ren gently pushed Morgana's head back into the bag.
As the trio make their way to the station, they overhear nearby students whispering to each other. At first, Ren and Ann assumed they were talking about either him, her or Shiho, as the rumour mill of Shujin Academy goes.
"Hey, isn't that her? The one with the red ribbon?"
"I think so. Is she the other transfer student?"
That got Ren and Ann's attention as they glanced at the gossiping students. Even Morgana poked his head out in curiosity at hearing the gossip. They follow their gazes until they see a girl with red hair tied up into a ponytail, held in place with a large red ribbon. What caught their attention was how thin she looked as she diligently stood for the train. Ren and Ann make subtle eye contact, mentally noting that the others need to know about this while Shiho stands oblivious.
This certainly did not happen last time. For all they knew, Ren was supposed to be the ONLY transfer student.
Getting on the train, Ren, Ann, and Shiho managed to find themselves near the transfer student, who had managed to find a seat. The train had only started to move before she suddenly got up.
"Please, take my seat." She offers to an old lady in front of her. The woman graciously accepts, but as the girl moves to the side, a man in a blue business suit quickly steps in and snatches it, much to the girl's surprise at his speed and the woman's weary sigh. "Erm, excuse me. That seat was for this lady…" The man looks at her, a soulless look in his eyes before seemingly falling asleep.
Seeing the man act in such a way annoyed the four Thieves, not to the point that they would visibly show it, but it certainly irked them.
"Want us to wake him up?" Ann offers to the girl. She looks at the trio before shaking her head with a smile.
"It's alright, I can understand his position." She replies before turning around and apologising to the woman. The train journey was quiet the rest of the way and as cramped as ever before. The train soon safely came to a stop, and the Thieves exited the stuffy box. They had only begun making their way to Shujin before the new girl ran up to them, calling them out.
"What's wrong?" Ren asks politely. The girl suddenly bows in front of them.
"Thank you for earlier." She straightens out, glancing at their uniforms. "You're second-years at Shujin Academy, right? I'm a first-year myself."
"Are you also a transfer student?" Ann asks. The girl nods in confirmation.
"I am, although I am just starting today. I also wanted to thank you on the train, but I totally forgot, and I didn't want to be rude to my senpai's. Please excuse me." With that, she leaves the trio behind.
"Stange. I don't remember anything about a second transfer student coming to Shujin. She seemed nice, though." Shiho comments as the three leave the station. While she and Ann talked, Ren's mind wandered into his own little world.
Another incident that never happened last time. Just how many more are there? At this rate, I'm starting to doubt my own memories. He shakes his head before pulling out his umbrella. We can talk about this later, especially after Shiho and Mishima are told of our alternate-timeline adventure. For now, we have a King to dethrone.
Just like yesterday, the school passed by just as quickly. Maybe it was the excitement of taking down Kamoshida again or something else, but Ren did not care as he and the others gathered in the alleyway near the school. Of course, with such a large group, they had to go further in so as not to draw any attention to themselves.
"So, the way we enter is via this strange phone app?" Mishima asks as he looks at the strange icon on his phone.
"That's right." Makoto confirms. "To enter the Metaverse, we need to say the three keywords. The Palace Ruler's name, where the palace is, and what form it takes. Once you enter all three, it automatically takes you in."
"Do we have to enter it every time we need to enter?" Shiho asks next.
"Fortunately, no, we don't." Ren replies, holding his phone out. "Just like a normal phone app, it holds a history of where you have been. You just need to click it, and it takes you there."
"That's really convenient." Mishima remarks as he puts his phone away.
"Alright, we all ready?" Ryuji asks, rolling his arm back. Nods come from all as Ren activates the Nav on his phone. The all too familiar feeling of crossing over washes over the team as the sky above them changes colour. Bursts of blue flame encompass them as their Thief attire and masks manifest around them, along with their weapons.
"Alright, first things first before we enter the palace." Mona says suddenly, walking to the front of the group. He looks at Mishima and Shiho, his eyes turning into glowing stars. "We need to come up with codenames for you two."
"Codenames?" Shiho asks.
"It's to protect ourselves when we're in the Metaverse. We never know if saying our real name here will lead to people in the real world learning about us, so we use codenames to stay safe."
"Now that you mention it, didn't Kamoshida's Shadow not recognise you until he heard Shiho say Ann's name?" Mishima ponders.
"That's right, Mishima-kun. For reference, Ren-kun is Joker. Mako-chan is Queen. Ann-chan is Panther. Ryuji-kun is Skull, and Morgana is Mona-chan. And I'm Noir."
"Now then, what to call you guys…" Skull questions as he folds his arms. He looks over at Mishima, taking in his cowboy-like appearance. "How about Rustler, Mishima?"
"That makes me sound like a cow herder." He complains. He thinks for a moment before an idea comes to his mind. "How about Outlaw? My Persona is based on a famous fictional cowboy, and I also look like one. And Cowboys are sometimes known to be outside the law."
"I think it fits. What about you, Joker? Queen?" Noir asks the leaders of the Phantom Thieves.
"It has my approval." Queen nods. Joke nods with a grin, liking the name as well.
"Alright! Then, from now on, I'm Outlaw!" Mishima, Outlaw, proclaims before turning to Shiho. "What about you?"
"I think I already have one." Shiho replies with a small smile. "Spring."
"Spring?" Skull asks as he and Mona tilt their heads.
"Yes. Awakening my Persona and gaining confidence. It's the start of a new beginning for me. Like how Spring is usually seen as the beginning of a new year. And my persona is based on a Spring Goddess, along with my mask looking like a deer."
"I think it's a great name." Panther agrees. Shiho smiles as the other Thieves agree with her, voicing their approval.
"Then, from today, you may call me Spring." Spring turns around, gazing at the castle as it looms from beyond the alleyway. A feeling of nervousness crawled up her spine, joined by a frill of excitement. A feeling that Outlaw equally expressed.
The Thieves leave the alleyway behind, walking up the drawbridge and stopping just before the gates as Queen turns to the newest members.
"Once we get inside, we'll teach you the basics of how to fight. Joker will be leading the front lines with Skull, Panther and Mona. The rest of us will follow behind as close as we can so you can see how we fight. Don't worry. You'll have a chance to fight, but for now, observe and learn."
"Right." Outlaw replies while Spring gives a stiff nod. Before, her eyes wandered over to Joker, who had strangely stopped moving.
No, it wasn't that he had stopped moving. He was frozen still!
"What's wrong with Joker?" She asks nervously, pointing out his frozen figure. While Outlaw looked with the same concerned eyes, the rest of the Thieves sighed loudly as Skull pulled out a deck of Top Trumps.
"Alright. How long do you think he'll take this time?" He asks as he sits down on the ground. Spring and Outlaw looked at them with puzzled looks as the Thieves sat around in a circle.
"Wait? You mean this is normal?" Outlaw asks.
"Yep." Panther replies as she plays the first card, Noir taking over for her.
"Joker has a rare ability to pick up free Shadows and use them as additional personae. While Arsène is Joker's main persona, like with Kore or Drifter, he can swap to different ones during a fight."
"He's limited to how often he can, but it's a useful ability." Skull adds. "As for what he's doing right now, he's visiting the Velvet Room."
"Velvet Room?" Spring asks as she sits next to Panther.
"It's a special place that only Joker can enter. While there, he can fuse shadows that he finds into stronger ones while also freeing room for gathering more." Mona explains.
"And you're playing a game of Top Trumps because…?"
"Joker can take forever to come out of the Velvet Room." Panther moans as she holds no cards to beat the current one.
"Well, not now, Panther." Joker's voice startles the group as he walks up to them, glancing at the cards. "I only had a Pixey, Jack-o'-Lantern and Bicorn to fuse with. Not many options. So I went with a Saki Mitama." He glances up at the Castle as Skull gathers up the cards. "Anyway, time to begin our infiltration."
"So, how are we going to get in?" Outlaw asks as the team walks to the open vent. Seeing the open vent, Outlaw stays quiet as he and Spring follow the Thieves into the palace. Finding themselves in a small room filled with books and benches. The door leading into the room was wide open, with Joker and Queen leaning outside.
They both give an all-clear signal, with the team moving into the hallway. While Outlaw and Spring stand in the middle of the hall, the rest of the Thieves line against the walls, blending into the shadows.
"How do you do that?" Spring asks Panther in amazement. Panther gives a small smirk as she leans out.
"This place runs off cognition. If you truly believe that you can become invisible in the shadows, then you will. Give it a try." The two Thieves glance at each other before shrugging their shoulders and moving to the walls. Crouching down, they believe with all their might that they could melt into the shadows.
And just like the magic, the two are quickly absorbed into the shadows. Just as a knight opens the door next to them and enters the hall.
"I'm sure I heard voices." It mumbles to itself as it looks around. Outlaw and Spring could only feel astonishment at how the knight could not see them. Just as the knight turns to leave, Joker leaps out of the shadows and lands on the knight's shoulders. Hand grasped firmly around its mask.
"Show me your true self!" He calls, ripping the mask off the night. It quickly melts into a puddle of goo as the hallway seems to change right before their eyes. Growing into a wide open space as three creatures burst from the goo.
Mandrakes.
"This will be easy." Panther says as her mask burns away. "Hecate! Maragi!" Panther's Persona bursts forth in a blaze of blue, the chained dogs circling around her as three small orbs of fire form before her. In an instant, the orbs fly towards the three Mandrakes, the flames killing two as they vanish into dark mist while the third is nocked to its knees.
"Don't move!" Skull bellows as he, Panther, Mona and Joker surround the last Mandrake. It looks around, eyes wide, as Joker walks up to it.
"What do you want?" It asks in a strangely upbeat tone.
"Join my team." Joker replies calmly. The Mandrake looks at him before asking some questions to Joker before suddenly transforming into an orb of light. Outlaw and Spring watch on as the light turns into a replica of Joker's mask before zooming towards and fusing with Joker's. With a smirk, he turns back to them as he puts away his knife and gun. "And that is how I get other Persona to join me."
"Amazing." Spring says as a small surge of power flows through her. She looks at her hands, grasping them as she feels Kore growing stronger. "Strange, I feel stronger."
"Me too." Outlaw remarks, gripping his hands.
"That is your Persona's growing in strength." Mona reveals as the team moves into the next room. "The more you battle, even if you're not on the front line, the stronger you get."
"How does that even work if we're not fighting?" Spring asks. The Thieves pause for a second, looking at her before turning back to each other.
"You know. That is a very good question." Joker admits.
Leaving said question behind, the team continued down the hall, passing by the corridor leading to where Outlaw and Spring awoke. Much to their and Panther's displeasure at seeing that room.
Passing by the room, they find themselves in a storage room patrolled by three guards.
"Crap. They weren't here yesterday." Skull whispers as they watch the knights.
"No doubt it's because Kamoshida knows we're here now. He's increasing his security." Queen supplies. Outlaw and Spring look guilty at each other, knowing that they are the reason for the increased security. "Don't worry about it. It was bound to happen eventually."
"Anyway, this could be a good opportunity to try out your Persona." Mona says with a cat-like grin. "What do you say? Fancy a try?" The two look at each other before giving the non-cat smirks in reply. "Alright. Queen, you're joining them and Joker. Go wild."
With a flourishing flip, Joker leaps onto the nearest shadow and rips its mask off, revealing some Pixies and Jack-o'-Lanterns. Joker and Queen stood behind Spring and Outlaw as the two took on the weak shadows, watching how they fought.
With Outlaw, it was clear that his persona was all about gun damage, with physical strikes being his second strength, while the rifle he used fired five powerful shots. Almost like Skull's shotguns, only more accurate while dealing less damage.
Spring, on the other hand, was all about magic. Having a bless attack and healing moves from the start. She could use her spear, almost dancing with how she swung it, while the quiver on her back held fifteen arrows. Out of all the firearms they have, Spring's may have been the second weakest, just beating Mona's in terms of damage.
It was at times like this he wished Oracle were here with them so they could find out what skills they actually had. Still, for their first fight, they had done remarkably well with taking out the Jack-o'-Lanterns first before Outlaw struck the Pixies with his hunting rifle, knocking them to the ground. A single All-Out Attack later, and the shadows were beaten.
"Nice work." Joker praises the two as the room returns to normal, the other two knights unaware of their presence. I will never understand how they don't hear any of that, but I won't ever question it.
"Thanks, but how does my gun get more ammo? Or Spring finding more arrows?" Outlaw whispers, worried about his gun.
"Don't worry. That rifle on your back is just a very accurate-looking toy. It only fires real bullets because the Shadows think it's real. And since they always expect us to come in fully loaded, your guns will be reloaded after every fight." Mona explains.
"I see. I guess that makes sense." Spring replies, glancing at the two remaining knights, blissfully unaware of their presence. "How did they not hear us?"
"Don't question it, Spring." Panther consols, placing a hand on her shoulder as a mischievous grin appeared on her face. "Ready to get stronger?" The matching grins on both her and Outlaw told them everything as Joker ambushed the next Shadow.
It wasn't long before the team reached the safe room, to which they explained the concept behind it to Spring and Outlaw. As well as how they are able to travel between saferooms and the entrance. After taking a brief moment to rest, the team continues on, entering into what appeared to be a mix between a storage room, kitchen and dining room.
Moving through and dispatching the roaming shadows, the team find themselves in a small hallway with a knight facing their back towards them.
"Alright, I think this is the time to introduce one final skill." Mona whispers.
"What skill?" Spring asks.
"A simple but equally vital tactic." Queen replies cryptically as Joker, Mona, Sull and Panther move to ambush the knight. "Just watch." The two new Thieves turn their attention to the four veterans as they get into battle, the hallway widening once again.
From the puddle, a Bicorn, Pixie, Mandrake and Jack-o'-Lantern spawned. Ready to do battle. But no sooner had they spawned had Mona already summoned Mercurius, blasting the Jack-o'-Lantern with a powerful Garula spell.
It was then that Mona jumped into the air and gave Skull a high-five. The moment that he did, energy exploded out of his paw before rushing into Skull just as he ripped off his own mask to summon Seiten Taisei. No sooner had he summoned him, Skull unleashed a Zio spell on the Bicorn, which seemed to have been powered up as it eviscerated the Bicorn.
Skull then gave Panther a high-five as well, sending the same power Mona sent him into her. Evident by how powerful her Agilao was when it destroyed the Mandrake. The poor Pixie was left floating in fear as Panther gave Joker one final high-five, the power dancing between them reaching its peak as Joker summoned Arsène before unleashing Eiga upon the poor Pixie.
The battle was over before the Shadows even knew what was happening.
"What was that?" Outlaw asks as the Thieves link up. "It looked like a power boost."
"We call that the 'Baton Pass'." Noir explains. "As you saw, it allows us to switch during a fight while also powering us up. It is an invaluable skill to master."
"Control the flow of battle, control the outcome." Queen summarises the two.
"That's good to know." Spring comments as the team continues on.
The team continued on through the gaudy halls of the castle, picking up half of a map that was surrounded by bars. They couldn't help but wonder why it was like that but hey, who were they complaining? It also allowed Outlaw and Spring to see Joker's Third Eye ability. They were annoyed that they couldn't learn it, same with being unable to use more than one persona, but not much they could do to change that.
It wasn't long before the Thieves found themselves back in the main hall, jumping between the giant chandeliers that hung from the ceiling. While a large contingent of knights stood at attention below them. Looking towards the stairs.
It wasn't hard to guess who was standing at the top.
"Listen up!" Shadow Kamoshida's voice echoed through the hall, ironically masking any noises the Thieves made. "Those rats will be back! And when they do, I want them dragged before me in chains! Do you hear me!? I want them broken and crushed! No one defies me and gets away with it!"
"That's what you think, Kamo-shit-head." Skull whispers under his breath, left hand tightening into a grip. Panther's gentle hand envelops his, calming him down but not by much. A gesture that did not go unnoticed by Spring, who was sporting a mischievous grin.
"He'll get what's coming to him. Just need to be patient." Queen remarks, glaring at the false king.
"I can't wait to introduce my axe to him." Noir comments with a smile, sending chills down the spines of the rest of the team.
"She scares me…" Outlaw whispers to Mona, who silently nods his head.
The Thieves continue on, ignoring the raving madman as they enter the west side of the palace. Encountering more knights patrolling the ground, along with new Shadows that Joker readily absorbed into his mask. Agathion (which he was glad that he did not sacrifice Arsène for), Silky and Cait Sith. Cait Sith, in particular, found a soft spot with Spring while Joker raised an eyebrow at the feline's presence. He was sure that Cait Sith wasn't here before. At least it saved him the bother of fusing it for later.
Passing on through a dining room (with the same bars separating it into four smaller rooms for some strange reason) and making their way through the kitchen, the team soon encounter a small snag in their climb.
"How are we going to climb up? The stairs are broken." Outlaw asks, looking at the ruined spiral staircase. The rest of the team looks at the ruined stairs with equally puzzled looks. They certainly never encountered anything like this before. Mona chuckles at the question before throwing small devices at the Thieves before leaping onto Joker's shoulder.
"With these. Strap them onto your wrists." Mona instructs. The Thieves do as he says, strapping them onto their left wrists. "And watch and learn. Joker? If you would point your hand at that golden bust up there?" Joker looks at said bust before pointing his left arm forward towards i. The moment he did, a small metal device shot from his wrist and embedded itself into the stairs while a long silver cord stretched back to Joker.
The members widen their eyes in surprise as Joker, with similar wide eyes, is suddenly dragged up to the intact stairs before leaping at the last moment to avoid planting his face into the stone.
"Are these grappling hooks?!" Outlaw asks with amazement as the other Thieves copy Joker's movement.
"Dang, Mona! When did you make these?" Skull shouts joyfully before shooting into the sky. Outlaw and Spring look at each other with giddy looks as they copy the Thieves. Soon, they were standing beside the stairs, looking at the small devices on their wrists with astonishment.
"I made them last night. I had a feeling we may need something, so I came up with them. A bit hard to do with cat paws, but I think they do the job. They only work here in the Metaverse, though." Mona boasts with pride.
"These will definitely come in handy. Well done, Mona." Queen praises as Noir pats the non-cat on the head, eliciting a purr of enjoyment.
"It's hard to believe something so small could work so well." Spring comments as they climb. "Is it also due to cognition?"
"That's right." Mona replies before he suddenly stops in his tracks. His hair stood on ends as he quickly ducked behind cover. "Quick! Hide!" The team quickly did so, not wanting to question what had gotten Mona so spooked. If Joker's memories served, this would be around the time they would encounter Incubus.
But what came around the corner gave him pause.
It was a larger-than-average knight, glowing with a red aura around it that turned its normal silver armour a haunting bronze. Even the eye sockets of its mask seemed to glow red with anger. It glances at where the Thieves hid, almost scrutinising them before continuing on its portal.
"That guy looks like he means business. He'll be tough to take down. Especially for Spring and Outlaw." Mona informs as they watch the red knight. "On the other hand, he could be a strong persona for Joker to pick up to fuse with later."
"Hmmm. What do you think Joker? Should we engage or let them pass?" Queen asks. Joker ponders his options as the red knight draws near. He weighed the pros and cons in his mind before coming to his choice.
"Let's take him down." He decided, leaping onto the shadow's head and ripping the mask off. Leaping back to the team, they watch as the Shadow morphs into a Berith, gripping its trident-like spear in its hand. It immediately opens up with a wide slashing attack, forcing the Thieves to dodge.
Even with the power boost they obtained from coming back in time, Joker and the other veterans could tell that this Shadow was way more dangerous than anything else in Kamoshida's Palace. Fighting with a sense of savagery that normal Shadows did not possess.
"Outlaw, be careful! Berith is immune to all gun-based attacks! You'll have to rely on your swords for this fight." Queen shouts as she rushes in to deliver a quick flurry of punches. The Berith managed to deflect a few before being forced to dodge an axe swing from Noir.
Outlaw groans as he holsters his rifle and brings out his twin swords, dashing into the fight. The Berith groans in annoyance as it backs, aiming to create enough space to use its wide-ranged skill again. Only to be hit by a blast of ice from Joker, with Silky floating behind him before his horse falls to his knees.
In an instant, the Thieves surround the Berith, who looks at Joker with an irritated look.
"To think I would be brought to my knees by children…What a disgrace I am."
"You're strong. No one can deny that. Join me, and you can get stronger." Joker speaks calmly. The Berith gazes at him, debating the offer in his mind. With an irritated snort, he accepts Joker's offer and is absorbed into the mask.
"Alright, I don't sense any more Shadows like the one we brought down. But just to be safe, let's keep our eyes open." Mona informs the team as they search the current floor.
A couple more knights were found doing patrols, these ones being Kelpie's and Incubus's, which Joker absorbed into his mask. Although he cringed when he absorbed the Incubus. (He was REALLY not looking forward to seeing Mara again.) The looks Spring and Outlaw gave him did not make him feel any better.
Pushing past the discomfort and resting briefly in a safe room while Joker went to the Velvet Room to register the Personae he obtained, the Thieves ventured into the remaining three rooms. Finding them to be nothing but mini-libraries. But it was not all that they found.
"Panther…this book is all about you." Spring says in a disgusted tone, holding onto a book called The Queen. Panther gives it a single look before closing it as quick as she could.
"I'd rather not think of what he thinks of me." She says with venom in her voice. Spring silently agrees while Outlaw tightly grips onto one called The Slave.
"I always knew he thought of me as such, but this just pisses me off even more." He spits out, throwing the book onto the ground. Skull picks it back up with a vice-like grip as he moves to a bookcase.
"Yeah. That piece of shit doesn't give a damn about anyone." Skull mumbles as he inserts the book into a gap. He couldn't help but throw at seeing the books on either side, with his and Joker's name written on the spine. Panther copies him by inserting her book into another shelf, frowning at seeing Queen and Noir's names next to her.
The only name missing was Springs, and she already knew why. As Joker inserts the last book, The King, into its proper spot, a part of the wall retracts. Revealing a hidden room.
Inside was another x-shaped rack, along with dozens of pictures lining the walls. Pictures of Shiho.
"What the hell is this room?" Outlaw asks in disgust while Spring stares on in silence. "There's pictures of Spring everywhere."
"Just more proof of how depraved his mind is." Queen simply replies while Joker searches around a nearby shelf. Panther stands next to Spring, holding her shoulder gently.
"You okay?" Spring silently looks at her before turning around to look out the room.
"Panther, when we're out of the room, could you do me a favour and burn it down?" She asks quietly. "I would do it myself, but I only have Bless spells." Panther looks at her silently as the others exit the room, Joker holding onto a medal and map.
"Consider it done." Panther replies, summoning Hecate and launching an Agilao at the room. No one in the team objected to Panther's arson as they quickly left and headed over to a locked door. With the other half of the map, the team were quick to find that the Treasure was located in a small room located in what looked to be a tower. (Which, for Joker and the others, was a relief since they knew where that was.)
The medal Joker had picked up fitted into a slot next to it, unlocking the way forward. Proceeding on, the team find themselves in a chapel with a giant statue of Kamoshida holding a volleyball in an outstretched hand.
Thankfully for the team, the statue was properly clothed.
"Why does Kamoshida have a chapel in his palace? He's not religious, is he?" Spring asks before the room morphs into the gym for a few seconds. "Oh. So that's where we are." Before the team continues on, a golden knight appears before them, along with two more.
"Hold it there, thieves." The lead knight speaks. "We know you were the ones responsible for the fire in the library. And now you come here, to Lord Kamoshida's Holy Ground! You will pay with your lives!" Golden knights melt away, revealing themselves as another Archangel, along with two Beriths. "Do not mistake me for my brother. The holy light fuels my blade!" It boasts as it charges up.
"Everyone brace!" Queen calls out as the Archangel unleashes its attack. Thanks to Queen's warning, the team easily absorbed the attack before dodging the charge of the two Beriths. The two turn around, ready to charge again, only to be tripped up by Noir's axe and Spring's spear. Leaving them open to Skull and Outlaw.
"This one will be tricky. No weakness and resist fire, ice, lightning and bless." Queen analyses as she, Mona and Joker stand against it before forming a smirk on her lips. "But that's all he has going for it! Anat, Freila!"
"Mercurius, Garula!"
"Arsène, Eiga!"
The three spells slam into the Archangel, left defenceless after unleashing his powerful attack.
"How could…I fail…?" The Shadow asks as it vanishes into dust. But before they could grab their breaths, more knights spawned around them, almost filling the entire room.
"What now?" Spring asks Noir, holding her spear in front of her. In a silent response, Noir holds up her left wrist, the grapple gleaming gently. Spring silently nods, catching a glimpse of Joker firing his grappling hook at Kamoshida's statue.
Quickly follow suit, the rest of the Thieves soot their own grapples and join their leader while the knights stare in confusion at the empty space before them.
"Wait." Mona suddenly stops, looking down a hall to his left. "I sense something nearby. Something like a treasure."
"What are you talking about, Mona?" Joker asks. I don't remember there being anything else that's like a treasure here. The team follow after the non-cat, coming to a stop just before a large gap separating them from a closed off room. A room whose door was covered in vines.
"What's with that door? It's completely different from everything else." Panther points out. The team from the future cast awkward glances at Mona, who himself was looking at the door with wide eyes.
"How did we not see these the first time?" He mumbles to himself, barely over a whisper, before turning to Joker. "We need to head over there. If I'm right, we may find something valuable." Confused but also curious, the team grapple over to the other side and approach the door. With a flick of his knife, Joker removes the vines and opens the door.
The inside of the room was completely covered with vines, while sitting in the middle, propped on a table made from pulsing blood-red vines, was a strange skull that seemed to be made from a potato. Even had some leaves on top as hair, while its eyes glowed a deep red.
"What is this?" Noir asks as the team huddles around it. All eyes turn to Mona, who is staring at the potato-skull with wide eyes.
"That is a 'will seed'. As you know, Palaces are locations that grew from distorted from their original forms due to their rulers' cognitions. When such distortions coalesce into form, this is the result. I call it a 'will seed'."
How did we miss these the first time, then?
"I didn't understand half of that, but okay, this is a Will Seed. But what do we do with it?" Skull asks. While Joker shook his head a Skull, he did have a point. What was the point of these?
"Simple. We take it. Sure, it's not a prized treasure, but it's still very valuable. There are two more as well that I can sense now that I've picked up on their sent. They will definitely come in handy for us. I think…" Simple enough. So, Joker picked up the Seed.
Takamaki…hahahha.
Woooow…shake it for me Suzui
Hehahaha… yes…Yes…
God, she's such a hottie…
"Okay, I feel like I'm going to puke." Outlaw remarks as Kamoshida's voice echoes around them. No one could blame him. Hearing that lustful voice echoing around them made them feel dirty, especially for Panther and Spring.
"Can we please get a move on?" Spring asks. The team quickly agree before sprinting out of the room, Will Seed hanging from Joker's belt.
Returning to the splint, they continue on up a spiral staircase, arriving at an open-air garden on the castle roof. With a tall tower stretching to the skies as a large full moon shone in the blood-red sky. It wasn't hard to imagine that this was how he imagined the school roof to look like. At least, there was no cognition of Noir up here in whatever revealing outfit Kamoshida would think of.
And the least he imagined what he thought of Queen, the better, in Joker's opinion. He already hated the man's guts enough.
"Alright, the treasure she is in that tower. All we got to do now is climb it." Mona explains before Shadow erupts echo from the courtyard. The Thieves hunker behind the stone wall, peering inside to see three Savage Shadows patrolling the grounds. "And that complicates things…"
"Isn't there another way?" Outlaw asks. Noir and Queen remain silent as they look at Joker. They weren't here when he took on the king, so they were as just as much in the dark as Spring and Outlaw.
This isn't good. Last time, we climbed up along the ramparts, but these Savage Shadows are more alert than normal. If we get into a fight, we may struggle to win against three Beriths. I'm the only one with an ice move on Silky, but she's weak in terms of power.
As Joker compliments their next move, he spies the gazebo in the middle of the yard. A small hook dangled on the side as his eyes glanced over to the flag pole nearby. That could work.
"I've got an idea. You guys stay here and watch. Copy what I do, okay?" He tells the team before pointing his left arm at the gazebo. Grabbing Mona with his right, he fires his grappling hook at the gazebo, pulling himself to the roof.
Then, he shoots it at the flag pole, dragging himself to the next roof and away from the Savage Shadows.
"Nice moves, Joker." Mona praises the moment he touches the ground. "You've only just gotten it today, and you're already a master of it!"
"Well, I had a good teacher." Joker replies with a smirk as Queen joins them. "You doing alright, Queen?"
"I'm fine. It's a rush, but at the same time, it's easy to handle." Queen comments about the grappling hook before folding her arms. "Now that we're alone, I wanted to talk about the differences we've seen so far."
"Yeah. Will Seeds, Savage Shadows, Shadows who aren't supposed to be here, as well as those disaster Shadows. It's clear that we didn't just get sent back to the start of our timeline. This is a completely new one." Joker replies, hand over his chin. "And this is only Kamoshida's Palace. Who knows what's happened in the others. Especially Oracles…"
"I'm worried about her too." Queen admits as Noir joins them. "I know she said she'll be fine until June, but I can't help but worry about her."
"Should we do her Palace after Madarame? Or do it after Kaneshiro?" Mona asks as Skull joins.
"I say we wait until we explain everything to Spring and Outlaw and join with Fox. We've always done these things unanimously. We won't let the difference of options threaten to split us again." Joker decides, the team nodding in agreement just as Panther joins them, followed closely by Spring and Outlaw.
Climbing up the side of the tower, the team quickly entered a small room with a door leading into the tower proper, alongside a vent leading back outside. Mona comments that he can feel another Will Seed nearby, so, following their curiosity, they enter through the vent back outside.
Moving outside, they find the Will Seed room hidden at the top of the tower. The Seed in question glowed a vibrant green.
"Think we'll hear more of Kamo-shit-head if we pick it up?" Skull asks as Joker grabs the seed.
I'm king around here. No one can stop me…
Oooh, I'll make sure to punish you good…
Just get your ass over here already
"Well, there's your answer." Queen dryly replies as the team quickly vacates the room.
Heading inside the tower properly, the team found the inside warping and distorting. Floors sinking and rising. A small room next to one of the doors held a lift, the support beams replaced by four female torsos.
"The hell? Is this a trap?" Skull asks, knowing that this did not exist the last time.
"It could be a hidden room with more loot. Like what Joker has been snatching from the objects lying around here." Outlaw points out, noting how Joker would swipe at random boxes, vases and items on shelves.
"Or a treasure chest." Noir adds with excitement.
"Only one way to find out." Joker says as he steps onto the lift. The rest of the team joins him as Joker flips the switch, sending the lift down.
"Huh. So much for it being a shortcut to the treasure." Skull moans as the lift comes to a stop. "So, where did we end up?"
"There's a hallway at the end of the stairs. Maybe it leads to a hidden room." Queen points out. While there was indeed a hallway, it did not lead to a room.
"What the heck? Why is that disgusting portrait there?" Panther asks, seeing a self-portrait of Kamoshida waiting for them, with both her and Spring cringing in disgust. It was as large as the one in the main hall, except instead of showing Kamoshida in golden armour, it was him wearing the cape, folding his arms with bulging muscles. Eyes wide with a large open-mouth grin, looking into the sky. While roses framed the edges.
"I know I already said this, but if Fox was here, he would tear it apart." Noir whispers to Queen.
"Agreed."
While the team discussed the painting, Joker eyed it with his Third Eye. He had a suspicion that this portrait was not as it seemed. A suspicion proven when it practically shone blue in his vision. Walking up to it, he gives it a push to find it was actually a giant false door.
Seeing the giant painting swing like a revolving door also grabbed the attention of the other thieves, as the painting showed the golden armoured one on the back.
But it was the other side of the painting that had their interest.
"So this is how he got to the main hall so quickly." Mona speaks as the team finds themselves on the grand staircase of the main hall. A very empty main hall.
"Looks like Kamoshida has his knights searching all over for us. Let's take the chance and search for anything we might have missed around here." Joker directs. The team nods as they search around the area, with Skull and Outlaw finding a room lined with gears in the wall along with a single lever.
"What do you think this does?" Outlaw asks. Skull shrugs his shoulders before walking up to the lever and gripping it.
"Only one way to find out." With a hard tug, Skull flips the lever down. The gears in the walls, silent, spring to life. "Huh. That's what it does."
"Skull? What have you two done?" Panther asks as she joins the two.
"Just flipped a switch. No idea what it's done, but if Kamoshida kept it turned off, it must be something he doesn't want us to know about."
"Good point. Now that you mentioned it, I think I saw another lift we could use before we went to the painting. Think this could have activated it?"
"Let's go and check." Outlaw eagerly says. The two veterans smirk at the eagerness before they regroup with the others, informing them of the find. With unanimous agreement, the team moved back to the lifts and, after making sure the right portrait was facing out, took the second one down.
Where they ended up was completely new to any of them. It looked to be a part of the dungeons, at least to Joker and Skull's eyes, with water cascading down. Several empty cages hung above a bottomless pit while another vine-covered door stood at the far end.
With a golden knight guarding the door.
"That must be the final Will Seed. And it looks like Kamoshida is not giving it up without a fight." Queen points out, hands gripping on her brass knuckles. "Be ready for anything." The team slowly approach the shadow, ready for whatever tricks it may have in store.
"So you came. You're not taking another step." The knight growls as the Thieves stand before it.
"Well, unfortunately for you, we will be stepping pass you." Spring replies, spear held in her hand.
"That's right. So either get out of our way or—" Panther begins to speak, but the knight quickly changes form. Into…well…
"EWW!"
"OH, HELL NO!"
"Why is THAT what it turns into?!
"And here I thought we've seen everything."
The girl's reactions were understandable, for the knight had turned into a slime version of the infamous Mara. Something they shouldn't be facing until MUCH later. In a chariot.
"So there's a Shadow that looks like a dick in Kamoshida's castle? Why am I not surprised after seeing everything so far." Outlaw deadpans to the other guys. While slightly grossed out.
"Arsène! Dormina!" Joker commands, having his other half send the phallic creature into a stupor as it gazes lustfully at the girls.
"Seiten Taisei! Assault Drive!" Skull orders, his persona slamming its giant staff into the Torn King of Desire. The combined attacks leave it dazed as the team quickly unleashes an All-Out Attack, heavily damaging it as it lies on the ground in agony.
"Drifter! Lunge!" Outlaw commands, delivering the finishing blow to the Shadow. "Alright. That takes care of that."
"I am done with this place." Spring moans as the team retrieves the final Will Seed, glowing a deep blue.
"We all are Spring. Just a little bit more." Noir comforts.
Hey, I like whatchu got there…
I'm the only man who's getting it on with…
No one gets away from me.
"Joker. Let's find that treasure and leave already. I feel as though I need to take a shower for a whole day after hearing those." Queen comments as the team begins the journey back to the lifts.
"Make that a hot spring visit for a week." Joker replies, just as the three Will Seeds start glowing. Before anyone could question it, the three Seeds spin around in the air before fusing with each other into a crystallised form.
"Huh. So that's what happens." Mona casually says, drawing the eyes of the whole team. "Hey, this is my first time gathering all three Will Seeds of a Palace! Even I didn't know what would happen!"
"Let's just keep moving. I want to be done with this place." Panther interrupts before walking ahead of the group. After seeing what they had to fight, no one could blame her.
Moving around the top area was tricky, with the moving platforms and falling floors. The Shadows patrolling the area were also the strongest that Kamoshida had. As well as the ones that Joker was missing from his list. Succubus, Angel and Archangel.
Although he was puzzled by the absence of Andras. To say nothing of the cognitions they found in the Safe Room nearby. They were certainly not expecting to walk into a room that was filled with harem girls.
The trap with the swinging pendulum of doom had remained the same, along with the statue missing the two eyes needed to deactivate it. Although they were guarded by two Eligors. Much to Joker's annoyance, they were unrecruitable.
Climbing up the final tower, they find the last Safe Room, its internal appearance the same as the one downstairs, much to their chagrin. Thankfully, it was next to the doors leading to the Throne Room, with a conveniently placed bust allowing them access to the upper ring surrounding the room.
Inside, they find more busts holding up the walkway, with a golden throne with red lining surrounded by petals at the far back, in front of stairs leading to the walkway with a door. And standing in front of the throne was the king himself.
A very furious king.
"How have you not captured the intruders yet!?" He yells to a squad of knights. "They are only a bunch of children! How hard is it to tie them up and bring them here before me!?"
The knights cower in fear as the king rages, no one noticing the Thieves slinking around the walkway towards the door behind the throne.
"Wouldn't he be in for a shock seeing us here?" Outlaw whispers to Spring. She responds with a smirk of he own as Joker silently opens the door and ushers them in. Beyond it, they find another, larger door, to which Joker, Mona, Skull and Panther already knew what lay beyond.
Opening the surprisingly light doors, they find a vast treasure room lined with coins, weapons, armour and portraits. And hovering above them all was a silver glowing cloud.
"Alright! We've found it!" Skull proclaims as the Thieves rush into the room. Spring and Outlaw look bewildered as they gaze at the floating cloud.
"This is the treasure?" Spring asks unsurely.
"I thought it would be something grander. Elaborate." Outlaw agrees, with massive disappointment in his words.
"That's because it hasn't taken on a physical form." Mona says, hoping onto a nearby sword. "At the moment, the treasure has no physical shape. Now that we have our route secured, we can make it physical so we can steal it."
"How do we do that?" Spring asks. The veteran Thieves share a look before turning back to the two. Smirks adorning their faces.
"It's simple. We send a calling card." Queen replies, flicking her hair back.
"That's all?"
"Yes. However, it can only work once. And it has a limit of one day. After that, it won't work ever again." Noir informs with a serious look.
"Which means we only have one shot at this." Panther finishes for the two.
"Let's head back to reality and plan our next move. We have our route. All we need to do now is agree on when to send the card." Joker informs as he glances around. "We've long overdue our stay here anyway." And like silent mice, the Thieves return to the Safe Room near the throne room and return to the entrance.
And with a quick flick on the Nav, they return to the real world.
Heading back home to Leblanc, Ren felt more than ready to send the card tomorrow. Ideally, it would have been nice for the card to be ready today and have it interrupt Kamoshida's Volleyball Rally, but having it happen the day after would still be a nice surprise.
There was only one thing that worried him. Tomorrow would also be the day when he forced himself on Shiho.
With how Shiho and Mishima were now, he wasn't worried it would happen. But he still couldn't help but worry what else the sick bastard would do instead. Target another of the girls on the team? Lash out even more violently at the boys? Or even try and forge something to frame him?
It was with these worries that he returned to Leblanc, only for a surprise of his own to be waiting for him.
"You have a parcel for you, kid." Sojiro remarks, pointing to a box near the door. "Don't know who the sender is. Never gave me a name."
That's strange. I haven't ordered anything from the TV program yet. Or got the laptop to log in to Tanaka's Shady Commodities. And it certainly isn't from my parents, so who…? Ren wordlessly took the box upstairs after thanking Sojiro. Sitting on the bed with Morgana by his side, Ren opens the box to find a very pleasant surprise.
Staring at him, in small four neat piles of six, were cards painted in black and red. On the top, a mask with a blazing blue left eye, wearing a fancy top hat. And along the bottom, written in newspaper clippings, was a phrase that started them all.
'Take Your Heart'
Yusuke, you clever bastard of a brother.