Chapter 6: Emergency at the Pyramid of Wrath
April 23rd, 2016
It had been eight days since Kamoshida's change of heart. And just like the first time, rumours ran wild about the Phantom Thieves, quickly replacing the old ones that circled about him. It was surprising for Ren how quickly they vanished when Kamoshida revealed he had been spreading false tales about him.
Even if they all still gave him wide berths and avoided eye contact. Not that he could blame them. He was still stuck with a record, after all. At least things began to settle when Kawakami came back on the 18th. The student she protected was transferred to another school, unfortunately, but it was understandable.
"Hey! Amamiya! Are you listening!?" Mr. Ushimaru calls out in annoyance. He had noticed Ren looking out the window in apparent boredom and was not happy. "Is that how you listen when someone is talking to you!?" Ren knew what was coming next.
In slow motion, Ushimaru throws his legendary chalk at Ren, aimed directly between the eyes at the forehead. Only for Ren to casually slip to the side and let the chalk pass by harmlessly.
Better luck next time, Ushimaru-sensei. He swore he heard Ann stifle a giggle in front of him as Ushimaru returned back to his lecture. Morgana, hiding in the space under the desk, looks up with a proud smirk before going back for a nap. Ren could never understand how he found the cramped space so comfortable. At the ding of the bell, the class breaks for lunch, with Ren, Ann and Mishima heading for the roof.
Since no one jumped off it, it wasn't closed off. And even if it was, Makoto was with them. They had Student Council permission.
"How did you get so good at dodging his chalk throws, Ren? He throws them so fast." Mishima asks as they each the roof entrance. Ren just smirks as he turns the handle.
"Max Proficiency." He chuckles at Mishima's perplexed look as the trio step onto the roof, the rest of the Thieves waiting for them. Haru was, again, tending to her garden. Planting crops to help them in the Metaverse with Shiho helping her out.
Ryuji and Makoto were looking over their phone before waving over Ren and the others as they arrived.
"The Phan-site is the same as ever, Mishima." Ryuji says, holding up his phone with the familiar site plastered on it. Mishima rubs the back of his head as he smiles sheepishly.
"It wasn't hard to do. I did make it before. But I'm not going to add a polling option to it. It's what caused us to be framed after all." A sigh from Haru drew the team's attention as the heiress continued to tend to her garden. "What's wrong with Haru?"
"She's missing Yusuke." Morgana supplies, jumping out of the bag. "Not only that, she's having to put up with her disgusting fiancé. Well, future ex-fiancé anyway." Mishima nods slowly before putting a hand to his chin.
"How did those two end up together anyway?" Morgana smirks at Mishima, ready to tell him how before everyone's phones buzzed at the same time. "Huh? A message on the group chat?"
"Probably Yusuke or Futaba. Maybe an update on Madarame or something Futaba found about Shido or Akechi." Makoto reasons as everyone pulls out their phones.
Only for a pit to form in their stomachs at the message.
Chatroom: Return of the Phantoms!
Oracle: Guys! Help!
Joker: What's wrong, sis?
Oracle: It's Yaldabaoth! He's attacking my Palace!
Joker: WHAT!?
Queen: He's doing what!?
Skull: For Real!?
Oracle: I could feel my palace was about to vanish, but then it suddenly got stronger. And the voices…the voices have returned!
Noir: NO!
Panther: That metal assed bastard!
Joker: Team. Change of plans. We're infiltrating Oracles Palace today.
Spring: Hold on, Oracle! We're coming right after school!
Fox: And so shall I.
Outlaw: Fox? Aren't you still under Madarame's eye?
Fox: Yes. I stood by the side of Kamoshida, safe in the knowledge that I was not needed. But not here. I refuse to abandon the friend I call a sister!
Oracle: Damn it, Inari…you're making me cry. T^T
Queen: Oracle, are the keywords to your palace still the same?
Oracle: Yeah. They are. But will you guys be okay? Mine was the fourth palace you did. Won't it be hard?
Joker: Don't worry. We'll manage.
"Yaldabaoth has gone too far this time." Makoto seethes as she puts her phone into her pocket. "Next time we see him, I won't show any mercy."
"Perhaps I should chop his arms off with my axe. Or perhaps his wings?" Haru ponders out loud, causing the team to sweat drop at her. "What? He deserves it."
"Can't argue against that." Ren acquests as the bell rings. "Alright. We meet up near Boss's house and enter Futaba's palace there. Hopefully, we won't have to travel across the desert again to reach her palace."
"Desert?"
It didn't take long for the Thieves to travel to Yongen-Jaya and, less than that, to find Sojiro's home. Ren had already put in two of the Keywords for Futaba's Palace, anger building in him when they came up positive.
"Will Yusuke really be able to join us? I don't think Madarame will let him out of his sight so easily." Ann questions as the team waits near Tae's clinic.
"I'm sure he'll come up with something." Morgana responds. Just as Ryuji was about to pull out the cards once again, a series of steps approaching them from behind drew their attention. Along with a very familiar voice.
"My apologies for the delay. I missed the last train and had to wait for the next one." Yusuke speaks, walking up to the team. They turn to him with wide smiles as Haru embraces him in a hug. One that Yusuke gladly returns. "I have missed you so much, my beautiful flower." The team chuckled at Yusuke's words as a slight brush came over Haru's cheeks.
"Such a charmer." She replies before stealing a kiss from his lips. "I have missed you for more than a lifetime." Yusuke smiles at her before seein Shiho standing near Ann and Ryuji.
"A pleasure to meet you in the flesh, Shiho. A pity it is under these circumstances." Shiho nods at Yusuke as Ren readies his phone, glancing around them.
"Alright, if everyone's ready, we've got a little sister to save." He brings the phone to his mouth and utters the final words. "Tomb."
Conditions have been met. Beginning navigation.
The first thing that hit the Thieves was the heat and harsh sunlight. Next were the dry winds filled with sand that rushed over them. Followed closely by the hot sand underneath. Opening their eyes after shielding them from the sun's glare, the team find themselves not standing in the middle of nowhere, as Ren and the others originally feared, but in a central street lined with sun-scared stone houses.
"Is this Futaba's Palace?" Shiho asks.
"Well, the desert-like climate is the same. But I don't remember us starting in a town." Ann replies, spinning one of her pigtails around her hand.
"We can thank our lucky stars later! Look at that!" Morgana suddenly interjects, pointing his tiny cat paw behind them. Towering above them, gleaming in the sunlight, was the giant pyramid that represented Futaba's room, only with some major changes.
"What the heck? Looks like it's still being built. Or taken apart." Ryuji says, pointing out the construction cranes littering the sides of the pyramid.
"Well, Futaba did say her palace was fading away. Those cranes must represent her cognition." Makoto informs with a hand on her chin.
"By the way, why are we in our school clothes and not our Thief outfits?" Mishima asks. It was puzzling for the two new members.
"That's because Futaba doesn't see us as a threat. Your outfits and personas are there to protect you, and since Futaba is inviting us in, they haven't materialised." Morgana informs the two before flashes of fire engulf the team. "At least, until now anyway…"
"It's better this way. We have no time to waste." Joker says, fixing the glove on his hand. "First off, let's head for the pyramid. If Futaba's Shadow is the same as last time, then she will be both helping us and trying to stop us."
"Why would she do both?"
"It is because of the trauma Futaba has." Fox replies, looking over his katana. "While her Shadow wanted to help us, she had no control over the Palace due to Futaba's conflicting emotions. She wanted help but was also pushing everyone away."
"Sounds complicated." Outlaw replies before looking at Fox's outfit. "Your outfit is pretty neat, Fox."
"My thanks, Outlaw. I can say the same for you as well." He frames his hands like a window, capturing Outlaw in its frame. "The brim of the hat casting a shade over the face while the collar of the coat reaches to the base of your jaw is aesthetically pleasing. While Spring—" He frames her with his hands. "—has a similar appeal akin to Panther and Queen, yet with a hint of her own passion. Where we not pressed for time, I would commit it to paper."
"You can draw them when we get out of here, Fox. For now, focus." Joker lightly admonishes before looking down the path. "If memory serves, there should be some Shadows around here." And right on cue, one shambles into the light. Compared to the ones in Kamoshida's Castle, the Shadows in Futaba's Tomb were mummies. Wearing face masks worn by dead pharaohs.
With aged practice, the Thieves slink into the shadows as they wait for the mummy to approach. Activating his Third Eye, Joker checks the power of the shadow to see its strength. Only to find a surprise waiting for him.
A green outline? That can't be right…The shadows here should be at least strong or stronger than us. His Third Eye had never lied to him about the power levels of shadows, so seeing this mummy glowing green in what should have been the fourth palace was a complete surprise. But then again, Futaba was slowly destroying her own palace without them. Maybe the shadows were weakened along with it?
A question for another time as Joker leaps onto the Shadow's shoulders and rips the mask off. With the shadow falling into a puddle at its feet, three more enemies spawn in its place. Sandmen from the Magician Arcana.
"Skull! Panther!" Queen shouts at the two blonds who strike at the Sandmen with fire and lightning. Two of them are instantly vaporised by the blasts as the last one stands quivering on the spot before kowtowing right in front of Joker.
"Wait! I give up! I surrender! Please spare me!" The Sandman pleads in a pitiful display. Not that Joker minded.
"In that case, join my cause." Joker replies. The Sandman readily agrees before flying into Joker's mask and joining his current roster. As the Sandman settled, Joker could feel their power was equal to the ones he got from Kamoshida's Palace.
"Didn't those shadows look weak to anyone else?" Skull asks the question everyone had. "I don't remember one shooting those guys when we first arrived here."
"It would appear that Futaba's Palace has been weakened to the point it's on Kamoshida's level. Not that I'm complaining." Queen deduces as the team retreats into the shade. "In any case, it will make getting through her palace easier. But first, we have a bandit to find."
"A bandit?" Spring asks as the team moves deeper into the alleyways.
"Yes. Cognition of a bandit. The fiend has stolen the map of Futaba's Palace. Without it, we will trip over the traps that are waiting for us within." Fox explains before the swishing of a sword cuts through the air. "And there is our foe." Rushing around a corner, swinging its sword without a care, the bandit rushes past the Thieves before heading to a closed-off plaza.
Like silent mice, the Thieves follow after the bandit, slipping into the plaza before the bandit turns around. Startled by the sudden appearance of the team.
"Wh-where did you come from!?" It asks, startled.
"Doesn't matter. Hand over the map." Skull asks, holstering his weapon onto his shoulders.
"Then come and take it from me!" The bandit boasts before morphing into a Garuda. The team braces for battle as Fox calmly walks ahead.
"It is time I made up for my absence in Kamoshida's Palace. Come! Kamu Susano-o!" With an elegant pull of his mask, Fox's persona manifests behind him. Planting his sword into the ground as it stares at the Garuda with indifference. "Giant Slice!" With a single swing of his sword, Kamu slices the Shadow apart in one blow. Leaving the papyrus map alone on the ground.
"So that's your persona! He looked awesome!" Outlaw praises as Fox takes a bow.
"My thanks. And while I have not shown it, I can also use ice magic when called upon. Of course, I prefer to use my blade." Fox replies elegantly while Noir picks up the map.
"Glad to have you back, Fox." Noir comments as she looks over the map. "Now that we have the map, getting through Futaba's Palace should be easy. Right?" She, Spring and Outlaw look at the others, expecting to see a display of confidence.
But instead, they are met by looks of unease.
"Well, having the map will help. But it's the traps we need to be wary of." Queen reminds, just as another Shadow approaches them from behind. Only for it to be kicked into the nearby wall by Queen with an unimpressed look. "And next time, try making less sound when sneaking up on someone." She tells the shadow as it melts away into a lone Anzu, which Joker quickly picks up into his mask.
"Let's keep moving team. The sooner we are out of this heat, the better." To emphasise his point, he tugs on his collar before leading the team through the desert town. Seeing no point in fighting the weak shadows, the team focus on getting to the pyramid rather than waste time.
And according to Joker, only two types of Shadows roamed outside anyway. The rest lay waiting inside.
It wasn't long before the team reached the base of the pyramid. Ancient construction equipment lay scattered all over the place as wooden scaffolding climbed the sides. The entrance leading into the pyramid lay open, but the hidden side entrance was covered in solid stone slabs.
"According to the map, it should be a straight shot to the treasure. But I'm guessing it won't be that simple. Right?" Outlaw asks, holding the papyrus map in his hands.
"You'll see." Panther replies before noticing a missing Joker. Until she glanced to her left to see him standing like a statue. "But it looks like we'll have to wait for Joker to finish first." She says with a sigh as the team moves into the nearby shade.
To their surprise, it didn't take long for Joker to leave the Velvet Room looking as calm as ever before swinging a punch at a nearby stone block.
"Wanted to beat him up that much, huh?" Skull asks while Queen casts a small heal on Joker's hand.
"Yeah." Joker replies before glancing at the Velvet Room door. To his surprise, neither Justine nor Caroline were outside as usual. Possibly still in talks with the false 'Igor'. Until the door swings open, and Justine calmly walks out, taking up her usual spot next to the door.
"What did they want to talk about anyway?" Queen asks in a hushed whisper as the team moves. Joker casts a look back at the door before answering.
"Something about Persona Traits. I'm not really sure what they mean by that. Hopefully, Futaba will be able to make some sense of it." Joker couldn't really blame the look he got. Even the brief explanation he got from the twins didn't really explain what they meant. Especially since he wasn't fusing anything yet until they found Shadows around their level.
Pushing the thought to the back of his mind for now, Joker leads the team into the pyramid. The moment they do, they are greeted by a blast of cool air, keeping the hot wind outside.
"Thank goodness." Spring says as she tugs on her outfit. "Skin-tight suits and heat don't mix well."
"I know what you mean." Panther moans, doing the same along with Queen. Skull and Joker politely look away as the team move down the stairs to find Futaba's Shadow waiting for them. Unlike how the Thieves last saw her, this version of Futaba's Shadow, while retaining the Pharaoh look, was now missing the dark bangs under her eyes and the bandages around her neck.
"You have come." She says to the team. "I have been waiting for you."
"We've come to help Futaba get rid of her Palace." Joker says as the team gather around her.
"I know. I am her, after all." The Shadow Futaba says with a ghost of a smile. "Where it not for Yaldabaoth, I would have gotten rid of this palace alone."
"How did he do that anyway?" Queen asks. It was something that they wondered about on the way over but couldn't find a final answer to fall on.
"He influenced the echoes of the other Futaba's heart. The one that your Futaba merged with. That is how we came from the future and why we lost so much of our strength." Shadow Futaba reveals.
"So, we merged with our old selves in order to return. That would explain why we have grown weaker in our travel." Fox bemuses with a hand on his chin.
"Kinda wish Philemon told us that…" Skull whispers to Panther.
"Even so, now we know what's going on." Joker replies.
"I wish you luck for conquering the Palace again. Oh, and one more thing…" Futaba floats away before vanishing into the air. "Do mind your step."
"Huh?" Spring eloquently replies before the floor below them gives way. Quickly accompanied by the screams of the team as they fall through the trap door below them.
"Not agaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin!" Skull shouts as the team falls into a pit. Sand quickly flowed down, threatening to bury them alive. Swimming with all their might, the team pulled themselves out of the pit as they took a moment to recover from the drop.
"How did we…forget about that?" Panther asks between breaths.
"Don't know…don't care…" Joker replies, straightening his back out.
"For a moment, I thought we were being dropped into a monster pit…" Outlaw breaths as Spring looks at him.
"You've been watching Star Wars again, haven't you?" Outlaw smiles sheepishly as the team recover from the fall before glancing around the room. Stylised in a reversed pyramid style, while Shadows patrolled the upper floors.
"Where do we go from here, Joker?" Noir asks as they watch the Shadows meander about. Joker mums to himself, trying to remember the layout of the room before spotting two sarcophagi underneath a platform.
"We climb up. Follow me." With aged precision, the team followed Joker up the levels, ambushing Shadows whenever they coud, with Joker absorbing a Lamia, Naga and an extremely rare Stone of Scone Treasure Demon.
Reaching the top, the team entered through a sliding door, complete with an ankh-styled door switch, before moving into an underground passageway.
"This should lead us to a hidden passageway leading outside. But I fear it may be the same door covered by the stone block we saw outside." Fox speaks as the team peeks around the corner, seeing a mummified dog, Shadow. Mona growls at the dog while Haru pats his head before the team stealthily makes their way around it.
Before finding a Savage Shadow patrolling the path ahead of them. One that glowed red in Joker's vision.
"Hold up, guys. Strong Shadow up ahead." Joker cautions as the Savage Shadow approaches them. It glances around before turning around to continue its patrol. Before Joker leaps onto its shoulders and rips its mask off.
Falling to the ground, the shadow breaks apart into a form Joker did not want to see.
An Anubis of the Judgment Arcana.
"Anubis! Curse and Bless won't work on it!" Queen shouts as the team gets ready for a fight. Outlaw readies his rifle before unleashing a full clip into the Anubis, only to be shocked that the round didn't phase the Shadow at all.
"What? My shots didn't do anything!" He cries. The Anubis looks at him as the scales in its hand tilts to the right. Queen's eyes widen in shock.
"It's about to use Hamon! Watch out!" She warns Outlaw as the Anubis unleashes its instant kill attack on him. Just as the blast was about to hit him, Spring jumped in front and took the hit. The spell harmlessly washed over her.
"Spring?! Are you alright?" Outlaw asks in worry.
"I'm fine, don't worry." Spring reassures as the Anubis growls at them, the scales resetting. It prepares to tilt the scales again before a smash from Skull stuns it. It tries again, only to find itself unable to remember how to change the scales.
"Baton Pass!" Skull calls, high-fiving Mona as the two pass by.
"Witness my resolve!" Mona cries, summoning Mercurius. "Lucky Punch!" A cartoonishly large boxing glove appears over his head before rapidly extending right into the Anubis's face. Stunned, it falls to the floor in a daze.
Leaving itself wide open to an All-out Attack.
"What the hell, man? Anubis's we're resistant to guns before? Why now?" Skull asks, watching the Anubis fade away. It was a fair question to ask since before, Anubis was only immune to Bless and Curse.
"And that's not to ask what else has changed. What other Shadows have gained or lost strengths and weaknesses that we know about?" Queen replies a hand on her hip. Skull gives out a long sigh as the team stares at where the Anubis once was.
"Futaba really did help us find out our foe's weaknesses." Mona says as the team presses onward. Coming to a split in the passageway, one going further in and the other leading supposedly back to the surface. If it wasn't blocked off by debris anyway.
"Everything looks clear." Spring notes as the team enters the room, the far back lines with more sarcophagi. Until a Shadow spawns in the centre, blocking the way forward.
"FOOLISH GRAVE ROBBERS. YOU HAVE ENRAGED THE GUARDIAN OF THIS PLACE. HENCE, THERE WILL BE NO PATH FORWARD FOR YOU. IT IS TIME YOU PERISHED!" The shadow decries before morphing into a floating sarcophagus.
"Watch out! It's a Mot! Joker cries as the team readies themselves. The coffin lead opens slightly as a hand emerges from the dark inside. "Mona! Can you hit it with—"
"Squeak!?"
The team turns to where Mona is, only to see, instead of the cartoonish cat, a giant mouse with Mona's mask. Stomping his little rat foot on the ground.
"Huh. Forgot it could do that." Skull deadpans just as the Mot reveals its hand again. "Anyway, let's finish this up—"
"S-Squeak?" Another mouse voice joins Mona as Spring is turned into another mouse. Outlaw fires his rifle at the Mot, grinning at seeing his shots hit the mark. Only to suddenly find himself turned into a mouse seconds later.
"Alright! Enough of that! Anzu! Garu!" Joker yells, summoning the recently acquired Anzu and blasting the Mot with wind. With it nocked to the ground, the remaining not-rat Thieves launch and All-out attack on the Mot. Finishing it in one blow.
A few seconds later, Mona, Spring and Outlaw turn back to normal.
"How humiliating…If it's not a cat, it's a mouse. Why do those things always go for me first?" Mona moans as the team continues on, leaping onto Joker's shoulders.
"Well, you ARE our wind specialist. And Mots are weak to wind. It makes sense they try and take you out first." Queen surmises for the poor non-cat before turning to Spring and Outlaw. "How are you too doing? Turning into a rat is not a pleasant experience."
"It was a surprise." Spring admits. "Won't fall for that again. But that aside." She glances at Outlaw. "You looked adorable as a rat, Outlaw. Especially with the tiny cowboy hat." Outlaw covers his face in embarrassment as the team chuckles at his expense.
Entering the next room, they jump over scaffolding covering a floor of quicksand, landing near a ballista aiming towards a part of the wall. With a giant door next to the ballista. The door had a giant seal on it, with an Egyptian symbol blazing on its surface as lines of light travelled up and down the door.
Noir walks up to it, tapping it with a hand before turning to the others. "I'm guessing there is a trick to opening these doors?"
"That's right. And it's connected with this ballista." Panther replies, pointing at the siege weapon behind them.
"How so?"
"It's easier if we show you rather than explain it." Joker replies, looking up to a hidden alcove above them. Using his grappling hook, he brings himself onto the platform to find a button embedded in a slab of rock. Pressing it, the ballista fires the loaded bolt into the wall, allowing for a beam of light to shoot through into the door.
The moment the light touches the door, the seal is broken, and the door opens. Allowing passage deeper into the pyramid.
"I see. Those doors only open when the light hits them. That's cleaver." Noir observes as the team continues on into another corridor. Finding a slab with a warning written on it. "'The light shed by the god of the underworld shall become the sign for those who traverse the pits'? What does that mean?"
"It's talking about glowing orbs we can find." Mona interjects. "Basically, we pick them up so we can use them elsewhere, but when we do, Shadows will appear out of the coffins to stop us."
"It'll get complicated later on. But for now, we need to pick up two." Queen adds as the team enters another large room. A dog Shadow patrolled the floor before being ambushed by Mona. The non-cat manages to rip the mask off the Shadow, forcing it to take on its true form.
Defeating the shadow, which turned out to be a Thoth, the team continued up the room using the nearby coffins as platforms. Clambering up, they look into the small rooms along the way, finding the two orbs Queen had mentioned held in the hands of Anubis statues. And just as warned, Shadows erupted from the coffins lining the walls of the room.
Evading the weak Shadows, the team continued up before arriving at an overhead platform, looking down on a large hallway blocked off by a sealed door. On the platform with them was an orb of light, shooting a beam of said light into the wall behind them.
"This is what the doors need to open, right? How do we get it to turn?" Spring asks, motioning to the giant orb. The button underneath it was unresponsive.
"We use these." Fox replies, putting one of the orbs on a small pedestal near the sphere. Joker mimics him, putting the other on a similar pedestal before the button comes to life. While Noir presses the button, Outlaw turns to Skull and Panther.
"Don't you two remember the gimmicks of this place?" He asks, noting their silence. The two blonds look at each other before sheepishly smiling back.
"We…sorta forgot." Panther replies. Outlaw almost does a face fault as the orb of light turns, pointing its beam of light at the sealed door. With the seal broken, the team hopped down to the ground floor. Finding it in the same place where they fell through the trap floor. Passing over another quicksand pit, the team rushed up the stairs before finding another sealed door.
With a passageway to the left and a Safe Room to the right. Taking a quick break in the safe room, the team continued on into the pyramid. Rushing down the large hallway, they spy Shadow Futaba walking into a room just before them. But as they rushed to catch up, the floor before them collapsed, revealing a pitfall trap filled with spikes.
"That was close. We almost ended up finding out what it's like to be a pincushion." Panther remarks before the team uses their grappling hooks to cover the gap. Landing on the other side, they see the room Shadow Futaba entered, only to be blocked off by another trap. Spears coming from holes in the floor.
"This is starting to feel like an Indiana film." Outlaw remarks as the team heads over to a flight of stairs. More parts of the floor fall away, with the team leaping over them to proceed. Ambushing another Shadow along the way, this time an Isis. Joker happily absorbs the Shadow before they continue on. Moving into another room filled with platforms along with another Anubis Statue holding an orb. Outlaw moves to pick it up but is stopped by Fox.
"Hold Outlaw. We can't pick that up just yet. See the pillars next to it." He points out the glowing pillars next to the statue. "The moment we pick up the orb, power ceases to run through them. In turn, traps are activated, blocking our path."
"What do we do?" Outlaw replies before noticing a few missing faces. "Hey, where did Joker and Mona go?"
"They've gone to hit the switch to turn off the trap leading to the next room. When they get back, we can grab the orb." Queen replies. Outlaw nods his head in understanding just as Joker and Mona return with grins on their faces.
"Alright. Traps have been disabled. You're clear to pick up the orb." Outlaw nods before grabbing the orb, feeling the atmosphere of the room seemingly change the moment he does. With the asset secured, the team head back to the room Shadow Futaba vanished into, avoiding the unnecessary Shadows along the way.
Especially the Savage Shadow that patrolled the room, hunting for them. Ducking into a corridor, the team sprinted past more Shadows that awoke to the presence of the orb, although they found themselves getting caught by a Shadow leaping out of the coffin in front of them. The Shadow peals away its form, revealing itself to be an Andras. The Shadow that Joker was missing from Kamoshida's Palace.
Not that he was going to question why it was here now.
Taking a moment to compose themselves after recruiting the Andras, with Joker mentioning he needed to see what Persona he could fuse now, the team find another sealed door with an orb of light nearby along with a switch. There was also an Anubis Statue without an orb, blocked by a spear trap.
Seeing how the spear trap would skewer them so long as they held the orb, Skull activates the switch to turn the light orb around. The beam smashes into the sealed door, opening it and allowing the Thieves to move around the spear trap and place the orb into the Anubis's hand.
With the traps deactivated, the Thieves head into another passageway, leading them to a second switch overlooking the room housing the Savage Shadow. They spy an orb of light on the central pillar, taking up the middle of the room, the beam of light slamming into a wall. Following the pattern, Spring activates the switch, causing a hidden ballista to fire a bolt at the wall, destroying it and creating a path for them and the beam of light.
Jumping down and avoiding the Shadows, the team move into the hole but is suddenly stopped by Mona.
"Hey! I'm feeling the presence of a Will Seed!" He says, pointing to a small alcove above them.
"Will Seed?" Fox asks. Joker and the others mentally facepalm themselves at forgetting to tell both Fox and Futaba about the Will Seeds.
"We'll explain later, but for now, know that they are valuable." Panther tells him before the team follows Mona into the alcove. There, waiting for them, was a door covered in caution signs that Joker easily chopped away with his knife. And waiting for them beyond the door was the Red Will Seed.
"So, this is a Will Seed? It certainly has an interesting flair to it." Fox complement as Joker picks it up.
I'm such a bad person…
I'm so sorry…I'm so scared…
Just…Stop!
Futaba's words echo around them, filled with sadness and despair. No one says anything about them as Joker pockets the Seed and turns to leave. Nothing could really be said that the Thieves had already told Futaba…
"So, what do we do in this room?" Spring asks. They continued to follow the light before ending up in a small room with an inactive orb of light and a blank computer screen.
"We have to rebuild Futaba's memories." Panther replies as Joker activates a terminal next to the orb. Before Spring could ask, the screen lights up, showing a picture that had been cut up. Joker quickly gets to work putting the picture together, with it showing Futaba sitting on a throne and receiving a message from three men in suits. Shido's men.
"This was the moment Shido's men read the false suicide note to Futaba. In front of all her relatives." Joker explains to Spring, Noir and Outlaw. They could hear the men speaking out the words on the note, emotionless and uncaring, before a flash of light engulfed the picture.
When the flash vanishes, the Thieves stand agape with a new picture before them. It still showed Futaba, but instead of sitting down, she was standing up. And in front of her, instead of the men in suits, it was Joker, Queen, Mona, Skull, Panther and Fox.
That's why I have a request. Let me join your team.
There's nothing to join. You're already one of us.
Why don't we lose no time and decide on Futaba's code name?
In Futaba's case, 'Hacker' wouldn't be right, would it?
'Mech'?
'PC'?
Why don't we go literal and call her 'Goggles'?
Lame. You've got no taste, Kitty.
How about 'Pharaoh'?
I'll curse you.
A chorus of chuckles emanates from the picture as Futaba's character changes from her Pharaoh look to her Thief outfit.
…'Oracle'. With my vision, I'll guide you all to victory.
Welcome to the team, Oracle.
The voices end as the picture retracts, with the orb spinning in place and firing a beam of light at the second sealed door. While the team stood in silence at what transpired.
"What was that just now?" Spring asks as she and Outlaw turn to the Thieves. They remain silent for a few seconds before Joker turns back to them.
"That was when Futaba officially joined us in August. When we took her to the beach to celebrate clearing her palace, defeating Shido's Medjed and helping her overcome her social anxiety." He turns back to where the picture was. "Looks like her memories of us are overpowering her memories of her trauma."
"That's a good thing, right?" Outlaw asks uncertainty in his words.
"Don't know. But it's better than what they originally were." Skull replies before looking down at the hall. "Either way, we have two more memory puzzles and two more Will Seeds to find before we reach her Treasure." As one, the team jumped down from the ledge and proceeded to head up the grate stairway once again before running into the second door. Finding another safe room to the left and the pathway to the right.
Heading right, the team pass through a winding corridor before finding Shadow Futaba waiting for them in a large hallway with a wall behind her. Standing next to a sarcophagus.
"I see you found the first memory. Or rather, the one that Futaba had replaced." She tells the team as they approach.
"Yeah, we did." Panther replies, twirling one of her ponytails around her finger. "Is Futaba's memories of us overpowering her trauma?"
"That is right. As you know, those memories are false, implanted by the men who read the fake note. Her memories of you are what replaced them before Yaldabaoth sought to intervene."
"Oh, that guy is SO dead when we next see him." Skull mutters as she slams his hands together.
"I am afraid that is all I can tell you. Proceed with caution." Shadow Futaba replies before vanishing into the air. Before a sudden vibration rocks the room. Before anyone had a chance to ask, a large boulder appeared at the far end of the hallway before rolling towards them.
It was only then that they realised that they were standing next to a bottomless pit.
"RUN!" Mona yowls as the team rushes for cover. The boulder rumbles past them, crushing the sarcophagus before falling into the pit.
"First, we fell for a Star Wars trap, now an Indiana Jones boulder? What's next?" Outlaw asks no one in particular.
"I don't remember this being here before." Skull moans as the team ponders what to do next. Before, Joker spots a small opening at the base of the wall before them. Right where the sarcophagus was.
"Looks like that boulder created a path for us." Joker alerts the team, pointing to the hole. "If we move fast, we can make it."
"Won't we trigger the trap if we walk out there, though?" Spring asks, concerned that they could become pancakes if they are not careful.
"Not if we go one at a time." Joker replies before running for the hole. The trap activates as another boulder comes running down the hall. Joker then falls backwards, his momentum carrying him forward as he slides through the hole as the boulder passes him by.
The team look at each other before Queen moves and copies Joker. Sliding in through and missing the boulder. One by one, the Thieves follow through, except Mona, who is small enough to pass through. Spring and Outlaw were hesitant at first, unsure if they would be able to do it. However, words of encouragement from the others, as well as a reminder that in the Metaverse, if you believed in something hard enough, it would work, Spring and Outlaw follow through and slide through the gap.
Not without Springs scarf getting caught just as she was about to exit.
"Dang it! What's got me?" She asks, rolling onto her stomach to look into the hole. She groans when she sees her scarf stuck on a small outcrop of rock. "How unlucky can I be?"
"Here, Spring. Let me help." Panther offers. As the two ladies worked on freeing Spring's scarf, which Queen was wondering how she and Panther managed to avoid, the rest of the team looked around the room. Two rows of five black sarcophagi lined the room, while two doors on a higher level overlooked them. A switch lay inserted in the wall nearby. Holes litter the floor between the coffins, leaving only a single path through the middle.
Curious, Fox walks up to the switch before noticing the stone slab next to it. He places a hand on it as blue writing comes to life, followed by a rumbling in the room. Cries of alarm from the team alert him as he turns around. Only to be met by a most curious sight.
A row of coffins displaying holographic images of blue spheres.
"Fox! What did you do!?" Mona calls out to him as the others look over the coffins.
"I touched the stone slab next to the switch! It appears to have writing on it!" He glances back at the slab, noting the strange combination. "B01010!"
"What does that even mean!?" Mona calls back.
"I think it's a binary code." Outlaw says, drawing Mona's attention. "Hey, I made a website. I have to know some form of coding to do that. And what Fox said sounds like binary."
"Then how do we use it?" Mona asks. When it came to these sorts of things, it was Oracle who held the cards. The technical speak went over Mona's poor brain.
"Do we perhaps use the coffins?" Noir ventures, standing next to one that had remained unlit. "This one doesn't project a hologram." Outlaw nods in contemplation before walking over to the coffin next to Noir's. He looks at the terminal next to it before flicking a switch on it. The Sphere over the coffin vanishes as the realisation comes to Outlaw's mind.
"We input the code using the coffins. The one that Noir is standing at is 1, while the rest are 2-6. Turn off numbers 4 and 6, and we should have the code." Noir nods at Outlaw as she moves to the fourth coffin while Joker and Queen stand to the side.
"Are we sure we came through this way? I'm having trouble remembering if we did or not." Queen asks, uncertain of her memories.
"You're not the only one, Queen. I think the differences we had in Kamoshida's Palace are making us question what we remember. At least our memories of what's to come aren't messed up." Joker replies with a slight relief in his voice. Queen agrees with him as the rest of the team calls them over to the switch.
"We have the coffins lit up like the code and are about to hit the switch." Skull informs them as they join. Panther was still busy helping Spring get her scarf untangled before giving up and crawling into the space.
"Do we even know what will happen when we press it?" Noir asks as Fox places his hand on it.
"We won't know until we try." With a push, he activates it, causing the entire chamber to rumble. The vibrations were enough to loose Spring's scarf as she pulled herself free, with Panther following close behind.
Just in time to see the boulder trap start realising an unending stream of boulders.
"Dude! They ain't stopping!" Skull points out as Fox presses the switch again. Only to speed up the boulders. "That didn't work, Fox!" In desperation, Fox presses it again, only to get no response. Annoyed, he kicks the switch, which, miraculously, stops the flow of boulders.
"Problem solved."
"I think it created a new problem, Fox. Those boulders are filling the entire hallway." Spring informs as she and Panther join them. "We can't use the gap in the wall."
"Then I guess we have to walk over them." Mona replies before glancing behind them. "Hang on, both sets of coffins are glowing now." The team turned to look, and lo and behold, both rows of corrins were active. One set is blue, the other red.
"Maybe the slab has a new set of codes on it?" Noir ponders as Joker takes a look.
"Yeah, it does. R01100 and B10011." Joker replies before standing up. "Alright, we know the drill." The team move to the coffins, turning off some of them as Joker stands next to the damaged button. "This thing looks to be on its last legs. Fox certainly has a good kick."
"We're ready, Joker!" Queen calls out to him. With a nod, he presses the button, ready for the boulders to start moving again. Instead, a nearby door blocked by a red barrier was suddenly unsealed.
"Did it do anything?" Skull asks as the team joins Joker. He points to the opened door with a smirk before leading the team through. The moment they did, Mona perked up, letting them know that a Will Seed was nearby.
Passing through the hallway and ambushing a lone Shadow, the team find the room holding the blue Will Seed along with more voices.
This never would have happened if I hadn't been so selfish…
Why mom…
I'm sorry…
"Futaba…" Queen softly says while Joker picks up the Seed.
"She suffered like this for two years?" Spring softly says, holding a hand to her chest. "How could anyone do that?"
"Shido will get what he deserves. That we guarantee." Joker responds as he leaves the room.
Climbing over the boulders was easier than expected. And what awaited them was the second room holding a memory picture. Just like the last one, it was split into different pieces that needed to be fixed. Once complete, it showed Futaba's mother throwing herself in front of a car as Futaba watched. The pain of losing her only family.
But just like last time, the picture is engulfed in light. Replaced by a different one. Within it, Futaba in her Thief gear was with Joker and what looked to be Sojiro in priest-like robs.
Hey Futaba… If I was going to add something to the menu, what would you want it to be?
Hmmmmmm… Maybe curry spaghetti! And curry udon! Oh, and croquettes and curry pizza!
Since when did you get addicted to curry, sis?
Since forever, Ren!
Do you really like curry that much…? Well, I guess it would be easy to add to the current menu. What about you then, Ren?
I dunno…something with curry?
Good god, both of my children are addicted! Whatever will I do? Hahahah!
Found laughter echoes from the painting, joined by the laughter of Ren and Futaba before the painting retracts and a beam of light shoots into the next sealed door. Leaving only one left for them to open.
"I remember when that happened. It was in October, just shortly after Boss found out we were the Phantom Thieves…" Joker says softly, playing with his front bangs. "I guess we both look back on that with fondness."
"You could hear the warmth in Sojiro's voice. He truly does see the both of you as his children." Fox replies, placing a hand on Joker's shoulder. "I truly hope he remembers soon."
"So do I, Fox. So do I." With a flourish, Joker leaps down to the Great Stairway, followed by the rest. Climbing to the top, they find another Safe Room to their right and the final passageway to their left.
They were close now. So close to the end.
Stepping into the vast chamber, two giant stone statues gaze down on the Thieves as the scaffolding surrounds them. A single passageway spans between them, reaching out to a door. The team cross the chasm, avoiding the lone Shadow before ducking in through the door.
Normally, Joker would engage every Shadow they saw, but seeing how weak these were, it would be a waste of energy to engage for what little yen or experience they would obtain.
The next room they entered opened up to a yawning abyss that seemed to stretch on forever. Luckily, a vent nearby allowed the team to navigate past and into a secluded corridor. Moving through the winding passageways, the team found another vent to crawl through right next to some sarcophagi leading up to a hidden alcove.
Deciding to find out what lay above them, Skull, along with Panther and Spring, headed up while the rest travelled through the vent. On the alcove, the trio find another switch along with a ballista aimed at the wall where a beam of light collides. Grinning a shark-tooth grin, Skull activates the ballista and sends a bolt through the wall.
With a path cleared for the beam of light, the trio quickly headed back down to join the others through the vent. The moment they did, a sarcophagus opened up, revealing a hidden path with an Anubis Statue holding a glowing orb.
"That's…convenient?" Spring says as the trio approach it. "This isn't a trap…right?"
"Let me go first and see." Skull volunteers as he marches forward despite the worried looks from the two. "Don't worry. If it does close, just destroy the coffin." Skull says nonchalantly. He approaches the statue and grabs the orb, noting the change in the atmosphere as he does so.
Thankfully, the door remains open, and he quickly joins the two just as the rest of the team joins them.
"Guess you were one step ahead of us, Skull." Outlaw says as the teams regroup. "We saw the ballista bolt that you fired. Nice work."
"Eh, it was nothing." Skull replies while the team make their way onward. Travelling through a side passage, they find another pedestal without an orb. Placing their recently acquired one on it, a walkway of light appears in the black void of the room. Connecting the two areas to a third with a door.
"We're one step closer, guys. Just a little bit more." Mona tells the team as they jump down. Passing over the glowing bridge and silently praying that it doesn't blink out, the team rush through yet more stone corridors and halls before arriving in a room housing a large red coffin with Shadow Futaba sitting on top of it.
"You're making great strides. You've recovered the second of her memories." The team stay silent as Shadow Futaba hovers before them as she tilts her head. "Is there something wrong?"
"You're not just her Shadow, aren't you?" You're Prometheus." Joker asks, taking a few steps forward. "It makes sense. Our Personas are our other half, after all. So it only makes sense that you are her Persona, as a Shadow." Shadow Futaba smirks at Joker before vanishing into the air. Right before another Mot appears before them.
"Oh, come on! Another one!" Skull cries as the coffin lid opens. "As if the first one was—Squeak! Squee? SQUEAK!" His rant was cut off short as the Mot quickly turned him into a rat, followed closely by Panther and Fox, with the trio throwing themselves at the coffin in fury. Leading to a unique image of three rats biting into a coffin.
"Enough of that! Garula!" Mona shouts, knocking the Mot onto its back while accidentally blowing the trio away onto an outcrop as the reaming team unleashed an All-Out attack. They were really tired of fighting Mots.
While waiting for Skull, Panther and Fox to become un-ratted, with Mona apologising for sending them flying with his wind attack, the three mice look around their ledge to find another Anubis statue holding an orb. Seconds later, they pop back to normal, with Panther taking the orb and rejoining the team.
Climbing over the red sarcophagus, the team proceeded down the only path open to them, finding one more pedestal missing its orb. Placing the last one in it, they summon another pathway of light, granting them access to the hole made by the ballista.
Following the new path, which looped them right around to a glowing orb of light, they followed the beam into the room, holding the giant statues while several platforms hovered around them. Using their grappling hooks, the Thieves climb onto the platforms, with Mona pointing out he could sense the last Will Seed nearby.
Making it a point to grab it, the team continue to grapple between the platforms before finding the last door. Guarded by a powerful Shadow.
"STUPID THIEVES…TO THINK YOU ACTUALLY CAME HERE…"
"Listen up, bud, you can make this easy on yourself and let it have the Will Seed…" Skull begins, racking his shotgun.
"…Or you can stand in our way and get your butt kicked." Panther finishes, whipping her whip.
"YOU NOT PASS. HERE YOU DIE!" The Shadow bellows before morphing into a glowing hovering obelisk with red patterns.
"Heads up! It's an Alilat! Drains Ice but weak to Fire!" Queen warns as the Alilat sends out a wave of cold air. While most of the team dodged with ease, Joker and Panther were knocked down with their weakness to ice. The Alilat capitalises on this, sending another blast of ice towards the two, only for Fox to step in front and take the attack.
"A beautiful blizzard, but alas, not cold enough to move me." Fox mocks as Joker and Panther get back up. The blond, annoyed at the cheap attack, blasts the Alilat with a ball of Agliao, returning the favour and knocking it down. Opening seized, the team launched their attack, shattering the Alilat to pieces.
"Cheap shot." Panther groans as she rubs her arms. "Let's get this last Will Seed and secure the route." No one argues with her as Joker opens the door.
Why… why…?
No…I don't want to hear it…!
Help me…!
It's all my fault…
"It never was your fault, Futaba. We all know this." Joker whispers as he picks up the last Will Seed. The moment he did, the two he had on him fuse with the last one, turning into the same thing they got from Kamoshida's castle. "Still don't know what to do with these…" Joker mumbles as he joins the others.
There was still one thing left to do.
Following the beam of light, the Thieves arrive at the final picture room. And just like the others, it was split into shards. Piecing them back together showed a mural of Futaba clinging to her mother's jacket. Unlike the other murals, this one didn't change, remaining the same as it was. But with a small difference.
Futaba's mother was smiling.
I'm too busy right now. I need to finish my cognitive research as soon as possible.
That's all you cared about! Your research is more important than me!
My research is almost over. Once it's finished, we can go anywhere you like.
Anywhere?
Yes, anywhere. Your choice. I'm sorry I've left you all alone, Futaba. But please, try to understand, though. This research is really important. I need to complete it, even if it costs me my life.
Mom…
But the moment it is, I'll make up all the time I've forgotten to give you. How about a trip to Destinyland?
You promise?
I promise. I love you, Futaba.
I love you too, mom.
"This happened right before her mother was killed. It's the last memory she has of her." Queen softly tells Spring and Outlaw as the picture vanishes. The beam of light shoots forward, unsealing the last door and leaving the inner room open. "Come on, we still need to check something."
Leaping down, the team approached the final door, taped and sealed. Before when Joker and the others came here, the door refused to open due to Futaba's cognition. But now…
The door opened for them without issue.
"It would appear that Futaba's cognition of her door being unopenable is no longer true." Fox observes as Shadow Futaba appears before them.
"It is as you say. The path to the Treasure lies open. However, before you leave, I have a request."
"A request?" Spring asks. Shadow Futaba nods before locking eyes with Joker.
"When you come to steal the Treasure, bring Futaba with you."
"We were planning on doing that from the start." Joker replies. Shadow Futaba nods with a smile before vanishing into the air once again. "Okay, guys, we have our route secured. Tomorrow, we send Futaba her card and infiltrate her palace together."
"What about Sojiro?" Outlaw asks. "Won't he be here?"
"Boss won't close the shop till late in the evening. And if all goes well, we won't have to worry about him being angry with us." There was nothing else left to say. They had their route and a surplus of cards from Fox. All that was left to do was steal the treasure.
Just as the team were leaving the pyramid, Joker was pulled aside by Justine into the Velvet Room, where he was informed that the Electric Chair was now available for him to use. 'Igor' again asked Ren to use Arsène as a test, but Ren refused once again.
He could feel Arsène thanking him for the decision even as 'Igor' voiced his disappointment. Thanking the twins for telling him the Chair was usable, Ren left the Velvet Room and joined the others before leaving Futaba's Palace.
"Yaldabaoth is really wanting me to use Arsène. Almost as though he knows that he's not supposed to be this strong." Ren tells the team as they stand near Tae clinic.
"That or something else. Either way, you haven't been fusing any new Personae for a while, have you?" Makoto asks. Ren nods, claiming that since none of them are on the same level as Arsène, the only use they had right now was filling out the roster for later.
"Anyway, let's meet up here tomorrow. We'll text Futaba so she can let us into the house when we're ready. We're bringing her Palace down again, no matter what.
Confidants Ranks:
Phantom Thieves of Heart: The Fool (Rank 10/Max)
Makoto Nijima: High Priestesses (Rank 10/Max)
Ryuji Sakamoto: Chariot (Rank 10/Max)
Ann Takamaki: Lovers (Rank 10/Max)
Yusuke Kitagawa: Emperor (Rank 10/Max)
Haru Okumura: Empress (Rank 10/Max)
Futaba Sakura: Hermit (Rank 10/Max)
Morgana: Magician (Rank 10/Max)
Mishima Yuuki: Moon (Rank 9/Locked)
Suzui Shiho: Charity (Rank 1)
Hifumi Togo: Star (Sealed)
Sojiro Sakura: Hierophant (Sealed)
Goro Akechi: Justice (Sealed)
Chihaya Mifune: Fortune (Sealed)
Munehisa Iwai: Hanged Man (Rank 10/Max)
Tae Takemi: Death (Rank 10/Max)
Sadayo Kawakami: Temperance (Rank 10/Max)
Ichiko Ohya: Devil (Sealed)
Shinya Oda: Tower (Sealed)
Toranosuke Yoshida: Sun (Sealed)
Lavenza (Justine & Caroline): Strength (sealed)