Disclaimer: Fate and Persona are owned by different companies, and I hold no ownership and all that jazz.
7/25
The dense canopy blocked all light, a forest outstretched as far as one could see. There was a tiny bit of clearance, the section that they entered from was slightly less thick, but no light was able to pierce the canopy. Small blue mushrooms lined a few trees giving off a soft dull glow. The forest was alive insects and small animals all made sounds, but Hakuno couldn't see any movements.
Other than the whirling of Necronomicon, Hakuno was mildly impressed, as soon as they reached the Metaverse Necronomicon instantly appeared, even though this was the first true time Futaba had summoned her Persona.
"Woahhh… I thought I was imagining it at first but this suit is totally skin-tight!" Hakuno could hear Oracle's voice in her head, Telepathy?
No… Not Telepathy it was their earpieces in a matter of seconds Oracle's Persona connected her to the mystic code. Hakuno didn't know if she should be impressed, but the rest of the thieves were. But how did she intend to fly that large of a saucer in this dense of a forest?
"Oracle, we can hear you. Everyone make sure to whisper into the speakers, be careful not to yell." Joker was the first to comment, and it was true their headsets would be best used in this type of situation.
"This place smells weird, lots of shadows."Mona pointed out. Stealth it was then.
"Everyone stay on guard, Oracle focuses on Navigation while Queen, Fox, and Panther are with me, Panther focus on single target fire spells and sleep, we can't risk lighting it all up."
That left herself, Morgana, and Ryuji as the backup team, balanced with the ability to navigate.
"Aye aye, captain!"Hakuno watched in amazement as Necronomicon shifted and shrunk to half its size, still large enough to fit the petite navigator, and then turned itself invisible.
Impressive.
Her Persona, her self, it felt perfect to be inside of it. Data flew around her, full information of every ability, attribute, and skill of her friends? Yeah, Friends. Magus's abilities gave her a headache like Joker's numerous Personae, but she could feel the attempt of her circuits flow into Necronomicon that allowed her to see even more. The pain quickly told her off from doing that…
Queen was balanced, Fox focused on fast strikes, and Panther was the mage while Joker was the wild card.
Balanced adventuring party. With her sight, they have already disabled a few snare traps!
Futaba herself was surprised at the sheer sight that Necro gave her, while the rest of the Thieves were only aided by the funny mushrooms she could see fine in the dark, night vision was one of many options she had for sight.
A ping sounded on one of her screens alerting her to a Shadow in the distance, "Look alive! One coming from 12 o'clock and circling!" A much louder ping occurred a split second later as a Shadow jumped down from the canopy into Joker its claws digging into him.
She messed up!
Joker was pushed into a tree as the Shadow revealed itself, three crows? "Asigning name! Fighting Crow! Another Shadow is on the way!"
"Dormin Rush!" With a flash of light blades slashed at the crows, two dodged it while the last fell to the ground asleep.
The caws of laughter forced her to focus this was her job! To stay on top of things! "One of the crows ran face-first into her Persona, she stumbled back Necromonicon's illusion shattering revealing her and her Persona to the rest of the crows.
"Flash Bomb!" Bright!
The shockwave shook the crows lightning danced from their feathers as Joker jumped in front, his knife glittering in the dark as Mothman appeared in front, and nuclear fire sprung forth and slammed into the crow defeating one.
Panther had already burned the sleeping one alive.
The single crow looked around, its eyes betraying its own fear as it escaped?
It makes sense… but from what Magus told her about Shadows they typically fought-
"Behind us!"
"Mona block!" A laughing ball of faces slammed into Mona a twinkle of light shined as Mona shifted slightly his blade pushing the gathering devil back.
The creature had attacked them the moment that the front team got into a fight, Its mouths sang some twisted tune jamming their communicators and making persona summoning harder. They had to catch up as the ball of faces had slammed into her knocking her back into the denser part of the trees.
Skull's bat slammed into it sending it bouncing into the tree as Mona and her rapidly fired shots into the ball cursed magic washed over the pair from another as it sprung forward.
Resistant to Physical, neutral to guns.
"Avenger!" The spirit of vengeance heeded her call, her headache growing worse, as he threw the ball of faces into the other one momentarily stopping their song.
"Zorro/Seitan Taisei!"The duo of Personae appeared as lightning and wind swirled around the pair turning them to dust.
"C-n you he- me? Can you hear me!" Oracle's voice was a balm to her.
"We kicked some ass! Leave the sneak attacks to us!"
"My eyes are perfect for this place! I can see so clearly!" Morgana's cat-like eyes glinted in the dark, although he may not be a cat in soul or mind his body had the features of one.
"Then I'll leave the navigation behind us to you, Mona!"
"I'm getting a weird reading, I think it's a safe room?" The entire party had met up, and Akira glanced at everyone, He didn't feel like they got too far into the forest, but he had no sense of direction in this place.
It all felt the same. He thought they were walking in circles, and a combination of Futaba and his Third Eye helped stop the ambushing Shadows.
He had managed to convince one to join their side, a Badb Catha, according to Magus it was one of three Irish war goddesses. The other Shadows were ones he managed to find already in Mementos which was weird to him. Typically Shadows only started to appear in Mementos after they defeated the Palace Ruler…
But the safe room was a tree with a hole in it.
He certainly wasn't expecting that. It warped to show a … bookstore's breakroom.
This whole Palace was different than the rest, the closest was Magus's Palace, but it was a lot smaller and condensed than this Palace.
Everyone had gathered around the central table. "How are we doing?"
"Hm… I can't sense the treasure… But I think we are on the right track?" Mona spoke up.
Ah, how he wished every palace was as small as Hakuno's…
As a leader… "How's everyone feeling?"
"The ambushes from behind are rare, and between Magus and Mona we can catch em so we rolling to go." Skull-
"It's raring to go Skull." Magus quietly said as the blonde paused, his smile faltering for a split second. If the pair of them are needed to make sure they aren't ambushed then…
"Skull swap with Queen," Their lead group would focus on offense, Queen can make sure that none of the more squishy members of the group would be safe enough. "Take a few minutes and rest up." The group spread out, well as much as they could in the small room.
Hakuno was starting to dislike the woods, she missed the sun. They had stopped for a moment, only a handful of trees were supporting the canopy, still too dense to see the sky.
"This is perhaps… the strangest Palace we have seen. All the old ones were buildings…" Mona mumbled, "Even the ones I visited before joining."
"I think… we haven't reached the actual core of the place yet, we probably will find a hunting cabin or something around the treasure." Queen's analysis was most likely correct, Hakuno didn't know exactly why she felt it was true.
Behind you.
Who!?
Eiga burst behind her as vines were burned. A nearby tree smiled as vines rapidly formed into a Swift Strike. Queen's fist glowed with nuclear energy as she smashed the face turning the shadow into dust.
"God I hate mimics…"Oracle spoke, "They read as normal trees until they attack." A few moments passed as she felt someone bump into her. Quickly turning around she slammed her staff into-
Joker?
Joker grunted in pain, "Woah wait!"
Queen, Mona, and herself stood in front of the rest of the Thieves, Hakuno couldn't see Oracle but…
"How did you get ahead of us?" Fox asked, his voice hiding something.
"Did you get turned around?" Hakuno asked confused. Why would they go behind them?
Oracle's Persona flickered and appeared over the group, "No one's a doppelganger, don't worry. Skull, head straight ahead again." Skull looked up and then shrugged as he walked forward.
After a few moments, his form hidden from them from a mix of darkness and foliage… "Woah what the heck!" Skull was behind the group.
"I knew it!" Oracle's mad cackle echoed over their earpieces.
Hakuno was glad that she didn't have speakers on that thing…
"We are in the lost woods!"
Lost Woods?
Everyone else had a look of confusion as well, "Seriously? No one plays LOZ?"
"Oracle, please focus." Fox spoke up, his voice calm, "Can your sight pierce the illusions we are encountering?"
"Yeah yeah, hold your horse Inari. If it's like the game then… let's head right." The leading group headed forward, A few moments passed and the rest of the team didn't appear behind them Queen shrugged.
"Let's head right then?"
Each step was marked by a slightly less populated amount of trees. Twists and turns, a few lefts and rights. A good handful of times they had to restart. Their communicators did work between the weird maze and luckily Shadow spawns were very limited in the 'Lost Woods'.
"It's fine Magus…it's my fault you fell into that trap…" Mona was depressed.
She was trying to forget that snare trap accident. At least cameras didn't work in the Metaverse and it happened amongst friends she could trust…
"Hold up everyone! I'm sensing a strong Shadow ahead!" Oracle's voice cut through the mood like butter.
"Magus, how's your reser-" Joker's voice started before Oracle piped up.
"Magus is slightly above half."
…
Her Od reserves were around half did Oracle's scans pierce even her soul?...
Well in a way a Persona is your other half, and they do reside close to their souls…
"I told you I can see it!" Hakuno rolled her eyes at Futaba's cackling, it makes sense her Persona is made to see through things. And quoting Joker to keep the mood light is on track.
"Perhaps we don't rely on Magus this time?" Fox's voice caused a bit of confusion over the coms as everyone went silent. "I believe we are relying too much on her for that ability, I fear our own abilities might suffer from it."
"He's got a point, mini-bosses are half-dead before we even get to em."
"And there doesn't seem to be any trees I can finally let loose!"
On one hand, Hakuno's opinion was that the faster they finished the fight less chance for danger but on the other hand it was tiring and Hakuno had awakened the entire team the day before.
And it lets her use her Od for a personal project she is working on for a worse-case scenario…
"From now on, I think it might be best for Oracle to set up the best timing for it. Think you can handle it?"
Hakuno could feel the elation coming from Oracle, while Necronomicon was still invisible, Hakuno could faintly feel where she was due to the slight movements that it caused…
"I'm fine with it," Hakuno said softly. An unknown feeling fluttered in her chest, something at least for now she could push aside for later.
The group spread out, and Joker slowly approached the large hunched Shadow. His grappling hook came flying towards the Shadow.
It was caught.
The Shadow slowly turned its head before shrieking its form turning to black mud as a large green woman appeared, black crow wings coming from her back matching her black armor.
"Mortals who defy the hunt! I will put you out of your misery!" With a wave of her sword sending out a shockwave, the battle began.
"Warrior Queen on the right!" Oracle's voice resounded as in a split second the feathered woman was on Fox. His blade parried the Queen's sword in a flash and numerous cuts appeared on her body.
"Anubis!" The Jackal-headed god rained down blades of light as it rapidly flew back, Avenger's mad cackle echoed as he dashed forward claws bathed in cursed flames. His claws forced her to go low right in range!
"Whip 'em, Persona!/Feel my rage!" The motorbike on one side, the monkey king on the other. Nuclear Energy and the raw strength of the one who defied the heavens slammed into the Angelic being.
Swords of light went flying, one had been stabbed into Avenger his form turning to dust as her mask reformed. Hakuno felt the wave of energy drain as she forced herself to go behind a tree as another blade of light impaled where she once stood.
Half a dozen large balls of flame were thrown Hakuno watched as Panther's whip cracked as they converged onto the flying Queen, Wind whirled trapping the Queen as she baked in the flaming twister.
The twister dissipated after a moment both Mona and Panther panted as they couldn't see the Shadow.
"Is it over?" Skull breathed out.
"NO!" The Shadow's wounds were bad but!
She held Necronomicon!
"Terror Claw!" Hakuno felt her soul churn her Od sprung forth as Avenger was summoned behind the Shadow. Futaba was thrown to the ground her Persona flickering but didn't disappear.
Winds whirled around the Shadow pushing Avenger away and healing her.
"Drains wind!" Futaba's voice cried out. Mona dashed forward his arms outstretched as blades of wind slammed into him shielding the UFO.
Hakuno grits her teeth, "Come on, let's show them what we can do!" Hakuno felt a glint, a small flicker of Magical Energy as Panther spoke.
Hakuno nodded, the world shifting and warping around the pair. Columns of stone erupted around them, and a large brazier formed behind them, in front of them the Warrior Queen looked around confused.
Hakuno placed her hand on the brazier, "Pseudo-Noble Phantasm deployment, heed our call flames of Olympus!"
Both black and red flames swirled around the brazier before shooting into the boundless blue sky. A twinkle of light came down and rested inside.
"I'll take that!" Panther jumped into the brazier the flames shifted around her, so close that she could feel the heat but avoided coming in contact.
Panther felt the handle before even eyeing the blade removing it from deep within the center of the brazier, the scarlet sword swallowed the fire before she jumped out of it.
"Aestus Estus, swing once more for her glory!" Hakuno could feel the rush, for a moment Hakuno saw the blonde replaced by another, one whose green eyes bore deep within.
"I got it~ How did it go again… oh right!" Her stance was reminiscent, her voice betrayed her joy, "Veil of Petals!" A flurry of roses appeared as Panther moved at speeds impossible for her normal self.
Flames erupted the moment the blade came in contact with the Warrior Queen as the blade had cracked its explosion rocketed the area as Avenger appeared behind Hakuno, in his arms Panther sat with a smirk.
The warrior queen faded as all Shadows do, a rusted iron key was on the ground where she stood, Hakuno watched as Joker pocketed it.
"Safe room up ahead." Futaba's voice was only slightly shaky, Hakuno decided that she would check up on the girl later tonight.
"Think this is far enough for the day, How are you holding up Oracle? I know this is your first mission but…" Queen's voice carried concern that Hakuno was grateful for. Oracle's goggles hid her eyes but not the blush on her cheeks.
"Psh I wasn't scared. I knew you guys would protect me. Thank you." Hakuno rolled her eyes as Futaba pet the not-a-cat who let loose a groan., "We're bout a quarter of the way done…"
Mona nodded, "I think I'm getting a vague scent of the Treasure…"
"Good, alright rest for the rest today and tomorrow, if she kills tonight we will go in tomorrow… But we can't kill ourselves in rushing this Palace." Joker's statement made sense. Hakuno sighed as they left the strange Palace.
Author's Notes: Welp, that was an… annoyingly hard chapter to do for some reason. And a weird ending. Workin Overtime+BG3 binging+Own difficulties led this chapter to come out like this and it being a bit late.
A glimpse of Yusuke's magecraft! Well another glimpse.
Might not release a chapter next week, I plan to but I have a decent amount of overtime in my future… But I will try!