Chapter XVIII: The Goddess and Her Persona's Ascendancy
The National Diet Building (国会議事堂)/Chambers of the House of Councilors/Distorted Chiyoda, Tokyo (千代田区, 東京)/1:20 PM (JST)
As he parried Sion and Tennyo's attacks, Datenshi barely gleaned behind him as Crow came charging behind him. The Angel of Hope produced a barrier to halt Crow's advance. Then, he flew forward, pushing Sion and Tennyo against a wall. Preparing to shoot them with his Arrows of Light, Joker summoned Satanael.
Upon firing Riot Gun, Datenshi guarded himself with a barrier, deflecting the fallen angel's attack. Seizing the advantage, Sion jumped Datenshi from behind and struck him with his Circulating Pulse. After slashing Datenshi's back with repeated slashes with his Queenslayer and Hanemukuro, the Revenant then kicked Datenshi into Satanael, as the Persona fired Sinful Shell through his left wing. After his left wing was torn off, Joker quickly turned to Violet.
"Are you ready for this?" He asked.
"Let's do this, Ren-senpai! It's our time to shine!"
Suddenly, Datenshi watched his surroundings transform from Chambers of the House of Councilors to the inside of a cathedral. Confused but seemingly not impressed, Datenshi scoured for his two enemies. He didn't even notice Violet running up a stairway. Violet abruptly paused when she spotted Joker swinging toward her using his grappling hook.
"Shall we?" Violet coyly asked as Joker scooped her up and flew around the cathedral's ceiling. As they wove around several pillars, Joker pointed his pistol and fired at Datenshi. Caught off guard, Datenshi barely noticed the incoming bullets. After receiving a few bullets, he then narrowly dodged more bullets. Joker then tossed Violet into the air.
"He's yours!" Joker called out as Violet somersaulted into the air and dove into Datenshi. Just then, Violet's older sister reappeared and grabbed Violet's hand.
"We're on!" Violet cried out as she and her sister performed a duet dance. Then, they finished their dance by slashing Datenshi with their rapiers. Completing their dance, Violet announced. "Now, our grand finale!" As Kasumi vanished, Violet leaned into Joker's arms."We did it, senpai!"
Having been cut by Violet's attacks, Datenshi chortled. "Excellent form, but I'm still standing."
"Not for long!" Sion called out, running up toward Datenshi with his dual weapons. As he swung his dual blades, Datenshi narrowly dodged, but then Tennyo jumped over Sion and cast Divine Thorn, which shattered the Angel of Control's barrier. This enabled Sion to invoke his Final Journey, which increased his health and abilities. "It's over for you, Kanashī Seishin!"
As Sion ran toward Datenshi, the Angel of Control smirked and beckoned him to deliver his attack.
"Are you sure you want to finish me off? If I die, you cease to exist."
"I've already decided! I don't even need to kill you to beat you!" Sion shouted, surprising Datenshi with quick and multiple slashes with his Queenslayer and Hanemukuro. After hitting him with his barrage of strikes, Sion kicked Datenshi far back, sending him flying into the ceiling.
Aided by his Persona, Satanael, Joker fired his Riot Gun. Violet fired shots from her rifle. Crow unleashed Megidolaon. Seeing their attacks coming, Datenshi dodged and enveloped himself in a golden sheen of light.
"Well done. Between your Metaverse abilities, Persona, and Revenant abilities, I'm finding myself in a bind here. Your battles with the Yokai and Lost have increased your abilities and prepared you for this moment," the Angel of Control gave an effervescent chuckle. Just then, the golden light continued to seamlessly consume him. Hanging above him is the image of Yaldabaoth, whose essence began shrinking down to human size and merged with Datenshi. The Persona's body then split itself as its pieces combined with Datenshi.
"Damn, I don't like this," Crow muttered dreadfully.
"Yaldabaoth!" Joker painstakingly eyed the God of Control's essence merging with Datenshi and changing his outward appearance.
"I'm ready to fight, Ren-senpai," Violet vowed, tightly gripping her rapier.
"Sion! Are you ok?" Tennyo asked, noticing Sion's face contorting with pain as a vibrant red aura flared over him. "This technique appears dangerous! You'll need to get out of it!"
"Sorry, but I can't…" Sion replied, gritting his teeth. "But, if I'm going down, I'm taking the bastard with me."
Upon hearing this, Tennyo grimaced. "You can't!"
Suddenly, the golden sheen surrounding Datenshi shattered like glass as hundreds of shards shot across the room. Joker and the others took cover, avoiding getting splintered by the glass shards. As they looked up, Datenshi materialized in his new form. With Yaldabaoth's body fully merged with Datenshi, the Angel of Control became a being of armored light. Yaldabaoth four golden-armored wings were on full display across Datenshi's back. He has on a faceless golden helmet, which was once Yaldabaoth's head. His entire armored body of white, black, and gold trim flashed across his magnificent form.
Descending from the ceiling, Datenshi raised his arms and examined his new armored body. A calm but devilish smirk adorned the man's face, sensing his power has greatly increased. He noted the apprehensive looks on everyone's face, eliciting a composed chuckle from the Angel of Control.
"I can see from your speechless looks, you now marvel at my power. Yes, tremble before me. For not even fallen angels can defeat me now," Datenshi said, eyeing Satanael, his body remembering being shot and destroyed by Satanael's finishing blow. "Having merged with the God of Control, I've ascended into an almighty angel sent to punish those who've dug too deep the rabbit hole. Your fates have all been decided. For I, Yaldabaoth ΩX, will purge your pestilence away."
The Phantom thief trio, Sion, and Tennyo readied stances, but Yaldabaoth ΩX's aura unleashed a powerful wave, which wiped out the entire chamber, tossing back, ripping apart and destroying the seats in the room. His power even caused enough pressure to tear open the ceiling and bring it down. As the Thieves, Sion, and Tennyo escaped the collapsing ceiling, Satanael stopped the falling debris with Sinful Shell.
Suddenly, Satanael was quickly wiped out by Yaldabaoth ΩX's aura, who sauntered toward the group.
"That's for the Yaldabaoth part of me. Now, we can pick up where we left off, my friends," Yaldabaoth ΩX said, not showing the least bit of concern with his adversaries.
"I've only got a limited time left, Hifumi. We've got to make this count," Sion murmured to her.
"What do you mean by 'limited time'?" She asked as Sion turned and faced Yaldabaoth ΩX. As he flung himself toward Yaldabaoth ΩX, she screamed. "Wait, Sion!"
Approaching the Angel of Control, Sion fiercely attacked him with his Queenslayer and Hanemukuro. To Sion's shock, Yaldabaoth ΩX effortlessly parried his attacks.
"What are you surprised about, Sion? Is my power too powerful for you? Have my reflexes gotten better?" Yaldabaoth ΩX asked as Sion backed away and sprang forward to attack him again. "Predictable. You're intending to attack me now because you've utilized a technique which increases your power, but it comes with a cost: your life."
Upon hearing this, the Thieves and Tennyo were shocked, but none were more horrified by this revelation than Tennyo. Unable to take this news to heart, Tennyo almost dropped to her knees. She watched Sion vigorously attacking Yaldabaoth ΩX as if his life depended on it.
"Hifumi, snap out of it! Sion needs our help!" Joker called out to her, but she was still deep in thoughts and worried over Sion. "Violet, Crow, help Sion!" The Phantom Thief quickly raced over and knelt in front of Tennyo. "Hifumi! Hey, Hifumi! Listen, Sion needs our help!"
Tennyo was unresponsive.
"How can we be sure Datenshi isn't lying? Sion might be reckless, but he wouldn't… would he?" He asked, noticing the scared glare in Tennyo's eyes. "What did Sion tell you?"
"He didn't… tell me anything, but the technique he used… he said if he's going down, he's taking Datenshi with him."
"Then, he's taking a gamble!" Joker gritted as he grabbed Tennyo's hand. "Please, Hifumi, regardless we need to help him beat Datenshi. He can't beat him alone, especially not now!"
Shaking her head, Tennyo felt a rush of anxiety coursing through her. She felt a lump in her throat and her mouth becoming dry.
"Please, Hifumi."
As Joker's words reached her, Tennyo closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Tightening her grip on her ko-naginata, Tennyo stood and faced Joker.
"You're right. I can't wallow in fear of what might happen. Sion does need us."
Joker nodded. "That's the gambling spirit I've always admired about you."
"Then, let's take this gamble and if we are to lose, let's lose with grace, but I don't intend to lose my life or Sion's!" Tennyo boldly yelled out. Having regained some confidence thanks to Joker, she and the Phantom Thief rushed toward the fray where Sion, Crow, and Violet engaged Yaldabaoth ΩX in a heated battle.
As Yaldabaoth ΩX conjured and fired his Ω Arrows of Light, Crow and Violet's Personas defended them from the Angel of Control's onslaught. Using Ella, Violet cast Kougaon on the Angel of Control and slashed him with her Sword Dance. With Hereward, Crow cast Debilitate, seemingly neutralizing the Angel of Control. When Crow went for his Riot Gun, Yaldabaoth ΩX fired energy beams, halting Crow's attack. As Violet came to Crow's defense, the Angel of Control fired beams toward her, but Sion stepped in and cut through his attacks with his blades.
Once Joker and Tennyo joined in, the former summoned Raoul. Using Heat Riser, he increased Tennyo's power, giving her a boost to fight Yaldabaoth ΩX. Using Raoul, Joker cast Eiagon, which barely did minimal damage to Yaldabaoth ΩX. However, the Third-Tier Persona's attack garnered Yaldabaoth ΩX's attention.
"So, this is the power of a higher level Persona. Yes, the Yaldabaoth in me recognizes this Persona is more powerful than Satanael, but it won't be enough of a decisive factor," Yaldabaoth ΩX declared, firing powerful beams from his body.
Targeted by the Angel of Control's Ω Rays of Control, Joker narrowly escaped from being decimated. Raoul quickly collided head-on with the Angel of Control's attack, defending Joker from the rays.
Meanwhile, Tennyo jumped high into the air and fired her Divine Thorn at Yaldabaoth ΩX. However, the Angel of Control nullified her lightning attack. He then flew up and snatched her arm, flinging her toward Sion, who dove in and caught her. However, Yaldabaoth ΩX didn't stop and formed a golden sphere with one hand. As he tossed his Supernova, he overwhelmed the Thieves, Sion, and Tennyo with its destructive force. Joker, Crow, and Violet's Personas were also wiped out.
"It's amazing how much power I wield now. Even I'm afraid of it," Yaldabaoth ΩX muttered, flabbergasted with how quickly he defeated his opponents. Gazing over the decimated chamber, he saw Joker, Sion, Tennyo, Crow, and Violet lying in a heap and critically hurt from his attack. "Please do not take this personally, but I never had ill intentions towards any of you, especially not you, Sion. I'm sorry for telling you the truth, but I simply couldn't withhold it any longer."
As he barely started to move, Sion scowled. "You bastard…"
"It hurts me to hear you say that, Sion."
"You're full of crap."
"Well, allow me to indulge you on what I intend to do next. Once I've eased your pains, I'll give you all peaceful deaths. After I destroy this dimension, I intend to end my own life and suffering. So, I may be free of my curse and remove myself from Yaldabaoth's power. With the last of my power, I will return to my dimension and reunite with my wife in the afterlife," the Angel of Control raised his head, visualizing his beloved's face. "She's waiting for me. I know she is."
"Is she ok with what you're doing? I bet, she's suffering worse," Sion muttered, picking up his two weapons.
As Joker slowly came to, his blurred vision barely discerned Sion's face-off against Yaldabaoth ΩX. He then noticed his pistol laying in front of him and reached for it. Just then, a light arrow knocked the pistol away. Turning away, Joker furiously gazed toward the Angel of Control.
"This is between us, Phantom Thief. I'll be with the rest of you shortly," Yaldabaoth ΩX firmly stated.
"Datenshi! You can forget about seeing your wife again after I send you to hell!" Sion roared, running steadfastly at the Angel of Control. Brandishing his two blades, he attacked Yaldabaoth ΩX with reckless abandon.
"Back to your conventional attacks? How predictable, Sion!" Yaldabaoth ΩX taunted the Revenant, parrying and dodging Sion's double blades. When Sion attempted beheading him with his Queenslayer, Yaldabaoth ΩX caught his sword and repelled him with beams.
After being blasted away, Sion was swiftly put down. Yaldabaoth ΩX descended near his enemies and prepared his Ω Rays of Control.
"It's time for you to meet eternal sleep, children," Yaldabaoth ΩX declared.
With that, rays of light fired. Sion and Joker watched in horror as the beams headed for them first. Closing their eyes, they resigned to their fates.
However, out of the blue, Tennyo used her remaining power, conjuring three Shogi constructs in front of Joker, Sion, Crow, and Violet. Tennyo then manifested her Shogi Shield, stopping Yaldabaoth ΩX's rays of light. Attempting to push back the Angel of Control's beams with her Shogi pieces, the rays converged into one beam and shattered her Shogi constructs. The beam then shot through Tennyo's chest, piercing her heart. Spitting a mouthful of blood, Tennyo collapsed as her mouth mask came off.
Upon watching Tennyo fall, Sion screamed a heart-wrenching cry. "NO! HIFUMI!"
"Si...on…" Tennyo weakly muttered, lifting her hand for him.
Even Yaldabaoth ΩX was taken aback by Tennyo's selfless act of courage, putting herself above Sion and the others. He hadn't intended to target Tennyo until after getting rid of Joker and Sion. Her sacrifice to save his clone made him reflect on the sacrifices his colleagues made to ensure his survival in the past wars in Osaka.
"Hifumi!" Sion called out, running over to retrieve his lover. As he tried shaking her lightly, she became unresponsive. Her eyes were closed. Her shallow breathing ceased. Her skin started to lose its natural color.
She was dead.
"TOGO HIFUMI!" The Revenant let out a heart-wrenching scream. Putting down Tennyo's body, blood poured from her. Some of her blood stained his clothes. Normally, he'd indulge in drinking blood, but he neglected his thirst and turned toward Yaldabaoth ΩX with sheer, raw anger. His eyes glowed bright red in response to the Angel of Control's actions. "YOU FUCKING BASTARD! YOU MURDERED HER!"
Having lost his composure, Sion rushed headlong with Yaldabaoth ΩX and attacked him with blind rage. Joker, Crow, and Violet couldn't believe what they saw. With Hifumi gone, there was no one to restrain Sion's unbridled fury. Picking himself up, Joker summoned Raoul again and ran over to Tennyo. When Violet tried to heal Tennyo with Diarahan, it was no use.
"Nothing I'm doing is reviving her! C'mon, wake up, Hifumi!" Violet pleaded, using Ella to try and revive the woman.
"And now without Hifumi, Sion's gone mad!" Crow exclaimed.
"Sion!" Joker called out to him, but his cries fell on the Revenant's deaf ears while he continued his blind assault on Yaldabaoth ΩX.
As he manifested his Ogre-Type Blood Veil, Sion delivered a brutal claw slash at Yaldabaoth ΩX, creating an impulsive shockwave that knocked the Angel of Control away. When Sion rushed forward and slammed down Yaldabaoth ΩX with his clawed hand, he unleashed fiery blasts and bombarded him with Frenzied Fire.
"DIE, DATENSHI! FUCKING DIE ALREADY!"
After inflicting reasonable damage to Yaldabaoth ΩX, Sion then dropped to his right knee and sank his head, heavily panting. Throwing his head back and roaring menacingly, a black and red aura radiated around the Revenant. As the aura engulfed Sion, he started mutating in front of his spectators. The effects of his Final Journey and Hifumi's death took its toll on him.
Feeling his BOR Parasite pulsating inside his chest, Sion screamed with pain and fury. His screams became beastly bellows, which terrified Joker, Crow, and Violet. As Sion underwent his mutation into a Lost, he retained his humanoid size and appearance. The top of his head morphed into a crown-like appendage. His hairstyle was retained, but its color turned silver. Sion's eyes turned dark blue with black irises. His upper body clothing turned nearly all black with elements of his four Blood Veils meshed with his body. His Hounds became shoulder guard armor. His hands mutated into two Ogre claws. The Stinger now doubled as the Lost's tail. Spiked ivy shards spread all over his arms and legs. As he raised his face, he ripped the Revenant mask off him and wore a cruel smile, giving Joker, Crow, and Violet frightening vibes.
"What's happened to him?!" Crow shouted, taken aback by Sion's mutation into a Lost.
"Senpai, what is this?!" Violet cried out, her eyes widening with horror.
"He's transformed into a lost," Joker answered, grinding his teeth as Yaldabaoth ΩX floated down near the newly mutated Lost.
"So, your Lost transformation has manifested," Yaldabaoth ΩX acknowledged. "So, what shall I call you now? Veinragna?"
Hearing his new name, the Lost's cruel smile spread further across his face. He then let out a fierce roar and charged toward Yaldabaoth ΩX. Conjuring shards from his body, Veinragna fired them at Yaldabaoth ΩX. As Yaldabaoth ΩX blasted them with his Ω Arrows of Light, Veinragna quickly vanished out of his plain view.
When Yaldabaoth ΩX felt the Lost's presence behind him, he spun around but was met with a barrage of shards piercing his body. Veinragna drove both of his claws into the Angel of Control and ripped out pieces of his armor. Veinragna tail whipped Yaldabaoth ΩX away and grabbed his left leg with the same Stinger tail. Tossing Yaldabaoth ΩX around with his tail, Veinragna tossed the Angel of Control and slammed him into another wall.
"He just might be able to finish Datenshi!" Violet shouted.
"But, he lost all reason once Hifumi died! As soon as she died, this monster took over!" Crow reminded them. "Joker, we might have no choice but to put him down. He's going to present a threat to us."
Hesitant to take such a drastic measure, Joker watched Veinragna mercilessly tearing into Yaldabaoth ΩX. As he veered toward Tennyo's body, he closed his fists and turned, sending Raoul to attack Yaldabaoth ΩX first.
As Raoul tried to use Eigaon, Crow's theory proved correct as Veinragna fiercely attacked the Persona.
"Fine. So be it!" Joker growled. "I'm sorry, Sion!" He used Eigaon on Veinragna instead, knocking him toward the hole in the ceiling. As Veinragna landed on the collapsed rooftop, it set its sights on both Joker and Yaldabaoth ΩX. Readying its Queenslayer, the Lost swooped down and attacked Raoul first. As it wildly swung its blade at the Persona, Yaldabaoth ΩX blasted the Lost with beams and grabbed Veinragna's Queenslayer sword. Pulling away its sword, Veinragna stabbed Yaldabaoth ΩX with it.
While Joker and Raoul fought off Veinragna, the Angel of Control used this time to heal himself. Then, he was met with resistance from Crow and Violet, who sent their Personas to attack him.
"Don't think you're getting off easy, Datenshi!" Crow chastised him.
"This is all your fault! Hifumi is dead and Sion has turned into a monster because of you!" Violet scornfully berated the Angel of Control.
While fighting off their Persona, Yaldabaoth ΩX fired his Ω Rays of Control. As he kept Crow and Violet occupied, he healed himself from their assault and used his Yaldabaoth Persona, unleashing a huge prismatic power, which greatly damaged Crow and Violet. After knocking the two Thieves back, the Angel of Control faced the opposite way. He viewed Joker's fight against Veinragna.
As he fired rounds into Veinragna, Joker witnessed all of his bullets being deflected by the Lost's Ogre hands and Stinger tail. As Veinragna flung his tail at Joker, Raoul cast Phantom Show, temporarily putting Veinragna to sleep.
"Forgive me, Sion," Joker readied his dagger and charged at the sleeping Lost.
Suddenly, Yaldabaoth ΩX fired another prismatic force, shoving Joker and Veinragna into a wall. Then, after hitting them with his Ω Arrows of Light, Yaldabaoth ΩX neutralized his two enemies.
"No one kills Sion on my watch," Yaldabaoth ΩX muttered, floating over toward a fallen Veinragna. Raising his hand, he prepared to finish the Lost off.
Just then, the other Phantom Thieves and Revenants arrived just in time to see Yaldabaoth ΩX about to finish off Veinragna. However, Veinragna quickly recovered and slashed the Angel of Control's chest. Veinragna then lunged into Yaldabaoth ΩX and pushed him into the opposite side of the chamber.
"What the hell is going on here?!" Louis exclaimed. "Is a Lost…?! No, that's…!"
"Sion!" Mia cried out fearfully.
"No way, that's really Sion?!" Yakumo shouted.
"Damn it, what did Datenshi do to him?!" Jack snarled.
"Datenshi must've turned him into a Lost somehow!" Eva said.
"Joker!" Panther and Mona cried out as they hurried over to him.
"Oh no! Hifumi!" Fox exclaimed as he and the others spotted Tennyo's body lying in a pool of blood.
"Oh no…" Noir gasped in horror, covering her mouth.
"Hifumi!" Queen cried out.
As the Thieves rushed over to Tennyo's body, the other Revenants quickly turned toward Yaldabaoth ΩX and attacked him. After each Revenant drove the Angel of Control back, they tried tending to Veinragna, who was beyond reason. The Lost viciously attacked his fellow Revenants, prompting Louis to use his Ogre-Type Blood Veil to hold Veinragna back.
"Sion, it's us! We have a good idea of why you transformed! That bastard killed Hifumi, didn't he?! And that caused you to snap and turn into a Lost!" Louis yelled out, reasoning with his friend. "We don't want to destroy you, Sion!"
"I hate to say it, but we might not have a choice. Once one turns into a Lost, there's no going back," Jack said, brandishing his Executioner sword.
"I wish there was another way," Eva sighed with sadness, lifting her Libertador bayonet and aiming for Veinragna.
"It can't end this way!" Mia cried out.
Suddenly, the Hound heads on Veinragna's shoulders came to life and attacked the Revenants. Yakumo invoked his Hound-Type Blood Veil, defending him and the others with his two Hound heads from Veinragna's. With its Queenslayer, Veinragna slashed and repelled Louis back.
"Louis!" Yakumo shouted.
Jack swiftly lunged forward and clashed swords with Veinragna. Eva quickly joined in and aided Jack.
"I'm sorry it has to come to this, Sion," Jack said regretfully, swinging his sword against Veinragna's Queenslayer.
Meanwhile, the Thieves looked up as Yaldabaoth ΩX descended near them. The Angel of Control welcomed them as he fired beams at them. As the Thieves evaded Yaldabaoth ΩX's attack, they summoned their Third-Tier Personas.
"This will be quite the fitting place for your demise, Phantom Thieves of Hearts," Yaldabaoth ΩX said as the sky above the assembly room opened with cracks. Invoking his reality warping abilities, the Angel of Control prepared to collapse the entire dimension and wipe out all of existence.
With the Thieves and Revenants preoccupied, Tennyo's body remained still. Now dead, her spirit had nowhere to go but the afterlife.
Or, did it?
?-?
Opening her eyes, the first thing Togo Hifumi saw were rays of white light seamlessly raining all over the place. Once she began to stir, Hifumi let out a muffled groan and raised her head. Grasping her face, Hifumi's blurred vision was clarified by the beams of white light that awoke her.
"Am I in heaven? Have I truly died?" Hifumi wondered aloud, bewildered by the pure white light surrounding the environment. While scouring the space, she heard her voice echoing far in the distance. Realizing she might be alone, she wandered and stepped into an endless meadow of white flowers.
Standing across from her is a 20-foot high white tree brimming with red bead-shaped objects, similar to the amber bead Sion brought with him, instead of leaves. These beads seemed to act like fruit for this specific tree. As Hifumi approached the pale tree, she placed her hand over it. Then, a red bead fell from a branch and landed in front of her.
"This is… this looks like that amber bead I touched," she identified its likeness and picked up the red bead. "Wait, this must be one of those Blood Beads Sion told me about."
"You are correct, Togo Hifumi. Those are artificially grown to supplement a Revenant's thirst," a new, mild-sounding woman's voice chimed in, catching Hifumi by surprise.
"Who's there?!" Hifumi called out as a ball of amber light appeared and shone brightly in front of her. "The amber bead?!"
"I am the life source that still dwells in this bead. It was you who inherited my essence and my powers. Furthermore, we are not in heaven. This is the space inside your mind."
"My mind space? Then, you must be…" Before Hifumi could finish, the glowing amber bead formed a humanoid body, manifesting an ethereal amber form initially until the light gained a solid and organic form.
Coming face to face with Hifumi is a pale-skinned woman with short, neck-length white hair with longer hair tips extending to her shoulders. Opening her eyes, Hifumi saw distinguishing golden yellow eyes. The woman has a demure face and a small nose. She is seen wearing worn and torn articles of white clothing akin to the top half of a dress and a white see-through cloth on her right forearm. The top part of her dress, a torn see-through top with thin straps, exposed her full-bosomed breasts, which Hifumi hardly paid any mind to. Her left wrist and forearm are covered in bandages. Her entire right left is heavily bandaged up to the thigh. Worn around her neck is a thin wire with a red gem in it.
"My name is Io. It's a pleasure to meet you, Togo Hifumi," the pale Revenant greeted her with sincerity. Walking barefooted toward Hifumi, Io grabbed her hands. "And you have my thanks for taking care of my Sion."
"But, is he really named Sion? According to Datenshi, he's just a clone of some Revenant, who has his likeness."
Softly smiling, Io nodded. "That may be true, but that doesn't invalidate his existence. He still has the likeness and living essence of the Revenant I accompanied on his journey where we come from. My amber bead just happened to fall into Sion's hands."
"What about the other Revenant Sion was based on?"
"I don't know, but I don't believe he is entirely gone."
"But, he couldn't save me from getting killed by Datenshi. I ended up sacrificing myself to save Sion. I've let him and you down, Io."
Io once again nodded, her soft smile fading. "You're wrong, Hifumi. You made the selfless sacrifice to save Sion. I would've done the same."
"But, it's over, isn't it? I've died and by extension, your powers cease as well."
"That's not true, Hifumi. This is merely a setback."
"It is? I don't quite understand? Am I truly dead?"
"You are, but my essence still courses through her body as we speak. You haven't realized it, but ever since you've inherited my essence and power, your body has undergone a mutation. Hifumi, have you not noticed your wounds quickly healing? And how you've been able to perform feats beyond human comprehension? You've been able to manifest abilities utilized by Revenants."
"Yes, I've realized this, but this is all because of your powers."
"My powers are yours now. You have made them your own and improvised them, far surpassing my expectations."
"So, am I becoming a Revenant? Like Sion and his friends?"
"No, you do not possess a BOR Parasite and you don't require blood for sustenance. You've only taken on some of the natures exhibited by Revenants, such as instant regenerative abilities, being able to manifest a Blood Veil, and performing superhuman feats, including super strength, speed, and durability attributes."
"Then, I'm like a demi-Revenant."
"Yes, more or less, but you're still more human than Sion, his friends, and me," Io openly smiled, shifting her eyes to her own hands holding Hifumi's. "Even now I can feel my essence growing inside you. However, what truly accelerated my growing essence in you was the beautiful intercourse you and Sion initiated the other night. That alone was enough to restore the form you see before you."
Hearing this, Hifumi's cheeks flushed and almost diverted her gaze from Io, who smiled. She couldn't feel any more awkward than what he was feeling right now.
"It's ok. There's nothing to be ashamed of. That intercourse was the culmination of your love for Sion."
"I suppose."
"It was necessary to ensure my rebirth. Thank you, Hifumi."
"You make it sound like I'm pregnant with you."
"In a way you are, but only in a spiritual sense. You carry my spiritual seed within you. On top of that, your death was also necessary to ensure my power's growth within you."
"My death was essential? That's a grossly morbid thing to say, Io."
"Yes, you're quite right, but trust me when I say, this is a good thing," Io said, shifting toward the pale tree standing in front of them. The red beads on the tree started glowing in conjunction with the amber bead inside Io's body. "Do you feel that, Hifumi? Our powers are growing. Very soon you will open your eyes and return to the living world."
"I'm being resurrected?" Hifumi gasped, feeling a glowing warmth inside her chest. She noted a similar glowing amber ball manifesting inside her.
"Our power is needed to restore Sion, who has frenzied and turned into a Lost."
Upon hearing this, Hifumi's eyes filled with dread. "No…" Suddenly, Io conjured a visual screen, which displayed Veinragna attacking Louis and the others. Another screen materialized and showed Yaldabaoth ΩX overwhelming the Phantom Thieves. "Oh no, Sion! What's happened to him?!"
"Your death triggered this abhorrent transformation. Losing you was the last straw that caused him to snap and turn into this Lost abomination."
"Sion, I'm sorry! I'm sorry I let myself die!"
"It's ok, Hifumi. Please relax."
"How can I when Sion's in this state?! He told me when a Revenant turns into a Lost, there's no changing them back!"
"Under normal circumstances, you'd be correct, but not in this case."
"What do you mean?" Hifumi turned and questioned Io with skepticism.
"Do you see the tree in front of us? It is known as the Weeping Tree from my world. After I absorbed the relics, I transformed myself into this tree. It is a physical tree of life that kept me from falling into a deep sleep."
"Yes, I remember everything Sion told me. He said the Weeping Tree produced fresh Blood Beads, but your core spirit created the amber Blood Bead, which I made contact with and you willfully chose me to inherit your life essence."
"Did he tell you that I was derived from the Queen's power?"
"He did."
"Then, you also inherited the Queen's essence. My power and the Queen's can grant new life. Together, those elements created the Weeping Tree and in turn developed divine powers, which you have now inherited. You can grant life and make miracles happen, including reviving one's self."
Realizing this, Hifumi looked at her hands while trying to comprehend her own mortality. "I can resurrect myself? Have I become some kind of divine being?"
"You're still mortal, but you have inherited a power befitting a goddess. As long as my power remains with you, you'll be able to make anything impossible now possible."
"Am I able to save Sion with these powers?"
The pale Revenant nodded. "Why don't you try and see for yourself?"
Closing her eyes, Hifumi mulled her decision. As she walked up to the Weeping Tree, Hifumi placed a hand on it. The pale tree came to life as a white light enveloped its brilliant living form. Reopening her eyes, Hifumi faced Io with resolve.
"Then, what are we waiting for? I'm ready," she said, walking over to Io.
"I've also come to better understand how your world works while you showed Sion your world. There are very beautiful sights. I'd like to see more."
Hifumi smiled genuinely. "Maybe after we've beaten Datenshi, I can show you more."
"And after observing these Phantom Thieves, I've learned to better understand the mechanics of how these Personas work. They're manifested based on an individual's personality traits."
"So, you'd be something like my own Persona? Yes, I think I can vibe with that very well."
Io nodded. "I could be your Persona Vein."
"Alright, how do we do this?"
"This will take a moment. Hold my hand," the Persona Vein instructed as Hifumi grabbed Io's right hand. "Now, close your eyes and focus. Do not lose concentration. Wish to be revived back to the living world."
With that, the dark brown-haired woman closed her eyes. As she deeply focused, one person, came to her mind: Sion. In that instance, Hifumi's clothes transformed back into her Tennyo appearance.
"Yes, now make your desire come true."
Hifumi pursed her lips and whispered. "Bring me back to Sion and the others." With that, Io's body transformed into an ethereal form of light that phased through Hifumi and merged with her. A bright flash of white light enveloped Hifumi and the entire mindscape as the woman's spirit was being redirected to her body.
The National Diet Building (国会議事堂)/Chambers of the House of Councilors/Distorted Chiyoda, Tokyo (千代田区, 東京)/1:55 PM (JST)
Having decisively defeated the Phantom Thieves, Yaldabaoth ΩX floated over his defeated adversaries. On the other side of the courtroom, Veinragna quickly made short work of the Revenants.
Wearing a peaceful expression, the Angel of Control addressed the Thieves. "It is futile. Sion has defeated his friends and now you're all about to meet the same fate. However, I can spare you the suffering you'll endure if Sion gets his hands on you. I can spare you the anguish of forcing you to fight your friend. My angels and I decided to give you quick and painless executions."
"We're not going to let you get the satisfaction," Joker rebuked, intensely glared down Yaldabaoth ΩX.
"I'm afraid this is the end," Yaldabaoth ΩX murmured, as he powered up a massive energy sphere to throw at the Phantom Thieves.
Standing united and facing imminent death, the Phantom Thieves stood ready to defend themselves from the coming attack. They had doubts if their last defenses could help them survive. As the Revenants tried moving, Veinragna interceded their path.
Finally, the Angel of Control tossed his sphere, which closed in and prepared to engulf the Phantom Thieves.
Suddenly, a burst of white light dissolved the sphere, much to everyone's surprise, including Yaldabaoth ΩX's. Then, in that instant, the same white energy engulfed Veinragna and subdued him from killing the Revenants. Letting out a howling scream, Veinragna dropped to his knees. The light quickly cleansed Veinragna, purging the Lost's form.
"That was too close!" Crow blinked in bewilderment.
"How did that happen?!" Violet cried out.
"We're alive, but how?!" Mona pondered.
"Take a good guess. It's Hifumi!" Queen called out in pointing to the source of the energy, which came from Hifumi's glowing body.
All the blood Hifumi lost was reabsorbed into her body. Her grisly wound closed up and healed. As her heart was restored, a loud heartbeat was heard, which rejuvenated Hifumi to life, as her eyes shot wide open. She slowly started rising off the ground. Having been brought back to life, her humanity was replaced with a divine nature, something beyond a power beyond comprehension.
"She's alive?!" Oracle exclaimed in disbelief.
"She's been revived!" Noir cried out.
"Holy shit, look at what she's doing now," Skull pointed everyone to Hifumi floating toward the Revenants.
Upon realizing this, the Revenants saw a glowing Hifumi standing in front of Veinragna. She has a hand on Veinragna's forehead. Channeling more white light into the Lost, she shattered the Lost's outer shell, causing it to dissolve. As the Lost's body fell apart, Sion stood in the creature's place, letting out a deep breath and opening his eyes.
"Sh-She purified Sion?!" Mia cried out in shock.
"This is certainly new," Yakumo remarked.
"Indeed, and the first time we've seen one of our kind being cured of becoming a Lost," Louis quietly observed Hifumi holding Sion.
Suddenly, the same white light restored the Phantom Thieves and the Revenants to full health.
"And our powers have been fully restored!" Eva exclaimed.
"Hifumi truly pulled it all out for us," Jack stated.
"But, the question is how is she still alive?" Louis wondered.
"That's what I'd like to know, too," Joker added as Hifumi turned around while holding a rejuvenated Sion.
"Do you remember the amber bead? Well, its power within me revived me. I also…" Hifumi turned to face the Revenants. "I also met her."
"By her, you mean… you met Io?" Louis queried.
Upon hearing this, Sion smirked. "I knew this power felt so familiar. She saved us all."
Yaldabaoth ΩX muttered with intrigue. "You mean, the source behind the Weeping Tree? Yes, I see how and why this divine power feels familiar. I never would've imagined that Revenant's miraculous power would resurface to save you all."
With Hifumi and Sion at the forefront, the Phantom Thieves and the Revenants amassed in unison as they intensely faced Yaldabaoth ΩX.
"You took a big gamble and lost in this Shogi game, Datenshi," Sion referenced his and Hifumi's couple of Shogi plays to their current situation.
Suddenly, Hifumi's eyes turned to gold as everyone watched Io's ethereal form overlap and seemingly possess the woman's body. With a steely gaze, the Persona Vein's voice came out of Hifumi's lips, disapprovingly addressing the Angel of Control. "Killing Togo Hifumi ended up being your costly mistake, Kanashī Seishin. In doing so, you've accelerated my revival. Together, our power will help our friends defeat you."
With a calm and collective sneer, Yaldabaoth ΩX rebuked against her. "Then, bring your worst."
As the Thieves and the Revenants tried comprehending how Io could control Hifumi, Sion and Joker turned toward Hifumi. They saw her and Io facing them and genuinely smiling.
"Hifumi… Io. Which one are you now?" Sion asked her.
"We are one now," Hifumi responded in her and Io's synchronized voices.
"Hifumi, Io… whoever, thank you," Joker said.
Just then, Io's ethereal form surrounding Hifumi vanished.
As the veil of white light was fully immersed with Hifumi, her appearance changed to reflect the divine power coursing through her. Floating high into the air and through the torn ceiling, Hifumi's body slowly turned on its own. Her Tennyo cloth dissolved, replaced with a new wardrobe. She gained Io's white worn and torn revealing clothing but lacking the bandaged clothing on her arms and legs. Forming on her head is a cyan blue shrine maiden's tiara-shaped headpiece coupled with hair accessory amber knots. Sprouting from her back are six feathered, angelic wings. Her long dark hair turned solid white, reflecting Io's essence taking over. Even her face gained some of Io's demure features. Completing her conversion, Hifumi's green eyes turned bright gold.
"Hifumi?!" Sion yelled out, marveling at his love interest's divine ascension. He noted her white hair, torn clothing, and golden eyes, which reminded him of Io. "It can't be…!"
"She looks like Io!" Mia cried out.
"I'll be damned, you're right," Jack was taken aback by Hifumi's new outward appearance sharing likeness with their old friend.
"So, this light is Io's essence! Sion, this is all due to the amber bead, correct?!" Louis asked, addressing his friend.
With his eyes laser focused on Hifumi, Sion watched her descend near him and the Revenants.
Gazing down on Sion, Hifumi peacefully smiled. "Yes, it's me. Thanks to Io, I've been revived. We are now one."
"Have you become something like a goddess?" Sion asked.
"I would say that's possibly a given," Hifumi replied to the Revenant.
"So, who are you now?" Joker asked.
The divine Hifumi gave her answer. "If I needed a name, perhaps I should be called Shin-Io."
"Shin-Io?" Joker questioned.
"New Io then? Well, you are like a renewed Io now," Yakumo nodded approvingly.
"But, you're still Hifumi, too?" Panther asked her.
Nodding, Shin-Io answered. "Of course, like I said we are one now."
"How is this possible?" Yaldabaoth ΩX asked the newly born goddess before he realized. "Unless… have you and Sion made love together? I sense my sense within you. He had to have inseminated inside you. Coupled that with Io's essence and your human willpower, you've been able to achieve a transcended state, Togo Hifumi?"
As soon as Yaldabaoth ΩX revealed these facts, everyone across the room was bewildered over the reasoning behind Hifumi's sudden resurrection and goddess ascension.
"Dude," Skull can only let out the one word upon hearing about Hifumi and Sion's intimate sex.
"Duh, Ryuji! Who cares if she had sex with Sion?! I made love with Ren as well, and you don't see me getting new powers!" Panther glared at Skull and defended Shin-Io's privacy.
"That's unbelievable," Noir remarked.
"This does feel like a Deus ex machina," Oracle elaborated.
"No wonder I sensed some familiar presence within Hifumi!" Mona yelled out in bafflement. "I can't believe you have a part of Yaldabaoth's power and converted it into your own device, Hifumi! Is it possible to use it against its original creator?"
Shin-Io calmly answered. "It is worth a try, Mona. Frankly, I'm still very new with these divine powers."
"As I'm seeing Hifumi in her goddess state, I'd compare Shin-Io to the first Kami, Amenominakanushi," Fox glanced at the goddess.
Queen complimented the goddess. "I'd never imagined you'd be the one to surpass us all. But, if anyone had to, I'm glad it's you."
Violet bowed her head. "We're here when you need us, Hifumi."
"Please, there's no need for formalities! Even I'm not entirely sure our power is enough to defeat Datenshi!" Shin-Io tries dissuading their sudden worship of her.
Yaldabaoth ΩX could only give a facetious smile. "I find these turns of events quite intriguing. What we have here is an entity similar to the Gnostic goddess that created the Demiurge. It's obvious she has appeared before me to confront me."
"Be careful what you wish for. You'll regret it," Shin-Io responded to Yaldabaoth ΩX. She then faced the Thieves and opened her hands. "Phantom Thieves of Hearts, I shall imbue you with special abilities to fight the Knights of Control and Yaldabaoth ΩX."
"A new power?" Queen curiously wondered.
"What kind of new power will you bestow us?" Crow queried.
"Whatever it is, we must accept it if we want to turn the tide of this battle," Fox said to his teammates.
"Fox is right! We must put our faith in Hifumi and Io!" Mona concurred with the artist.
"Hell yeah! Count us in!" Skull grinned.
"Yeah, what are we waiting for?!" Panther enthusiastically said.
Joker nodded. "Alright, we'll accept the gift, Hifumi."
Before Shin-Io initiated her action, Sion addressed her. "Don't overexert yourself if it's too much for you."
"It's ok. I have more than enough to give to them, and then you and your friends will each receive a gift," Shin-Io stated while keeping her eyes laser focused on Yaldabaoth ΩX, who floated back and observed the proceedings. "Are we ready, Phantom Thieves?"
"We are," Joker said as he and his friends formed a circle, holding each other's hands while Shin-Io hovered over them.
Shin-Io smiled and nodded back. Then, ten white beams poured from Shin-Io's ethereal wings, directly sending them toward the Phantom Thieves. Ten white columns of light shrouded the Thieves. Their respective Third-Tier Personas are seen behind them as if they are fusing with their human wielders. The columns then cleared and revealed ten exalted figures.
When Joker merged with Raoul, Joker's uniform attire turned into a perfect merger of Satanael and Raoul's appearances. He gained a vivid red coat, matching Raoul's crimson uniform coupled with Satanael's dark gray dress shirt with two rows of golden buttons. Black gloves with yellow metal claws formed over his hands. Adorning his red coat's shoulders is silver armor. His mask became golden yellow. A pair of black and yellow demonic wings, seen on Raoul, sprouted from his back. He has on black long pants and black boots with yellow stiletto heels. Forming in his right hand is Satanael's rifle.
Flashing a charismatic smile, Joker struck a pose, showing off his new form. "Combined with Raoul, I can walk my chosen path without fear or mistake! I am now Raoul ΩX!"
As Skull merged with his Persona William, he donned a new outfit, consisting of elements of William's coat and Seiten Taisei's armor. Seiten Taisei's green shades replaced his skull mask. He has on William's headphones, also equipped with red wireless helmet speakers. The pirate warrior is seen riding on William's silver aerial battleship. Embellished on the sides of the warship are black clouds, resembling Seiten Taisei's cloud symbols. Yellow circular shapes, which look like eyes, are embellished on the sides of the warship, and inside these yellow circular shapes are smaller red circles. In his right hand is Seiten Taisei's staff.
With a big grin on his face, Skull chuckled. "Hell yeah! This is bitchin'! I should call myself William ΩX now!"
As Mona merged with his Persona Diego, his attire changed and matched the color schemes of his Persona. He has on the nobleman's long-sleeved white dress, the turquoise gloves, the dark jeans coupled with the silver belt buckle, and light brown boots. He also gained a dark blue long bandana and Mercurius's two red feathery visors on the front area of his forehead. Jutting behind the back of his boots are Mercurius' 2-foot long, blue and white wings.
Taking out Diego's rapier and slashing the air with it, Mona announced. "Let's leave our mark on them, Phantom Thieves! I, Diego ΩX, am ready to fight for the weak like a true gentleman!"
When Panther merged with her Persona Celestine, her latex red catsuit merged with her Persona's skintight black upper attire, which became akin to an extra layer of armor and started up from her upper body and down to her waistline ending like a skirt. Hecate's cape with white talons on each tip formed on her back. Her black gloves, covered with white laces, became wrist armor. Celestine's leather black high-heeled shoes merged with her legs and feet, turning into an extra layer of leg armor. Her Persona's black hat merged with her red mask, changing it to a black cat mask with a pair of four-pronged antler-like protrusions. Her black mask is a smaller variation of Hecate's, which concealed most of her upper face and revealed only her bright blue eyes.
Striking a sensual pose like a supermodel, Panther called out. "I was once Carmen, but now my role has been rewritten to better suit my new role! Call me Celestine ΩX!"
As Fox merged with his Persona Gorokichi, his uniform gained Gorokichi's thick leopard-styled coat trimmed with bright pink fur, which also combined with the white hair seen on Kamu Susano-o. Underneath this thick fur coat is Kamu Susano-o's blue shirt. He also has on Kamu Susano-o's thick armored white pants and shoes. Adorning his face Gorokichi's outlandishly long red shades with the sharp edges.
Fox pulled out and readied Kamu Susano-o's sword. "A true artist must always evolve his work to achieve a masterpiece. I have shed the title of Goemon and gone back to my rebellious roots! Call me Gorokichi ΩX!"
As Queen merged with her Persona Agnes, Agnes' black and gold mechanical parts split into segments as they attached to Queen's base body, arms, and legs. The mechanical parts then shrunk into compacted segments, fusing with her body to create a sleek armored bodysuit. Queen's iron mask turned into a smaller variation of Anat's red mask with yellow small-like features based on Agnes. She gained Agnes' six black metallic wings with yellow boosters on her back. Underneath she has a black bodysuit based on Agnes' with yellow lines combined with Anat's armor. Golden metallic wings from Agnes formed on her back. Her legs became encased in long steel gray footwear. Her long black scarf and spiked knuckles are retained.
Clenching her fists, Queen performed intense shadow boxing and let out a fierce battle cry. "I have been given one of Johanna's titles! In her name, I shall continue to bring down my fists on justice! I am Agnes ΩX!"
Suddenly, Al Azif split itself into pieces of arms, legs, and levitation gliders for Oracle as they attached to her bodysuit, augmenting her with greater technological enhancements and abilities. Her dark, fluorescent skin tight suit turned light gray like Al Azif's. Her new suit has Prometheus' neon blue/green stripes. Her black goggles, but her orange goggle lens turned neon green. Al Azif's triangular symbol, colored green, is embellished on her center bosom. Forming in her hand is a long neon green laser sword.
Holding out and gazing over her new laser sword, Oracle's grin widened. Swinging and testing her weapon, it produced a similar 'hmmm' sound heard from a lightsaber. "I finally come out of that shell and fight with a lightsaber? I call that an upgrade. By the way, you can call me Al Azif ΩX! Let's restore balance and take out these posers!"
When Noir merged with her Persona Lucy, Noir gained Lucy's large, thick caramel-colored dress with the gold buttons and pants. Lucy's outfit meshed with Noir's long-sleeved pink blouse. She gained the breastplate, neck rings, and arm rings, all of which are golden like Astarte's. Then, Astarte's pink-purple skull-like golden cannons formed on her back like wings. Gone are her mask and hat, replaced with Astarte's golden V-shaped mask.
Readying her artillery cannons, Noir put on an intense look. "Who wishes to cross me now? I, Lucy ΩX, am ready to deliver punishment to those who wish harm to my friends!"
As he and his Persona Hereward merged, Crow's black armor and helmet received the same zebra color schemes of Loki. His Loki horns are retained on his armored helmet. In his right hand is Loki's serrated sword. In his left hand, he carried Hereward's bow and arrows.
Chuckling, Crow's eyes became unhinged as he let out unrestrained laughter. "Hahahahaha! Yes, this new power is resonating perfectly with me! Let us see how your strength contests with the power of Hereward ΩX!"
Finally, as Violet and her Persona, Ella merged, her outfit, skirt, and thigh-length shoes turned out white like Ella's. She gained Vanadis's red & black bottom dress coupled with a smaller version of Vanadis's mask.
Striking a ballerina's pose, Violet called out. "I hope you're ready for your last performance, you cheap imitations. I, Ella ΩX, will defeat you!"
"This is incredible! We've merged with our Personas?!" Ella ΩX gasped, marveling over her new attire, which had the combined characteristics of her respective Personas.
"Holy cow! Look at me! Now, I can kick ass and not just be an assist character!" Al Azif ΩX gleefully embraced her new appearance and power.
William ΩX shared the hacker's enthusiasm. "No kidding! I feel I've hit a new peak! Yo, and check this out! I've got a kick-ass staff, too!"
"Can it be? Hifumi's powers gave us the ability to fuse our Personas and ourselves into these new states of beings?!" Diego ΩX gazed upon his new appearance with deep intrigue.
"Marvelous. This just brings out new possibilities for us," Gorokichi ΩX muttered while looking at himself and his hands.
"Yes, I can feel this divine energy resonating with us," Lucy ΩX calmly stated, yet feeling a bit anxious.
Agnes ΩX briefly practiced herself within her fists and kicks. She felt a magnified level of strength within her movements and mused. "Are we capable of handling this? If so, then it's time to use this power to help my friends."
"Wow, I can't believe I become more than just an average Phantom Thief!" Celestine ΩX admired her new form and power. She then turned to her lover. "What do you think, Ren?"
Raoul ΩX observed in a brief moment of silence while assessing his new appearance. With a smirk, he answered. "What can I say, Ann? Us being Persona users is one thing naturally, but our Personas incorporated into our physical forms is a wholly new experience we've yet to explore. Our Personas have become us. We have become our own Personas."
Hereward ΩX interjected to Raoul ΩX and Celestine ΩX's conversation. "I suppose that means we're all on par with Yaldabaoth. Or if we put our minds to it, surpassed him as Yaldabaoth ΩX has already done."
Raoul ΩX shrugged. "Maybe. We don't know unless we start utilizing these powers, Akechi."
"Senpai, let's beat him and win the day!" Ella ΩX enthusiastically motivated him.
Upon seeing the Phantom Thieves' new forms, the Revenants were stunned with silence. Sion admired the new powers they've each been bestowed and wondered if Shin-Io has anything remotely similar to give him and his friends.
Shin-Io then addressed the Phantom Thieves. "A divine spark from within you all has been unlocked: Persona's Ascendancy." She revealed the new nature of their upgraded powers.
"Persona's Ascendancy?" Agnes ΩX repeated.
"So that means we're like Super Saiyans or as Super Saiyan Gods?!" William ΩX cried out, trying to draw parallels to other similarly powered superbeings.
Celestine ΩX groaned with irritation. "Oh give me a break, Ryuji."
"Or, maybe this is something like unlocking our Limit Breaks?" Al Azif ΩX wondered.
"Whatever the case, we've reached new potentials, my friends," Hereward ΩX added.
The rest of them are taken aback by their new forms. Have they become deities similar to Shin-Io? These are concepts that have been thoroughly explored, theorized, and researched within the human gene and cognition. Ascendancy meaning dominance and influence, it is no wonder why the Phantom Thieves' reputations have been spread within urban legends.
"Now, Revenants. It is your turn to be gifted with new abilities," Shin-Io turned and descended in front of them. Raising her hands, she shrouded Sion, Louis, Yakumo, Mia, Jack, and Eva with white auras. Each Revenant not only felt rejuvenated but noticed all of their wounds heal.
"Sion, you will become the Envoy of Matthew," Shin-Io said as her power invoked Sion's power-up. The goddess then pivoted toward Yakumo. "Yakumo, you will become the Envoy of Luke." She then faced Mia's direction. "Mia, you will be the Envoy of John." Shin-Io then turned toward Louis. "And Louis, awaken into the Envoy of Mark."
As the four Revenants raised their heads, the white auras washed over their uniforms and produced recolored versions of their Revenant uniforms. Their base dark uniform colors took on white and golden uniform appearances.
In Mia's case, as she invoked her Envoy of John form, her blue skirt became pale pink trimmed with white that nearly matched the color of her white uniform.
The other Revenants also gained specific colors to balance their white uniforms. Sion's Envoy of Matthew form gained dark gray colors to go with his white uniform. Louis' Envoy of Mark appearance gained crimson to mesh with his white uniform. Yakumo's Envoy of Luke form gained army green to go with his white uniform.
"Amazing. Not has she increased our strengths, but is Envoy forms… I can't wait to test this out," Louis assessed his Envoy form.
"Hmm, not bad. I could get used to this," Mia admired her modified uniform, admiring the pink color meshed with her white outfit.
"Oh yeah, I can feel a surge of power coursing through me!" Yakumo said.
"Thank you, Shin-Io," Sion addressed the goddess, who smiled and attentively pivoted toward the remaining two Revenants.
The Phantom Thieves were mesmerized by the Revenant's new upgraded forms.
"How do you like it, Sion?" Shin-Io asked the Revenant.
"I love it. Thanks, Hifumi," Sion genuinely responded.
A sly grin adorned Raoul ΩX's features as he remarked. "Well, at least our colors don't match anymore, Skyler."
"Hey, you're right. My white clashes against your black and red," Sion realized.
"What? No upgrade for me and Eva? I feel insulted," Jack quipped, making light of Sion and his friends' situation.
"Interesting your titles are named after the Four Evangelists and creators of the Gospel in the New Testament," Gorokichi ΩX astutely noted.
"Isn't that from Christian tradition?" Celestine ΩX asked.
"That's right. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are also four of the original Twelve Apostles," answered Agnes ΩX. "Interesting that our vampire friends have titles based on religious figures." She duly noted the irony of supernatural entities with powered up forms named after holy figureheads.
"You look more radiant than ever, Lady Mia!" Diego ΩX peppered her with a positive appraisal of her new look.
"Thanks, Mona," brightly smiled Mia.
"Well, Mako-chan? Anything to say about how good Louis looks?" Lucy ΩX slyly smirked as she elbowed her girlfriend's side.
Agnes ΩX slightly blushed and put on a tough demeanor. "Well, he does stand out better than before."
"I'm diggin' the new looks!" William ΩX gave a thumbs up of approval for the Revenants' Envoy forms.
Just then, Jack felt something cold pressing against his chest. As he buttoned his shirt, Jack noticed a necklace with a clear blue orb.
"A necklace?" Eva asked, noticing the necklace and orb hanging over his neck.
"What is orb supposed to do for me?" Jack asked Shin-Io.
"I have bestowed upon you the orb possessing the power of the Drake. You, Jack Rutherford, will become the Successor of the Drake."
With that, the necklace orb came to life and glowed with a bright blue light. This blue light quickly enveloped Jack and transformed him before everyone's eyes. Eva cried out as she reached for him.
"Jack! What's happening to him?!" Eva asked as she was quickly enveloped in a white veil of light.
"What's happening to those two?!" Louis called out to Shin-Io.
"It's ok, everyone. Let this pass," Shin-Io reassured the Revenants, eliciting a calm expression from Sion.
"Trust her, guys. This can only be a good thing," Sion stated.
Having utilized the power of his new orb necklace, Jack took on a dragon form. He became a 13-foot tall white-scaled, four-legged European dragon. He resembled a long-necked monster. Its skin was tough and lacking soft features. Six bony protrusions jutted around its long-snouted head; three protrusions on each side. Jack's notable facial scar still runs over his left eye. The dragon's eyes gained a pale blue color. His underbelly is full of hard garnet armor. Crescent-shaped garnet wings sprouted from his back to complete the Successor of Drake's complete form.
"Arise, Successor of the Drake," Shin-Io said, beckoning the dragon to stand on its four legs. "Yes, the pale blue relates to you being the former Successor of the Eye, Jack Rutherford."
Everyone else gazed upon Jack's completed dragon transformation. Of the group, the Japanese natives, such as the Phantom Thieves, were not just flabbergasted, but dismayed by Jack's dragon form. The mood in the air was also filled with confusion. This is the first they've seen a dragon resembling that of European folklore rather than the traditional Far Eastern mythologies they've been accustomed to.
"Speaking of Successors, Eva Roux, rise and become the Successor of the Throat once again," Shin-Io addressed the female Revenant, who sang a hauntingly beautiful song as she floated out of the white pillar of light that consumed her.
A pale gray angelic entity with long, slender purple arms & legs and four purple, torn wings floated forward. An extra pair of pale gray arms folded over Eva, who appeared asleep in the entity's care.
"Yes, and that is everyone," Shin-Io said, finishing everyone's enhancements.
"Dude, this is so cool. We've got a dragon on our side!" William ΩX enthusiastically said.
"I think I like our chances now!" Lucy ΩX optimistically added.
"See this, Datenshi? You think you have any chance against us?" Sion asked the Angel of Control, who casually responded by tearing open a dimensional fabric and opening up a portal behind him.
From out of this distortion, the Knights of Control (Superbia Joker, Invidia Queen, Cavum Crow, Luxuria Panther, Avaritia Mona, Ira Skull, Irritum Fox, Acedia Oracle, Gula Noir, and Tristitia Violet) reappeared behind Yaldabaoth ΩX.
In response, Sion and the Revenants regrouped with the ascended Phantom Thieves and Shin-Io.
Sion smiled at both Shin-Io and Raoul ΩX. "Guess you two and your friends have come a long way since we first met."
"Yes, me too," Shin-Io smiled at Sion.
Raoul ΩX responded. "You've been a great ally, Sion, but don't talk like this is the end for you."
"Well, actually, I've already accepted my fate. If I have to cease to defeat Datenshi, then so be it. I know that's morbid of me to say," Sion openly admitted, to which Shin-Io relieved his distress by holding his hand.
"We'll worry about that after we've beaten Datenshi," Shin-Io firmly said.
"She's right. If this has to be your final battle, let's make it worth our while and kick his ass!" Raoul ΩX said.
"Yeah. I'll fight by your sides once more with my friends and new comrades!" Sion nodded with determination. Glaring intently toward Yaldabaoth ΩX, he brandished both his Queenslayer and Hanemukuro swords.
With a determined glare, Raoul ΩX then turned towards Yaldabaoth ΩX and the Knights of Control. "Let's also see the full capabilities of Persona's Ascendancy as well!"
Upon facing the divine forms of Persona's Ascendancy, Yaldabaoth ΩX responded with an effervescent chuckle "Now that the tables have turned, it's time to determine the fate of this universe with this battle royale."
Despite this threat, Shin-Io, the ascended Phantom Thieves, and the Revenants held their ground against their oppositions.
"It appears my premonition came true after all. Hifumi, I said you were destined for greater things, but I didn't think killing you would've made that a reality. I'm truly grateful you live up to my expectations."
Shin-Io furrowed her brows and quietly rebuked. "Tell me if you foresee your own demise, Angel of Control."
Grinning ironically, Yaldabaoth ΩX chuckled. "I can't say right now. So, Goddess. Revenants. And Personas. Come! Let this final battle decide all of our fates!" Yaldabaoth ΩX beckoned them to attack.
Shin-Io, Sion, the Phantom Thieves in their Persona's Ascendancy forms, and the Revenants assembled on one side while Yaldabaoth ΩX and the Knights of Control opposed them on the other.
With reckless abandon, they charged and collided.
The fate of their universe has commenced. One to decide it all.
Chapter Soundtrack
Shin Megami Tensei IV OST - Battle C5 - (Archangel Battle) - Losing battle against Datenshi when he merges with the Yaldabaoth Persona to become Yaldabaoth ΩX. Song immediately ends when Hifumi jumps in to protect Sion and is killed by Datenshi.
Code Vein OST - Blue-blooded Vein -Loss- - Upon seeing Hifumi's death, the furious Sion transformed into Veinragna. vs. Veinragna of the uncontrollable Lost attacks both sides.
Amber Journey (Instrumental Alt.) - Code Vein - Inside Hifumi's mindscape while being dead, Hifumi meets the essence of Io born from the love-making of Hifumi and Sion. This version of Io is referred to as the Persona Vein. This is what brought Hifumi to life as Io's presence gains Hifumi to become a goddess for the first time.
RE:ARR.X (THEMEX Rearranged) - Xenoblade Chronicles X OST - Hiroyuki Sawano - Shin-Io's awakening. The birth of Persona's Ascendancy. Sion, Louis, Yakumo, and Mia are given the Envoy of Vein. Jack and Eva are given Successor forms.
A/N: Now, this chapter was full of some twists. Datenshi shows off his final boss form. Hifumi dies. Sion loses his mind and turns into a feral Lost. Then, the other Revenants show up and try to subdue their friend. The Thieves are getting their asses kicked by the Angel of Control. It seemed all hope was lost.
Then, Hifumi wakes up in her own mind and meets the source of the amber Blood Bead. Yes, Io finally makes her appearance. Those golden eyes you saw on Hifumi in the last scene of Chapter 16, Preparations for War, were none other than Io's. With more Code Vein lore being implemented, a cognition of the Weeping Tree (created by Io's essence) appears.
After their meeting, we have the monumental scene of Hifumi merging with Io and becoming Shin-Io. The way I described her, picture Hifumi in Io's clothes (minus the bandages) and her dark hair turning silverish white. Coupled with Io's power, Shin-Io/Hifumi does the impossible and purifies Sion from his Lost state. Then to top it all off, she grants the Thieves and the Revenants new forms.
First off, Persona's Ascendancy; these forms take the combined characteristics of the Thieves' Initial/Second/Third-Tier Personas and incorporate them into their Phantom Thief outfits. The term Ascendancy is defined as a state of being in a higher position. The word ascend can mean 'going up' or 'to dominate'. The Thieves have achieved a higher state of beings and becoming on par with Yaldabaoth ΩX. The title 'ΩX' is based on a character from my previous fanfics (Digimon Fusion Kai), who achieved his state of being after merging with his Digimon partner and becoming a Super Saiyan-like warrior. That character's Ascendant name has been passed over to the Phantom Thieves. Think of it like a torch being passed to the next generation of ascended beings.
The Envoy forms for the Revenants are named after the Four Evangelists from the Christian tradition: Mark, Luke, John, and Matthew. Their outfits are largely based on Mia's alternate white costume, which is used for her Envoy of John form. Quite ironic that vampire-like beings are given forms named after holy figures from Christianity.
Jack and Eva are granted Successor forms. Though while Eva's Successor form is from the Code Vein game, Jack's Successor of the Drake is exclusively fanmade for this novelization.
With our heroes healed and powered up, the final battle against the Angel of Control and his Knights is on.
And that's it. Leave a comment and review!