Book III: Fictional Edification
Chapter II: Clash of Valkyries
Shibuya Station/Shibuya, Tokyo (渋谷区, 東京)/11:30 AM (JST)
On their way toward the station, the Thieves and the Vein Remnants prepared with their full gear. Despite knowing some civilians would show hostility at them, the Vein Remnants made sure to conceal their faces with their Revenant masks. Trying their best to catch up, Tori and Hiroshi transformed into their battle forms. Valkyria/Tori glided over beside Aslaug.
"Would you mind telling me who is it you're after, Aslaug? Who's this bad person?" Valkyria queried.
"I don't know her, but I don't like her vibes," Aslaug answered without giving any hint about their enemy.
"I do wonder who it could be?" Norse-knight/Hiroshi added. "We can check Mido off the suspect list."
"Maybe, but maybe this enemy is working for Mido," Sekiken/Leonard replied
"Either way, we're stopping her from creating any more havoc," Joker replied as a ring from his smartphone alerted him. He picked up on Sophia's new message.
"The hostile is about to cause more collateral damage and setting sights on civilians, Joker! You and the others need to hurry!" Sophia promptly warned them.
"We're on it and we're already getting closer," the Phantom Thief stated as Shibuya Station was within their sights.
Just then, the group was caught off guard when Crow swooped over them. Crow landed near Joker and the Thieves.
"Mind if I join? I've been watching from a distance and was about to make my move until you all showed up," Crow said.
"Wait, you watched? And did nothing?" Panther asked him.
"I can believe that," Oracle muttered.
"Hehe, no. I only just arrived and was about to take action. This new enemy looks and fights similarly to those Vamkyrie beasts we've encountered," Crow answered.
"Wait, so it's another Vamkyrie this time?!" Sion exclaimed.
"Great, just what we need. Another one of those things," Mircalla/Rachel groaned.
"From a glance, this one didn't appear undead and it's one I've never seen before," Crow gave a vague description of their new enemy.
"It's her! She's the one I have to stop!" Aslaug shouted, narrowing her gaze toward Kráka.
"Huh, and who is this new ally of ours? She's already raring to go. I quite like her resolve," Crow said, taken aback by Aslaug's battle readiness.
"That's Aslaug. She was found the other night by Makoto's two friends," Violet answered him.
"Tori and Hiroshi took her in and nursed her to good health. We have no idea about her origins," Queen said.
Suddenly, Sion, Tennyo, and Moonlight/Io saw the Elven Princesses arrive to briefly fight Kráka.
"Nadia, Anastasia!" Tennyo and Sion yelled out at them, watching them fend off Kráka on their own.
Effortlessly countering their attacks, Kráka chastised the Elven Princesses. "Foolish elves! You're no match for me, Kráka the Morrígu Valkyrie!"
However, Kráka proved too strong for them and quickly overwhelmed the Elven duo with quick ferocious attacks. After making short work of them, Kráka prepared to finish them off, but Sion and Tennyo retrieved Nadia and Anastasia. Moonlight immediately intervened and challenged the dark Valkyrie. While briefly fighting Kráka, Moonlight activated her Bridge to Glory gift, temporarily augmenting her attack power. This allowed the pale Revenant to match and block Kráka's sword attacks, surprising the dark Valkyrie.
"You don't reek of an undead aura. You're not a Vamkyrie," Moonlight assessed.
"I'm nothing like those creepy freaks!" Kráka cried out.
"Thanks, but I'll take it from here!" Aslaug cried out as she lunged at Kráka, pushing her away from Moonlight. "Your opponent is me now!"
"Can it be? Are you Aslaug?!" Kráka cried out, quickly grabbing Aslaug's collar. She then raised her sword to Aslaug's face. "Then, I've come for what mother wanted me to do! You must die!" Before she could deliver her mother's deed, Kráka was knocked away by Valkyria's clear x-shaped projectile.
After being struck by Valkyria's Exalt X-Slash, Kráka was repelled by Norse-knight's Gaea's Blast. Then, Joker intervened, indiscriminately shooting the dark Valkyrie with his Tyrant Pistol. The other Thieves quickly unloaded and blasted Kráka with their ranged weapons. When Noir readied her Yagrush grenade launcher, Kráka launched a counterattack, summoning a massive black crow aura to repel her enemies' projectiles.
"I'll take care of you later, Phantom Thieves and Revenants!" Kráka shouted as she veered toward Valkyria, Norse-knight, and Aslaug. "First, you three must die!" The dark Valkyrie declared, unfolding her wings as she swiftly dove toward her desired targets.
"Get behind us, Aslaug!" Norse-knight ordered as he and Valkyria stood in front of her, ready to throw their lives down against Kráka.
"If the both of us fight, we may be able to beat her," Valkyria said, readying her sword.
When Kráka collided with Valkyria and Norse-knight, the dark Valkyrie swung her blade at them. Valkyria readily raised her sword to block Kráka's.
"No, stop…" Aslaug cried. When she saw Kráka delivering a quick slash to Valkyria, the teen's resolve sparked. "I SAID STOP!" With that, a bright azure light enveloped Aslaug, causing a pair of translucent rose and white-schemed wings to sprout from her back. Then, light azure body armor with gold & silver trim and a white knee-length battle dress replaced her casual clothing. A cyan helmet with gold trim materialized and formed over her head.
Having realized her Valkyrie potential, Aslaug intently faced Kráka's direction. When she pointed at the dark Valkyrie, Aslaug's eyes glowed.
"Leave my big sister and brother alone! Your fight is with me!" Aslaug yelled.
Upon defending Valkyria and Norse-knight from Kráka's assault, Aslaug fiercely fought back. Aslaug quickly kicked Kráka high into the air and pursued the dark Valkyrie. As Kráka attempted to defend herself, Aslaug flew head-on with and clashed with the dark Valkyrie. While the Valkyries took their fight high into the air, the Thieves and Vein Remnants checked with Valkyria and Norse-knight.
"Thanks, we'll be fine, but I can't believe what just happened!" Valkyria cried out, reeling from Aslaug's warrior transformation.
"She had that power within her this whole time?" Queen asked them.
"We didn't know. This is our first time seeing this happen," Norse-knight added.
"Damn, look at her go! She's giving that other one a good fight!" Skull pointed out to the Valkyrie duel.
"They're moving so fast I can barely keep up with them!" Panther cried out.
"Thankfully we were able to fend her off before Aslaug transformed," Noir stated.
"Yeah, it's a relief a lot of the civilians left," Sion stated.
"By the way, thanks for coming in for us, Skyler and Hifumi. We thought we could take her," Nadia said.
"But, she was too fast and strong for us," Anastasia added.
"It's ok. At least you're still with us," Tennyo nodded, relieved that the Elven Princesses didn't face certain deaths.
Just then, the Vein Remnants noticed some civilians giving them a mix of apprehensive glares. Taken aback by their hostile reactions, Sion and his Revenants felt betrayed by the citizens they'd been protecting.
"Phantom Thieves! What are you doing hanging with those monsters?!" A hostile bystander berated them.
"You should kill them before they turn against you!"
"You should never trust vampires who want to harm our children!" A mother with a child angrily shouted.
"No, please stop…" Mircalla pleaded while covering her ears.
"I can't believe they hate us now," Omusubi/Kaito muttered dreadfully.
"Don't let them get under your skin, guys. We've got to focus on trying to help Aslaug," Sekiken reminded them about their important mission.
"He's right, guys. We're going to be facing a lot of backlash from some citizens buying into Mido's deception, but we can't let that stop us," Sion said.
"I'm just thankful we've got these masks on," Hunter/Jacob said.
"Here they come, guys! If these two are about to go all-out, we can at least prevent collateral damage!" Mona cried out as the two Valkyries returned to the Shibuya Station.
When Aslaug kicked Kráka away, the dark Valkyrie was sent crashing on top of Shibuya Station's roof. Kráka shook off her fall but Aslaug didn't give her any chance to rebound and flew toward her. Kráka raised her hands and summoned a long sword, which she used to slash at Aslaug. Aslaug narrowly evaded getting cut by Kráka's blade.
"Don't think you can disarm my Crow's Claw!" Kráka declared as she flew at Aslaug and swung her sword at her. She grew frustrated as Aslaug dodged her deadly strikes. "Hold still!"
"No way! Just so you can cut me to pieces?!" Aslaug retorted as she jumped out of Kráka's reach and immediately seized Kráka's sword.
"Let go!" The dark Valkyrie snapped, unleashing dark energies from her sword that repelled Aslaug.
Before Kráka could retaliate with another sword attack, Joker and Mona intervened. Joker countered Kráka's sword with his Paradise Lost dagger. Readying his Sudarshana slingshot, Mona dashed forward and blasted Kráka with an explosive. This sneak attack gave Valkyria and Norse-knight time to retrieve Aslaug.
"We need to get you as far away from that evil Valkyrie as possible," Norse-knight whispered to Aslaug.
"Please let me go. I must fight her," Aslaug said. "It's hard to explain, but my instincts are telling me I must fight and defeat her."
"But, she might kill you," Valkyria said.
"I know. I appreciate all the good things you've done for me, but let me repay the favor by protecting you," Aslaug said as she walked away from Valkyria and Norse-knight. As she watched Joker and Mona fending off Kráka, the Valkyrie placed her hands forward. "She did exactly this to get her sword. Am I able to do the same?" She waited for something resembling a weapon to appear in her hands but nothing materialized. "Why is nothing happening? Where is my sword?"
Meanwhile, Joker defended himself with his dagger against Kráka's sword attacks. As Tennyo, Sion, Moonlight, and Queen arrived to help Joker and Mona, the dark Valkyrie realized she was outnumbered.
"I don't have time for this!" Kráka snarled, swinging her Crow's Claw, and created a black crow-faced energy wave that repelled her enemies.
"Don't let up, everyone!" Moonlight cried out as she ran toward Kráka and attacked the dark Valkyrie with her Dammerrung halberd. While they dueled, Tennyo and Sion intervened and aided the pale-skinned Revenant.
As Kráka forged another dark crow attack, Tennyo summoned a Shogi piece that forged a barrier, nullifying Kráka's devastating wave. Seeing her attack neutralized by Tennyo's Shogi Shield, Kráka flew forward and slashed the barrier. Tennyo readied her Kunitokotachi ko-naginata and struck Kráka with a lightning bolt. After being struck by Tennyo's Divine Thorn, Sion readied and attacked with his Queenslayer Blade. Swinging his blade at Kráka, the dark Valkyrie narrowly dodged. Then, Sion unleashed his Frenzied Fire, blasting Kráka away.
"Damn annoyances! You won't defeat me!" Kráka shouted. Before she created another attack, Queen jumped behind the Morrígu Valkyrie. As Kráka turned, Queen knocked her away with a flying kick.
"They're fighting on my behalf selflessly. I want to be fighting with them, too. I wish I had a weapon, too!" Aslaug cried out. Just then, she felt a warm glow in her hands and noticed a blade materializing in her hands. Upon seeing her newly summoned weapon, Aslaug's face beamed with delight. "So, this is my sword?" She raised her new weapon and thoroughly examined it.
"Ugh, curses she's managed to procure her weapon. This will be troublesome," Kráka scowled, witnessing Aslaug's weapon summoning.
"Wow, that's an incredible sword," Valkyria said, eyeing Aslaug's weapon.
"Let's now see how well you use it," Norse-knight nodded, encouraging Aslaug.
"Thanks, big brother and sister. I won't let you down!" Aslaug smirked. "You know since I'm holding this sword, I'm starting to understand what I'm meant to do. I have a responsibility I must uphold. I, Aslaug the Lazarus Valkyrie, shall bring justice!" She hastily dove toward Kráka and slashed her with her sword. "My Sword of Ragnar will cut you down!" She noticed she cut several strands of Kráka's blonde hair.
"Feh, so you've got a sword, too? It won't make any difference!" Kráka snarled, tossing aside her cut hair strands. She lunged at Aslaug and engaged her in a sword duel. While madly swinging her Crow's Claw, Aslaug counterattacked with her Sword of Ragnar.
"She's holding her own! Take her down, Aslaug!" Norse-knight shouted.
"You've got her, Aslaug!" Valkyria cheered her on.
As she quickly swung her sword, Aslaug nearly cut Kráka in two, but the dark Valkyrie dodged Aslaug's attack and formed another dark crow wave. Readying her sword, Aslaug swung quickly and forged a shimmering white wave. When the two opposing powers collided, the vicinity shook from the Valkyries' intense powers.
"The more this goes on, the sooner we might need to bust out our Persona's Ascendancy forms," Mona suggested. "We can't let them go on or we'll be seeing more than collateral damage."
"And more reason for people to fear us," Sion muttered.
"It matters not. We're going to ensure no civilian gets caught in the crossfire," Moonlight said.
"We can start by separating these two," Joker suggested as he and the others intervened during the Valkyries' attack.
Observing from their location, Fredegund and Ildikó started growing weary of Kráka's unpolished performance.
"Looks like she's going to need some assistance after all," Fredegund deeply sighed out of exasperation.
"It's about time we see some action," Ildikó said.
When Ildikó and Fredegund approached the battle, Sekiken noticed their presence. The other Thieves and Vein Remnants quickly faced their incoming direction.
"Hey, aren't those Miki's bodyguards?!" Sekiken exclaimed.
"Yes, and the very same ones who Akechi, I, and others fought while you were all dealing with Mido!" Violet verified.
"This would be a perfect time for us to deal with them for good," Crow smirked.
Upon seeing Fredegund and Ildikó, Kráka snarled in their direction.
"Do you dare interfere with my fight? Aslaug is mine to deal with!" Kráka protested.
"Yes, but you've drawn the attention of her new friends. You're not going to win against them," Fredegund warned the dark Valkyrie.
"So, that's why we're here," Ildikó said.
Just then, Fredegund, Ildikó, and Kráka heard the mysterious woman's voice telepathically interacting with them.
"Withdraw from this battle, you three. Even your combined powers will not be able to conquer them I'm afraid."
"Hmm, yes. A strategic withdrawal is the best option for us," Fredegund concurred with her benefactor.
"Feh, fine, but next time, we're bringing reinforcements," Ildikó scoffed.
"No, mother! I want to kill Aslaug and her friends! I especially want her dead at my feet!" Kráka fiercely protested as she heatedly glared at Aslaug.
"Withdraw, Kráka. This is not a request."
"I don't care! I'm fated to fight and kill her! You even said so!" Kráka howled as she imbued her Crow's Claw with dark mystic light. She hastily dove toward Aslaug, preparing to finish her off singlehandedly. Much to her dismay, Valkyria and Norse-knight came to Aslaug's aid. "Fine, you can die with her, too!"
"Ready, Hiroshi?" Valkyria nodded.
"Let's take her down together!" Norse-knight hollered.
As Aslaug imbued azure light through her Sword of Ragnar, Valkyria readied her sword to unleash her Exalt Asgardian Wave. At the same time, Norse-knight manifested golden light from his broadsword. The dark warrior maiden witnessed the three manifesting spells to take her down. Sensing their powers accumulating together, Kráka recognized her limitations and ceased her assault.
"Do you dare disobey me, Valravn? Leave the Tierkreis be for now!" The woman raised her tone, referring to her daughter's other title.
"Fine, you win this time," Kráka muttered, referring to Aslaug and her new allies. "Mother, I'm ready to return." With that, three Yami Matter portals manifested behind Kráka, Fredegund, and Ildikó and pulled them in to return them to meet with their master.
Once Kráka withdrew, Aslaug collapsed into Valkyria's arms. The Thieves and the Vein Remnants reconvened to check with Valkyria, Norse-knight, and Aslaug. They saw Aslaug lying exhausted in Valkyria's arms.
"She looks like she exhausted her power fighting that other Valkyrie," Panther noted.
"Is she going to be ok?" Songstress/Madeline asked Valkyria and Norse-knight.
"She just needs some rest, I guess. She took me by surprise while fighting that other Valkyrie," Valkyria said.
"Keep her safe in your place, Tori," Queen instructed Valkyria. "Since the Yami Matter seems to be targeting her now, you and Hiroshi will have to safeguard Aslaug."
"You don't even need to say it twice," Norse-knight replied.
"Dudes, those two possessed some wicked strong power. Like they seemed as strong as those Vamkyrie freaks," Skull stated, comparing Aslaug and Kráka relatively with the undead warrior maidens.
"Indeed, we're lucky that fight didn't last and the other one withdrew. Still, I wonder who recalled them?" Fox speculated.
"It could be Mido, but maybe not," Oracle said.
"Yeah, since we saw Carolyn and Jocelyn, there have to be others who are affiliated with the Yami Matter," Sion said.
"And those two would have to know where Miki is," Tennyo said. "I still have to know if she's ok."
"We'll get to the bottom of this, everyone. For now, let's withdraw so we're not met with any more hostility from these crowds," Moonlight suggested, referring to the anti-Revenant crowds screaming disparagingly at them.
"Let's get moving then," Sekiken deeply sighed, realizing their efforts to change the masses' hearts and minds were fruitless now.
As Joker turned to leave with the others, one anti-Revenant individual hollered toward him.
"Hey, why haven't you Phantom Thieves killed those vampire freaks yet?! I thought you dealt with injustices?! Those monsters are a threat to us!"
Another voice in the crowd screamed. "Be careful, they will turn on you, Phantom Thieves!"
Another voice yelled out with vitriol. "Kill those fucking monsters already!"
As Joker became shaken up by their horrid remarks, Mona and Panther calmed him down.
"Let's not get into an argument with them now, Joker. It's not worth it," Panther whispered.
"Lady Ann is right. Let's retreat and plan our next move because the Yami Matter's followers are sure aren't wasting any more time," Mona muttered, managing to get Joker on the same page and ignoring the crowd's hostility.
Meanwhile, the Vein Remnants concealed their pain behind calm exteriors as the anti-Revenant crowds shouted disparaging remarks toward them.
"It'll be ok, everyone. All will be ok after we've dealt with Mido," Moonlight reassured the Vein Remnants.
Holding Sion's hand, Tennyo softly smiled at him. The two's hands firmly gripped while heading their way back home.
1:20 pm (JST)
When they arrived near their apartment, Hifumi, Skyler, and Io took a moment to enjoy the night view. They thought they could earn themselves a longer rest after the last Yami Matter Event, but it was not to be. With a new year approaching, a new enemy, albeit one still linked with the Yami Matter, has struck.
"It shouldn't be a surprise if I think Aslaug and that evil Valkyrie are linked with the Vamkyries. Still, I'm glad Aslaug is on our side," Skyler stated.
"Yeah, I'm glad Makoto's two friends are taking care of her. It also should not be a surprise if this is the new ally that Lavenza referred to," Hifumi said.
"And with a new ally on our side, the Yami Matter will stop at nothing to bolster its rankings. Expect more new enemies to appear," Io warned them of a likely possibility.
"You're right and we shouldn't take things too leisurely now, Hifumi said before she paused and saw a familiar face in the distance. Her eyes widened when Miki appeared. "Miki?"
"What? Miki? Did you see her, Hifumi?!" Skyler asked as he scanned the area until he saw Hifumi running toward their missing friend. "Hifumi, wait!"
"It's strange. I should've sensed her presence," Io noted her strange inability to probe Miki's presence.
"Let's go after her, Io!"
With that, Skyler and Io hastened their pace to reach Hifumi. Once Hifumi arrived at Miki's location, Miki vaguely smiled and turned a corner. By the time Hifumi reached her, Miki was gone.
"Miki? Miki! Come out, we've been worried about you!" Hifumi called out for her friend. She tried to ascertain why Miki came and vanished so suddenly without a trace. "You were right here. Miki, where did you go?" When Skyler and Io caught up with her, she quickly turned to them. "She was right here! I swear I saw Miki!"
"Hifumi, listen. I don't know who you saw, but Io didn't sense anyone near us," Skyler reasoned with his girlfriend.
"How could you have not sensed her, Io?"
Io regrettably answered her. "Whoever that was, Miki or not, I didn't sense their presence. It's as if a ghost passed by without a trace."
"Ghost? But, I saw her," Hifumi muttered, shifting back to the corner where she last saw Miki. Her face paled with concern about this peculiar occurrence. "Then, what did I see?"
"This might sound strange, but I can never get a good reading on Miki. Even her presence eludes me," the pale-skinned Revenant openly admitted. "I can sense the Yami Matter's presence. Mido concealed his presence well, but he's at least a tangible entity. Miki is a whole other story."
"So, it's like we only see her when she wants us, too. That explains why she's hidden well since that last Yami Matter incident," Skyler said. "She made us think she was dead, but she's still out there."
"Yes, but where could she be?" wondered Hifumi, mulling over her friend's current whereabouts.
"Come you two. Let's get home," Skyler suggested as they started heading toward their apartment. He noticed Hifumi giving a final glare at the exact spot Miki was last seen.
"Let's go, Hifumi. I'm getting tired and I need to use your body to conserve my strength again," Io said, taking Hifumi's hand.
"Ok. Sorry for dragging you two along."
"Nah, don't apologize. We will find Miki sooner than later," Skyler reassured his worrisome girlfriend.
"Or, she finds us," Hifumi quietly muttered.
Witnessing Hifumi, Skyler, and Io pursuing a supposed Miki sighting, a figure concealed in white & red armor and a masked helmet hid on a rooftop. The helmet concealed this figure's face and identity with no way to tell who was behind the mask. This figure tapped on their left wrist, establishing a communication link with another entity.
Another voice was heard behind a static feed. "How is the situation? Have you located the anomalies?"
The masked individual replied in a distorted woman's voice. "They've been active again. The Phantom Thieves and the Revenants of this reality have been dealing with them. Moreover, I saw three just now pursuing a possible anomaly strongly linked to the Yami Matter."
"Interesting. I say we continue to monitor this reality. The Yami Matter's activities are sure to manifest soon. We need to make sure to inform our SWO and Urban Myth allies they are to stay put until they're needed. I highly suggest you return to headquarters. This isn't our fight to intervene with yet… not unless the Yami Matter and the anomalies further disrupt this reality."
"Will do."
"See you there, Aya."
As the masked figure closed her communication watch, she saw a portal. She turned over to Hifumi, Skyler, and Io returning to their apartment. Nodding, 'Aya' entered the portal to meet with her cohorts.
Dimension: Akane-no-Mai-Vein/?-?
Upon returning from their latest mission, Fredegund and Ildikó knelt and bowed their heads. Standing before them is the mysterious woman whose eyes gleamed dark green.
"We're sorry for coming back to report our failure, my lady," Fredegund reported.
"Your daughter went beyond our control when she disobeyed your orders," Ildikó added.
"No matter. You two have may. I'd like to have a word with my disorderly daughter," the woman narrowed her gaze at Kráka, causing her to flinch and eliciting distress on the Valkyrie's face.
"As you wish, Lady Kriemhild" the two ladies acknowledged and left the room.
When Kriemhild stepped out of the dark corner of her chair, a light revealed a beautiful woman with green lips, purple eyes, and long, back-length sliver-like white hair with visible green streaks running through the white hairlocks. and a fair complexion. She wore a dark green, black, and yellow gown. Despite her outward beauty, this woman exuded a horrific presence that paralyzed Kráka with sheer terror. On the surface, Kriemhild was a beauty to behold but internally lay a reprehensible monster.
Kráka turned around and extended her hand. She didn't want them to leave. However, she felt Kriemhild's chilling presence behind her. With her purple eyes glowing green, Kriemhild cast a terrifying glare. Kráka then felt her hair being tugged on as she was brought to her knees. The woman quickly converted her right hand into tendrils, which she used to whip Kráka's back while leaving bloody welts on her.
"How could you, Valravn, dare disobey your mother the way you did?" Kriemhild calmly whispered in Kráka's ear, causing the dark Valkyrie's body to shiver with fright. She sounded unusually calm for someone 'disappointed' with her daughter's mission failure. After each painful whip from her tendrils, the woman seemed to delight in delivering corporal punishment on Kráka.
"I… I let my thirst for battle blind me, mother. Please… forgive me for stepping out of line!"
A gleefully albeit sinister grin quickly smeared across Kriemhild's face. "No matter. You've assessed Aslaug's power and she is your equal. She and her new allies must be dealt with."
"Of course, mother…"
After releasing Kráka, Kriemhild sat on her throne and chortled. "You'll have another chance to kill the Lazarus Valkyrie. Of course, the Phantom Thieves and those Revenants will face my Vamkyries again. Even though we are on the same side, I can't let Mido take all of the credit and get several steps ahead of me. I shall be the one that satisfies the Yami Matter." She watched Kráka using her dark magic to treat her wounds. "But, one step at a time. Correct, my Kráka. My Valravn?"
Turning over to address her mother, Kráka saw her mother sitting with her head leaning and resting on top of her right hand.
"Of course, mother," the dark Valkyrie addressed her.
Opening her hand, Kriemhild materialized a viewing orb that showed her Tokyo, the exact one where Aslaug had taken refuge. "Heheh, don't expect much now, Kráka. It's merely a calm before the storm. However, in a few months, a war will be waged and the Yami Matter shall determine if this reality is fit to be purged. We shall see if it'll be purged the same way my old home was wiped out."
Chapter Soundtrack
Two Steps From Hell - Race to Durango - The group heads toward Shibuya Station.
Two Steps From Hell - Bravestone - Aslaug's first awakening and defends her friends from Kráka.
Adrian von Ziegler - Celtic Music - Morrígan - Kráka's theme. Kráka's appearance in confronting Aslaug and the protagonists for the first time.
CROW'S CLAW - Twin Crescent - Aslaug vs. Kráka.
Moya Brennan - Sailing Away- The aftermath of Aslaug vs. Kráka.
Shin Megami Tensei V - World of Shadows - Hifumi sees 'Miki' again and 'Miki' mysteriously vanishes. Io cannot sense Miki's presence and confirms that Miki is an anomaly unlike any other.
FF7 Voices of the Lifestream 2-10: Sephiroth's Wake (Trail of Blood) - OverClocked Remix - Kriemhild punishing her daughter.
A/N: This chapter was pretty standard and easy to write. A brief battle against Kráka and Aslaug's Valkyrie awakening. Kráka is confirmed to be a Valkyrie, not a Vamkyrie. She's not being manipulated in the way the Vamkyries are and she's not a reanimated corpse. Kráka also provides the role of the opening boss for Book III and Aslaug becomes an established member of the heroes.
Aslaug's title: the Lazarus Valkyrie/The Tierkreis
Kráka title: the Morrígu Valkyrie/The Valravn
Miki's mystery continues to elude Hifumi and Skyler. Even Io can't quite figure her out. Welp, they'll know in time when Pandora decides to reveal herself.
Kráka's mother, Kriemhild, is not pleased with her daughter's failure and wants to move up the Yami Matter rankings. Mido is several steps ahead but I wouldn't count out Krimehild and her entourage. The connection with Kriemhild and her group will be revealed soon. I hope you're ready for a long tale.
One more thing, Kriemhild hints a big war is forthcoming. This war will encompass the middle section of Book III. And the mysterious visitor who monitored Hifumi, Skyler, and Io won't appear again until the final quarter of the story. So, big things are happening later on and I'm establishing them now so there's proper build.
Anyway, that's it! See you in the next chapter.