Disclaimer: Fate and Persona are owned by different companies, and I hold no ownership and all that jazz.


7/23

The group was exhausted, the call to Sojiro and Ryuji's mom went well, and the group had decided to stay in pairs, at least for tonight.

Sae never answered.

Makoto and Ann were taken to Makoto's apartment, deemed safer than Hakuno's and Ann's apartment. Yusuke and Ryuji decided to just head to Ryuji's apartment.

Sojiro's car was big enough to take the five of them, it was decided to not tell Sojiro what happened, Futaba's Father would probably forbid the hacker from ever leaving the house if he knew.

Akira used Morgana's cuteness to convince Sojiro to stay the night in the living room, and Hakuno decided to sleep in Futaba's room, she was lucky Futaba and Akira had some spare clothes that mostly fit her…

Well, sleep was sort of what happened, Hakuno glanced at Futaba's bed, the hacker had kicked her awake from sleeping on the futon on the floor. She had hoped that the hacker would be able to grow out of her crazed movements in sleep.

Hakuno had used Futaba's computer to research the murdering clown.

Ran Rū, also known as Lil' Ronnie was a serial killer from a few years ago that was arrested after the police found her eating her own father.

Hakuno had zero idea how she got out of prison, or why the clown was hunting them, the way she implied that she was after her. At least… Hakuno thought it might be her… Akira, Futaba, and Makoto were the ones directly behind her.

Hakuno yawned, it was way later than she typically stayed, Hakuno closed her eyes…


7/24?

Something woke her up.

Hakuno felt a sickening wave of something. Ensuring her circuits were ready she stepped down the staircase, and…

It was Akira?

Morgana was nowhere to be seen, while Akira was moving around in his sleep. Hakuno shook the raven-haired teen to try and wake him.


"Hm?" The alarms started to blare, Akira was confused, and the twins looked around, "But there should be more time?" Justine mumbled, he knew that the velvet room residents could estimate the time it took for him to wake up but…

Igor glared at the alarm, "Seems that there is an interesting intruder one who I have not even noticed before…but, fret naught, all will fall into place." Akira felt himself waking up, "Go out, ensure the survival of your rehabilitation trickster. But do be wary of anyone giving out false promises."

Morgana yawned as he entered the room, the sounds of water rushing detailed his departure. Of course, as he wasn't a cat, and more than like a human he used the bathroom like a normal person.

There is a minimal chance he might be something other than a human still means he would not be a cat!

With his bravery against the crazy masked clown he-

Morgana lunged someone was standing over Akira!

A feminine voice yelped, Morgana could smell a familiar coffee scent coming from the person.

Wait…

Oh no.


Hakuno had picked up Morgana by his neck fur, Hakuno could feel the trickle of blood coming from her back. She had now turned on the lights, it was still late but now she was wide awake.

"Really?"

Morgana looked up at her, his eyes overly large as he put the most pitiable look he could muster on. "I thought you were the crazed clown!" He howled.

Hakuno sighed, the bleeding had already stopped, "Night visit?" Akira mumbled, and Hakuno sighed.

"In your dreams. What was that thing haunting your dreams?" Hakuno was fairly sure that it was something that could reside in dreams, she wasn't sure if it was a Persona or a Shadow.

From how sick she felt from it she was fairly sure that it wasn't benign.

"The twins and a long-nosed man…" Akira sat up as he mumbled, "A man called Igor is the master of the twins, he visits my dreams on occasion in a prison called 'The Velvet Room'… usually after we finish a heist. Sometimes before, but he didn't mention Futaba's until after." Hakuno saw Morgana looked suddenly deep in thought…

Hakuno nodded, sitting down in Sojiro's beige recliner, "So… is he evil?" Hakuno asked, "Or does he give off the feeling like…" Hakuno felt a slight unease, "Maruki?"

Akira looked at her puzzled, "Maruki isn't a bad guy… Clumsy and a bit obsessed with snacks but good person…" Akira glanced around, "Igor… I don't trust him. The twins I feel like I can trust them, but something about Igor's deep voice sounds like a typical anime villain. But one that at the moment, he is helping us."

Hakuno heard steps coming down the hall, "Sounds like a villain, helps the hero, that's like a typical video game plot." Futaba mumbled, her hair an absolute mess. "Are we the heroes!?" She mumbled something after but Hakuno couldn't pick it up.

"Be quiet, you'll wake Boss." Morgana snickered, "And of course! We are the Phantom Thieves!" Futaba walked up to Morgana and began playing with his cheeks, "Why meeeeee"

"Where is the Velvet Room?" Perhaps that's where the twins constantly disappeared to? Watching them randomly disappear and reappear with random items was always strange and the gear Akira had brought her were tinged with the strange cognition magic.

"Between Dreams and Reality, Mind and Matter." Akira quickly said, "Igor told me that the first time I visited, I can enter it at the base of any palace or from a few of their doors in the real world."

"I've never seen you enter…" Morgana muttered, but he sounded confused? "Velvet Room… why does that sound familiar…"

"Time seems really slow in there, it's where I fuse my personas and get the gear, the twins have all sorts of items in that room guillotines, electric chairs, gallows, and a Chainsaw." Hakuno nodded.

Hakuno didn't understand it but… the twins did have a slight violent streak when talking about Personas.

"Edgey." Futaba said, "Are they cute?"

Hakuno nodded, "The twins are adorable, they act like kids when Akria isn't around when he is they try their best to be grown-ups."

Futaba gleamed, "Gap-Moe?"

Morgana looked at the clock, "It's way late! Everyone needs to get some sleep right now!" Hakuno sighed, back to being kicked…


The Phantom Thieves all met up in the attic of Leblanc, aka their current hideout and Akira's bedroom. Most of them seemed concerned, Ryuji was putting up a false bravado, Ann actually seemed angry, and Makoto seemed embarrassed?

And Yusuke… Hakuno didn't know what Yusuke was feeling, the blue-haired teen was drawing in one of his many sketchbooks.

Futaba was exploring trying to find something around Akira's bed. "So… Seeing how now we are being targeted by our next… possible target, and that we are out of school for summer break I think it's best to try and unlock your circuits."

Hakuno had in a way been pushing it off, she had doubts that any of them would even have any, but they are a part of their souls from her understanding so there is a chance. Not like she has ever even tried to awaken another person's circuits before either.

The two worlds' magic system was compatible but relied on completely opposite beliefs, at least her real-world magecraft that Rin, Rani, and Leo had mentioned existed before the loss of mana.

Mystery, the less humanity understands something, the less amount of users, and overall age of it increases its power. Cognition is the opposite, the more humanity understands something or believes it possible the higher chance it exists in the Metaverse.

But… Hakuno didn't fully know the differences, the brief moment she stayed in the Core the handful of times that the three of them told her about the world before.

Tamamo's magic relied on a completely different system, at least she claimed. And Nero…

Well, Nero's sword was the first flame of Greek myth? She said she was taught but she liked the romance of the sword more than casting a spell.

Ryuji's bravado faded replaced with elation, as a huge smile appeared on his face, "So when can we cast spells and do all the cool shit you can do?"

Hakuno shrugged, she really didn't know, she knew how to Hack but that's more… instinctive? She had cast it so many times relying on that Blade, it's just ingrained in her circuits.

"Who knows…"

Morgana jumped in front, "I want to be first!" Hakuno nodded, Morgana was perhaps the one she believed would have the highest chance. Either him being a strange Familiar, a transformed human, or a Phantasmal Beast all could point to him having something.

She did remember the strange core close to his heart, the one that probably existed inside every one of the thieves… including herself. She had only found that out recently… while Ann and Morgana's shined in her senses hers remained dormant and cold.

She chose to, for now, ignore the strange cores.

Hakuno didn't have a clue about how regular people opened their circuits, hers had been opened before she even became cognitive of the world around her, and they continued to stay open in this world.

But…

"Everyone, I think it's best to wait a few days before we make a snap judgment… but I do think we should go after Ran Rū, everyone agree?" Akira's voice was soft, it was smart of him to go that route Hakuno thought.

The events from the previous night would still shake them up, their resolve is temporarily shaken from the violent attack the previous night, allowing them to gain some strength before even thinking about targeting the clown would be a wise thing.

"The cops... Should have it handled?" Makoto suggested. The cops did seem like they were going after the clown but…

"As if the cops are going to be able to catch that guy." Ryuji pointed out, "That guy dashed and ran like he was one of us in the Metaverse."

Yusuke nodded, "Their gangly body was surely another way to change, wearing a Mask shows that they are smart enough to hide. And their unique talking pattern would mask their real self even more."

"And with a bit of makeup, some new clothes… it would be hard-pressed to point out who Ran Rū really is as well…" Ann was right, it would be hard to catch the killer, more so if they are able to keep a facade of normality…

Which she for some reason feels that Ran Rū would be unable to do. But her speed and instincts would probably keep her away from custody for now.

"Let's… think on it for now." Futaba said her voice quiet, "She seemed dangerous and after us but, we currently have no idea about her Keywords." Which was true, Hakuno agreed that while leaving a Serial Killer on the loose it would be best to shore up their own defenses before rushing into any fights.

More so that they will have to find something to work as the base of the Palace, which… the Clown would most likely be in or around.

"Let's get going to Mementos."


The twins stood beside the gathering group of Phantom Thieves, Hakuno could see them but the others except for Akira couldn't see them, they remained silent and their golden eyes shined with curiosity.

They stood off in a side room, one that vaguely had the appearance of their typical safe rooms, a large table stood in the middle.

They also brought out handcuffs. Even pairs designed to hold a cat.

Hakuno chose to ignore that.

Hakuno had bound Mona to the table, his overly large head now looking extremely concerned.

"Uh… you've done this before… right?" Hakuno glanced at Skull who asked the question before shaking her head.

"When did I say that? Now… this might hurt a lot." Hakuno removed her gloved hand, placing it upon Mona's chest she pushed, Mona began to squirm under her Od invading his body.

She closed her eyes to concentrate. She had to discover if they even had circuits first.

Futaba, who still didn't have a codename, piped up "Whoah… this place is weird, Necromonicon is picking up some weird signals from you Magus…"

Hakuno found the strange core in his chest, a few cracks littered the core which was concerning but without knowing what it was Hakuno couldn't help with that so she tried to push into h̸̡͓̒́i̴̼͙̪̘͉̦̥͈͐̀ŝ̵͚͎͇̠̺͆̋ ̴̛̥̦̚͠s̷͎̗̞̩̺̳̀̄͜ȍ̷̻̯̤̒́̚͜ǔ̸̙̭͊̇̉̉̿͝l̷̦̹̞̱̞͍̑̍̄̑͑. She could even see what she thought might be… Zorro? Maybe… something else?

"Woah! Mona's stats are going crazy!" She chose to ignore the screaming.

Old yet young, a fragment of eternity, something profanely ancient imparted a fragment of something to give Mona life, Hakuno could even begin to describe the happiness that she found deep within Morgana's Soul. She had found them, the strange nervous system that was part of his soul. They were different than her own… almost like the code in her Mystic Codes… But they still seemed there.

She pulled back, now she was uncertain. So… she chose to do what she could only guess would be the main way to open another person's circuits…

Mona's screams stopped, and tears covered his face, the rest of the thieves looked mortified. "Sorry… Now I need you to concentrate on something, a trigger something that you will connect to your magecraft. For me…" Hakuno's mental trigger was a bit strange… "The sound of the Ocean crashing against rocks. The mist that comes up from the crash."

She didn't know why that was her mental trigger, that single scene plays itself in her memory every once in a while, she thinks that it might be related to Nero's life, She never used code casts before her being summoned.

She wasn't even sure if she was doing magecraft at all, she was still using her Code Casts or Mystic Codes to cast her spells. But… when she needs her Od, the scene plays in her mind and the Circuits come to life.

Back on track, Hakuno pulled out a tiny Ether Shard, she had been preparing a few items for this, and the Ether Shard was already filled to the brim with the world's magical energy. It was incredibly annoying to have to wait for it to fill up.

But, Hakuno was around 90% sure it would work.

"Mona, swallow this and just stay calm and focus on the warmth." Mona tried to nod as the stone went into his mouth. Hakuno placed her hand on his, "Focus, unravel it, become one with it. Imagine empowering your body with the spiritual energy that fuels a Persona, your body will tinge with warmth for the next few days..."

Hakuno chose to keep her senses focused on his circuits, a thread of energy worked its way toward them, she had no clue how many he had. She didn't even fully understand how many she had.

She knew it was important but Rin nor Rany never explained it to her.

"Mona's body temperature is rising fast!" Futaba said as Hakuno nodded.

"Doesn't Magus's body get hot when she…" Queen began as Hakuno saw the smoke come from Mona's body.

Hakuno removed the restraints on Mona, who unsteadily fell to the floor after trying to jump from the table.

"Now… whose next?"


Author's Note: I have. No idea how waking up magic circuits would go in a world without having people experience them. All I can find evidence is to wake up the trigger which Rin does in the VN with the gemstone candy or transfer Magical Energy via body fluids. Even in the base Fate/Stay Night, Shirou knows the feel of Magical Energy while doing it completely wrong with the whole nerve to circuit thing he still knows how it works.

I did my best googlin and couldn't find any full explanations on how to awaken someone who never knew the feeling. So I took it as needing to feel the magical energy inside of them and to just channel the energy in their body the way that they do with their Persona.

But, if im horribly wrong then so be it. The reason it hurt was basically cause Hakuno is delving into their souls and grasping around. Like it would hurt if someone stuck their hand through your chest and went diving for a specific vein wouldn't it? But once she found what she was looking for she could then ease up on the pressure and just observe the situation.

Next Palace will probably start in a chapter or two, originally i intended for them to start this chapter but… well.

I decided to focus a bit to much on the mage circuits.

But this chapter served its purpose, Magic Circuits unlocked for the main cast~.

Though I will say that they seemed strange for a reason...