Chapter 13: Sendai's Jail of Vanity, part 2
"Oh hey! With Doma down, we can fast travel again!" Oracle shouts out in glee, her screens spinning around her. "Looks like he was the one blocking us from leaving!"
"Well, that's handy." Devil remarks before feeling a drop of rain hit her head. "Huh?" She comments, looking up as more drops of rain come down as the Thieves enter the West Garden.
"Is this what they call rain?" Sophie asks, standing with arms wide open. A drop hits her on the nose, causing her to giggle as she wipes it away. "It feels weird."
"Come on, Sophie. You're going to get soaked if you stand there." Queen tells her, gently pulling her into cover along with the others as the rain starts to come down harder.
"This is my first time experiencing rain as well. It does feel weird." Edelweiss comments, shaking her hands dry.
"Ah, the joys of young ones experiencing something new for the first time." Sensei remarks sagely.
"It just started raining all of a sudden." Noir comments, shaking her hat as the rain continues to pour down. "Is this where the second orb is?"
"It certainly matches the 'land of rain' moniker. No doubt the orb is near." Fox confirms, looking around. "No doubt inside that cathedral." He nods his head to the very out-of-place building towering above them.
"This screams of a trap waiting to happen." Mona warns, shaking his head. "Well, not like we have a choice anyway." Deciding to get a look at it before they move from their cover, Oracle zooms in on the door with her mask. Groaning to herself as she sees the locked door.
"It's locked. Either we find a key to enter, or we look for another way in." She tells the team, earning a chorus of groans from everyone. Violet kicks the ground before glancing upwards, seeing a hole in the building opposite the cathedral.
"I think I found a way." Violet comments, firing her grapple at the open hole and pulling herself in. She looks around, seeing a path to her left leading over the rooftops as she grins to herself. Poking out of the hole, she waves to the others as they rush over to join her. Even as the rain now fell on them, seemingly getting heavier.
"Nice work, Violet!" Joker shouts over the pouring rain, leaping over the roofs and finding another checkpoint for them to use. "This should give us a straight shot to the Cathedral."
"Hold up! Shadow Cop up ahead!" Oracle warns, pointing at a shadow cop figure in the rain. Flanked by two drones. Before they suddenly transformed into an army of High Pixies and cops. Led by a giant High Pixie. But they weren't attacking the Thieves. Instead, they were focused on something else. If their fearful cries through the rain were of any indication.
"It—it's him! The One—AARGH!"
"Stay back! Leave me alone!"
"Why!? Aren't we on the same side!? You're Lord Natsume's—GAAAH!"
The Thieves stare in silence as a lone figure slices through the High Pixies and cops with no regard. Flashing three katanas in each hand, with a wide hat with an upturned crescent moon. Due to the distance and pouring rain, it was hard to make out anything else other than the samurai garb he was wearing. That and the dark blue and black colouring.
The giant Pixie was the last to fall, its shield shattering under the weight of the assailant's attack as it tried to counter with a Garudyne. But it was not enough, as it too soon fell to the mysterious stranger's onslaught. And as quickly as it had appeared, they vanished as though they were but mist.
"What the hell was that? Was it Sho? Did he find a way into the Jails?" Skull asks in a worried tone.
"No… It wasn't Sho." Oracle replies her screen before her. "In fact, it wasn't even a normal person. Just a stupidly strong cognition."
"That was a cognition?" Panther asks in shock. Oracle nods slowly at her, causing Panther to groan in reply. "Why did I have to open my big mouth earlier?"
"I feel we shall have to face them eventually." Fox comments as the rain seems to lighten up. Just enough to improve their visibility before pressing on, finding themselves at a series of scaffolding leading to a broken window in the Cathedral. "If what those screams told us were true."
"Best we keep our guards up in that case. Else, we fall like those shadows did." Crow warns as the team begins to move over the scaffolding. Edelweiss once again flew around on her thrusters. Outlaw and Spring, however, hold back a little as they glance at each other. Both with worry and recognition in their eyes.
"Outlaw…didn't that look like?"
"Yeah… he did. And that worries me." Outlaw replies to her, leaping onto a board. "Just how much did he copy from that show about him?" The two remain quiet as they leap through the stained glass window. Joining the others in a room similar to when they found the sun orb. And sitting on the very same pedestal was the blue rain orb.
"Looks like we found the second orb. And if it's the same as the first orb…" Queen turns around to the others, motioning her head to the shadows. Getting the hint, they all hide away, leaving Joker, Queen and Sophie alone as Joker grabs the rain orb.
"Hey! What are you doing?!" A sentry shouts as it storms into the room. Melting away into a Berith with Slimes, High Pixies, shadow dogs and shadow cops with axes. "Did you think you would leave with the orb uncontested!? Foolish Heroes! This place shall be your grave!"
"And did you think we wouldn't be ready for an ambush?" Joker quips. The Berith's eyes widen in shock as, at that moment, the Thieves in hiding leap out from the shadows and slam into the foes with a surprise All-Out Attack. Instantly taking out about half of their forces and gravely injuring the Berith. Before it even had a chance to regroup, Queen and Sophie leapt onto two ice clusters in the room, detonating them and freezing the remaining foes, including the Berith. Leaving them helpless as Joker cuts the wire holding the chandelier above them, crushing it all under its weight.
"Fool us once, shame on you. Fool us twice, shame on us." Panther quips at the fading shadows as they leave the Cathedral. "We ain't falling for ambushes like that again."
"Did the rain stop?" Spring suddenly comments, holding a hand out. Indeed, the rain falling around had in fact stopped when they were fighting. Was it because they took the rain orb?
"Aww…. I wanted to feel the rain more…" Sophie sadly comments, with Joker patting her on the head sympathetically.
"I'm sure we'll find rain in other Jails. Keep your hopes up." He tells her, earning a small smile from Sophie as they retrace their steps back to the Prison Keep. Still finding the place barren of shadow cops. Perhaps that cognition they saw earlier was ambushing and eliminating them.
Eventually, they reach the sealed door leaping into the Prison Keep and insert the two orbs into their respective holdings. In a flash of light, the door vanishes, leaving the Thieves clear access into the Prison Keep. Find its interior designed just like the Jails in Alice's Jail. Again, missing the decorative flair on the cold stone walls.
"So, this is the inside of a Prison Keep? Now it definitely fits its name. Just how many people are trapped here?" Devil asks, seeing all the cages around them.
"At best guess, around a third of everyone who is charmed by Natsume." Fox replies with a dry tone, deepening Devil's scowl, before they are rudely interrupted by an unexpected surprise.
"Hohohoho! You've done well to make it this far, Heroes!" A woman laughs at them, walking forward with a confident expression on her face. With the same dark aura surrounding her as Doma, with the Thieves falling into their battle stances.
"Are you one of the Fearsome Four?" Noir asks, putting on her best acting voice.
"That is correct! I am indeed one of the Prince of Nightmare's Fearsome four! You may call me Ante!" She greets with a bow, her smile never leaving her face. "If it is the proof you are after, you'll have to defeat me! Still, you would do well to avoid mistaking me for a pushover like Doma!"
"It would be a shame if the Fearsome Four were all like him. A stain upon your moniker." Crow says swiftly, with a small grin on his face. "He was but a nuisance, as I am sure you will be as well."
"You think so? How cute." Ante remarks, leaning on one foot. "I'll let you on a little secret then… Doma was the weakest of all of us! My power far exceeds his! How he ever joined our ranks, I will never know nor care. For you, doom is nigh!"
"You're no match for the Chosen Heroes!" Violet shouts, pointing her rapier at Ante. "Now, reveal your true form, and let us battle!" Almost like she was abiding to Violet's request, Ante changes into her real form. A giant Lamia, which sent the adults slight back at her topless form. Something that Joker and Queen were ready to cover Sophie's eyes at until they remembered that a Lamia's hair covered their breasts.
"Come! Be embrace and succumb to me!" Ante shouts, flicking her tail around at the Thieves and forcing them back as cop shadows swarm into the area to back Ante up. Teach, flying through the air, lands on an ice cluster and detonates it. Freezing several cops who tried to surrender her and leaving them open to Skull, who slams his mace on the ground. Sending out a thunderous shockwave that either shattered or sent the foes flying.
As for Ante, a shield formed around her just like all the others as she blasted the party with an Agidyne, catching Fox in the blast and sending him to his knees. She tried to capitalise on this, only to be stopped by Shadow, who tied her kunai and chain around her neck. Temporary choking her as Fox gets back to his feet and blasts her with a Bufudyne.
Seeing her frozen, Queen follows up and blasts her with an Atomic Flare, damaging her shield even more before dodging under a tail swipe. Ante then sends out a brain jack towards Spring, only for the attack to fail due to the immunity she has. At that moment, a Berith at the head of an army of High Pixies charges into the area from the second entrance. Aiming to catch the Thieves by surprise.
"It would seem they are bringing their full force. Let us show them how a surprise really works. Panther!" Fox shouts, glaring at the charging foes as Panther joins his side.
"Ready when you are!" She replies while the star in Jocker's pocket glows.
"It's Showtime!"
Just like always, the red curtain changes the area, this time to a feudal Japan set with Tachibana mats. In one room was the Berith and countless High Pixies, while in the other were Fox and Panther. Fox stood tall while Panther knelt with a traditional parasol. Standing up, Panther spins it around, putting it in front of her as flames dance around her. Before she suddenly from it into the air, grabbing her whip and lashing out against the mats, sending them flying towards the Berith on fire.
All the while, Fox slides in behind one of them. Ice coating his blade as he quickly draws, spins and sheaths his blade before standing next to Panther again. Who had grabbed the parasol again before sitting on the ground. Just as the foes suddenly burst into fire and ice, the room collapsed down on itself. Slash marks appear, and the mats are sliced all at once.
"Nice one! That takes care of that!" Oracle shouts as the area turns back to normal, Ante's shield is still active but almost about to fail. Just as Joker unleashed an Atomic Flare with Ishtar, Sensei froze her in place with a Bufudyne. The two attack collide, breaking through the shield and sending Ante to the floor in a daze. And helpless as the Thieves unleashed their All-Out Attack on the Lamia. Bringing her down and securing their path to the first 'proof'.
"Haha… Well done, Chosen Heroes… I admit defeat…" Ante tells them as she begins to disappear. "I will open the door for you… I wish you luck on the rest of your journey… Farewell… My darling…" And with that, she vanishes, leaving the path open.
"Was she supposed to be the Love Interest for the Prince of Darkness?" Panther asks Fox who was quickly scanning the book.
"Yes… apparently, Ante was. Although, not much is given about her. Her backstory and life are hollow and shallow. I am not even sure if she was based on a past lover or not."
"Sheesh…. If he was going to do a sentimental plot thread, at LEAST make us sympathise with the characters…" Oracle groans as the team climbs the stairs. "Backstory is important for all characters! Even if you only use it for notes!"
"Let's just get that proof and move on." Skull cuts in, rolling his shoulder. "I'd rather not be here in case that cognition comes after us."
"For real…" Crow remarks, earning a shocked look from Skull. "After seeing what it did to those shadows, I would rather not be caught unawares by whatever it was either."
"We're almost to the top of the tower. We'll be out of here and onto the next one soon." Joker tells him just as they reach the top. Where the shining orb of the core awaited them. And as Outlaw went to grab it, it changed into its true form.
"Prince of Nightmares? Again?" Outlaw asks, holding the book in his hands.
"He must really be proud of it. Despite the plagiarism." Shadow remarks, shaking her head.
"So, this is a core?" Devil asks, staring at the book. "I was expecting something…you know…"
"Well, it is a representation of their power, so it wouldn't be anything fancy. But still, why his book?" Mona questions, tilting his head. "This makes as little sense as the ones from Alice's Jail."
"Either way, we have our first proof. All that we need are two more." Sensei remarks, glancing at Fox. "Does the book say where they are?" At that, Fox takes his own copy out, flicking through the pages before finding the right one.
"According to this, the next two towers lie beyond the 'land of rain'."
"More backtracking? This is getting old really fast." Panther remarks, shaking her head. "Why can't things be like in the Places? We were always going in a straight line."
"We can't have everything be as we want them." Teach remarks as they head for Aoba 1st Ward. Rushing past the two Cathedrals where they found the orbs. Eventually, they reached the ward, finding the entrance to the shopping mall closed. Until the door automatically opened up for them, clearing the way forward before they could even comment on it.
"That was… strangely smooth." Mona comments as they walk forward, seeing a glowing object all the way at the far back. "I wonder what that is."
"Let me go check." Sophie volunteers as she rushes forward. Only for an alarm to blare around her as shadow cops suddenly appear. Surrounding her on all sides.
"Sophie!" Joker and Queen shout, leaping into the fray as the shadow cops attack Sophie. Unleashing their personas as the alarm continues to blare while more shadow cops appear out of thin air.
"What the hell!? Where are they coming from!?" Skull shouts as he and the others join in, the alarm working on over time as more shadow cops appear. Sensei glances around, seeing the never-ending stream before looking up. Seeing a gaze eye above them glowing red with anger. Without even thinking, he aims his Tommy gun at it, unloading lead into the eye and destroying it. Taking the blaring alarm with it as the stream of shadow cops ends, giving the Thieves a chance to breathe.
"Sophie? Are you all right?" Queen asks, kneeling next to her as she breaths hard.
"Yes…I'm okay." She replies as she stands up. "I'm sorry…"
"Don't be." Queen replies, hugging her. "I'm just glad you are all right."
"What was going on anyway?" What was causing that alarm?" Noir asks as the team takes a moment to breathe.
"It would appear security lights are running along the roof of the area." Sensei remarks, pointing at the sparking eye above him. "It would seem standing in their gaze sends out an alarm."
"And raising the alert level of the Jail." Joker finishes, shaking his head. "I think we should leave then. Give it time to cool down and grab something to eat."
"I agree. We have been moving nonstop since we arrived." Crow comments, rubbing his chin. "A brief rest would do us good." With that agreed upon, the team made their way back to the nearest Checkpoint they knew of, which so happened to be Sendai Station by its proximity. Leading to an easy retreat out of the Jail to rest, and let the security die down.
Once they were rested and fed, the team dove back into the Jail, finding the security had dropped and the path still open. Returning back to the mall, the eye that Sensei had knocked out had repaired itself, much to their annoyance, but a quick snipe from Shadow rendered it useless once again.
Getting an uneasy feeling, Joker activated his third eye to scan down the path. Seeing more security eyes gazing down and where they were looking. At least they were working until the Thieves decided to destroy them one by one. Noir managed to take two out at once with her grenade launcher since they were located close to each other.
"And that's the last one!" Violet shouted, clapping the last light as its glare over the shining orb vanished. Leaving the team free to pick up the glowing red orb with dark red and light red swirls.
"So, it was another orb?" Devil asks, raising an eyebrow.
"With how things have been going, it wouldn't surprise me if we need these to keep going forward." Queen remarks. "But why orbs?"
"Perhaps it is because this is one of the novel's many 'tri-coloured' orbs." Fox comments, looking at the orb. "It says we will need red, blue and yellow in order to proceed through the sealed doors."
"Wait. If this is like the last two, then…" Outlaw remarks, turning around to look down the mall. Only to see nothing. "Huh… no ambush…"
"Apparently, these orbs do not have any guardians." Fox remarks, looking through the book. "It would appear he is relying on their location to be a deterrent rather than the guards."
"That's stupid if you think about it." Edelweiss remarks. "Why only have guards protecting two of them if—"
"Wait! Enemy closing in!" Sophie suddenly shouts as two Lamia appear behind them. Accompanied by yet another army of cops and dogs. Some are holding shields while drones fly above them.
"I stand corrected." Fox replies, hand reaching for his blade.
"Get ready!" Joker shouts as the Lamias charge. Queen and Shadow share a glance before nodding as one as they rush forward ahead of everyone.
"We'll deal with this, right Shadow?" Queen asks, neither of them noticing the star glowing in Joker's coat.
"We shall."
"It's Showtime!"
Red curtain, the old reliable, once more falls onto the battlefield, cloaking the area in its embrace before peeling away. Revealing Queen sitting on a powerful Motorbike with Shadow sitting behind her. "Full throttle!" Queen shouts, stepping on the gas and shooting them forward, leaving behind a trail of atomic fire. Shadow spins her kunai around before throwing it. Impaling it on a Lamia as the chain wraps around it with psionic energy before the Lamia is dragged right behind them.
As Queen charges through the cops before them, the Lamias that were being dragged smash into the cops behind them. Sending them flying into the sky as Queen directed the bike at the second Lamia. Without speaking, the two girls leap off from the bike as it slams into the second Lamia, the first one being dragged right into it as the shadow cops in the air fall around them.
Queen and Shadow twist in the air, aiming their guns at the fuel tank of the motorbike before firing in unison. Sending rounds of atomic fire and psionic energy into the fuel tank, detonating it in a fiery explosion and engulfing the enemies around them.
"Well, that takes care of that problem." Teach remarks as the two girls rejoin them. "Now, about that door for this orb?"
"I think I saw something like that further back." Noir comments, pointing down the path. "It was a red door with a crimson gem at its top."
"That sounds like our sealed door, then. Let's check it out." Skull comments, walking down the path. It was vexing, though, that the entrance to the next Prison Keep was RIGHT NEXT TO THEM, but the gate was closed. But Thieves couldn't be choosers, so making their way past the Prison Keep, they approach the red door. Only for it to vanish in ruby fires. Revealing a back alleyway with two more doors. A blue one leading away from the Prison Keep and a yellow one leading towards it. And a lot of shadow dogs patrolling the area.
It wasn't hard for the Thieves to piece together what they needed to do. And the frustration they felt was infectious. So, deciding it was better to let it out rather than keep it all in, they unleashed their anger at the shadow cop dogs. Was it healthy? Probably not. But better than letting it stew inside of them until the wrong moment. Even if all they were sighting were Slimes or Lamias. At least they found another checkpoint for them to use as they continued on through a construction site. Finding, to their surprise and disappointment, the blue orb. Complete with dark blue and light blue swirls.
But before they could even grab it, a laser barrier activated around the orb. Sealing them out as cops appear all around them. With several big ones wielding axes mixed in with them. Some had even switched up their axes for giant swords as well.
"Not so fast, Heroes! The orb is ours!" One of them shouts, morphing into a Berith, while another turns into a Lamia as more spawn around them. Unfortunately for them, there were also ice clusters scattered around the area. Which the Thieves took quick advantage of and froze large swaths of the attacking army.
"I think we should hurry this up." Noir suddenly comments, swinging her axe around and sending several Shadows flying as Lucy forms behind her. "Shall we?" She asks Lucy, holding her hand out as Lucy gently grabs her hand. With a spin, Noir spins Lucy around to face the frozen foes before revealing her hidden arsenal under her giant cape. "Fire!" Letting out one great blast of energy, Lucy tears into the frozen foes before Noir leaps into the air and sends out a Psionic shockwave from her axe. Tearing through those Lucy had missed.
"Such stunning beauty!" Fox suddenly cries as he frames her while Gorokichi forms behind him. Before bellowing out cold smoke towards the non-frozen combatants. Trapping them in ice as Fox dashes towards them. Slicing at them in quick succession before appearing next to Noir and sheathing his blade. Shattering the ice and slashing apart those who were trapped inside.
As the last of them falls, the barrier around the orb vanishes, with Mona grabbing it with his grapple soon after. With the blue orb in hand, the Thieves double back to the blue door and open it. Hopefully revealing the path to the yellow orb. If it was here. And as the first impression went, the alleyways they found themselves in held nothing for them but dead ends. Until Joker noticed a gargoyle, they could use to get up to the roofs, which before long had the entire team leaping over the roofs. Finding the yellow orb with its dark yellow and light yellow swirls waiting for them innocently.
As Spring grabs it, the team tenses up for an inevitable ambush, only for nothing to appear. Nothing but the cry of a horse nearby, dragging the team's attention. Where in the distance, watching them from the back of a horse, was the same figure who tore apart those shadows. Yet, at the distance that it was at, it was still too hard to make out who it was before they quickly vanished.
"Is that cognition stalking us?" Violet asks, her hand resting on her rapier.
"It would appear so." Crow replies, himself feeling unnerved by what he saw. While Oracle stood still, her mouth agape at what she had seen through her zoom feature. Something that was evident as she stayed behind with Spring and Outlaw, who were both sporting worried looks.
"Oracle? Are you all right?" Spring asks, resting a hand on her shoulder.
"I saw him… I caught a glimpse of who it was… And his horse hat motorbike handles…" She whispers to the couple, who suddenly go pale.
"Oh… crap. It really is him…" Outlaw whispers as they follow the others to the yellow door.
"Should we tell them?" Spring asks with unease in her voice. Outlaw shakes his head, glancing at the others as the door vanishes.
"I'm not sure if they would believe us…" With unease in them, the trio follow after the others as they enter yet another small network of alleyways. Eventually finding themselves at the back entrance to the Prison Keep. Only with a small problem.
"Looks like I'm up again." Oracle comments, walking up to the nearby terminal next to the green forcefield. "You guys keep them off my back, yeah?"
"Leave them to us!" Skull shouts just as the first wave appears before them. Beriths mixed in as they charged forward. A lone Berith manages to sneak past, rushing up to Oracle and jabbing at her with its spear before getting kicked in the face by Edelweiss.
"You okay?" Edelweiss asks, turning around and letting a swarm of missiles fly.
"I'm good." Oracle replies, rubbing the spot she got pocked at. "I'm almost halfway done. Keep them off me for a few more seconds."
"Then allow me to clean this up." Sensei remarks as Abraham forms before him. "Feel the bite of the wind of fall!" She shouts as Abraham raises a hand up, creating a tornado of wind that sucks up all of the remaining foes. "Tremble under the weight of winter!" Snapping his finger, Sensei freezes the tornado, trapping them all inside before bringing his odachi over his head. "Farewell." He remarks, slicing downwards and splitting the icicle in half. Destroying all those trapped inside.
"Aaaand viola! Thanks for the backup, everybody!" Oracle shouts as the barrier comes down. "Now, let's see who we are dealing with this time." With the door opened, the Thieves rushed inside to find another man in a business suit waiting for them. And with a messy hairstyle as well.
"Welcome, Chosen Heroes!" He greets them with a grandiose presence, setting the Thieves on guard.
"Look out! It's a member of the Fearsome Four!" Panther dramatically shouts her best acting yet on full display. Even if she was fighting to keep the smile on her face.
"Indeed. For I am the great Kuga! I suppose you must have some skill for defeating both Doma and Ante. But you'd be foolish to assume I'd be defeated as easily as them!"
"No matter what you say, we shall not lose!" Skull shouts, holstering his mace. "Prepare to face the Chosen Heroes!"
"Hah! You really have spirit! I'll give you that. I'm starting to like you… Now then, have at you!" Like the others, Kuga sheds his human form and turns into a giant Orthrus, snarling at the Thieves with two heads before blasting forward with atomic fire, forcing them back.
"Fire and nuke won't work! But Ice will! I'm starting to see a pattern…" Oracle comments as Fox and Sensei blast the Orthrus with Bufudyne. Forcing it back as it unleashed a Freidyne towards them. Leaping onto a stone gargoyle, Outlaw dashes forward, slicing under Kuga before leaping away and avoiding his tail strike, followed close by Kuga unleashing a Mafreidyne around itself, forcing the Thieves back.
Everyone but Joker and Queen, thanks to their immunity to nuke-based attacks allows them to charge in and pummel the Orthrus with their weapons. Despite its shield giving it protection from their attacks, Kuga began to slow down far too quickly, with his attacks becoming more and more desperate. It was strange that he didn't summon any help to assist him, but the Thieves weren't going to question it.
"Let's finish this!" Devil suddenly shouts as Diane appears behind her. Grabbing her minigun, Devil unleashes a storm of rounds at Kuga, pinning him to the ground while Diane charges up an orb of psionic energy and throws it at Kuga. Detonating and engulfing him in a psionic explosion.
With that, Kuga fell to the ground, his body limp. The Thieves were ready to hear one final line from him, but instead, all they got was silence as he faded away to nothing. Leaving them feeling very disappointed.
"No cliché death quote? For real?" Teach asks in disappointment. Skull not reacting due to standing in disappointment at the silence they got.
"What a letdown…" Sophie comments as the team heads up the stairs to the top of the Prison Keep.
"Did he even have a death quote, Inari?" Oracle asks as Fox looks through the book.
"No… he did not." Fox replies, shaking his head. "In fact, he says hardly anything at all. He is the least fleshed out of all the Fearsome Four, but what we have seen so far."
"That's just so lame…" Edelweiss remarks as they reach the top. The second core was waiting for them as it took shape in Joker's hands. A glass trophy on a stand.
"A trophy?" Violet asks, her interest piqued as she rushes up to it. "It says 'Soukaisha Awards'. Isn't that a hard award to get?"
"It is. Wouldn't surprise me if he got this by cheating." Devil remarks, shaking her head.
"But look at the date." Shadow comments, tapping the vase. "This was long before the Change of Heart epidemic began. He won this last year."
"Wait, really?" Devil asks, walking up and looking at the base, her eye-widening. "Huh…would you look at that. He did. So he won this on his own."
"But did he pay off the judges to win it? Or did someone else rig it in his favour?" Crow asks, stroking his chin. "Regardless, we only have one core left. Does the book say where it is, other than beyond the land of rain?"
"Hmmm…. It makes no mention of it's location." Fox replies, scanning through the book. "All I can find is that the heroes had to walk over an invisible floor to enter. While it does say how the heroes were able to find it, such a method is unneeded. Thanks to Joker."
"Days like this make me glad I have a Third Eye." Joker remarks, glancing around. "Well, there's nothing here. Let's head back and see if anything else has opened up." With nothing else to do, the Thieves exit the Prison Keep and head north, moving up towards Hirose Street, which had now opened up for them. Ducking by more security cameras glaring down from above, the Thieves exit the mall and arrive on the main street. Finding the Prison kept directly to their right, with its gate sealed shut.
"Well, we've found the keep. But where do we go now?" Noir asks, glancing down the roads. "I don't see anything that we can use to get over it."
"Let's look down the alley in front of us. We should be able to find some way of getting onto the roofs." Queen suggests, pointing down the shopping alley before them. Which, for some reason, had piles of swords all over it.
"It is the only path open to us for now." Sensei remarks as the team approaches it. Only for the entire alley to be filled with cop shadows. Half of their number turns into High Pixies as they form a wall to stop the Thieves. Crow and Violet glance at the piles of swords around them, an idea coming to their minds as they leap onto the piles. Both of them grab a sword and throw them into the lines. The sword becomes enchanted with bless magic as they easily sail through the lines, the shadow cops diving for cover.
"They are using the swords of fallen Heroes! Even in death, they defy us!" One of the High Pixies shouts before it is gunned down by Fox.
"The hell are they talking about?" Outlaw asks, firing at a few High Pixies before ducking under a dog shadow. Who was then eviscerated by Mona.
"Who knows, who cares! If it works, it works!" Devil shouts, grabbing a sword for herself and throwing it at their foes. Slicing through several before blasting them with a Maeigaon, wiping out the last few foes and opening the way forward.
"If they are trying to stop us from coming down this way, that must mean we are on the right track." Crow comments as the battle ends as they continue on. Finding another alleyway on their right at the end. Leading to another Checkpoint and an access way to one of the roofs. But that path came to an end when they found a gap far too big for them to leap across.
"Another dead end?" Violet asks, leaning over the side.
"Looks like it…" Spring comments, shaking her head. Joker, however, was not convinced. Thinking back to the words from the novel, he activates his Third Eye and smiles to himself. Before him, floating in the middle of the air, were two platforms. Leaping forward, ignoring the calls from the others, Joker lands on the glass platforms and turns back to the others with a grin.
"I think I found our invisible pathway." He tells them, digging into his coat and pulling out a marker. Leaving a big circle in the shape of the platform for the others to see.
"I-Is that even safe? We're not going to fall, are we?" Devil asks hesitantly as the Thieves leap onto the platforms.
"Oh, you'll be fine. They can take all of us at once." Oracle tells her from inside Al Azif while Edelweiss flies on ahead. Devil shakes her head at how they could fly over these problems as she moves to catch up with the others.
"Invisible floors… how interesting." Sophie remarks, leaning over the edge of one.
"Sophie, be careful." Joker calls out as Queen stays by her side. "If you fall, it will hurt, so don't lean over the edge. Okay?"
"Okay!" Sophie calls back as she and Queen move away from the edge before leaping to the next one.
"Ngh… my knees won't stop shaking." Panther remarks, seeing her legs visibly shake.
"We're almost there, Panther. Just a few more platforms and were back on solid roofs." Skull comforts, leaping to the next platform as Panther follows suit. Eventually, the Thieves reach the roof of the next building, taking a moment to breathe as they gaze out at the last Prison Keep.
"Will we have to do that again?" Spring asks hands on her knees.
"Please tell me no." Outlaw begs, only for Oracle to shake her head.
"Sorry, but it looks like we have one more set to get past." The group, minus a few, let out groans of annoyance as they stand back up and move over the rooftops. Using a zipline between two of the buildings to land next to the Prison Keep and the final set of platforms that led into the Keep. Were they found an old man patiently waiting for them beside the Keep tower.
"Hohoho… I've been waiting for you, Chosen Heroes. I am one of the Fearsome Four and a servant to the Prince of Nightmares, Betero. "
"So our final opponent is one of old age? Then you surely have the knowledge to back up your skills?" Fox questions with a commanding voice. They had to wonder if they were taking this too far.
"Ohohoho… So you do not fall for my appearance? You are not so easily deceived, are you? Despair, for I am the strongest of the Fearsome Four! Your Journey ends here!"
"If you surrender the final proof to us, we shall spare you, Betero." Spring tells him, pointing her spear at him. Betero looks at her, possibly about to talk about some long monologue. Until his eyes wander all over her, suddenly making Spring feel very uncomfortable. And those same eyes wandered over Panther, Queen, Noir, Violet, Shadow, Devil and Futaba as a glint appeared in his eyes.
"Oho…Ohohoho…."
"Why is he laughing like that?" Sophia asks Joker, who shrugs back at her.
"My, you all are sure curvy little things, aren't you? Ahh, you're a real sight for these tiered old eyes." Betero remarks at the girls, who stare at him with blank, unamused and slightly pissed-off faces. It was then that the air went extremely cold as Betero, feeling an unprecedented amount of anger and danger, changed into his true form of an Eligor. Turning to the source, he was met by the shadow encased looks of Joker, Skull, Fox, Outlaw and Crow while Sensei was gently pulling Sophie back as Edelweiss looked on with a blank look.
"Oh… he's fucked up." She quotes eloquently as the star in Joker's pocket glows brighter than ever.
"IT'S SHOWTIME YOU BASTARD!"
All five of them scream as they leap into the air as red AND black curtains fall over the area. Draping over the Eligor and transporting him to a vast desert. Betero looks around, looking for the Thieves, unaware that Outlaw is behind him. He joins his twin blades together, encasing himself into an aura of golden fire before leaping at Betero and unleashing a wild and ruthless attack with his twin blades. Striking from every angle and not giving him a chance to breathe.
But as Outlaw jumps back, Crow dashes in. Following up on Outlaw's attack, he glows with a grey aura, slashing around before leaping back after casting an Eiagon in its face. And just as Outlaw jumps back, Fox dashes in, glowing with a blue aura, and encashes Betero in ice before slicing it to pieces, jumping to another point as Skull comes in from above. Lightning trails behind him as he glows a blinding yellow, as he slams his mace right into Betero's head. Lightning rains down around him as he, too, leaps away.
As Betero shakes his head, Joker dashes in through the smoke, leaping over him and unloading an entire clip into his chest before kicking him off and blasting his face with a Megidolaon spell while glowing red. Landing from Betero, Joker completed their five-pointed formation as they slammed their weapons into the ground, igniting a giant explosion combined with their primary elements, wiping Betero out before he could even do anything as the area returned to normal.
"Next time, don't flirt with our girlfriends, pervert." Joker tells Betero as he vanishes away before all five of them almost fall forward with exhaustion. Only to be caught by their significant others before face-planting the floor.
"That was AWESOME, guys!" Oracle tells them as she, Sensei, Sophie, Shadow, Devil and Edelweiss join them. "How did you know you could use more than one person with the star?"
"We didn't…" Skull replies, shaking his head as Panther holds him up. "We just…acted on instinct."
"Indeed… It was, al emotion…" Fox adds, with Noir helping him stand.
"Well, I think you were all VERY cool!" Violet tells Crow, kissing him on the cheek as he lets out a chuckle.
"Cool…yes…tiring…also yes…" Outlaw adds, Spring changing her grip on him.
"Then let's get that final proof and retire for the day." Queen remarks, helping Joker up. "I think we all could use a sleep after that."
"Sounds good…" Joker replies as they head up the stairs. Mona leaps onto Shadow's shoulders for a change instead of Joker as they climb, eventually reaching the top and finding the final proof. A fountain pen with a 3D dragon design on it.
"And that makes all three." Shadow remarks, holding the pen. "And it's a fountain pen. Fitting."
"Now that we have all of these, we can get in, right?" Devil asks the team who give her nods in reply.
"We're finally going to storm the castle." Sophie chimes with an innocent smile while Sensei gently chuckles.
"Tomorrow, we will. But first, I believe we are all deserving of a good night's rest."
"No arguments here." Oracle replies as the team heads back to the nearest Checkpoint. They did what they had to do today. They could finish up tomorrow. But as they were heading back, none of them noticed their mysterious stranger had been watching them the entire team before galloping away back to Natsume's castle. A grin sported on his face the entire way.