~X~
~ May 15 - Art Exhibition - Daytime ~
Morgana
"It's so crowded," Morgana commented from inside the bag Ann was carrying.
The exhibit was pretty full. Patrons were crowded around the many paintings, banners, and posters hanging from the walls and ceiling, and they showed where certain themes were.
"Wow, there are so many paintings here. And in so many different styles," Ann remarked.
"And Madarame made all these?" Ryuji said skeptically.
"You came!" a voice off to their side said excitedly. Morgana hid in the bag, and Ryuji and Ann turned to see that it was Yusuke making his way toward them. He smiled at Ann, but that smile disappeared when he noticed Ryuji. "As did you,.."
"What'd you expect when you left us those tickets?" Ryuji retorted.
"Make sure you don't get in the way of the other visitors," Yusuke ordered. Then he turned and smiled at Ann. "Come now, I'll show you around. I'd like to speak more about the picture I'd like to draw too."
"Well, see you later," Ann started to follow but quickly rushed back to Ryuji, handing him her bag. "Actually, hold on to this for me, okay? Thanks,"
"Wha- Hey!" Ryuji said, but Ann was already following Yusuke.
Morgana quickly poked his head out. "No! Lady Ann! Why? What if he takes you behind a painting and tries something funny!? How am I supposed to protect you if I'm not there!?"
"Hey, cat, don't freak out so much!" Ryuji snapped. "I don't want to get kicked out for bringin' a cat in here."
Morgana was about to retort back but quickly pushed down that feeling because they had a job to do. "Ugh, fine."
"Haah, so what do we do?" Ryuji said, while also a bit annoyed he's stuck with Morgana. "We're not gonna appreciate the 'fine arts', are we?"
"Remember that we're here to investigate. Lady Ann has that Yusuke boy covered. We'll investigate Madarame," Morgana said.
"The heck are we supposed to look for here?"
"I don't know. Anything strange, I guess," Morgana said.
Ryuji sighed and shook his head. He walked over to some paintings with Morgana in the bag. A few minutes later, they got unexpectedly lucky.
"Hey, cat. Isn't that Madarame right over there," Ryuji pointed.
Sure enough, there was their target in the middle of an interview.
"Yup, it sure is," Morgana peeked out of the bag. "Get a little closer. Try to listen in on what they're saying."
Ryuji nodded and slowly moved closer to hear them, but far enough to not draw too much attention.
"We continue to be truly surprised by your imagination," the female reporter said. "You have such expansive styles; it's hard to believe it all stems from one person. Where does all of your inspiration come from?"
"Well… it is rather difficult to put into words…They naturally well up from within my heart, like bubbles rising one after another in the spring." Madarame said with a humble smile.
"Really?" Ryuji scoffed and rolled his eyes.
Hmm. Morgana listened closely to what Madarame was saying.
"Naturally, you say?" the reporter said.
"What's important is to distance oneself from worldly desires such as money and fame…" Madarame said. "My atelier is a modest shack, but it is more than enough to pursue true beauty."
Ryuji scoffed again. "Can you believe what this guy is sayin'? 'Distance yourself from fame'? Then why are you havin' an interview and hostin' an art gallery?"
"Shhh!" Morgana shushed him as he said that too loud. Luckily, no one heard him.
"I see…" the reporter said. "So, the act of emptying one's mind gives rise to inner beauty. Still, to think we could hear the word 'shack' coming from the great artist, Madarame."
"Shack?" Ryuji said. There's something about that word…
A gasp was heard from the crowd. "Madarame-san is actually here!?"
Others heard the voice and were soon swarming to where Madarame was.
"Uh-oh. Better get out of here before you get swept up in the crowd," Morgana advised.
"Aw, shit," Ryuji saw the overwhelming number of people running in his direction. He started making his way through the people and to the exit. "Hey! Ow! Watch it!" though not without some injury.
~X~
After leaving the gallery, Ryuji and Morgana decided to wait at one of the accessways to Shibuya Station. Ryuji was sitting down and leaning up against the railing, and Morgana was out of Ann's bag, sitting on the floor.
"That old lady totally elbowed me…" Ryuji grumbled from where he was sitting. "...But thanks to that, I remembered something."
"Oh? Something useful from you for a change?" Morgana teased. Why does he have to keep jabbing at Ryuji every chance he gets?
"You know what? I not gonna fall to your level this time, cat! This info's got me excited," Ryuji gloated.
"Why'd you leave without me!?" Ann's voice shouted. This caused Ryuji and Morgana to turn and see that she caught up with them.
"You got it all wrong; we got dragged into this huge crowd and-" Ryuji started to explain but stopped. "Eh, anyways, you gotta look at this too. This post on the Phan-Site might be about Madarame."
Morgana and Ann got closer to Ryuji's phone to read what the post said.
A master of the Japanese arts is plagiarizing his pupil's work. Only his public face is shown on TV. His treatment of the pupils who live with him is awful. He teaches nothing and bosses them around. He treats them inhumanly as if disciplining a dog.
"So, abuse on top of plagiarism, hm?" Morgana said.
"If this is real, it would be a huge scandal," Ryuji said excitedly.
"It would explain how he supposedly mastered so many different art styles. Madarame didn't make the paintings, his pupils did, and he's just passing off their work as his own," Morgana said. "Assuming it's true."
"Hm. I wonder if we can ask that Shadow from earlier about this," Ann brought up. "Oh, actually, we just need to talk to him in reality."
"And how are we gonna go about that? Are we gonna explain it all startin' with Mementos?" Ryuji said sarcastically.
"Besides, if we make a move out in the open, there's a possibility that Madarame will find out," Morgana added.
"Oh… Yeah, right…" Ann said.
"Hey, what's goin' on with that modeling thing?" Ryuji asked.
"Well, Kitagawa-kun gave me his phone number and his sensei's address. Apparently, he lives with him."
"Perfect! Let's try goin' to Madarame's house after school tomorrow."
"Huh? You want me to model tomorrow!? This is too sudden," Ann protested.
"What? No, this would give us a chance to talk to Kitagawa," Ryuji clarified.
"Oh… That's fine then."
~X~
~ Madarame's Shack - After School ~
"Is… that it?" Ryuji slowly said in disbelief as they came up to the shack.
Calling the building a 'shack' is a pretty apt description. It was a two-story house that looked like it could barely hold up to the elements. The building was covered in rusted metal plates, the front door was simply wooden, and the light over the door was a cheap lamp connected to a cord that ran along the outside wall.
"This is the correct address," Ann checked her phone to make sure. "And the door plate says Madarame."
"Uhhh… You ring the bell," Ryuji said.
"Me? The walls won't collapse if I do, will they?" Ann had to ask.
"No one sneeze, or we'll blow the house down, okay?" Morgana joked.
The three walked to the front door, and Ann rang the doorbell.
"Who is it?" Yusuke's voice came from the intercom. "Sensei is currently-"
"Um, it's Takamaki," Ann interrupted.
"I'll be right out!" Yusuke excitedly said. Soon after, the door slid open. "Takamaki-sa-" he started but soon saw Ryuji. "...You are here, as well?" he said in a curt tone.
"Hey," Ryuji greeted with a wide smile on his face. But soon, it became much more serious. "Sorry, but… we ain't here to talk about the modeling thing. There's something else we gotta ask you."
"Woah, wait, doofus!" Morgana hissed from inside Ann's bag. He had a bad feeling Ryuji was about to do something stupid again. "We talked about this. You can't just-"
But Ryuji, being the straightforward guy he is, charged ahead. "Is it true Madarame's plagiarizin' stuff? He's abusin' people too, yeah?"
"Damn it. I told him- Ugh, I wish Yuki was here. She'd be able to keep this idiot on his leash," Morgana complained and resigned himself to letting them follow through with this.
"Are you serious?" Yusuke asked in a tone of barely concealed anger.
"We read about it online," Ryuji pulled out his phone and showed Yusuke the exact post.
Yusuke approached to read the post and developed a huge smirk on his face. "This…?" he then started laughing. "And you believed it? Preposterous! Not only is the plagiarism impossible, but abuse? He welcomes pupils into his own home! This is no act of violence; it is charity!" Yusuke crossed his arms and scowled at them. "And I'm the one residing here and studying under him. I'm saying it's not true, so it's beyond doubt."
"You might be lyin' about it!" Ryuji tried.
Yusuke faltered at that. But he hardened his features so quickly that no one noticed it. "I had no family when Sensei took me in and raised me into what you see now! If you continue to ridicule the man I owe my life to, you will rue this day!"
"Yusuke?" a voice from inside the shack said. All of them turned to the door to see Madarame standing there. "Is everything all right? I heard you shouting."
"These people are slandering you with baseless rumors!" Yusuke gestured to Ann and Ryuji.
Madarame frowned, though he did not appear offended but rather apologetic. "Forgive them, Yusuke," he gently smiled at Ryuji and Ann. "They must've heard some bad rumors and came in worry for their friend's safety."
"...Understood, Sensei," Yusuke sighed, looking down.
"Well, even I doubt a cranky old man like myself could be liked by everyone," Madarame chuckled.
"T-That's not what we meant…" Ann stammered.
"I'm sorry to have butt in on your conversation, but I do have neighbors around. Could you please keep it down," Madarame said, looking at Yusuke. "Now, if you'll excuse me," Madarame went back into the shack.
"...That was discourteous of me. I'm sorry," Yusuke gave them an apologetic bow. And then he perked up. "I know! I think you will be able to believe in Sensei if you saw that painting." Yusuke took out his phone and showed them a picture of a painting. "It's his maiden work as well as his most represented piece. It's titled 'Sayuri'."
"Sayuri?" Ann and Ryuji took a look at the picture. Morgana peeked out of the bag to also see it.
"This is the painting that inspired me to become an artist," Yusuke explained.
"It's so beautiful…" Ann was mesmerized
"I don't know about all this fine-art stuff, but even I can tell that this is impressive," Ryuji said.
Yusuke put away his phone and stared at Ann. "When I first saw you, I felt the same powerful emotion as when I saw this painting."
"Me?" Ann said in disbelief.
"I wish to pursue beauty like this. And I believe drawing you will be part of that pursuit. I implore you; please consider my offer," Yusuke bowed.
Ann was speechless and didn't know what to say. But Yusuke spoke first.
"I'm sorry that you took the time to come all this way, but I must assist Sensei today. I hope we can discuss this further another time. If you'll excuse me, then," Yusuke entered the shack and closed the door behind him.
~X~
The duo plus the cat moved across the street to talk about the current situation.
"Those two… seem like nice guys, don't they?" Ryuji guessed.
"Maybe the Madarame we heard about in Mementos is a different person," Ann said.
"We could check with the Meta-Nav," Morgana suggested.
"Well, it's worth a shot," Ryuji pulled out his phone and pulled it up. "Ichiryusai Madarame."
Candidate Found.
Both Ryuji and Ann gasped. "So he really does have a Palace?" Ann asked in shock. "But why?"
"For real?" Ryuji was also shocked.
"We still need two more keywords," Morgana pointed out.
"The 'where' is easy. It's gotta be his shack," Ryuji guessed.
Candidate Found.
"Now we just need to guess what he sees his shack as."
"Prolly something art-related," Ryuji said. "Uh… what did he call it? An atelier?"
No Candidates Found.
"How about an art museum?" Ann guessed.
Candidate Found. Beginning Navigation.
"'Beginning Navigation'? It's takin' us there right now!?"
Reality rippled in that familiar red and black.
~X~
~ Museum of Vanity - After School ~
"What in the world…" Ryuji stared up at the museum.
Instead of the shack, in front of them was a tall, golden museum. It looked a bit odd in the sense that it looked like a bunch of cubes and monoliths put together to make the building.
"The shack turned into this…?" Ann gaped at the museum as well.
In a flash of blue flame, the three of them changed into their Metaverse outfits.
"Hm, it seems Madarame already sees us as a threat," Mona observed. "Come on. Let's go check it out."
The others nodded, and they made their way to the entrance. Although they had to stop in the parking lot as there was a long line waiting to get in.
"It's so extravagant… to the point that it's gaudy," Panther observed.
"Geez, my eyes are startin' to hurt just starin' at it," Skull complained. "This is supposed to be a museum?"
"This is Madarame's Palace, and it forms in accordance with his twisted desires," Mona explained. "Remember Kamoshida's Castle?"
"But… why a museum? He has art exhibits in reality. And he's respected and well-liked," Panther said.
"You got a point… It ain't related to plagiarism or abuse, either," Skull added.
"Well, we won't get any answers standing here. Let's look around," Mona said.
"...Right," Skull agreed. "That aside… Ain't a museum a must for phantom thieves!?"
"Definitely," Panther agreed. "Now, if only… oh."
"What?"
Panther sighed. "If only Yuki was here."
Skull and Mona stilled at that. In their excitement for the next potential heist, they for about their fearless leader.
"Oh, yeah…" Skull sighed too.
Mona frowned and stayed quiet.
"Well, well, looked what the cat dragged in," A very familiar voice spoke up.
"What!?" the Phantom Thieves were startled to hear another voice. It should only be the three of them in this Palace!
They jumped into fighting stances, ready for a fight, and faced their would-be opponent. But they all stopped to stare at a person they least expected to see.
"Yuki!?" they all shouted. Because sure enough, standing several meters away from them, in her Phantom Thief outfit with her mask sitting on her forehead, was their missing leader.
"Took you guys long enough," she placed her hands in her pockets and smirked at them.
~X~
~ Earlier the same day ~
~ May 16 - Sojiro's House - Morning ~
Futaba Sakura
Today, this morning, Futaba Sakura woke up from another strange dream. Futaba was no stranger to weird dreams as she's been suffering from hallucinations after her mother died, especially in recent times. But these were different. These dreams feel more like… memories. Like… there's another 'her', and Futaba is somehow getting this other person's memories
In these dreams, she's dressed in this rather attractive Pharoh outfit, hanging out with that Yuki Emiya girl that Sojiro took in as a foster child in a pyramid that looked like something out of Stargate.
When Futaba heard Sojiro was taking in a foster kid, she, of course, looked up this person. There wasn't really much. Just that Yuki grew up in a couple of different orphanages and was homeless for almost a year at the age of 8. Oh, and at the second orphanage she was raised by the Dragon of Dojima, but so were a bunch of other kids, and the former yakuza was just that. a former yakuza who's kept his nose relatively clean. So, nothing really dangerous there.
In her dreams, she and Yuki were doing all sorts of fun things, like watching a Naruto marathon, playing video games, and talking about each other. Apparently, Yuki is really good at video games if their co-op playthrough of Borderlands 2 is anything to go by. How the heck can she be so accurate with so many Anarchy stacks? She has to be cheating. There's no way it's just luck, as Yuki said.
Oh, also, Yuki's a witch. Or a 'magus' as she calls herself. Yup, she can do magic. (Magecraft!) Yuki had explained to her dream self about what she called the Moonlit World. Apparently, it was a part of the world that was hidden from the public eye. Anything magical or supernatural you could think of, like mages and the different mythologies, all belong in the Moonlit World.
The strange thing about all of this is she can feel herself get closer to Yuki even though they'd never met. Even right now, she subconsciously calls Yuki by her first name! See!
Could she be desperate for a friend? She's pretty much a lonely hikikomori. Why Yuki though? Is it because they're the same age? Their birthdays are only one month apart. The two do seem to be having a lot of fun in her dreams. Having fun watching anime, playing games, and Yuki showing off her magic (Magecraft!), it seems like a fantasy.
…
"Haah, this isn't a fantasy. This is your reality, Futaba Sakura. You're in Sojiro Sakura's house, and this place will be your tomb."
Candidate Found. Beginning Navigation.
"Huh?"
That mechanical voice sounded like it came from her phone. She picked it up but before she could check, she felt a sharp stabbing pain in her head, and then she passed out.
~X~
~ Pyramid of Wrath - Morning ~
Yuki Emiya
It happened rather suddenly. Shadow Futaba and I went back to our Naruto marathon when, all of a sudden, she sat straight up from her relaxed position. She had a look of shock and… panic?
"No… What is she doing here?" she whispered. "How did she even get here?"
She got up, rushed to a console, and started tapping on the keyboard. I followed her and looked over her shoulder. On the screen popped up what seemed to be a security feed of the central staircase. And walking right up those stairs was Futaba in her pajamas, checking her phone.
"Ugh, no service?" Futaba groaned. "Stupid phone… It's probably this damn app messing things up!"
"App?" I said out loud. Could she be talking about the Metaverse App? How did she get it? She's not supposed to have it yet.
Shadow Futaba leaned forward, pressed something on the keyboard, and spoke. "There is no service because you are no longer in reality as you know it, Futaba."
On the camera, Futaba jumped in the air. "AAH! Who are you!? Where am I!?"
"You are in a Cognitive World. As for who I am, you will see soon," Shadow Futaba tapped a few keys and on the camera a couple of large doors closed, trapping Futaba in a section of the staircase.
"Is trapping her really necessary?" I said. I was worried Futaba might suffer something like a panic attack.
"It is for her safety. I know myself very well. There was a good chance that she would run away before we could speak to her. Also, I did not want her to run into Shadows," Shadow Futaba explained. "Come, we must quickly go to her."
~X~
When we got to Futaba, she was huddled in a fetal position on the ground and was shaking.
"What's wrong with her?" I said.
"She is having a flashback of our mother's death and the reading of the suicide note," Shadow Futaba explained. "Go. You need to snap her out of it."
Uh, right. I toward her, kneeled and gently grabbed her shoulder. That probably wasn't a good idea because she flinched away, but it did bring her back to the present.
"Aah!" she slid a bit away and stared at me." You- I- Wait… I know you…"
I raised an eyebrow. "Really now?"
"Y-Yeah, you're Yuki Emiya. I looked you up when I heard Sojiro was taking you in," Futaba said. She seems to have visibly calmed down. She's now sitting up more comfortably and she stopped shaking.
"Hm. How did you get in here?" I had to ask.
"I… Where is here?" she asked in return.
"We are inside of your mind," Shadow Futaba came over.
"Aah!" Futaba screamed again. Is this going to be a thing? "Who are you!? What are you?"
"Well, she's your Shadow. Like she said, we're in your mind," I answered.
Futaba blinked. "Wait, you're saying we're in my Cognitive World?"
"Yes. I expected no less from you," Shadow Futaba nodded. "Now, where did you get this app?"she held up Futaba's phone and I saw the Meta-Nav.
"I don't know. It just showed up on my phone this morning," Futaba frowned. "And it came with a text message. 'A gift from the Servant of Philemon' whoever that is."
What? I didn't expect that name to pop up.
'Servant of Philemon', that has to be Igor. So, the real Igor gave her the app. Why?
…
Meh, in the end, it doesn't matter.
"Well, Yuki, it appears we have finally found a way for you to leave. Because I believe this the app you normally use to enter Palaces," Shadow Futaba noted.
"It is," I confirmed.
"Wait, what?" Futaba was confused about our conversation. "What are you two talking about?"
"Both of you, come with me. We should go somewhere more comfortable to explain things to my other self."
~X~
I don't know why, but Shadow Futaba asked me to tell Futaba what I told her about myself when I first entered this Palace. So, once again, I gave an abridged version of my life so far. I talked about my background, my first day of school here in Tokyo, Kamoshida and his Palace, and the formation of the Phantom Thieves.
"Huh, so it was you and your friends behind all that," Futaba commented after I finished.
"You've heard of it?" I said.
"Well, duh. An Olympic gold medalist confessing to sexually abusing teenagers? It was all over the internet," she stated as if it was the most obvious thing. I guess I still haven't fully grasped just how big a deal Kamoshida's confession was.
"So… what's happening back in reality? I have been trapped here for… a week now?" I said. "My info's out of date."
"It's been five days since you went missing, and not much really. Only thing really important is that Sojiro told the police you were missing. So, I hope you come up with a good cover story 'cause there's no way they'll believe this," Futaba informed me. "Although, it might be easier than you think. The one in charge of the investigation is Detective Makoto Date, and considering your connection with him, he might be more willing to help you out."
"Huh, that does make it easier," I agreed. Then I stared at Futaba with a strange look. "You're a lot more talkative to me than I thought you'd be."
Futaba froze and stopped to think about what I said. "Huh, you're right. Weird. But… it feels like… that we're already pretty close. Even though I've never talked to you 'til now."
"Perhaps it is because of the cognitive bleed between you and me," Shadow Futaba said. "You experienced some of the emotions I felt when spending time with Yuki."
"Hmm, I guess that makes sense. I do remember dreaming about the Naruto marathons and gaming sessions," Futaba agreed before turning to glare and pointing an accusing finger. "Which reminds me, you had to have been cheating in Borderlands!"
"Ugh, here we go again," I sighed and facepalmed. I already went through this once. It seems it'll happen again.
"I refuse to believe it was all luck! That's not how Gaige's Anarchy works!" Futaba shouted.
"I don't know what else to tell you that I already haven't told your Shadow," I shrugged because I don't really know myself.
"Hmph," Futaba crossed her arms and pouted. Very different from how Shadow Futaba reacted. She just refused to look at me for a while.
"You know, you're taking this whole 'inside your mind' better than I was expecting," I couldn't help but comment.
"I know about my mother's research. Being here and everything you've explained just proves it was true." Futaba shrugged. "So, uh, I remember you saying the app on my phone is what brings us here. When are we gonna use it to leave?"
I stayed silent, not sure what to say. I still have to change her heart. Fortunately for me, Shadow Futaba spoke up.
"No, you cannot leave yet." Shadow Futaba stated. "This Palace will still remain if you leave now. We need to address that."
"You want to do a 'change of heart'?" I said.
"What?" Futaba said. "Wait, you mean, like what you did with that Kamoshida guy? Why?"
"I don't think the Phantom Thieves' usual method will work," I advised Shadow Futaba, referring to the fact that we usually steal the distorted desires. "That might do more harm than good."
"Fortunately, there are many ways of resolving this." Shadow Futaba turned to her other self. "Palaces are formed from warped desires growing out of control. Those desires can come from many things, greed for money or lust for power. Even something positive like a desire to help people can be twisted into something negative like stealing their free will so they do not make destructive decisions."
I froze at that last one. …I really hope it was a coincidence she used that as an example.
Shadow Futaba continued, unaware of my thoughts. She gave Futaba a meaningful look here. "Or… a desire for one's death."
Futaba flinched. "I… You… You know?"
I was about to speak here, to let her know what I thought about her mother's 'suicide', but Shadow Futaba shot me a look that said, 'I will handle it'. So, I stayed quiet.
"Yuki, could you give us some time? If all goes well, you two should be able to leave," Shadow Futaba said.
I nodded and left.
~X~
With nothing to do, I simply wandered around the pyramid and eventually ended up in the throne room. Inside were a couple of mummy shadows. They acted as guards of the pyramid and I've talked to them from time to time during my time here.
"Ah, there you are," one of the shadows spoke and the two walked toward me.
"Hey there," I greeted.
"Hi," the other shadow greeted. "The Pharoh asked us to find you. She wanted us to take you to the treasure room."
I blinked at that and then followed them to a platform in the room behind the throne. "Why?"
"She said you needed to be rewarded for all your help," Shadow 1 shrugged as the platform went up. "Whatever treasure is left in the treasure room is now yours.
When we reached the top there was a sarcophagus in the center of the room, and around it was a small amount of gold and jewels like rubies and emeralds.
"It's alright for me to take these?" I asked as I walked to the treasure.
"Yup. The Pharoh said that the Palace would be disappearing soon. For some reason, currency from your world likes to manifest in places like this. Well, in this case, it's gold and jewels. It'd be a waste if these disappeared as well, so she said you could take them. Though you'll have to find someone to sell them to back in reality if you want that paper money," Shadow 2 explained.
"And what about you guys?" I asked as I was storing the treasure in my Inventory.
"Meh, we'll just go back to the Sea of Souls,"Shadow 1 shrugged. "It's our natural habitat. Though sometimes places like this Palace pop up and draw us shadows."
"You talk as if this has happened before," I commented, still gathering the treasure.
"It has," Shadow 2 confirmed. "I think it was about… 5 years ago? Some places that were kind of like Palaces but also not popped up around that time. Though there were some differences to the ones today."
I raised an eyebrow at that. What are they talking about?
"Yeah," Shadow 2 continued. "Today, you Persona users have to use an app on those smartphones. Back then, they had to go through TVs."
Wait a second. They're talking about the events of Persona 4!
"And before that, we used to be able to roam the world for only an hour every night and there was this huge tower."
I think he's referring to Persona 3. Nice to know I have confirmation that those events happened.
I sighed and stood up, having finished storing the treasure. I was about to follow the shadows back down when something made itself known. There was a sound of a screech, a loud crash, and the room shook.
"Oh no… It's awake!" Shadow 1 shouted in dismay
"What is!?" I demanded though I had a pretty good idea what they were talking about.
"The Beast that's been fighting the Pharoh for control of the Palace!" Shadow 2 answered.
There was another crash, and part of the ceiling gave way, allowing some sunlight to shine in. I and the two shadows were staring up at it.
"FUTABAAAA!"
A giant head of a Japanese woman with black hair, dark eyes, and glasses glared through the hole. The Beast then started smashing the pyramid while flapping its powerful wings. The roof caved in and gusts of wind sent debris flying everywhere. I was able to dodge the debris but the two shadows with me were crushed. Eventually, the walls and roof were gone, completely exposing me to the outside elements and allowing me to get a good look at the Beast.
It was a Greek sphinx with the head of Futaba's mother, Wakaba.
"INTURDER! YOU DARE DEFILE THE PHARAOH'S TOMB! INSOLENCE! YOUR LIFE IS FORFEIT!"
[Cognitve Wakaba] Level: 34
[Yuki Emiya] Level: 25
"Oh, shit…"
~X~
Futaba Sakura
"Do you see what has been hidden?" Shadow Futaba said.
Futaba's legs at already given way, and she collapsed to sitting on the floor half through this… intervention? Her Shadow had shown her a series of murals and had her remember the memories she repressed. While her mother may have sometimes been too engrossed in her work, she did love her and cared for her. "Haah. Yeah, yeah I get it. How did my memories warp so much?"
"Grief and guilt. Along with a calculated character assassination by those monsters in human skin," her Shadow. "Our mother's death is not our fault. Sojiro believes in you. As does Yuki. You just need to give them a chance."
Futaba stayed silent for a bit before she answered. "What you said earlier… About the… theory Yuki had… Are you sure it's true? That mom was killed?"
"You would have to ask Yuki, but I believe she is on the right track," Shadow Futaba answered.
Futaba stood and took a huge breath. "I will never forgive those bastards who killed our mom. We'll find the truth. I am Alibaba, infamous hacker, after all.
"But before we do that, we need to go help Yuki. If she is fighting who I think she is, she will need all the help she can get."
Futaba nodded but before she could get a move on...
"Caladbolg!"
That sounded like Yuki. Somehow they heard her from here when she was all they at the top of the pyramid. And the word she said… Futaba and her Shadow had felt the power behind it. Then they heard the loudest explosion they'd heard by far.
"Huh, she might end up soloing this boss before we even get there if that was anything to go by."
~X~
~ A little bit earlier ~
Yuki Emiya
"Oh shit…"
Cognitive Wakaba swiped at me with her paw, but I was able to jump out of the way. It then took off flying.
"Merlin now would be a good time to help out!" I shouted, and in a flash of blue fire, I was in my Phantom Thief outfit. Merlin also appeared floating behind me.
"So, what's the plan," she asked.
"Cast some stat buffs, then pepper the thing with arrows and spells. Maybe toss some debuffs and a couple Noble Phantasms," I Traced EMIYA's Bow and some Nihil Arrows.
"A good enough plan," Merlin cast Sukukaja on me.
I cycled to Kin-Ki and Izanagi to cast Rakukaja and Tarukaja respectively. Once that was done, I switched to Kaguya to start hitting it with Shining Arrows. In between all that, I fired arrows while Reinforcing their speed and air resistance so they could actually hit the target so far out.
Cognitive Wakaba did its best to try and dodge but it got hit more often than not. Eventually, it flew in close and slammed a paw at me, but I easily dodged it. She then flew back a bit and used its powerful wings to throw sharp winds at me that I couldn't avoid.
[-461 HP]
"Perhaps now would be a good time to use a Noble Phantasm?" Kaguya suggested.
"Yeah," I agreed. "Beowulf, I need your help."
"You'll have it."
I Traced a Nihil Sword and Beowulf entered it. The sword shifted into Hrunting. Using some Alteration, I reshaped it making it more arrow-shaped. I nocked it on my bow and drew it back.
"Hunt them down, O' Hound of the Red Plains."
The sword started gathering energy and glowed red.
"Hrunting!"
The Noble Phantasm shot off toward Cognitive Wakaba. It managed to dodge the initial shot but the Noble Phantasm turned and started to loop around. Kaguya started firing off more Shining Arrows while I prepared for another attack. This is a good chance to hit it with two Noble Phantasms at once. This next sword should do the trick.
"Fergus!"
"YEAH!"
This time a different sword formed. This weapon could hardly be called a sword as its shape and size were more like a lance. However, Fergus knew what I intended to use it for, so he purposefully summoned the sword at the size of a normal sword. 'Though it still has that unique spiral. I used Alteration to stretch and narrow the sword, nocked it on my bow, and waited for my opportunity.
That opportunity came as Cognitve Wakaba was too busy dodging Kaguya's attacks to notice Hrunting coming from behind it. As the sword-arrow closed in, I started prepping to shoot the Beast down.
"Taste the power of a true rainbow."
The sword started glowing the light of a rainbow.
Hrunting finally hit its target, and Cognitive Wakaba staggered from the shot and slowed down. This was my chance.
"Caladbolg!"
The Noble Phantasm flew straight and true, struck Cognitive Wakaba right in its side, and went through the other side. The sphinx had trouble staying in flight from the injury and slammed onto the pyramid. Its upper body was on the top floor where I was. While its lower body slammed into the slope.
I dismissed Kaguya, took this opportunity to pull out Caliburn and my Nihil Sword, and started attacking it as much as I could. After my dance of blades, it was able to recover and fly off.
[Yuki Emiya]
HP: 4689/5150
MP: 1554/8856
[Cognitive Wakaba]
HP: 3548/11000
.
Damn, now that's a lot of damage. And the boss had only hit me once. But geez, I really burned through my mana. I guess using two A-ranked Noble Phantasms in quick succession at my current level would do that.
It was at this moment that Futaba and her Shadow arrived. Futaba looked at me to see I looked perfectly fine, while the sphinx looked really battered with cuts everywhere and a hole through its side.
"Huh, guess I was right. You really could solo the boss," she said. Then she stared at Cognitive Wakaba. Instead of looking surprised or worried, she had a look of determination. It looked like whatever Shadow Futaba did worked very well.
"Hah, not at my current level. If it was higher, I could've," I replied, playing along with her video game references. Heh, she has no idea how true that statement is.
"Futaba, are you ready?" her Shadow asked and Futaba nodded.
Shadow Futaba floated up and burst into blue flames. When they disappeared, a UFO was in her place. Metallic tentacles grabbed onto Futana and lifted her into it. Soon after, the Persona spoke in a child-like voice.
"Contract: I am thou, thou art I… The forbidden wisdom has been revealed. No mysteries… No illusions shall deceive you any longer."
"You okay in there?" I said.
"I'm alright," Futaba's voice came out over a PA.
"FUTABA! HOW DARE YOU RUN AROUND WITH SUCH AN AWFUL BRAT! Cognitive Wakaba shouted. "THE ONLY THING YOU SHOULD BE DOING IS OBEYING MY ORDERS!"
Despite the shouting, both of us ignored the Cognition entirely.
"I hope you got something because my plan won't work twice. I don't have enough mana," I informed her.
"Well, I just awakened my Persona, so there's not too much I can do…" Futaba thought out loud. "Oh! Here we go… Mwehehe."
Futaba's Persona floated to an area behind and placed down a ballista.
"I'll have my Persona aim it. You keep that monster distracted."
"Sounds good," I nodded and turned my attention back to Cognitive Wakaba.
"RAAAH! CURSE YOU, INTRUDER! YOU WILL PAY FOR CORRUPTING FUTABA!"
"You said that already! And look how that turned out!" I taunted.
The sphinx moved in and tried to swipe at me, but I easily jumped over it. It brought down its paw to slam me, but, again, I easily dodged to the side. I countered by summoning Sui-Ki and using Bufula on the paw, freezing it in place. Then, I ran up the arm, jumped toward it, and delivered a heavy slash across its face. It recoiled back, and its paw broke free. It then took off high into the sky and out of sight.
"Woah, where's it going?" I said in alarm.
"Uh…" Futaba is probably trying to figure it out. "It… It's coming down really fast!"
"Got anything against that?" I said, while also preparing to use Rho Aias, just in case.
"Yup, I got it," Futaba assured. "This is my mind. So, hacking it is no problem."
I heard the sound of the Cognition coming down. Looking up, I saw it getting closer, getting ready to body slam the pyramid. At the last second, a black and green barrier appeared. When Cognitive Wakaba hit it, the Cognition recoiled back. The damage was reflected back into it, and it was stunned.
"REPORT: Ballista is ready to fire."
"Perfect timing!"
"Fire!"
The ballista arrow flew through the air and hit the sphinx with great force. It, once again, crashed onto the pyramid.
"Now's your chance!"
"Showtime!"
.
"Trace On!"
This time, I Traced Elucidator and Dark Repulsor as these two swords gain increased damage when I use certain Skills. I Reinforced myself and the swords, and charged forward, the swords glowing as I was ready to unleash the Skill.
"Starburst Stream!"
I hit the Cognition with the lightning-fast 16-hit combo. The sphinx could do nothing to defend itself. The damage was more than enough to defeat it. On the last hit, it gave one final scream. It no longer had the strength to hold onto the pyramid, and it slid down the entire thing. When it reached the bottom it stayed still, eventually dissolving into shadows.
"Phew, the show's over."
I heard the sound of fire behind me, so I turned around to see that Futaba's Persona has disappeared and Futaba was standing there in her Metaverse outfit.
"Ooh," Futaba was looking around, taking in her outfit. "It's totally skin-tight."
"It looks like a Netrunner suit from Cyberpunk crossed over with Tron," I commented. "Looks pretty good."
"Thanks," she smiled at me then her gaze shifted to something behind me.
I turned to see what she was staring at, and it was the translucent form of Wakaba looking like a normal human.
"...Mom?" Futaba's eyes went wide behind her goggles.
"Futaba, thank you for choosing to remember the real me," Wakaba gently smiled at her daughter.
Futaba tentatively stepped forward. "Mom… I-I'm sorry for being so selfish… I-"
"I know," Cognitive Wakaba walked forward and hugged Futaba, and she returned the hug. They stayed like that for about a minute before the Cognition spoke. "I can't stay. You can not come where I am going. You have somewhere else to be, don't you?"
"Y-Yeah, I know," Futaba sniffled and very reluctantly let go of her mom. "I-I love you, Mom…"
Wakaba took a few steps back and smiled again. "I love you too, Futaba." and in a flash of light, she was gone.
Futaba sniffled some more but held back her tears. I walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to give her some support. Soon, tremors were felt throughout the Palace and the Pyramid started crumbling.
"Time to leave," I said.
Futaba nodded, pulled out her phone, and activated the Meta-Nav. The world dissolved in the familiar black and red ripples I'd gotten used to.
Quest Complete
[Pyramid of Wrath]
Merlin has trapped inside Futaba Sakura's Palace, The only way out is to resolve her distorted desires.
Objective: Change the heart of Futaba Sakura. [x]
Rewards: 20000 EXP, 50000 Yen, [Programming] EXP, [Hacking] EXP.
Level Up!
~X~
~ Futaba's Room - Noon ~
When we reappeared in Futaba's room, I noticed that Futaba and I were back in our pajamas. Then, she fell over.
I caught her as she fell. I gently lowered her, slowly kneeling on the ground. I had an arm wrapped around her upper back, to support her head and upper body. "Woah, you okay?"
"Sorry… I guess my batteries… ran out…" Futaba yawned. "I'm gonna sleep… Good luck… with… the police…" and she's out.
I sighed. I guess she's tired from going through so much in a short time. I used my free arm to support her from under her legs, lifted her up, and placed her on her bed. Then I placed the blanket on her.
Futaba's right though. I'm gonna need some luck with talking to the police. There's no way I'm going to tell them about the Metaverse. Not that they would believe it. Besides the police, what am I going to tell Sojiro?
I need help. But who to ask?
Should I ask Date to help sweep this missing person thing under the rug?
…No he'd want to know the truth of what happened before he would do that.
Maybe Nishida…?
…No. As nice as Nishida is, I don't want to owe the yakuza anything.
What about…
That could work. I could also kill two birds with one stone. It would mean getting involved sooner than I would like but I would have to eventually. I can't delay that kind of thing.
I need to give her a call.
…
…I don't have my phone.
"Merlin! Where's my damn phone!"
~X~
Social Links:
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0 - F̵͎̓ơ̷̥o̴̥̐l̸̫̍ (Igor) – Rank 3
I - Magician (Morgana) – Rank 2
V - Hierophant (Sojiro Sakura) – Rank 3
VI - Lovers (Ann Takamaki) – Rank 2
VII - Chariot (Ryuji Sakamoto) – Rank 5
XIII - Death (Rei Emiya) - Rank 2
XIV - Temperance (Artoria Pendragon) - Rank 2
XVII - Star (Issei Hyoudou) - Rank 3
XX - Judgement (Takayuki Yagami) - Rank 1
~X~
Author's Note:
This chapter came out much faster than the last one. The plot ideas were flowing and I was on a roll.
As always, constructive criticism is appreciated.
(Preview)
"So, do you want to tell me why I went through all this trouble?"
"It might be better if I show you."
"Show me what?"
[x]
"Ryuji, you freaking idiot… Why do you have to act so much like a Gryffindor."
"The heck's a Gryffindor?"
[x]
"...I will put my heart and soul into creating the best nude painting ever!"
[x]
"Do you normally tail potentially cheating spouses, Yagami-san?"
"If someone's hiring me to. Also, this is a good chance to teach you skills that come with tailing people."
"Uh-huh…"
"Right, the first rule when tail- what the? Emiya? Where'd she go?"