A/N: P3FEMC will appear in this story as well.I won't promise when, though.
Akira went to find Raidou and Gouto but they had already left for the Akarana Corridor, according to the note left in their motel room. Stephen only answered simply that Akira must face it on his own. He gave up and caught up with Minato and the others.
Junpei was working with the keys he 'borrowed' from the security office but due to the dark sky, he had trouble finding the correct one for the side gate.
"In times like this, you only need…" Akira reached his breast pocket. "A paper clip!"
"...Dude, this is real life. You can't do the movie picklocking in real life."
"Don't underestimate a Phantom Thief. Watch."
Sure it was. Akira opened the locks within ten seconds, causing Junpei's lower jaw to hit the floor. Mitsuru didn't want to admit it, but she made a low 'très bien' toward Akira. As they went inside the school, it turned out Junpei had been unlocking the back doors after school so now he could just push the doors open with ease.
"...Did you rope Kenji and Kazushi into this?" Minato asked quietly and the goatee was sweating under Yukari and Akihiko's disapproval looks. They gathered at the main hall and agreed to split out to find the Gym key. Since there were four males and two females, the group played rock-paper-scissors to decide who would go with the girls to the janitor room. Akira won.
"Muehehe."
Akira grinned smugly at Junpei who bit his lower lip in jealousy. Mitsuru sighed at the stupidity and asked Minato to watch over the other two and stop them from doing anything…illegal in the Faculty Office.
…
"Damn, they sure did turn off the power grid."
Akira had trouble looking at the darkness in front of him, the Third Eye could barely illuminate and was unable to highlight the security guards patrolling due to their nature as humans. In addition, he kept seeing the smiling Copy Akira in the windows whenever he happened to look at them. Yukari was quick to notice his discomfort and wanted to sooth his mood but Mitsuru beat her up to it.
"Kurusu, what's wrong? You have been acting strangely lately. Is it the side-effect of the previous Full Moon operation?"
"No! No, it's nothing. I told you before; I can handle it." Akira clutched his left eye, which was burning for some reason. "This is nothing compared to that time in the prison…"
"Prison?"
That word instantly raised the alarm in Yukari and Mitsuru with the latter making a mental note that she needed to recheck his background again. Eventually, they reached the janitor's room. Yukari was a bit nervous about the whole thing when her phone rang up and she almost screamed. Thankfully, it's just Junpei messaging her that his side had found the key so three of them returned to the main hall.
According to the calculations, they could reach Fuuka from the same place she had been 10 days ago. Junpei was pumped that he had another moment to shine, after the embarrassment on the monorail. Mitsuru then told the boys to go to the gym and wait for Dark Hour, but Akira had something else in his mind.
"Hey, ya know what? I will go back to the dorm to check on Moriyama-san." Akira was the first to speak up. "Besides, I need to fetch something from my bag. Is that okay with you, Senpai?"
"Hmm, Kurusu has a point. But remember, do not wander off again."
"Aye ma'am. Call me when there is something juicy~"
Akihiko nudged Akira and gestured at Mitsuru who seemed to have veins popping out of her temples. The teen laughed it off and left the school afterward.
Akira arrived at the dorm and found the front door open wide, meaning Moriyama had gone missing. This was a perfect opportunity for him to go around and look for the winged demon that had his voice. Akira suspected it was also an Other Selfsimilar to the Not!Akira.
"Your guess is correct. Faust is one of us."
"Faust?" Akira turned to the reflection and asked, though he had an idea who that might be.
"An Akira Kurusu hailed from a ruined world. No, not the kind you might think." Copy Akira shook his head. "That world isn't even fully formed and that Akira was deleted immediately. It's a literal miracle that he retained his identity."
"...Wow, God is such a dick huh."
After an hour of walking around Iwatodai, Akira finally found Natsuki Moriyama near Gekkoukan, which made him curse that she basically made him go full circle. She was staring at the school like in a trance, muttering 'Sorry Fuuka' over and over again.
BA-THUMP
"Hgrkkkk!"
Akira was attacked by a headache and a heartache simultaneously the moment Dark Hour arrived. A voice spoke in his head.
'Find the pieces… He must be stopped…'
"Who…Who the hell are you?! My original self?!"
'The Judge of All…'
"What does that even MEAN?! Aaaargh!"
…
Inside Tartarus, after speaking with Pharos, Minato tried to contact Mitsuru but all he got was static, so he decided to find Junpei and Akihiko instead. He still hated how purple the Arqa Block was and it's already hurting his eyes.
"Junpei! Sanada-senpai!"
Minato shouted at the dark path before him but only the groans of the Shadows answered him. Since time was short, he brandished his sword and Evoker and charged into them.
"Orpheus, Maragion!"
As his Persona hurled fireballs toward the Shadows, Minato swiped his sword through the flames and ignited it via a bit of SP infusion, as taught by Akira. With the flaming sword in his hands, he easily annihilated all enemies currently on the floor.
"Who's there…?"
Minato received communication again but it wasn't Mitsuru. A soft voice that he swore to have heard before but he couldn't remember who exactly. Minato explored the floor and heard the same question a few more times before finding the stars and going upstairs.
"Is someone there...? Please answer me…"
Now that he could listen to the voice clearer, Minato was sure that was Fuuka Yamagishi, the girl they were looking for.
"Fuuka-san, it's me! Minato!"
"M-Minato-san!?"
"Stay where you are! I'm coming for you!"
Minato cut through a Gigas blocking his way and kept running until he saw Junpei and Akihiko who were also fighting against a horde of Shadows.
"Arisato! Good, now we can break through these bastards!" He placed the Evoker to his forehead and pulled the trigger. "Polydeuces, Zionga!"
"Pale Rider, Garula!" "Hermes, Agilao!"
"Take this. Thunder Blast!"
As three elemental spells converged into a big sparking sphere, it slammed down in the middle of the Shadows and exploded, killing all in one blow. Junpei high-fived his senior and fist-pumped Minato afterward.
"Hell yeah, I love the Fusion Spells so much man!"
"Yeah, it does add more excitement to the battles."
"...Overdo it and I will tell Mitsuru-senpai."
"Geh! You're such a killjoy, Arisato."
Akihiko raised his hands in defeat. After that, a young girl with teal hair wearing the Gekkoukan uniform timidly walked out of the walls. Minato immediately recognized Fuuka and ran to check on her. He was visibly happy that she was fine, albeit a little tired. Junpei was about to point that out when Akihiko kicked his leg.
"By the way, this is Junpei Iori from my class. That's Akihiko Sanada, our senior."
"Never fear, Junpei's here!"
"I'm glad you're okay... Come with us." Akihiko flashed a friendly smile. "Let's see if we can contact Mitsuru. I have a bad feeling about the static noises."
"Fuuka-san, how did you manage to avoid the Shadows?" Seeing Fuuka's confused look, Minato quickly added. "The monsters."
"...It's hard to describe but I can sort of tell where they are."
"Scanning ability… So you're similar to Mitsuru." Akihiko put an Evoker on Fuuka's open hands, which made her startle. "Don't worry. Just think of it as a…lucky charm."
"Senpai, you're scaring her." Minato frowned and looked at Fuuka reassuringly. "Stick close to me and you will get a chance to use it soon."
"O, Okay Minato-kun." Fuuka gave Minato such a beaming smile that the boys' hearts skipped a beat.
Meanwhile, at Tartarus' Lobby.
"Something is interfering with the equipment." Mitsuru was fiddling with the radio control. "Is it another trick from the Shadows? Or, is it something worse…"
"Senpai, stop jinxing us!" Yukari had to speak out. Mitsuru looked embarrassed and apologized. Still, she couldn't shake off the feeling that there was someone, or something, watching them in this lobby.
"Hey Senpai, isn't there a Full Moon tonight as well?" Yukari asked, looking at the big green moon via the windows. "If I remember correct, the last Full Moon was when we fought the big Shadow —-"
An orange shockwave struck Yukari suddenly and knocked her away.
"Kyaah!"
"Takeba! A Shadow is in this area." Mitsuru reached her Evoker and rapier, eyes darting around. Two tall Shadows with the characteristics of an emperor and an empress moved out from the dark shadows casted by the giant clock. The Emperor was a bulky figure with two small legs and held a giant sword while the Empress was pot-bellied and dressed pompously, waving its scepter nonchalantly.
"Those masks and powerful aura… So these are Arcana Shadows that the chairman and Kurusu talked about! Penthesilia, Bufula!"
Mitsuru's Persona appeared to cast the ice spell on the Emperor, causing it to stagger. That didn't stay for long as the Shadow recovered and slammed its sword on Penthesilea, shattering it like glasses. Mitsuru coughed up blood as the result of Persona Break and was grabbed by the Emperor, which then tightened its grip and took away her strength.
"K, Kuh…! I, can't die, like this…"
"Kirijo-senpai! Come, Magarula!"
Io spread her hands and multiple wind pillars assaulted the two Shadows. The Emperor didn't budge much and the Empress was making a yawning gesture at her attempt.
"No way!"
The Empress casted Zionga and it hit Yukari's weakness, rendering her out of action. Mitsuru tried to scream out Yukari's name but the Emperor was slowly crushing her windpipe and she was starting to lose consciousness.
'Kurusu…'
BANG*
A loud gunshot interrupted her thoughts as the Emperor's hand that was choking her was missing a good chunk. Her eyes weakly moved to the gate and saw a haggard Akira aiming his Tyrant Pistol forward. Mitsuru could see blood dripping from his eyes, which was not a good sign.
"Let her go… You piece of trash."
BANG BANG BANG*
Akira unleashed a hail of bullets upon the Emperor and Emperor Shadows, the former howling as if to say it was supposed to be immune to bullets yet Tyrant Pistol pierced through its affinity.
'Coming… Angel…'
"What?! Kuh…!"
An icy blade was sticking out of his chest. The assailant then twisted their weapon to inflict more pain on Akira as he screamed.
"You who carry the heart and soul of the Accused Son." A feminine voice spoke up. "I, Archangel Gabriel, shall release you from your chains of destiny and take you to the Kingdom of God. Do not resist, you have been Branded by my blade. No method of healing can save you."
Akira glared balefully at his soon-to-be killer and desperately tried to stay focused, just a little more and he could shoot this bitch down.
'Thou who is my soul… Do you wish to die under her blade…?' The voice was speaking fluently this time, showing Akira that it meant business.
"I cannot die… Not before getting vengeance…!"
'Then, are you willing to merge with the other fragments? Knowing that this may erase your ego?'
"I…" He took a meaningful look at Mitsuru and Yukari, while reminiscing about his life in Tokyo with Sojiro, Futaba, the Phantom Thieves, and Haru. Akira closed his eyes. "Do whatever you want."
BA-THUMP*
The Mark of the First Rebel Stephen had given to him began to shine.
"Ah! This pressure is…!"
As the finding party were approaching the teleporter, Fuuka suddenly shivered and fell down, hugging her body as if she was being intimidated by something. Minato came to her side and asked what had happened.
"T, The Judge… The Judge is coming!"
"Judge? A big Shadow?"
"I'm not sure. Someone is telling me to stay away from the Tyrant…"
"...It must be her Persona. Damn, it's that latent." Akihiko was impressed. "Yamagishi, prepare yourself. Things will get rowdy! Let's go!"
"Right!" Junpei was excited and ran after his senior into the teleporter. Minato helped Fuuka stand up and followed the other two.
As they arrived at the lobby, Minato was shocked to see Akira lying facedown on a pool of blood, an Angel? and two towering Shadows. Junpei saw red as he summoned Hermes and attacked the Angel who was brandishing her sword to finish off Akira.
"You biiiiitch!"
"Vulgar mortal."
Gabriel nonchalantly shattered the incoming Hermes with a hand wave, causing Junpei to stumble. Akihiko took a step back and ran to check on Mitsuru, who was lying next to Yukari. Her wounds were not life-threatening but she needed medical attention. He then looked at the assumed dead Akira before glaring at the Shadows balefully.
"Fuuka… I... I wanted to tell you... I'm sorry..."
As if it wasn't enough, Fuuka spotted Natsuki Moriyama slowly walking toward the group while mumbling something. The Emperor took an interest in her and raised its sword.
"What are you doing, Yamagishi?!"
"I, I have to protect Moriyama-san!"
Fuuka held the Evoker with her trembling hands and turned to Minato, who gave her a solemn nod. A gunshot echoed, and Fuuka's persona Lucia appeared to cover her and Natsuki inside the translucent dome. The Emperor's sword bounced off of Lucia and staggered it as a result.
"F-Fuuka!"
"Moriyama-san, I will protect you this time!" Fuuka declared as Lucia responded to her summoner with a calming hum. However, the spiritual pressure earlier returned and set her on edge. Now that she had Lucia, she could find the source… And it came from Akira.
BA-THUMP*
"E-Everyone, stay away from Kurusu-kun!"
As Fuuka shouted, the pool of blood started spiraling downward to form an abyss, then a large demonic hand rose from it and grabbed Gabriel. The stake on it impaled the Angel and drained her Magatsuhi as she groaned in pain. The Emperor and the Empress seemed to recognize it as they became afraid and stopped attacking the Persona Users.
"Impossible! The Lord has terminated you millennia ago!"
Gabriel bellowed as she struggled to escape the grip. Another hand appeared and dragged Akira's body into the abyss, much to SEES' horror.
"A, ah…" Yukari whimpered as she moved her hand toward where Akira once was. "AKIRA-KUUUN!"
"Dammit, Akira!" Akihiko snarled. Once again, he felt powerless and it caused Akihiko to snap. Polydeuces howled as a red aura enveloped it and the Persona became berserk.
"...Akira." Minato muttered numbly as he stared at the abyss of blood, the evoker in his hand trembling.
"Fufu, how refreshing." Akira? spoke from inside the blood hole, surprising everyone else. "So that's how things were. I see, now I know more of what I have been missing."
"Kurusu?" The tiny light of hope in Mitsuru's heart flared when she heard him talking.
"Mitsuru Kirijo… So you are my chosen anchor of this world. As well as the Lovers girl, Yukari Takeba. Heh, that Shadow of mine has good taste."
"Foolish Son of God! You cannot return to the realm of mortals! His Millennium King will not be denied once more!"
Gabriel said harshly, only to be squeezed more by the hand.
"Empty words from a dog of YHVH. I'm tired of your barks." The hand was imbued with electricity as Gabriel's eyes opened wide in despair. "Zio Gate."
A light coming from Gabriel was so bright that it temporarily blinded those who saw it except Fuuka. After the light died down, all's left was a charred spot on the ground and the hand had disappeared beforehand.
"T-The Archangel has completely disappeared but the Judge is still here! Minato-kun, be careful!"
"This Judge again?"
"Yes."
Akira was ascending from the abyss, which was closing simultaneously, and he looked…different. His entire body was covered in dark scale-like skin with the scar on his chest emitting a pulsing light akin to a beating heart, two sets of sharp bat wings sprouting from his back and a long tail with barbs at the end. Akira's head was encased in a crimson mask that had a tall horn and crown-like small horns. His appearance invoked the image of evil, yet noble at the same time. SEES stayed still in awe.
"A great pleasure to meet you, Messiah." Akira? looked at his roommate. "As you are the Savior, I am the Judge of All Things. Unfortunately, I only retrieved a quarter of my former self and now I exist as Satanael. The human form that you call Akira Kurusu… He is an incarnation that retained a good portion of my true self. If you insist, I shall remain as Akira and accompany you…until I reclaim all that is mine."
"Akira-kun, what are you saying? Are you not the Akira Kurusu-kun we know?" Yukari asked, eyes glancing at the frozen Shadows and noticing a faint glow in Akira's right palm that indicated he was the one holding them still.
"I am Akira Kurusu, yet I am not Akira Kurusu. The Akira you know was an experiment forcibly willed into existence by God, based on the template of a certain boy currently living in this world. Essentially, his entire purpose is to host me, the Judge."
"Can, can we speak to Akira? Even if he is an artificial human, he is still our friend. My first friend." Minato said. The Judge closed his eyes and his body began to shift: The wings retracted to his back, the armored skin dissolved into hexagons and the crimson encasement melted into his skin. In the end, Akira was back to his usual self, donning the Phantom Thief costume.
'His Social Link, it's back?!' Minato thought after Elizabeth's soothing voice announced the reactivation of Freedom Arcana SL.
"...What an embarrassment. I let my guard down and some bitch stabbed me immediately." Akira shook his head in disappointment. He smiled at Minato. "'sup, Minato."
"Are you really Akira, or the Judge?"
"Well, technically it's only me. I am Akira Kurusu, human form of Satanael, Son of God." Akira said while pulling down the collar of his waistcoat to reveal a black mark, which looked like a smirking demon with a fedora. "With this Mark of the First Rebel, I can transform into Satanael, Avatar of the Judge. Like this."
Just like when summoning Satanael, Akira channeled his willpower into the Mark and it started sending Magatsuhi across his body. A black light enclosed him as he became the degraded Satanael.
"Now then, since we still have those two Shadows to take care of." The hold on the Emperor and the Empress disappeared as they resumed approaching SEES. Heeding his words, the Persona Users prepared for combat. "It's SHOW TIME!"
A/N 2: Think the Mark as Atma Brand from Digital Devil Saga. The transformation sequence is similar.
Thunder Blast is a modified Persona 2 fusion involving a Fire skill, a Wind skill and Zionga that inflicts Mega Electricity damage on all enemies, damage increase based on each member's MA stat.
Zio Gate is boss-exclusive Elec skill from Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey that deals Extreme Electricity damage to an enemy.