Chapter 18: Sapporo's Jail of Gluttony, Part 1
August 2nd, 2017
"I'm sure you are all aware of the prior corruption that plagued our city council. A corruption put in place by Shido and Yoshiki, and one that Yoshida-san has spent his first months combatting. Make no mistake, no one is more ashamed than I that it happened to begin with in our fair city." Mariko announces to the crowd that gathered around her. Her eyes set as she scans them all. "As such, the ethics bill I propose will leave no room for corruption to once again rear its ugly head. With your support, I will make this city of Sapporo a beautiful, stainless paradise. Like fresh snow on a midwinter's day! Together, let us turn our home into a beacon of light to the world, where both citizens and government leaders radiate truth and purity! Now everyone, let's clean Sapporo up!"
The crowd roars in applaud as Mariko looks around with a pleased look on her face, seeing nothing but claps and smiles from her position. But at the far back, out of her range, the Thieves looked up with concern as the entire crowd clapped for her in unison as they sung her praises.
"Holy crap… did we walk into a cult or something?" Tao asks with wide eye before giving them a rub. "This is… I know what you guys said about Sendai and Shibuya, but this is…"
"Unbelievable, huh? Even now, we still don't believe it ourselves." Ann comments, shaking her head.
"I knew she was popular, but this is just insane." Tae remarks, shaking her head. "And all of them have had their hearts changed? That's insane."
"Crowds tend to attract people. I'd wage most of these people are acting of their own volition. But still, there is the possibility that a large, if not all, have had their hearts changed." Yusuke remarks, looking to a hurt Haru. "I am sorry you have to see this, my flower."
"Thank you, Yusuke. But… I will live." Haru replies. "I just want to know what caused her to change so much…" Haru glances back at the stage, seeing Mariko take her phone out.
"I'm sure you are all familiar with EMMA, yes? I'm also no stranger to technology, so please, feel free to add me. For those listening outside of Sapporo, or even Hokkaido, or even outside the county itself, this invitation extends to you all as well! As for my Keyword, it is 'Snow City'. Well, there you have it!" Almost instantly, the audience before the Thieves began to friend her on EMMA within seconds, shocking the Thieves at how fast they were moving.
"The entire audience…all of them are going to have their Desires stolen…" Sumire whispers, placing hands over her mouth.
"And we can't even stop her. We try and do so now, it'll only cause a commotion. And considering how PubSec is investigating her, it will not go down well with them." Makoto comments, shaking her head.
"At least we got her Keyword. That's all that matters." Ren replies as the team heads back to the Motorhome. "Now, all we need is a point of entry."
"Then I recommend Suzushino. The smell isn't as strong here as other places." Sophia helpfully informs from Ren's phone, with Ren smiling proudly at her.
"Thank you, Sophia."
"Then let's go now." Haru tells everyone, her eyes set and narrow. "It's time we saved Mari-san's heart." No one was going to argue with her as Ren inputted the Keyword into his phone. And like all the others, they could feel themselves shifting over to the Metaverse. But the moment they arrived, they suddenly found themselves stuck in the middle of a freaking blizzard!
"S-S-S-S-SO COLD!" Oracle shouts through gritted teeth.
"F-F-F-F-F-FREEZING!" Panther agrees, trying to hug herself warm as the cold wind washes over her. Her weakness to ice hitting her the hardest.
"C-C-C-Can't see shit…." Skull adds, trying to blow warm air between his hands.
"W-W-W-Why dos it h-h-have to be a f-f-f-f-fucking blizzard!?" Guernica shouts, her weakness to ice also hitting her hard. The others struggle to keep themselves warm while Edelweiss, Joker, Fox, Spring, Noir and Medic look around unfazed by the wind thanks to their ice resistances. Or in Joker's case, switching to Artemis and blocking it entirely.
"Is it really that bad? Sure it's cold but…" Spring asks Medic who shrugs her shoulders while Joker kneels towards Mona and Sophie. The poor cat having snow on top of his head and a cold snot coming out of his noes with his eyes black and expressionless. While for Sophie, she was cuddling up under her woolly blows, trying to stay warm with the same blank expression even as Joker hugs them tight to warm them up. Snow also piling on top of her head as Queen huddles in to try and warm up as well.
Just when it looked like the Phantom Thieves would become the Phantom Popsicles, the harsh winds end, allowing the Thieves to gaze out at the Sapporo Jail as the temperature becomes much more manageable. Finding the entirety of Sapporo not only covered in ice and snow, with giant structures of ice breaking through buildings. But it was as though the entire city was MADE of ice and snow.
And dominating the skyline before them, was the castle that Shadow Mariko would be in. Made of the same almost translucent ice that surrounded the city, the Birdcage sitting clear as could be seen. Even if the giant knife and fork on either side of the tower was concerning to see.
"Dang… so this is a Jail, huh?" Guernica asks, looking out over the area as she refamiliarises herself with her nunchakus. "Certainly is big. Almost like those Kingdoms."
"Can confirm it's big. It covers the entirety of Sapporo." Sophie tells her as Guernica and Medic look at her. Having a chance to see her outfit without the blizzard distracting them.
"Aww, don't you look adorable." Guernica tells her, kneeling to her height. "I think you just gave me some new inspiration."
"Of course that's your first though." Medic remarks, giving her scythe a spin around. "Heh, like I never forgot how to fight. I'm guessing our goal is that giant castle right before us."
"That's right." Joker replies, rolling his glove up, and catching out of the corner of his eye Sophie doing the same before lowering her visor. He couldn't help but smile at that as he looked over the city. "Still, first time we've seen this much ice though."
"A city encased in ice… no, made from ice. Its serenity belies a yawning desolation." Fox comments, gazing over the frozen city.
"S-So cold… Why is it cold in the s-summer?" Oracle asks, still shivering from the wind. Strange how she was still affected even though she had no elemental weaknesses.
"If you're still cold, why not stay inside Al Azif until you warm up?" Violet asks. A lightbulb goes over Oracle's head as she quickly summons Al Azif and enters it. Letting out a loud sigh of relief.
"Thanks! I think I'll stay in here for now."
"Well that's one problem solved…" Teach remarks, shaking her head. "Still, the fact that we entered the Jail means…" She casts a glance at Noir, her expression down and her face full of hurt.
"Mari-san… I promise, we will save you and everyone's Desires you have taken. Let's go, Joker."
"Right." With an elegant leap, Joker jumps to the ground below, spotting the sign behind them was still of a person drinking wine like in real life. But now it was Mariko dressed as a queen. But no sooner do they land, they are immediately intercepted by shadow cops.
"Intruders! Get them!" One of them shouts before they break apart, revealing their true forms as Lilims and the every adorable Jack Frosts.
"Finally! A chance to warm up! Wage War, Banksy!" Following Guernica's cry, Banksy appears behind her and blasts the foes with magic, sending them down the War Path as, in a fit of rage, lash out at each other in a frenzy.
"Now this works to our favour. Franklin, Mafreidyne!" Summoning her Persona, Medic blasts the opposing foes with nuclear energies before rushing in with her scythe. Cutting deep swaths with her slow yet long reach attacks. While Guernica focused on combos as fast as he could. Spinning her nunchaku as she unleashed punches and kicks interspaced with her weapon. Despite being outnumbered, as is the norm in these Jails, the Thieves were quick to brush aside the attacking foes, and warm themselves up in the process.
"Now THAT was a rush!" Guernica cheers, stretching her arms as the Thieves group up. "But I don't see us getting over that wall of ice." She points down the road to a wall of thick ice, blocking the entire road.
"I don't think either of us could melt through it." Panther remarks, as they approach. "What about you Edelweiss?"
"Something tells me I won't be able to scratch it. Of if I do, I'll just raise the alert level of this place to max." Edelweiss admits, shaking her head. "ow that I think about it, I haven't had the chance to use my other form since we started."
"Other form?" Sophie asks, tilting her upper body in wonder.
"We'll tell you later." Joker replies, patting her shoulder as he activates his Third Eye. He couldn't see anything that could get them over the ice wall, nor were there any nearby Shadow Step locations for them to use down the street. Yet, a glance down their street to the right showed a way to the roof on their right. Smirking, Joker leaps up the way with the Thieves following after him in quick succession, finding a zip line that took them past the ice wall. Which they now saw was about the length of two buses thick.
Getting past the ice wall, the Thieves move on. Finding themselves heading back to Odori Park. Or at least, Odori Park in the middle of an ice age.
"So this is what snow feels like." Sophie comments, stepping loudly as they move on. Letting out a childish giggle as she knees to grab some. "It's all white and crunchy." Joker and Queen smile at her as Edelweiss sneakily rolls some snow up into a ball before glancing at Panther.
"Just don't roll around it okay. You blend in so well with snow, we might lose sight of ya." Skull warns with a grin. Before Panther lets out a shriek, turning all eyes to her as she shivers in pace with snow over her as Edelweiss cackles at her.
"Edel!? Why!?" Panther asks, rubbing her arms.
"I couldn't stop myself!" Edelweiss shouts, laughing hard. Oracle beams down from Al Azif, looking at her robotic sister before making a snowball of her own. And throwing it at her face, halting her laughter as her entire head was covered in snow. "Huh?"
"HAH! Critical hit!" Oracle shouts with a cheer, not seeing Violet rolling up her own ball of snow before throwing it at Oracle. "Ack! That's cold!" She shouts, turning to Violet who whistles innocently. "Oh you want to play, Violet? All right, lets play!"
"Have you forgotten we are in the middle of a quest here?" Crow asks, shaking his head. "We don't have time to—" He is cut off by a snowball from Sophie, getting struck in the head as Sophie lets out a cheer.
"Nice one Sophie!" Queen praises as Joker gives her a high five. Before all three of them turn to see Crow holding two snowballs in both hands. With Hereward standing behind him with his own snowball. And a giant grin on his face.
"In case you haven't realised, this means war!" He shouts, throwing the balls at them as they duck into cover. Before anyone knew what was happening, a giant snowball fight broke out in the middle of the street. Even their Personas got in on the fun, throwing snowballs at each other while Fox used his ice skills to create a small fort for him and Noir, which soon became the centre of attention. A passing shadow cop spotted the impromptu snowball fight, but instead of attack decided to just move along and pretend he did not see anything.
Eventually, the snow fight comes to an end with the Thieves panting in exhaustion, yet smiles were plastered on all of their faces.
"That was SO much fun!" Panther comments, hands on knees.
"I've never been in a snow fight that large before. It was fun!" Spring adds with a giant grin.
"And who knew out Personas would join in as well. Although it was unfair that Blondie was going rapid fire at us." Oracle quips, glancing at a smug Outlaw.
"Hey. Gun is my speciality." He remarks with a smirk.
"Anyway, the Castle is just down the road." Medic point out, directing the Thieves with her scythe. "But it looks like there's another wall of ice blocking the way."
"Not just that way. We've got ice on either side as well." Shadow point out to the roads on either side. Were nothing but solid blocks of ice blocked their way. "And if they are the same thickness as the last one, we need to find another way forward."
"Well, there's a Checkpoint just up the road. Along with the only other path open for us." Oracle informs, closing her map. "At least it's something." But just as they turn the corner to advance, a copter shadow approaches them, transforming into a giant Lilim with several others forming around it. And attacks the team with an Evil smile, forcing them back. Sophie, Violet, and Spring unleash a wave of bless magic into the Lilims, wiping out the smaller ones while heavily damaging the giant one's shield.
Just as the Lilim refocus, Mona joined in with a Garudyne. Blasting the shield with wind before smashing through and leaving the Lilim dazed on the floor. Opened up to the Thieves' All-Out attack, finishing the Lilim off and move on to the next area.
Passing through the ice encrusted city, the team arrive at what should be the Sapporo Clock Tower. But instead, they find a fort built from ice dominating the central area, with the constant mumblings from inside alerting the Thieves to what it was.
"Looks like we've found our first Prison Keep." Shadow comments, glancing at the cold blue walls.
"That was… surprisingly quick." Outlaw comments with some worry as they look around. Not a single shadow cop was around to stop them. "This is too easy."
"This is a Prison Keep? Not exactly what I imagined it to be." Guernica remarks, seeing the open gate not far from them. "Is the front gate supposed to be open?"
"All the last one had their gates closed. There is no way it is this easy." Panther comments, looking around the area. It was too quiet, far too quiet for any of their liking.
"Oracle? Are you picking anything up?" Teach asks, pulling her RPG out just in case.
"No… I'm not seeing anything." Oracle reports from inside Al Azif.
"I'll go and check it out. If it is a trap, I can just fly out." Edelweiss suggests. It was true that with her thrusters she didn't have a need for a grapple hook. So if it was a trap, she could theoretically escape it.
"If you're sure. But don't do anything crazy." Queen warns as the team gathers outside the open gate. Edelweiss nods back at Queen before walking up to the open gate. Stepping inside, she activates her blades, ready for anything. Yet, other than the moans coming from the cages around them, nothing happened.
Even as Edelweiss stood there for over a minute, nothing appeared to stop her. And neither did the gate slam down shut to trap her. Even as the rest of the team cautiously enters the keep, nothing appeared to stop them.
"Didn't you say a guard was supposed to appear?" Medic asks, glancing around.
"Yes… One should have appeared to stop us…" Fox replies, nodding his head slowly.
"Well, if nothing is appearing to stop us we should grab the core and move on to the next Keep." Spring remarks, relaxing her stance. Joker nods, although reluctantly, as the team heads up the stairs to the cage. Waiting for them was the core of the Keep, ready to be collected without a fight.
And as Skull grabbed it, it transformed into an election poster for Mariko's campaign.
"That was… worryingly easy." Crow comments as Noir looks over the poster.
"Maybe Mariko doesn't believe we are after her?" Sophie asks, tilting her upper body. But no sooner does she say that, a flash blizzard storms into the area, plummeting the temperature way down.
"A snowstorm!? Where did it come from!?" Skull shouts as he begins to shiver. "S-Shit! It's freezing!"
"W-We gotta find shelter!" Queen shouts, rubbing her arms as Al Azif floats down next to them.
"I spotted something to the south of the keep! Follow me!"
"You heard her!" Joker shouts, grabbing Sophie who was trying to warm herself up again while Shadow grabs a frozen Mona. Without even arguing, the team rush outside the Prison Keep. Only to encounter a large squad of shadow dogs ready to attack them.
"Out of our way!" Spring shouts leaping into the air as Persephone forms behind her. Infusing her lance with bless magic before tossing Spring into the air, sending her crashing the ground as she unleashes her Voltage attack. Creating a vast bless explosion and shockwave that desecrated the shadow dogs, clearing the path for the freezing Thieves as they continue to run through the blizzard. Chasing after Al Azif before arriving a strange contraption. Though due to the blizzard they were unable to see what it was as they hear more shadows form behind them. Trapping them in the enclosed area.
"W-W-What now!?" Skull shouts over the roaring blizzard, not noticing that he was backing up towards the object before bumping into it. Revealing it to be a heater as it blasts the Thieves and surrounding area with a warmth that not only fights back against the raging storm, but also made the air around them comfortable as well.
"A heater?" Panther asks, no longer feeling herself shivering from the cold. "With a kettle on top?"
"So nice and warm!" Sophie bounces in Joker's arms as he sets her down.
"This really is perfect timing. Those of us without resistances to ice would have frozen in a few more minutes." Queen remarks, taking in the warm glow.
"Looks like there are more of these around the area." Oracle tells them as she joins up. "If we turn them all on, we should be able to melt the ice and get out of here. Might even stop the blizzard as well."
"Maybe, but we can't all go out there." Mona remarks, pawing out to the raging blizzard. "The shadows seem to be suing it as cover, and those of us without ice resistance can't even fight in that."
"Guess it'll be a small team then." Joker remarks, walking out of the range of the heater and into the blizzard. "Those who block or resist ice, with me. The rest of you, hang tight here. We'll be back." At his call, Fox, Noir, Spring, Edelweiss, and Medic follow him into the raging blizzard. Their forms vanishing as Oracle chases after them in Al Azif. Leaving the others standing around the heart, waiting for either the storm to pass over or Joker and the others to return.
Sophie watches on worriedly as Joker's figure vanishes in the storm, while Queen kneels and places her hands on her shoulder.
"Don't worry. He'll be all right." She tells her gently, before seeing more figures approach them. But it wasn't Joker or the others, but a group of Setantas leading an army of shadow cops towards them.
"Well, it would appear we won't be board while waiting for them to return." Crow remarks as the team readies for combat. "And with the terrain to our advantage, we should last."
"So long as you don't get cocky Princy-boy." Guernica snarks, summoning Banksy to her side. "So let's get this started all ready! Swords Dance!" Striking first blood at the approaching Setantas, Guernica leads the charge against the approaching foes. While the Thieves held out against this surprise attack, they couldn't help but wonder how Joker's team was doing.
"Hey! What are you doing!" A sentry calls out into the storm before he and his buddy transform into two Principalities, accompanied by a large squad of cops just as the Thieves charge into them.
"Don't mind us! Just looking for some heaters!" Medic shouts, slashing out with her scythe before blasting the area around her with Mafreidyne. The Principalities try to heal their comrades, but Joker blasts them with a Megidolaon from Artemis, snapping their concentration and wiping out the shadow cops around them, with Noir finishing them off with a grenade from her launcher.
"We have cleared the area. There should be a heater nearby, yes?" Fox asks Oracle, as Al Azif pierces through the snow like a ship through clouds.
"Yep! Just up there!" She hovers at a ledge above them, with Edelweiss kicking over a giant platform of ice to create a way up with Joker heading on up. Finding a heater waiting for them, he activates it, letting its warm glow wash over the area before joining the others.
"All right, that's two down. Do you know where the others are located?" Joker asks Oracle, with Al Azif flying over to a spot nearby.
"Just over here! But it's behind a barrier that I need to hack… It'll be hard in the cold. Not helped by the blizzard blocking our vision."
"Don't worry. We won't let them get near you." Spring calls out as the group surround the terminal as Oracle joins them. Letting out a sharp yelp as the cold hits her full force.
"T-T-T-This might t-t-take me a bit longer than u-u-u-usual!" Oracle calls out as she gets to work. With a horde of Jack Frosts and gun wielding shadow cops forming in the blizzard beyond them.
"Perhaps this will give us an edge." Fox comments, summoning Gorokichi and creating a wall of ice between them and their foes. The same way he made that mini ice fort during the snowball fight. Unfortunately, he could not create a solid wall, leaving a entrance that they could exit and leave from. Yet, it helped narrow down the foes as they tried to get to Oracle. As an added bonus, the wall helped block the wind from hitting Oracle, allowing her to work at normal speed while the ice resistant Thieves got to work with the foes outside the wall.
But even with these, it was proving to be an uphill battle as more shadow cops continued to form around them, with Noir and Joker soon finding themselves going back to back.
"Think it's time to even the odd?" Joker asks, the star in his pocket glowing.
"I believe so." Noir replies with a grin.
"It's Showtime!"
The red curtains fall once more, changing the area to that of a city suburb at night, with a large portion of the foes trapped within. Suddenly, the hear the sound of a truck rolling down the street coming directly towards them. With Noir at the wheel, she suddenly jerks the wheel around, sending the truck into a spin and slamming into the foes. Sending them either flying into the air or into the walls.
The ones in the air, were the unlucky ones as Joker, standing on a roof, takes aim with his gun and starts blasting them mid-air. His bullets are infused with curse energy as they lodge themselves in the foes before falling back down.
Noir leaps from her truck into the air, using her psionic magic to drag the foes slammed into the wall onto the truck as the ones shot by Joker land on its roof. As Noir joins Joker, she aims her grenade launcher at the truck before firing a missile at it. Detonating it in an explosion of curse and psionic energy as the two Thieves quickly leave the scene of devastation.
With the area returning to the white-out area, Oracle successfully hacks into the controls. Just as the wall surrounding her falls apart, the wind once more blasting her with cold air as she quickly gets back into Al Azif.
"Sheesh! Couldn't that wall stay together UNTIL I got back into Al Azif, Fox!?"
"Do not blame me. It does not last that long." Fox replies as Spring activates the third heater.
"We've got one heater left to go, then we can join the others. How is it looking?" Edelweiss calls up to Oracle, who lets out a nervous groan.
"They are holding, but I don't think the shadows won't stop coming until we get rid of the blizzard. Come on! It's over this way!" Chasing after Oracle and activating a Checkpoint along the way, the team followed Oracle up a building where a lone shadow cop stood to bar their way.
"I won't let you past! By her Majesties orders!" The cop shouts, transforming into another Principality to stop them along with another squad of shadow cops. But just like the last group that tried to stop them, they were easily taken down by the small group of persona users. But just when they had a moment to breathe, more spawned behind them, a line of them armed with guns as they aim at the Thieves.
"You won't take us down that easily!" Medic shouts as Franklin forms behind her. Taking a syringe from her, Franklin injects it into the microscope canon on her shoulder, charging it up as Medic rushes forward and slashes at the foes. Trapping them in a box made of nuclear energy before leaping back to Franklin. "Game over." She quips, snapping a finger as Franklin fires her canon, eviscerating the foes that had tried to ambush them with her Voltage attack.
While Medic took care of them, Fox dashed ahead to find the last heater. Switching it on and engulfing the area in heat with the roaring blizzard coming to an abrupt stop.
"Oh, the snowstorm stopped. Looks like you were right, Oracle." Noir calls out as Al Azif hovers near them.
"Looks like it. And that stopped the shadows from constantly spawning, but they are still swarming over the others—hold up… this signal…"
"Oracle, what's wrong?" Joker asks as they start rushing back to the others. The sudden change of tune in Oracle's voice had him concerned, yet with how he could hear a smile on her face as she spoke next, it only made him puzzled.
"You guys are not going to believe who has just shown up!"
"Can't these freaks take a hint!?" Skull shouts, sending out a blast of Ziodyne. Even with the blizzard gone, their foes seemed never-ending. "We're all warmed up now, thank you, now piss off!"
"Skull, language around Sophie!" Queen shouted, backhanding a Jack Frost out of annoyance. Sophie is by her side as she fires her little yo-yo guns at the foes. For his part, Skull did look sheepish for his outburst before clobbering a Lilim next to him before the sound of a car engine caught the Thieves' attention.
"Is that a car?" Violet asks, confused. The Thieves feel her confusion, and so do the shadows before them as they turn to the source. Before said source started drifting through them like they were pinballs. Knocking them down as the balloons it dragged behind smashed into the ones on the side. Random orbs of elemental spells fly out of the car, slamming into the foes around the Thieves before launching fireworks into the sky. Slamming down into the ground and wiping out the remaining foes while obscuring the Thieves eyes of their saviour.
Just as Joker's team reaches them outside of the Prison Keep, much to each group's relief, the cloud of smoke peels away. Revealing a face, they didn't think they would see again.
"Hey! Good job!" Jose cheers at them from inside his car as he rolls up to them with a smile. "I didn't think we would see each other again."
"Jose!? What are you doing here?" Panther asks in both gratefulness and surprise while those who haven't met him tilt their heads in confusion.
"Just looking for flowers to drink. Ever since you beat Maruki, the flavours I've been tasting have been so varied that I keep losing track of them." Jose replies, showing the team some ice flowers before turning them into a blue lemonade and taking a sip. "Mmmh! Blueberry!"
"Um, Joker? Who is he?" Medic asks in concern as Joker lets out an awkward chuckle.
"Right. This is Jose. We think he's a member of the Velvet Room, but he's neither confirmed nor denied it. We met him back in Mementos last year, and he helped us get stronger and unique items for us."
"And all we had to do was find stickers and flowers for him." Spring adds, shaking her head. "It was the strangest collectafon I've ever done." Medic and Guernica slowly nod their heads at the answer as Jose lets out a chuckle.
"Well, I also did challenge them to a few fights as well. Remember?" Jose asks, with Joker and the others letting out beads of sweat.
"Yeah… we did…."
Flashback.
"Wow, you guys sure are strong." Jose remarks inside his car. Around them was the battered and destroyed observation room of Maruki's Palace inside Mementoes. The same room where they defeated the Reaper. Yet for Joker, Yu, the Arisato Twins and the Thieves, Jose was turning out to be as hard a fight as against the Reaper. "I think I really understand how you feel now. Thank you."
"After whooping out buts like, how many times?" Skull asks, leaning on his knees.
"About three…" Outlaw remarks, pushing himself up.
"And I though Elly-P was tough to fight…" Minato remarks as he and Minako stand back up.
"But we're not done yet! Now it's time to show you how I really feel!" Jose suddenly shouts as fireworks appear all around his car with the Thieves eyes widening in surprise.
"Uh oh…" Noir comments quietly as Oracle lets out a nervous chuckle form Al Azif.
"Can we…call it a draw?"
"Not yet! This is what I've learned from studying humans! My true feelings!" Jose shouts with a wide grin as he hits a button in his car. Sending all the fireworks into the air as they rain down on the Thieves with Almighty magic. And making their fourth attempt at a win another failure.
Flashback ends.
"Those were some fun times." Jose comments before beeping the horn. "Anyway, I'm off to find some new flowers. Let's have another match if we see each other again. Well, good job!" And with that, Jose drives away, leaving the Thieves standing around while snow continues to fall around them.
"Well, that was a nice surprise." Violet quips as they head back to the Park. "Still, I want to forget those attempts we made to win…"
"Hey. At least we beat him in five tries. Do you guys remember how long it took to beak Caroline and Justine? Or even Lavenza?" Joker reminds the team as they shiver at those two different fights. Velvet Room attendants were not push overs. But as they returned to the park, they found a very flustered shadow cop waiting for them. Very flustered and confused at seeing the Thieves before him.
"Aah!? H-How'd you make it through the snowstorm unscathed!?" HE shouts, turning into a giant Jack Frost to fight the Thieves.
"So you were the freak behind that snowstorm, huh? How about we repay the favour with interest! Right, Joker!" Guernica shouts, with the wishing star glowing once more.
"We shall!"
"It's Showtime!"
The two leap into the air, the red curtains descending and changing the field to that of a dilapidated train yard. Where Guernica was busy spraying the logo of the Thieves onto the side of a train. Just as she finished, the giant Jack Frost and its entourage arrived to stop her, only for Guernica to turn around with a smirk.
"Aww, you guys here to stop my fun? Well…" She leaps onto the train as it suddenly starts and pulls away as the Jack Frost and friends run after it. "…You'll have to catch me!" Leaping over the cars, Guernica leads the Jack Frost and co towards the front before turning around and opening fire with her machine pistol. Forcing them to dance on the spot, taking their attention off the approaching water tower that Joker was standing on.
With a grin, he leaps off and blasts the base with curse magic. Severing one of the legs and sending it tumbling towards the track as he lands next to Guernica. The water tower falls onto the train, crashing onto the cart holding the Jack Frost, crushing all of them as the water spills out, dragging them alone before rushing off the side of a cliff. Joker and Guernica fist bumping as they watch the Jack Frost hit the ground with a heavy thud with the area returning to normal soon after.
The Jack Frost was still face planted to the floor as it tried to pull itself up, not realising its shield was broken as the Thieves unleashed and All-Out Attack on the poor fellow. Letting out one last Hee-Ho as it fades away into nothing ness.
"All right, that should take care of our snowstorm troubles." Crow remarks, dusting his hands off before letting out a shiver. "Although, I am still a tad cold."
"I think it's best if we return to reality and warm up. I don't want anyone to get frostbite." Medic tells Joker, who nods back at her. After a harsh blizzard like those last two and the cold environment around them, frostbite was a possibility, especially in worlds based on cognition.
"All right. We'll return to Sapporo and warm up before diving back in again. And me and Shadow will work on brewing a lot of coffee to take with us." Joker tells the team as they head for the nearby Checkpoint.
"Agreed. We could use something to keep us warm here." Queen comments with a nod, rubbing her arms as the team quickly retreats from the Jail. Beaten by the cold for now, but they will return with a vengeance!