Lavenza summoned Ren to the Velvet Room. Along with him were Morgana and Hifumi, since the others stepped out to observe things around the city. "Welcome to the Velvet Room." Lavenza greeted the trio with a smile. Upon gazing at their expressions, she could read the question they wanted to ask easily. "You all look as though you'd like to ask something."
"Uh, yeah." Ren began. "What was all that noise earlier?"
All who disregard instructions must be punished, no matter the transgressor." Lavenza spoke with a sweet smile. Whatever happened in here was something nobody outside of the room wanted to know about. "Does anyone take issue with that?"
"No." Hifumi replied while shaking her head. Absolutely not. Lavenza scared her; they had no idea how strong she was. But Hifumi knew she was strong enough to effortlessly stop her and Akechi from fighting that one time, so...she wasn't too keen on crossing this Velvet Attendant.
"Now, there is one reason for your summon here." Lavenza clasped her hands together. "I have completed the arrangements necessary for your Persona needs."
"You have?" This interested Ren. He still felt like they were at a slight disadvantage when it came to combat. The new guns were helpful but their Personas were still lacking that usual bit of oomph.
"Mhm." Lavenza nodded. "Since the power of the Wild Card has been hampered somehow, you will have to make do with this process. Before that, though: I have one small question." Lavenza pulled out a small cog. "Have you sighted anything resembling this during your battles?"
"I think so..." Ren looked around in his pocket, before pulling one out. "There was a lot going on in the prison at the time, but I found this."
"Well then, this shall be easier to explain!" Lavenza's expression lit up. "Within those cogs exist some power native only to this world. I believe the process is easier to display than to verbalize. Give me just a moment."
"Uh...what are you about to do?" Morgana asked. But instead of getting a verbal answer, Lavenza just placed the welding mask on her face, did a twirl, and went over to the furnace. The cogs flew into the opening of the furnace, melting them together until a drop of boiling magma dripped out onto a flat surface. Lavenza then brought up a huge hammer and smashed it onto the ball of magma with all her might. This prompted another cog to shoot forward into Ren's hands, which had another Persona imbued into it: Kelpie.
"Whoa..." Ren stared at the cog.
"While you are no longer able to switch between different Personas, this new power is available not only to yourself, but to your companions as well." Lavenza explained.
"Just like the movie theatre..." Both Ren and Hifumi said at the same time; and then they looked at each other with a confused expression. This was the first time they've even mentioned it aloud, and to each other no less. With questions about that running through their minds, they realized they would have to talk about this later. Morgana, however, just felt a little out of the loop.
"While I may not be able to provide my usual services, due to being dragged into this strange world...I can provide this in exchange." Lavenza was lamenting her inability to do her usual Velvet attendant duties. At least she could do this instead. "There is no doubt you will face many battles int this Kingdom you've found yourself in. As long as the flames of your resolve burn, I will forever be by your side."
"Thank you, Lavenza." Ren said with a firm nod. If they could make use of Sub-Personas again, like in the New Cinema Labyrinth, he was certain they would be able to turn the tide against Marie and her forces. He was certain everyone else would enjoy these abilities as well! "Time to get to work..."
.
.
Eventually, the three of them did step out, and the others returned from their trip. Ren explained the use of Sub-Personas to everyone, and the reaction was just as positive as expected. "Wait, you're saying we can use more than one Persona like you usually can!? That's so cool!" Ann's eyes lit up. She was always just a little jealous of Ren's ability to switch Personas on the fly.
"That's going to be extremely useful going forward." Akechi did like the sound of this.
"We can easily double our firepower like this!" Morgana said excitedly.
"I'm imagining all of the combinations we can perform." Hifumi stroked her chin. "Compounding our usual abilities, with those of different Personas...!"
"Her brain is going on overdrive." Ann giggled.
"I'm not the combat type, aside from a few desperate maneuvers here and there." Futaba commented. Her only means of attacking were dropping a bomb, or the last ditch effort of ramming her Persona into a target. "Which sucks, because using two Persona abilities sounds cool as heck!"
"I'm only used to the one, but I suppose expanding my horizons in this case wouldn't be too bad." Zenkichi commented.
"I've always wanted to try more than one." Mika said. It was unfair that only Ren had that power, but at least not anymore! Well, while they were stuck in this weird world, anyway.
"Whatever power we have, I will use it to help everyone. I promise!" Sophia balled her hands into fists. She was ready to do her best, as always, for the sake of her friends.
While the others were elated at this, Erina did seem just a little downtrodden. "It seems I can't use these Sub-Personas because I don't have one to begin with."
"You and me both!" Ichinose remarked with a smile. Unlike Erina, however, she didn't appear jealous about this fact. "Then again, I'm still learning about my own heart and how I feel about things. I doubt I'd be ready for a Persona anytime soon."
"Don't worry about it, Erina! You're still on par with the rest of us even without one. So we'll still be counting on you." Morgana said firmly.
"I hope this gives us the edge we need to fight Marie and get everyone back." Sumire said worriedly. They were still missing four of their members...
"Don't worry, everyone." Erina placed her hands on her hips. "This might be a good chance to test out this power of yours. You see, we've gotten intel about the enemy's next move. At this very moment, the majority of Marie's forces are being called to the castle."
"What is she plotting this time?" Hifumi asked.
"Well, in the past, Marie's army has periodically come to the city to capture citizens en masse." Erina explained. "Up until now, we've always been blindsided. But now, we know what's coming."
"Wait, seriously? Just to throw them in jail!?" Ann's eyes were wide. Even if she was an overseer of the prison for a brief period, she barely had any memory of it.
"If they're lucky. Most end up becoming Marie's slaves." Erina sighed.
"That makes sense." Zenkichi replied. "The prison was pretty big, but if they're routinely capturing people, I understand why it was as empty as it was."
"But this time, I want to take down Marie's army before their caught." Erina said.
"Hold on a second!" Toshiro interjected. "Don't tell me you intend to charge in there without a plan? Without proper strategy, we'll be the ones who end up getting caught. Again!"
"Fair enough..." Erina closed her eyes. "I'm sure the appearance of the Phantom Thieves has Marie's army on alert."
"She didn't deny it..." Sophia pointed out. This did make everyone worry just a little bit, if this was how Erina conducted strategy meetings.
"On the other hand, all of her soldiers are gathered in the castle right now, which means..." Erina was hitting upon something.
"We can strike before they get into formation!" Futaba exclaimed.
"B-But wouldn't that ALSO be a gamble!? There's too much risk involved!" Toshiro objected, once again.
"GOOOOOOOOD!" Mika groaned at Toshiro. If she rolled her eyes any harder, they would've fallen out of her head. "Should we just sit in here and do nothing, then? Or is there too much risk because I might fall out of my chair."
"I'm worried!" Toshiro defended his worries. "We don't have the luxury of making even a single mistake. If we mess up a second time, we could all be slaves to that lunatic of a woman!"
"I understand Toshiro-san's concerns..." Sumire glanced away for just a moment. "But we can't just be passive either."
"I agree!" Hifumi slammed her hand down on the table, her Shogi Mode activating. This was war, and she was prepared to take it seriously. "Sometimes the only path to victory means taking risks. We cannot afford to slow down now that we are slowly getting some momentum."
"Hifumi's right." Erina nodded in agreement. "This might be our only chance. We don't have the time or luxury to just wait and see how things go. People are in danger, and I want to help them as quickly as I can."
"Ngh..." Toshiro grunted, but not because his ideas were being shot down. Because Erina's words once again resonated with him in a strange way he couldn't explain.
"So, despite the risk, I still must ask for your help. Will you fight beside me?" Erina looked to the Phantom Thieves.
"You don't even need to ask." Ren said. "This fight is only just beginning, and we intend to see it through.
"We're going to return the favor for saving us!" Ann nodded.
"And give payback for getting our brains messed with." Futaba was still fuming about that.
"I am worried about the others, but rushing things aren't going to do us any favors." Morgana said.
"Helping the Rebel Corp will be to our advantage." Akechi said. "The others will simply have to hold on until we are able to reach them."
"Allow me to give a disclaimer before we head out." Toshiro said. "I will be of no use in battle whatsoever."
"Oh, no worries! I didn't expect anything from you to begin with!" Erina grinned, and the others...just nodded in agreement. The cold sting or reality hit Toshiro hard.
"Gah! D-Did you have to phrase it like that!?" Toshiro grunted from shock, before attempting to regain his composure. "I may not be of use to you in combat, but I can procure help if needed!"
"And who exactly do you intend to get help from?" Zenkichi asked.
"Er. Well...that's..." Toshiro was so caught up in ways to be useful, he didn't actually think that far ahead.
"Okay, let's just say you stay back back and watch from afar. That's all we really need you for." Erina said.
Toshiro let out a disgruntled sigh. "Fine..."
"You're stuck with me, Toshiro-san!" Ichinose gave Toshiro a smile. "There's no real electronics I can work with here. So I think you and I will be keeping the bench warm for a little while. Oh, maybe I can use one of those fancy guns, actually..."
"I do not know if that is a wise idea." Sophia internally panicked at the thought of Ichinose with a gun. It just sounded like a bad idea. "Only for self-defense, got it?"
"Fiiiiine." Ichinose rolled her eyes.
"Which one is the one in charge of that relationship again?" Zenkichi whispered to the others.
"Now then! Let's sneak into Marie's castle and strike before they know what hits them!" Erina exclaimed. The others were ready to join this conflict as well.
.
.
There were several Legionnaries making the rounds outside of Marie's castle. "Round up any citizens that you find and take them to the castle. Leave no stone unturned."
"If they resist, beat them to within an inch of their lives. They'll listen." Another soldier said, barely withholding their laughter. "Oh, I can't wait for their screams! Gyahahaha!"
"That's enough!" Erina said while appearing with Joker, Mona, Dragon, Crow, Viper, Sophia, and Wolf. "You won't get away with this anymore!"
Startled by their sudden appearance, the Legionnaires quickly turned around with widened eyes. "What the!? Where did you come from!?"
"You don't need to worry about that." Wolf said, his sword resting on his shoulder.
"Dammit!" The other Legionnaire grunted. "Go call for reinforcements!"
"Right" The solider nodded and quickly turned around. Unfortunately, their retreat was cut short by Panther and Violet standing a few feet behind them. "Huh!?"
"Sorry, but that's not going to happen." Violet said while pointing her rapier forward.
"What!? But how!?" The soldier gasped. "You were Lady Marie's new soldiers, why would you turn your back on her!?"
"Because we hate her. So we quit." Panther stuck her tongue out after this. She then summoned Celestine, and decided to make use of the new Sub-Persona that Joker previously created. With the power of Kelpie, she merged wind and fire together, creating her own blazing twister that sucked in a number of nearby soldiers. "Whoa!" Panther was surprised at her own power; this felt incredible! That being said, Panther could feel that despite the power, it wasn't quuuuuite as strong as she was normally, but this definitely made up the difference.
"That's awesome!" Oracle's eyes were wide at the display of power. Sub Personas were just what they needed!
"Scatter...!" A Legionnaire exclaimed, attempting to retreat. However, the Phantom Thieves weren't going to allow that. With their numbers, they could easily clean up any stragglers without reinforcements showing up. It did not take them very long at all.
"All right! Operation Surprise Attack was a huge success!" Oracle beamed.
"It felt soooooo good to move around and release all that pent-up tension! I could go for another round!" Panther exclaimed happily.
"Being in control of my body felt so good..." Violet stretched her arms out.
"..." Toshiro was watching all of the fighting. While some of it - no most of it - went over his head, there was something that caught his attention. Panther and Viper's Phantom Thief attire was -
And before that thought could even finish, Dragon's staff shot out in front of him as a warning. "What are you looking at?"
"N-Nothing!" Toshiro gulped. Dragon was giving him a chance to change the topic, because she could obviously tell that was a lie. Why were these girls so scary!? "I just can't believe you actually won...! I have the feeling your powers are always going to surprise me."
"You'll get used to it." Wolf said.
"But it IS pretty cool, isn't it?" Ichinose spoke out while looking around. Even if she was unable to provide any assistance in combat, an extra pair of eyes was never a bad thing.
"It's not like this is our first rodeo." Mona said. "We've had our fair share of epic battles."
"This is our third or fourth, depending on how you want to look at it." Crow mumbled. "Point is, this is nothing new to us."
"Even so, Marie's army has a thirst for violence unlike anything I've seen before." Toshiro said. "We were fortunate this time, but we may not always be so lucky. Her army does not seem like one to be reasoned with..."
"So you finally acknowledge that?" Viper lifted a brow. "These guys lick her boots and worship the ground she walks on. This is like having a group of crazy fans, but cranked up to a ten."
"And while that's true, these people have no one else to save them right now." Erina said firmly. "That's why it's up to us to fight for change."
"..." Toshiro didn't respond. But Erina was right in a way he couldn't argue against. The people of this Kingdom DID need help. And they were the only ones that could fight...
"Time to bring peace to this kingdom." Joker said firmly.
This was exactly what Erina wanted to hear. She turned to Joker with a grin. "With you by our side, I know we can make a difference! That's why it's essential I take action out in the open like this! Before, it was hard for me to act alone because I was always being pursued."
"Good grief..." Crow shook his head.
"Please don't do that anymore." Violet said with a sweat drop. She could already see that Erina was a bit of a loose cannon. That worried her.
"Don't worry, we gotchu!" Oracle chuckled. "We'll follow you to the depths of hell!"
"W-Whoa, don't speak for everyone here now." Wolf, while happy to help, did not like the idea of going all the way to Hell.
"I wonder what Hell is like..." Sophie tilted her head curiously.
"Hey, I didn't say it! That's what Joker said." Oracle had her usual mischievous smile.
"D-Don't put that on me...!" Joker quickly said in an effort to defend himself.
"That's enough chatter. We should probably be getting back to the hideout." Mona suggested and everyone agreed with him.
"I agree! I've already got our escape route! This way!" Toshiro said, before bolting off. This was the first time anyone saw him run, and he was a lot faster than they expected.
"What the..." Panther blinked.
"Whoa, he's fast...!" Oracle gasped. She was kind of jealous...
"I know he said he could run away from an enemy in two seconds, but to see it adds an extra layer on the pathetic cake, don't you think?" Viper tilted her head. Toshiro would never get a compliment from her and she was going to keep it that way.
.
.
A few rebels were carefully sneaking around what was the Armory. The recon was crucial to aiding the Rebellion. The rebels were hiding behind a few boxes, glancing around to make sure they weren't caught. "So far so good..."
"Wait, sssh...!" One of the rebels said with a hushed whisper. They gestured up ahead and saw two unfamiliar faces.
The first one was by far the scariest thing they'd ever seen: Noir, dragging her axe along the stone ground. Sparks flew from this, sharpening her deadly weapon. "Remember: Lady Marie will not be happy if you mess up again?" Her voice rang out to a few of the Legionnaire. They were scared stiff of her.
"THAT'S RIGHT!" The second person shouted. It was SKull, resting his pipe on his shoulder while looking over at everyone. "Those damned Rebels are getting a little too comfortable now! So for Lady Marie's sake, we're gonna do as she asks and crush them. Got it!?"
"Y-Yes!" The Legionnaires exclaimed in unison. "FOR LADY MARIE!"
The Rebels who saw this, realized what this meant. If these were more of the Phantom Thieves, their power would be absolutely necessary going forward. "We have to report to Erina right away...!"