"Attention – the Student Code of Conduct has been updated to amendment 56.2a – striking weaknesses is now strictly prohibited. Amendment 40.4a prohibiting the use of defensive stances in combat has been stricken. Please continue to observe all other items detailed in the Student Code of Conduct. Good day."
The sound of the PA cuts through the silence as the Sleepwalkers stalk through the halls of Cloud 4. It seems more likely than not that the Guard Shadows will be on the lookout for you now that you've forced your way out of rehabilitation, so your crew moves more carefully in order to avoid attracting more attention. Even though the columns afford a little cover, the halls are still far too wide to avoid detection completely. This results in a few more skirmishes with the guards before you reach the stairwell back in the entrance hall.
"Jeez," says Hayate, shaking Shadow dust from his fists. "It'd be nice if we didn't have to stop every time one of these things sees us. Why're the halls so freakin' big anyways? You could drive a truck through here or something."
"Could you settle down?" Koharu says, clutching a bamboo kendo sword she'd nabbed from a practice room you'd passed. "You're making me nervous."
"It'll be all right," you tell her, mounting the first steps. "With any luck, there'll be fewer of them upstairs."
The stairs leading to the regular classrooms are similarly broad and stretch just far enough to be somewhat physically taxing. This Cloud feels as though it's intended to be grand and dignified, but without the sounds of conversation or the bustle of students, it comes off as uncanny and tomb-like.
At the top, a solid iron gate bars your passage. Behind it, more corridors sprawl to your left and right, dotted with sliding frosted glass doors that must mark the classrooms for…whatever it is the Shadows learn here.
Niseako's voice crackles in your ear to point out a card reader at waist height just next to it. He had decided that instead of tagging along, he would wait behind in the rehabilitation room, since it seemed unlikely that the Shadows would visit the place you'd just left.
You slip Principality's old ID out of your pocket and slide it into the slot. The lights above it flash from red to green, and you can hear the sound of the pins in the lock sliding into place.
"Looks like we're good," you say, swinging the gate open and stepping through.
Suddenly, the deafening wail of a blaring siren pierces the air, causing you to stumble and clasp your hands over your ears. Every door along the hallway slams open, and curious Shadows poke their heads out to investigate the cause of the clamor.
"ALERT. A STUDENT WITH AN EXCESS OF DEMERITS HAS BREACHED THE SECOND FLOOR. A STUDENT WITH AN EXCESS OF DEMERITS HAS BREACHED THE SECOND FLOOR,"
"Gah! What the hell?" you say. "We had a clean ID!"
"Maybe it means our IDs! It could've detected our demerits on the way through!" Mariko shouts.
Then, over the sound of the siren and the squawking of the PA system, comes a deep rumbling from down the hall. The sound is rhythmic and grinding, with the hint of a squeak beneath it – and it's growing louder and louder. The Shadows start to notice it, too. They turn their heads towards the end of the hall, and then, as if recognizing it, pull their heads back into the classrooms and slam the doors shut one by one.
The noise stops.
Cautiously, you venture a bit further out into the corridor to investigate. There's barely any time to register what you see before it instantly accelerates towards you. You're only barely able to fling yourself out of the way before the thing barrels through the spot you'd been standing seconds before. There's a tremendous crash at the other end of the hall, and you all run out to see what happened.
The Enforcer oscillates mechanically atop massive silver tank treads in the midst of a pile of shattered marble, partially humanoid and gold-plated. In one hand, it hefts a giant cannon, in the other, a shield as tall as you are. Gleaming gears churn and squeal under the joints in its plating and the crossed mask mounted on its chest. It has no head, only a pulsating ball of light.
Koharu lets out a shriek, streaking back towards the staircase and dropping to her hands and knees. The ball of light brightens, and the Enforcer's torso slowly begins to spin itself back around towards you.
"Good idea! Try to stay out of the way for now – this might get rough!" you shout.
"Get out of the way! It's charging again!" cries Nisekao.
"Move!" you shout - Hayate and Mariko are too far out into the hall! Without stopping to think, you lower your shoulder and shove them out the way through one of the sliding glass doors. You're only just able to flatten yourself against the floor and roll over, positioning yourself between the Enforcer's treads as it rumbles over you.
But before you can get to your feet, a tremendous force pulls you back down by your right arm, and there's an audible pop! as your shoulder is wrenched out of its socket. To your horror, a glance backwards reveals that part of your sleeve has caught on one of the links of the Enforcer's treads, dragging you along behind it! Fortunately, the Enforcer runs out of room before it can drag your arm up under the tread skirt and crush it, but there isn't much time before it turns itself around to charge again.
You attempt to pull your sleeve free, but a sharp pain lances through your arm and collarbone, making the effort impossible. Above, the Enforcer's torso is already halfway through its rotation.
"Help! I'm stuck! Somebody stop it!" you scream.
Mariko and Hayate heave themselves back into the corridor, shaking shards of glass off their clothes. Kay bursts forth and uses two of its arms to twist aside the arm holding the cannon, while the other two arms brace against the Enforcer's mask and push. Nyneve starts firing lightning bolts, but the Enforcer holds up its shield and swats them away.
You attempt to summon Launcelot, and then Yaksini and Principality, but the pain radiating from your shoulder is making it difficult to properly concentrate. Despite Hayate's efforts, the treads are beginning to turn again as the Enforcer advances against Kay's grip.
"Nisekao! Got any ideas?" Hayate shouts, his voice wild with desperation.
"I-I'm thinking! I'm thinking!"
"FINE!"
For a moment, the Enforcer relents. The three of you twist your heads to look back down the hall.
Koharu stands there, her kendo sword held out in front of her with two visibly shaking hands. Her face screws up into a twisted grimace, and she swallows hard.
"If none of you can handle it…then I'll do it. Whatever I need to do…I'll take care of it! So come out already – I wanna get this over with! PERSONA!"
Up and down the hall, the lights flicker and die. An ethereal blue light illuminates Koharu's scrawny body, and her eyes practically disappear in the gloom. Whispers race up and down the hall, and you swear you can almost feel something touch your face. A ring of flames ignite behind her, revealing a card bearing the image of the Hermit.
"I hope you're all happy. I guess there's no getting out of this now, huh? Well…if I don't have a choice…I might as well enjoy this! To me - Le Fay!"
The card ignites, and from the ashes rises Koharu's Persona, a tall, gaunt woman standing knee-deep in a wide, ornate cauldron. A dragon's skull obscures her face save for one bright orange eye, and two skeletal dragon wings protrude from her back. Her spindly fingers caress a thick tome of spells with yellowed pages.
"You're mine," Koharu says, pointing at the Enforcer. Le Fay does likewise, and a pink mist sprays forth, enveloping the Enforcer's mask. It shudders, then drops its cannon and shield. Gingerly, the Enforcer pulls your shirt sleeve out of its treads and sets you back on your feet. Mariko runs over and has Nyneve help set your shoulder and ease the pain. Hayate gapes at Koharu, dumbfounded.
"You can just make it do that?"
"What are you doing, just standing there? Aren't you supposed to be the 'professionals?' Start beating on that thing already!"
"Whatever. Put it on ice, Kay!"
Kay strikes a pose, and ice begins to crystallize around the gears inside the Enforcer, grinding its movements to a complete halt. Kay seizes the cannon off of the floor and, holding it like a club, bludgeons the Enforcer's torso. The ice inside shatters, and it reels back, letting out a long low cry like steel scraping against steel.
"Now do me a favor and die!" cries Koharu. Le Fay makes a sweeping gesture, and a black fissure opens underneath the Enforcer's treads. Hundreds of dark specters scream out of the void, swarming over every inch of the Enforcer's huge form. The Enforcer convulses and bellows in pain until the spell dissipates, and the ball of light atop its shoulders winks out.
The lights sputter back to life. Kay tosses the canon to the floor and dissipates as Hayate bends closer to inspect the Enforcer's still body. "What, is that it?" he says. Koharu recalls Le Fay and sniffs derisively.
"What's the matter? Can't believe my Persona is stronger than yours?" she says, giving him a playful shove.
"Don't get all full of yourself. I guarantee that wouldn't have worked if I hadn't softened it up."
But before Koharu can make another retort, the PA system crackles to life again.
"Attention. You have committed an action found in violation of current amendment 56.2a to the Student Code of Conduct – exploiting weaknesses. Two demerits will be assessed against your IDs. Alert! Excess demerits have been accrued against the following students: Katsuji, Tetsuo; Tsukino, Mariko; Hirada, Hayate; and Shimizu, Koharu. The recommended punishment is execution."
"Look out!" cries Mariko, pulling you back.
The Enforcer is creaking back to life, its gears pulling it back upright.
"You have to be kidding me!" Hayate shouts. He rounds on Koharu. "I thought you killed that thing!"
Koharu grimaces and brings Le Fay out again. "I did - don't yell at me! I'll just…do it again!" Le Fay cracks open its spellbook again and raises its arm.
"No! Stop! You c-can't use any more magic right now, Koharu!" Nisekao warns. "It's part of the Cloud's magic or something – the Enforcer can't handle those kinds of curses, but you're also not allowed to use that against it. I th-think that as long as we keep breaking the rules, it'll keep coming back until it k-kills you!"
The orb of light reignites, and the Enforcer's tank treads slowly begin to rev back up.
"I hate to say it, but I think that for now, you need to run! At least until we can think of a strategy that stops it for good!"
Taking stock of the situation, that seems like the right move. Mariko and Hayate seem a little winded, and Koharu must be only running off of the adrenaline from awakening her Persona.
"All right. Come on, let's get out of here!" you say, motioning for the others to follow you as you sprint down to the other end of the hall and around the corner.
After making a couple turns through a labyrinth of near-identical classrooms, the churning of the Enforcer's treads becomes too faint to hear, and you all lurch into an unused room to rest.
"How are you feeling, Koharu?" Mariko asks. Koharu is sprawled out on the floor on her back, staring at the ceiling.
"Like I need a nap," she says.
"Probably, huh? Your Persona is incredible, you know? Here, let me see if I can help…" says Mariko, calling out Nyneve.
"Don't push yourself too much, either. You're supposed to be resting, too, you know," you say.
Koharu waves Mariko away. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Just give me a few minutes to shut my eyes."
Koharu's out like a light in seconds. Mariko gently removes her glasses, folds them, and places them on a desk nearby.
"Just like that, huh?" Hayate says. "Well, it's not that surprising, I guess. She's always staying up late."
"How long have you known her?" you ask.
Hayate looks away, feigning disinterest. "Something like three or four years. Since junior high. She was different then - still quiet, and real awkward, but not scary like she is now."
"Think that might have something to do with the way you're always taunting her?"
Hayate recoils. "Hey, don't put all the blame on me. I wouldn't have to defend myself if she'd just let me make a mistake every once in a while without some snide remark."
You and Mariko shoot him a skeptical glance.
"Well…okay, maybe I could stand to bite my tongue a bit more. I hope you plan on having this conversation with her when she wakes up, too."
Everyone falls silent for a while after that, allowing your bodies to recuperate, and taking stock of the situation. A thought occurs to you as you mull over what's happened.
[Principality?]
[Yes, Master?]
[We'll need five Commendations to get into the Dreamweaver's office, right?]
[Err, yes…about that…]
[What's the matter? Can't you get those for us?]
[As a member of the Disciplinary Order, it would have been no problem – aside from the number of moral problems associated with such a request, of course.]
[But…?]
[Now that I am a part of your soul…I'm afraid I no longer have the ability to award Commendations.]
"What? Are you serious?" you blurt out loud. The others stare at you, and Koharu snorts herself awake, feeling around for her glasses.
[Quite, I'm afraid. But consider the silver lining here – you no longer need to engage in such duplicitous behavior.]
[I'm fusing you the next chance I get.]
"Tetsuo, what's going on?" asks Hayate.
Pinching the bridge of your nose, you say, "I was just asking Principality about those Commendations he promised. Says it can't do that anymore."
[I would if I could.]
[Save it.]
Hayate throws his arms up in the air. "Oh, fantastic. So what? Now we gotta earn 'em legit? Are we supposed to go around looking for Shadows to snitch on?"
"Sounds like a waste of time." Koharu is wide awake, rubbing her eyes. "Why don't we just find some Shadows that have some and take them?"
"How can we tell which ones are carrying them?" you ask.
[Ah! I can help with that! I may no longer be an officer, but I'm confident that I can still identify someone carrying a Commendation,] says Principality.
[How's that?]
[It's a matter of how they carry themselves. Earning a Commendation should be a source of great pride – anyone who has one will stand out.]
[I'm not sure that's as obvious as you think it is.]
[Leave it to me. I will know on sight.]
"Good news – Principality says it can tell which Shadows have Commendations on them. I'm not entirely sure it knows what it's talking about, but I guess we'll find out soon enough."
"Are you guys going to be heading out again?" asks Nisekao. No one looks terribly enthused about it, but they nod anyways.
"All right. Just remember, keep your ears open for those rule changes. I'm still thinking about how to deal with it, so please try to avoid attracting the Enforcer's attention if you can help it. Okay?"
"Don't need to tell me twice," you say. "Well then, if everyone's ready, let's get back out there."
