Four keys turned into one. The group returned to the Rebel Club, and Erina was holding the Music Room key with a grin. "We're back! And we got your key!"
This news hit the leading Rebel like a lightning bolt. "What!? Did you really?!"
"This is it, right?" Erina held the Music Key up for them to observe.
"Oooh, this is it!" The leading Rebel said with wide eyes. "The long-desired music room key!"
"Well done, you lot! With that in hand, victory will be ours!"
"Yeah! Now he'll have no choice but to let us go! My Rebel Corp Comrades! Are you ready to finish this mission?"
"You bet we are!" The female rebel clenched her hand into a fist. "It's time to finish this rebellion! Let's bring the hammer down on that tyrant!"
"YEAAAAAAAAHHH!" The Rebels all cheered.
The hardcore rally of the Rebels did stun the group a little bit. "Good grief..." Mika rubbed her forehead. She really hated these Rebels.
"My, they're certainly fired up..." Haru spoke with a nervous laugh.
"Well, think about how long they've been locked up here." Ryuji pointed out. "Kinda hard to blame 'em for being so hyped to fight."
"Do they have to be so...obnoxious about it." Mika groaned.
"We're approaching the end of the road here." Zenkichi took a seat. "We're not gonna wanna do this until we're good and ready. Marie and Yoshiki were tough enough. We might be back on track in terms of power, but we can't afford to underestimate the enemy."
"I agree. Carelessness leads to mistakes." Hifumi leaned against the counter. "We cannot afford to make a mistake in the final bout."
"Take the time to rest. Being at full strength will help." Ren told the others. And at that moment...
"Trickster...can you hear me?" That voice...it was Lazenva. "There's something I must share with you immediately. Please come to the Velvet Room right away."
"Sounds urgent..." Ren said aloud.
"Is something the matter?" Ann noticed Ren's slight look of surprise.
"Oh, yeah. Lavenza called for me. It sounded urgent, too." Ren explained. "So I'll be back. I'll let you know what she tells me." With that, he turned and walked into the Velvet Room.
Of course, the moment Ren did walk inside, there was another strange rumble. But Lavenza quickly dusted herself off. "Forgive me for calling you here with such urgency. I felt it necessary that you hear this from me as soon as you were able to come. I'm afraid it's something of an...ill omen."
Whenever Lavenza mentioned an ill omen, it made Ren take it seriously. She was able to perceive things that he couldn't, and her aid would always ensure they weren't flying blindly into something. "An ill omen. Did something happen?"
"Yes." Lavenza nodded. "Perhaps you recall our previous conversation about the Velvet Room's alterations? How the cause of said anomaly is likely some outside force? This remains true, to my knowledge. However, I recently sensed that the might behind this force has suddenly surged."
"Are you saying the being that's behind all this is starting to show their face?" Ren asked.
"I believe so." Lavenza said with a heavy sigh. "All I can say at this time is that it is a looming presence of great maleficence. The Velvet Room is indelibly linked with the heart of the guest. Under normal circumstances, no external influence should be able to alter this place. Tread carefully, Trickster - your enemy is no standard adversary. I apologize that I cannot discern this evil presence."
"You do plenty." Ren shook his head. "We already knew something big was lurking in the background of this situation. It looks like we're getting a little too close to the heart of the matter for its comfort. So we'll force it out of hiding and deal with it just like we always do."
That confidence did make Lavenza smile. It was hard to worry when Ren and his companions were ever so reliable. "Of course. I will do what I can to aid you in that endeavor."
"You sure you don't wanna join us in battle?" Ren teased.
"I'm afraid I would only hold you back and be left behind." Lavenza replied, modestly.
Somehow, Ren didn't think that was true at all. As Justine and Caroline, she really kicked his ass once, and he saw how she stopped Akechi and Hifumi's fight earlier in the year with little effort as well. Something about the Velvet Room attendants and their hidden strength... "Haha, if you say so. I guess we can manage without you."
"I'm sure you will. You have never been one to be discouraged by such news." Lavenza offered a smile in response. 'However, these unexplainable events keep occurring. Please, do show caution. I have also noticed a strange, smaller presence lingering about as well. It appears as if it's been following you as you traverse through this Kingdom..."
"Small presence...?" Ren had no idea what that could mean. But it sounded like something else to worry about. "I see. We don't have any concrete information...but even if they try to surprise us, we'll be ready."
"This room, as well as what future awaits you, lies entirely in your hands." Lavenza said firmly. "Please, never forget the power you hold."
"I won't" Ren nodded.
"Eheh, I suppose that was unnecessary for someone with so much experience overcoming incredible obstacles." Lavenza managed a smile.
With that, Ren exited the Velvet Room. As soon as he did, he told everyone what Lavenza told him.
"An omen, huh?" Zenkichi crossed his arms. "That doesn't sound good."
"Miss Lavenza doesn't get rattled like that so easily." Morgana knew that much for a fact. "It must be serious."
"If we assume it's the same entity behind all of this, I can only imagine it's starting to get displeased with our progress in strengthening Toshiro's heart." Akechi surmised.
"And it's getting stronger, too..." Haru was a little concerned about that.
"It's not like we can do anything about it now, right?" Ryuji said. "If they got a problem with us, they'll eventually show their faces - and their asses for us to kick."
"Crude, but not wrong." Hifumi said. "We should crush this enemy so we can return home."
"She also said that there was something else lingering nearby around us. In the rooms we were in." Ren added.
"But I would've noticed something like that!" Futaba said. "I haven't picked anything up."
"Probably because they're not actually in the room." Akechi closed his eyes. "I've felt a lingering malice in those rooms before we left. I'm not sure what it means, but I buy the idea that someone is watching us."
"Then we can just kick their ass too!" Ryuji said, again.
"That's about the only thing we can do at this point." Zenkichi said.
"We will win, just like always!" Sophia grinned. "I think the first thing we should do is take on the Music Room. We won't get anywhere if we don't take out the evil Nakabachi, isn't that right?"
"I agree with Sophia." Makoto nodded. "Whatever we face, we'll have to get past Nakabachi first. We're all ready to head out and finish this."
.
.
And finish it they would. The Phantom Thieves, and the Rebel Club all gathered outside of the Music Room. Erin stared at the door with some trepidation. "Here we are..."
"My comrades!" A resolute Rebel began to rally the rest of his comrades. "After great pains, we have finally reached the decisive moment!"
"To battle! We'll show that swine the punishment he deserves!" The serious female rebel was practically banging a the door.
"Man, they're really ready to tear it up in there." Morgana spoke with a sweat drop. The aggression from these Rebels was on another level. "At least they're on our side..."
"What are they even going to do..." Mika mumbled.
"You're going to rack up some bad karma if you keep talking poorly about them like that." Futaba said firmly. Mika just brushed her off with a scoff.
"..." Erina stared at the door, and sighed. Loudly.
"What's wrong, Erina? Are you nervous about the fight?" Ann asked.
Erina was startled at the attention. "Huh? Oh, sorry...am I that obvious?" The answer was yes. "I guess I'm just a little nervous about the fight. How there's no turning back once we get in there."
"Getting cold feet? That's not like you at all." Ryuji noted.
"No, I don't have a problem with the fight - more like I've got butterflies in my stomach." Erina admitted, chuckling nervously. "Maybe it's just pre-fight jitters! I might be nervous after all."
"This fight will be approached like all the others." Zenkichi said calmly. "Just do what you always do, and we'll be fine...minus any reckless maneuvers."
"And as usual, Toshiro and I will be supporting you from the sidelines!" Ichinose smiled. She did have a rocket launcher, yes. But that was only for extreme emergencies, since she didn't want to accidentally hit anyone with poor judgement.
"The advantages are on our side." Hifumi crossed her arms, shifting her weight to one leg. "We're almost as strong as we normally are, morale is high, and we've experience fighting in these strange rooms."
"We're close to the curtain call." Yusuke said confidently. "It's time to finish this act with a flourish."
Toshiro approached the door, and it opened slowly. "No matter what history has in store for me, I'm prepared to accept it. Let's go, Ren."
"We can do this. All of us, together." Erina looked to all her friends. They could do this, she knew that. And yet, that didn't stop that strange feeling in the pit of her stomach...
"Let's finish this!" Ren told everyone. With that, they rushed through the door to the Music Room, together.
.
.
Everyone rushed into the Music Room. The hellscape was the same as everything before it. But they had one mission: defeat Nakabachi. "It's over! Show yourself!" The leading Rebel shouted into the void. "This is your last chance to surrender!"
"How dare you disturb the sanctity of my domain...you absolute lowlives." The voice from the speaker was now much clearer. "By bringing your collaborators to this most sacred place, am I to presume..." And soon, he appeared before them: Ichiro Nakabachi. "You're all prepared to enter a world of regret?"
"Nakabachi!" Toshiro's suspicions were confirmed!
"He looks so...normal compared to Marie and Yoshiki..." That was Violet's first impression. Ironically, it made Nakabachi stand out in comparison.
"This is most disappointing, Kasukabe-kun..." Nakabachi adjusted his tie. "I was under the impression that you were smarter than this. What a shame."
"Nakabachi...all of your crimes were exposed to the public!" Toshiro began, defiantly. "Our rebellion was a success - every last one of your spies flipped on you!"
"Hahaha! What are you own about?" Nakabachi laughed. "You don't truly believe you did the right thing by putting together your little uprising, do you?"
"Of course I do!" Toshiro replied. "If we hadn't taken a stand, we'd be...we'd...we'd be..." Something was wrong. Toshiro felt a sharp chill crawl up his spine. What happened after they exposed Nakabachi, and why did it make his blood run cold!?
"Toshiro, it's okay!" Erina exclaimed. "Don't let that bastard get to you!"
"Oh?" Nakabachi glanced at Erina. "Natsuhara-san, is that you? You're walking now, are you? You look much better than when I saw you last, hahaha!"
"W-What's that supposed to mean!?" Erina was a little shaken by Nakabachi's words. Why did that make her blood run cold? She quickly shook it off. Clearly, Nakabachi was just trying to get to her. "No, it doesn't matter...! I'm not Eri. My name is Erina, and I'm here to help Toshiro take you down!"
"Ooooh, I see..." Nakabachi stroke his chin. "I think I get it now. You just can't let her go, can you, Kasukabe-kun?"
"Eyes up, freak!" Skull shouted.
"Justice is on our side!" The female rebel shouted right at Nakabachi.
"We will purge the evil from this place! Time to settle the score!" The leading Rebel declared.
"Hmph! I've heard enough of this racket!" Nakabachi scowled. "Don't you losers realize you're merely reaping what you sowed?"
"But it's your job to teach children right from wrong!" Noir had her axe at the ready. Thinking about the mistreatment Nakabachi put the students through angered her. "Instead, all you did was exploit their situations for your own gain!"
"Shut up!" Nakabachi scoffed. "You brats can't even cook up a single variation of your immature theme!"
"Immature?" Wolf had to hold back a condescending laugh. "Every student I've seen today has shown more maturity than you ever have. Then again, I guess it's hard for someone without any morals to understand the message that's really being sent here."
"Listen well, oh dear pupils!" Nakabachi ignored Wolf's words, even if the words did strike him at his core. It was much easier to focus on students that couldn't fight back. "Some say society functions like a song - that people are supposed to complement one another for a common cause. And that is ABSOLUTE NONSENSE! People climb the social ladder using the backs of others! It's a simple concept - how can you fail to comprehend this!?"
"Meanwhile, this guy refuses to change his tune." Mona rolled his eyes.
"And he wants to say that our theme is immature." Sophie frowned. The hypocrisy was insane.
"You extorted students for your own, lording over the school as you pleased." Fox placed his hand on his blade. "If we must punish you again, then we will."
"We've already dealt with this one." Panther cracked her whip on the ground, flames igniting along the weapon. "And this time, we don't have to spare you."
"And I'll reprise my role from before." Toshiro said confidently. "I will show you the error of your ways once more!"
"You heard the man! It's over for you, slimebag!" Skull said.
"Prepare for your complete and utter defeat." Dragon twirled her staff around. "There will be no mercy for the likes of you."
"And once we take you out, we can go come." Viper didn't care so much about everyone else's reasons. Nakabachi sucked, and he was their final obstacle, that they knew of. As such, beating him as quickly as possible was ideal.
"Something tells me this guy was never a good teacher." Ichinose wore a serious expression, her arms crossed.
"There are those who rule, and those who are ruled. How do you not recognize this familiar tune?" Nakabachi asked calmly. His expression shifted into a creepy smile. "How much lecturing does it take to get through to you nitwits?! Initializing Training Curriculum! Commencing instruction!"
"Wait, what?!" Ichinose's eyes then widened. That sounded a lot like a...! Nakabachi's body then transformed into a robot. It caught everyone by surprise by how sudden it was. "He's a robot!?"
"He's a robot!" Sophie shouted in surprise along with Ichinose.
"Even robots have more heart than this guy." Joker said, silently pleased with his words.
"I wonder what his specs are?" Oracle questioned.
"You know, this is less intimidating than the super mech we fought." Panther was looking on the bright side of things.
"I bet his AI is garbage! Sophie, show him how strong you are!" Ichinose pointed forward, overly excited about this.
"Of course!" Sophie nodded and sprinted forward. She leapt into the air and twisted her body, slamming her boot into Nakabachi's metal frame. It was a direct hit, and Nakabachi slid backwards slightly from the impact. Sophie landed, hopping on one foot after the kick. "That kind of hurt."
"You brats! You think you can defeat me!?" Nakabachi dug his robotic hands into the ground and lifted up a gigantic boulder with ease. He hurled it towards the group with the intention of crushing them flat.
"That's a big rock!" Skull gulped.
"Leave it to me!" Fox rushed forward while unsheathing his blade. He leapt forward, slicing through the rock with a few clean slashes, turning it to harmless rubble that hit the ground. He then landed in front of Nakabachi as his mask burned away. "Gorokichi, slice him!" His Persona brought his sword forward for a rising upward slash. This was a direct hit, and Nakabachi slid backwards a great deal.
"Gh!" Nakabachi grunted. "You lowlives think you're so powerful, are you? I can ruin all of your lives with a snap of my fingers!" He pointed his hands forward, releasing widespread beams that aimed to destroy everything in sight. Because of this, the Phantom Thieves had to duck for cover, making sure to snag the Rebels so they weren't caught in the line of fire.
"He's throwing a temper tantrum." Crow groaned. "I suppose that's to be expected of a man who's on the verge of losing everything."
"I'll draw his fire!" Dragon said. Everyone already knew what to do after that. Dragon slipped out from around corner, and her presence caused Nakabachi to start firing at her. She was able to avoid the beams and the explosions they caused with ease. "I'm disappointed in you, Nakabachi! You boast a great deal of power, yet it appears you cannot even wield it properly to be rid of a single student! Perhaps the illusion you clung to was far greater than reality?"
"Ooh, her trash talking has gotten so much better!" Viper said with stars in her eyes.
"You lowlife! How dare you speak to me that way!" Nakabachi amped up the power, a large beam firing towards Dragon. This was exactly what she wanted.
"Aegis!" Dragon came to a halt, her mask burning away as Bella appeared in front of her, shield first. Nakabachi's attack collided against her shield, and she grit her teeth. It was plenty strong, but her shield was stronger. Plus, her taunting did take his attention away from the others. "You fail to see the battlefield for what it is!"
"What?" Nakabachi then felt a presence above him. He looked up, but it was too late. Wolf, with his Fury activated, slammed his sword down onto Nakabachi's body. The impact reverberated throughout the robot's body, causing him to stop his beam. The impact of Wolf's downward swing caused a crater to form underneath Nakabachi.
"Your reign of terror is coming to an end." Wolf snarled during his follow through. He then flipped backwards, just in time to avoid a retaliation from a robotic fist.
"Hereward. Shoot him down." Crow came into view for Nakabachi just as Wolf flipped away. The archer already unleashed an arrow of curse magic towards the former teacher. Nakabachi brought an arm up to defend against it at the last second, but it was still a direct hit. An explosion of black and red energy swallowed the robot, causing him to stagger backwards as a result.
"Don't let up on him!" Queen pushed through the smoke, her fist wrapped with nuclear magic. Before Nakabachi had the chance to recover, she slammed her fist right into Nakabachi's chest, causing him to grunt in pain. Already, his metallic plating began to crack under the pressure. But he was quick to grab Queen's wrist and spin her around, tossing her towards a nearby wall. "Gaaah!"
Luckily for Queen, Noir swooped in for the save! Her mask was off, and Lucy was in front of her. "Lucy, give him hell!" Noir spoke with a sadistic tone she was scarily known for. Lucy's dress opened up, beginning a bombardment of various weaponry. Bullets and multiple explosives collided against Nakabachi from his right side.
"Gah! Guh! You insolent!" Nakabachi grunted.
"William!" Skull called out, his Persona appearing in front of him, arm cannon charged with lightning. "Fry 'em!"
"Nuwa, shock 'em!" Viper spoke with an all too giddy grin. Nuwa appeared in front of her, and in time with William, released a potent Ziodyne that merged halfway through, shocking Nakabachi on his left side. The two compounding attacks eventually exploded, throwing Nakabachi into the air for a bit, before he landed on the ground.
While he was recovering, Erina leapt forward, planting herself onto Nakabachi's front while twirling her spear around. "Take this!" She stabbed at one of the red eyes on Nakabachi's chest, causing him to growl in pain. He tried to shake her off, but she was staying on firmly. "You're not escaping justice this time either, Nakabachi!"
The two exchanged glares. "You talk just like her, you act just like her...and yet you're so different. Have you even realized...that you're just a ghost?" Nakabachi asked with a knowing tone.
"A...A ghost...?" Erina was briefly taken by surprise. Because of this moment, Nakabachi's hand slammed into her chest, throwing her off of him and into a wall. At least, it would've been a wall had Violet not been there to catch her. "Ow...sorry..."
"Don't worry about it!" Violet offered Erina a smile. "Don't let him get to you."
Nakabachi then pointed both hands into the air, releasing numerous beams of energy into the sky. If he couldn't hurt them directly, he'd just rain hell on them! Just like he did to anyone that tried to defy him! The Phantom Thieves, Toshiro, the Rebels...everyone was going to pay for standing up to him!
"That's going to be a lot to block.." Dragon's shield wasn't that big!
"I got this!" Oracle acted, Al Azif appearing as she flew into the sky. "Final Guard!" A green barrier appeared around everyone, shielding them from Nakabachi's desperate maneuver. "Is everyone alright!?"
"Just fine!" Panther said, cracking her blazing whip at Nakabachi's body. "Teacher's like you piss me off. So I'm happy to give you what you deserved!" An especially powerful crack of her whip resulted in several pillars of flame appearing around Nakabachi, converging on his body to torch him.
"There are so many of you..." Nakabachi said, breathing heavily. Was this the power of sheer numbers!? He was one man with power, but...!
"That's right! And you're getting justice from every single one of us!" Joker dropped down from above with Raoul, the two of them landing a fierce axe kick on Nakabachi's head. The resounding impact resulted in a powerful shockwave of curse energy that exploded outward. "Phantom Judge!" The strike did make Nakabachi recoil. He attempted to get his bearings straight, but Violet and Mona appeared in front of him with their Personas ready. He swung at them, but they were fast, dancing all around him with their quick movements. Violet's rapier, Mona's saber, Diego's blade, and Ella's swiftness, all overwhelmed him at once.
"Vorpal Blade!"
"Miracle Punch!" Ella flew past Nakabachi, landing several slashes against his robotic body. There were heavy damages left, and the onslaught continued as Diego aimed a flurry of high powered punches that blasted him into a wall. Nakabachi hit the wall so hard, there was an indent of him on it.
"He's vulnerable!" Dragon exclaimed.
"I got this!" Erina dashed towards the stunned Nakabachi. His final defense was firing beams from his one hand, but Erina was able to weave and deflect them. Her spear began to shine brightly as she drew closer, summoning as much power as she could. "Great Partisian!" She thrust her spear straight into Nakabachi's chest, a bright white glow emanating before exploding on impact. Nakabachi's tattered body tumbled before coming to a halt, smoke and steam coming from it. "Did that do it!"
"100%!" Oracle confirmed.
"N-No...how...!?" Nakabachi asked weakly. "How...could I..."
"D...Did we do it...?" Toshiro stared in shock. All he could do in this conflict was watch, but it still felt surreal each and every time.
"You gotta ask? You KNOW we won!" Skull grinned. "Nice going, Toshiro!"
"He didn't do anything." Viper flipped her hair.
"He stood up for himself, that's plenty!" Mona grinned. "He wasn't so bad back there! Not as good as me, of course. But who is?"
"Don't get me started, kitty." Viper gave Mona a deadpanned look.
"Ha...I see. So, it's over." Toshiro took a second to absorb this information, and when he did... "We did it. We did it!" This was the first time he displayed such excitement over a victory. It was a jarring sight.
"There ya go. You can celebrate after all." Wolf found it to be an endearing sight. With this entire cognitive world trying to drag Toshiro down, it was nice to see him finally smile about a victory.
"I never thought we'd see Toshiro in hype mode!" Oracle thought it was nice.
"Toshiro stood up for himself and fought that battle on his own terms. Given his situation, he must be awfully relived to have pulled it off!" Erina said with a chuckle.
"It's finally over! We've got the mastermind within our grasp!" The leading Rebel exclaimed.
"It's finally time to exact our punishment!" The female rebel cheered. It was finally all over!
"Damn you, Toshiro Kasukabe!" Nakabachi cursed. "How many times must you get in my way!?"
"As many as it takes." Toshiro replied with conviction. "I have no problems standing up for what's right anymore."
"That's right! So why don't you make things easier for yourself and give up already!" Panther placed her hands on her hips.
"Ngh...! I'm done for! I'm done for...!" Nakabachi groaned...before sitting up straight. "Is that what you hoped to hear?"
"What?" Joker narrowed his eyes.
"Ohohoho! You all look like you've been having quite a nice time, haven't you!?" That voice caused everyone to snap attention, looking skyward. It was Jerri, flapping her wings to stay airborne.
"W-what in the!?" Dragon's eyes were wide. "Jerri!?"
"What in the world!?" Fox gasped.
"Why is that bitchy bird back!? And why is she gray!?" Viper hissed.
"THAT'S Jerri!?" Skull stared at the bird in shock.
"Who the hell...where did this bird come from...?" Wolf narrowed his eyes. Those who hadn't seen Jerri before were confused. Joker, Dragon, Violet, Viper, Crow, and Fox were all on high alert.
"Yes, and I remember killing her. So why is she here?" Crow pointed his gun forward. He knew he wouldn't hit a shot from Jerri's position, but that didn't stop him from putting the threat there.
"You lost all your color. Did you miss Guernica's paintjob that badly?" Joker asked with a slightly angered tone.
"You pesky brats continue poking your noses where they don't belong!" Jerri cawed. But there was an arrogant smirk on her face. "You even dragged that poor man through some false heroics! It's laughable to pin all of the blame on that man and play the revolutionary game, don't you think!?" As she spoke, Nakabachi stared to move some more.
"What are you talking about?" Toshiro asked Jerri. "This is no game! We saw this all though to the end!"
"Oh, Toshiro, you foolish human..." Jerri shook her head. "There is still so much you don't understand. And when you do remember...I'll do you the favor of stripping it all away. You'll thank me later."
"Don't listen to her!" Violet immediately shouted. "Everything she says is a lie! We've seen it firsthand!"
"Yes! Her methods are far more direct." Fox spoke with foul memories in mind. "She'll forcefully attempt to break your spirit. But we've come too far for that. There is nothing she can do at this point."
"Nothing I can do?" Jerri tilted her head. "You foolish children. You don't even understand the full story! Isn't that right?" She looked to Nakabachi, who would be smirking if he had a face right now.
"That's right." Nakabachi spoke, but...it didn't sound like him. "It's high time you remembered your crime!" He pointed straight at Toshiro. "YOUR TRUTH!" After he said that, the entire building began to shake and tremble violently. Everyone staggered about as the school itself began to break apart and transform into something else.
"W-What's going on now!?" Queen asked with shaky legs. The orange skyline turned into a night sky, and a large clocktower appeared where the main building once was. Even worse, Erina collasped to the ground on her knees, gripping her head in agony.
"Erina!" The others exclaimed in worry.
"That's right...I'm..." Erina stared at her hands as she had a realization. As she did, the clock struck 12, and her entire body began to glow. A bright white flash emanated from her, blinding everyone present. Toshiro wanted the truth so badly? The truth that wouldn't stop him no matter what? In that case...
It was time for him to get exactly what he wanted. The truth that history had in store for him...