Shin Persona Evangelion

by Ultra Sonic 007

Shinji Ikari stared, bewildered by the bizarre-looking man, who gave an intrigued smile. "An interesting guest has arrived. My name is Igor. Welcome to the Velvet Room, young fool...we have important matters to discuss, you and I." (A fusion of the realms of Evangelion and Persona, where not all is as it seems.) (Cover art by Renu of the Sufficient Velocity forums.)

83. Tuesday - August 18, 2015

Author's Note: If you want to see a picture of Sister Mary Makinami surfing on Mister P (like from the Gaghiel battle), then check it out on SpaceBattles, Sufficient Velocity, or Archive Of Our Own. It's a nice bit of levity...because you might need it after this chapter.

Let's do this.

xxxx

Enjoy. Now let's get into the meat of it.

xxxx

Sokila wasn't present this time. Neither was the Velvet Room.

He was within a place that had no direction and no tangibility, save for a nondescript Throne.

"You've been busy, haven't you?"

Someone sat upon it. (The Usurper?)

"Curious, that those interlopers clad in blue would change their modus operandi; a consequence of your presence, I wonder?"

They seemed...unconcerned. No, that was the wrong word.

"Let's hope that they haven't become too greedy; I would hate to have to enact drastic measures at this stage."

They were...intrigued.

"Let's see how you all perform."

The One Who Sat Upon the Throne looked off to the distance; a blue fog surged forward, seeking to reclaim Shinji.

Sokila's voice sounded from within: "-have to wake up-!"

"You'd best be off now."

"-lease, Mister Ikari! WAKE UP!"

The vague expanse began to fade away, as the faint haze of blue began to brighten-!

xxxx

/Tuesday: August 18, 2015/

/Sojiro Sakura's Residence, Nishiawakura, Okayama Prefecture/

Shinji Ikari opened his eyes.

Standing beside his bed was a figure adorned with a black cloak and cowl; they held a naginata above their head, as if ready to swing.

Shinji screamed.

xx

The figure in black flew through the wall, tearing past wood and paper screens; despite the force, they landed rather daintily upon the grass. The pale light of dawn was barely enough to illuminate the woods surrounding the ryokan.

Shinji emerged onto the engawa, clad in the familiar blue and black armored bodysuit that always manifested whenever he summoned Unit-01. Speaking of which, the Evangelion hissed angrily, fist outstretched from where it had struck the assailant. "Who are you?!"

The sudden commotion had woken everyone up; one by one, they all gathered onto the engawa, still wearing their sleeping yukatas. "What the hell?!" exclaimed Junpei, looking between Shinji and the assailant.

The mysterious figure tilted their head...only to speak aloud, with the voice of a young girl, or perhaps a young woman. "How many...?"

Misato's eyes narrowed, focusing upon the naginata in the figure's hand. The sight of the jade staff and the blade fashioned in the form of a blazing wing were enough to make her snarl. "...no way..."

"You know her?" asked Sakamoto.

"I should," growled Misato with righteous wrath. "This bitch is the one who put me in the hospital!"

Shinji couldn't help but jolt with shock. This...this is the person who hurt Misato-san so badly?!

"...seven, eight, nine, ten...Eleven out of twelve," said the girl.

"Where did she come from?" asked Mayumi.

"I don't know; I just woke up and she was in my room!" explained Shinji.

Mana was the last to arrive, clad in her padded black bodysuit, with axe and shield in hand. Her eyes fell upon the mysterious girl, narrow with suspicion. "...why do you feel familiar...?"

"...Let us Proceed..." The girl thumped the butt of her naginata against the ground.

xx

Sojiro Sakura didn't know what to make of all the racket, other than the fact the wall to his home had been blown out from where Shinji's room had been.

He was even more confused when the unknown assailant and his eleven temporary tenants all vanished into thin air. "What the hell?!" This smelt of supernatural shenanigans; his least favorite kind.

Without hesitation, he hustled back into the house; he had to call Agent Hasegawa...!

xx

Everyone manifested within the Metaverse, standing beside the cognitive double of Sojiro Sakura's house. The cozy air and coffee-inspired lawn ornaments did nothing to dispel the tension; the numerous Cait Sith and Koropokkuru Archetypes quickly fled the scene. The swiftness of the transition was enough for Unit-01 to fade away entirely, leaving only Hamlet in its place; in like manner, Shinji's bodysuit gave way to his househusband attire.

(Behind the crowd, Ren Amamiya noticed that Sojiro was the only one who hadn't been pulled along...and Sojiro, notably, was the only one with absolutely no combat capability in the Metaverse. Could this girl sense that I have cognitive abilities of my own? It was time to make a hasty retreat, he mused as he stepped backwards into the house.)

Hirofumi Kurosawa was the first to summon his Persona; his self-image phased into existence over his yukata — a no-nonsense police inspector in a dark pinstripe suit — as he took aim with his right rifle-arm, Häyhä. "Identify yourself!"

Mana suddenly went still, eyes widening with astonishment. "It's...it can't be..."

Ken Amada noticed her hesitancy. "What's wrong, Mana-san?"

"...it's the same feeling as from the Ai Ferry..." Scowling, Mana placed AIGIS on her back, clutching LABRYS's handle with both hands. "She was there! She's the one who killed Saori Hasegawa!"

An aura of alarm overshadowed everyone as they reappraised the mysterious girl's hostility. As everyone else began summoning their Personas, Kurosawa roared, "you will cease and desist immediately! Any hostilities will be met with deadly force!"

"Be careful!" warned Misato, withdrawing her pistol and short sword as Tokoyo brandished her two katanas. "This chick can use more than one Persona, like Shinji-kun!"

Multiple Personas? balked Shinji. Then...she has the power of the Wild Card? I thought my three senpai had been the only ones!

"...my name is Minako," murmured the girl, holding her free hand up towards her head. Pantomiming the action of shooting herself in the temple, the motion seemingly summoned a skeleton riding a pale horse; the cloaked skeleton hissed, brandishing a wicked scythe.

"...a Pale Rider," observed Kensuke, holding his Pearl Phoenix crossbow at the ready as Ozymandias reared his flail and scepter. "Tough, but not the most overpowered Archetype around..."

Minako pulled the 'trigger' once more; this time, a skull-faced woman in a short dress of purple and red appeared, sitting upon crimson dragon with seven crowned heads; she cackled with amusement, sipping from a jeweled goblet.

Notably, Pale Rider didn't disappear. "A...Mother Harlot?" said Mayumi, flipping through a dark book as she sat upon the black throne of Armisael.

"...are you allowed to summon two Personas at once?" asked Toji, nervously holding his wooden staff as Gilgamesh prepared to charge.

"It's supposed to be impossible!" exclaimed Amada, holding his spear at the ready while Kala-Nemi charged with energy.

"Looks like someone forgot to tell her that," growled Junpei, clenching his bat tightly whilst Trismegistus prepared to take flight.

Minako pulled the 'trigger' a third time: in a flash of blue flame, another skull-faced figure manifested above her, clad in angelic garb with feathery wings of white; in their bony hands was a golden trumpet, bearing a crimson orb with a sapphire eye as an adornment.

"And a Trumpeter?!" protested Sakamoto, his irritation shared by Seiten Taisei. "Give me a break!"

Shinji paled at the sight before him; despite the fact that it was ten against one, the three Personas surrounding the girl named Minako carried a deathly aura unlike anything he had ever felt before. What's going on...?

His Other stared intently at Destruction's Messenger.

"Hold nothing back."

The Beast rose to face the Fourth Horseman, the Whore of Babylon, and the Herald of the Apocalypse.

"Burn everything to the ground, if you must."

"...will you meet your End this day?" asked Minako; beneath her shadowed cowl, red eyes that were simultaneously fiery yet dead stared at him. "Let's find out."

Trumpeter inhaled...

"SCATTER!" screamed Mayumi.

...and blew on his trumpet. "Megidolaon!"

And with an eruption of Almighty power, the battle was joined.

xx

The explosion of Megidolaon was targeted, and precise: unlike the malice of the Angels (and the Acolytes, by proxy), the cognitive landscape was untouched, without blemish. Its only purpose was to harm the enemies of Minako.

As such, there was still a roof for Kurosawa to leap upon, taking aim with Häyhä. The other adults had quickly split apart to handle different Personas: Sakamoto and Seiten Taisei for Trumpeter, Katsuragi and Tokoyo for Mother Harlot, and Amada and Iori for Pale Rider. This left the other children to handle this 'Minako'. If she's the one who killed Saori Hasegawa...

He wanted to take her in for questioning.

Another part wanted to kill her and end the threat.

As Mayumi's Persona hovered towards the roof to gain a greater vantage point, he asked, "do you have a plan?"

The young girl yelped, as if surprised he would talk to her. "Oh. Um..." Looking through a scroll, she explained, "there's so many possibilities branching out...I was going to focus on the Persona-user-"

"Do it. I'll cover you." He took position in front of her, keeping an eye on the ground and the skies as attacks began to rip and roar with abandon.

xx

Ryuji knew that mobility would be needed to take down Trumpeter. Trismegistus was faster, but Junpei worked better as a team with Kenny anyhow. Besides, he and Seiten Taisei were a wily sort; it was why he wasn't affected by the Monkey King's crazy dives, loops, and swerves as he dodged the attacks from the skeleton angel.

"Maragidyne!"

It also gave him time to think.

"Mabufudyne!"

Because the elemental storm that Trumpeter was exhibiting...was not normal.

"Magarudyne!"

As Seiten Taisei wove around the swirling cyclones, Ryuji pondered. I remember facing a Trumpeter on a mission in the Middle East once...and it did NOT have this array of skills.

"Mafreidyne!"

Okay, THAT one's the same. Seiten Taisei dove underneath the crackle of bursting atoms (creating a distinct charge in the air that tickled his nostrils); gripping tightly to his gun-cane, Ryuji tapped the side of his Persona's leg.

Seiten Taisei grinned. "Charge," he whooped. With a sudden reversal, Seiten Taisei whipped around, aiming his right hand at Trumpeter. "God's Hand!" Like a rocket, the empowered fist of gold smashed into the skeletal fiend, erupting in a blast of smoke and flashy force.

"Hell yeah," said Ryuji with a grin.

Trumpeter flew threw the cloud: scuffed, but no worse for the wear.

"Aw, hell no!" said Ryuji with a grimace.

"Megidolaon!"

The blast of Almighty energy was barely dodged, yet carried enough force to send the Persona-user and the Monkey King hurtling through the sky. What's UP with this thing?!

xx

Misato and Tokoyo slowly circled Mother Harlot. "Well...you're certainly a creepy one," she joked, watching as the numerous heads glared with malice at her.

Mother Harlot sipped from her goblet. "Death Lust."

"Heat Riser," retorted Tokoyo, empowering herself (and Misato by default). The duo quickly split apart, avoiding the eruption of Almighty damage; the aura accompanying the blast — symbols of the two sexes — only solidified its nature. "An attack with a chance of Charming its victim?" observed Misato with a frown. Does Mother Harlot have that skill normally? The observations of that Archetype that she could recall hadn't mentioned-

"Maziodyne."

No time to think! Lightning erupted from the fanged jaws of the many-headed dragon, scarring at the ground with wild bolts; as Misato and Tokoyo were forced to dodge again, the swordswoman unleashed Rising Slash-

CLANG!

The blades both rebounded, and the residual force slammed into Misato. "SHIT!" she cried out impulsively, nearly dropping her gun. It reflects Physical Skills?! Since when?!

Mother Harlot cackled, snapping her fingers. "Trisagion." An orb of fire manifested above the wretched thoughtbeast's head, looking like a miniature sun. With a dainty flick of the finger, Mother Harlot sent it crashing towards her.

Misato could feel heat coming off of it; even as she and her Persona were forced to evade, that knowledge elicited concern from her. Tokoyo resists Fire Skills; does that thing actually Pierce through affinities?! What a load of bullcrap! Out of frustration, Misato shifted tactics; Tokoyo reared her blades as an orb of green energy manifested in front of her. "Garudyne!"

The torrential cyclone blasted against the dragon, eliciting a howl of irritation from Mother Harlot.

So. Weak to Wind, eh? Firing her pistol and immediately dodging, Misato was pleased to see that her bullet didn't reflect back at her. So Gun Skills still do damage. "Alright then, we've got a game plan!"

"Makajamaon."

Tokoyo's Skills were promptly sealed. "Oh COME ON!" snarled Misato, firing her pistol as she and her Persona were once again forced to dodge the lightning bolts of Maziodyne.

xx

Pale Rider's horse galloped upon an ethereal cloud, rendering it capable of flight.

Junpei, holding tightly to Trismegistus's back, dueled with the scythe-wielder with nearly reckless abandon; his metal bat clanged loudly each time it smashed against the sharp blade of Pale Rider's scythe. With each hit that came too close, Trismegistus would rocket away before immediately charging back in to engage. "Come on Ken, what's the holdup?!"

Far below, Kala-Nemi unleashed Hamaon and Kougaon with relative abandon; no matter how much the holy light smashed against Pale Rider, it seemed to shrug it off with aplomb. "I don't get it," he yelled. "The Pale Rider is supposed to be weak to Bless Skills!"

"Well this one didn't get the memo!" roared Junpei.

"Deathbound," hissed Pale Rider, swinging his scythe rapidly to the point where Junpei was forced to retreat. With a wicked hiss, Pale Rider opened its mouth wide — screaming "Toxic Cloud!" — to unleash a massive volume of poisonous miasma that threatened to cover the entire battlefield.

"Oh no you don't!" yelled Junpei as Trismegistus howled "Agidyne!" A bolt of fire smashed into the cloud, vaporizing the fog before it could spread any further; the fact that the Pale Rider impulsively backed away didn't escape Junpei's notice. "Weak to fire, eh?!"

"Mabufudyne," snarled Pale Rider, unleashing sprawling orbs of ice that tried to consume both of his opponents.

Kala-Nemi awkwardly jumped away, whilst Ken focused on dodging.

Trismegistus smashed through the ice. "Sorry pal, the cold ain't my weakness!" challenged Junpei as Trismegistus unleashed another Agidyne at the cloaked skeleton.

Ken recognized the shift in tactics immediately. Okay then; this Persona seems resistant to my light elementals...so we'll switch to Ziodyne and see if we can't get in a Primal Force while its back is turned...

Kala-Nemi made a nondescript noise of agreement as it fired numerous bolts of lightning into the sky, aiming to restrict Pale Rider's range of motion so that Junpei's Persona could keep landing blows.

xx

For some reason, the fact that Minako was currently outnumbered four-to-one didn't seem to bother her.

"...I'm getting real creepy vibes from this girl," said Kensuke with a gulp.

"We have her surrounded...why ain't we attackin'...?" wondered Toji aloud.

Mana said nothing, merely snarling at the stranger.

...why aren't we moving...? wondered Shinji, keeping his newly-formed Monk's Spade at the ready. Is she...really that dangerous...?

(July the 28th. Misato, being bedridden in the hospital, made no attempt to hide how serious she was. "...I don't know if you'll end up running into that odd Persona-user...the girl in the black cloak with the naginata...but if you do...don't hesitate. Not for a second. Use all the power you've got, without mercy.")

It was different, face-to-face. Despite the high-level attacks being demonstrated by the girl's three Personas...somehow, she felt more dangerous than all of them combined. How was that even possible?

"...are you going to just stand there?" she quietly asked.

'Everyone,' echoed Mayumi's voice within his head (and, presumably, the other three as well). 'Get ready to attack when Kurosawa fires.'

...okay. It was a plan. A plan was better than nothing. "Guys...get ready!"

xx

Upon the roof, Kurosawa held his right rifle-arm steady. "...One-Shot Kill."

Boom, fired the ivory Mosin-Nagant, its silver barrel smoking from the bullet.

xx

Minako shattered the oversized bullet with one swing of her naginata. However, it was enough to divide her attention, for just an instant.

Toji wasted no time. "Speed Buster!" howled Gilgamesh, charging at the cloaked girl with all his might.

Minako stared apathetically as Gilgamesh stormed towards her, gauntlet held up to smash into her.

Then, as flowing water, she made a quick instep, sticking her naginata up and through the crook of the Persona's right arm: the blade did not cut, going between the space at the armpit.

An instant slower or faster, and Minako would have been barrelled over; instead, she was in position to use leverage. With a mere grunt of effort, she used Gilgamesh's momentum to yank him off of his feet, directing her naginata so that his head smashed into the ground with ferocious force; the Persona slumped over, moaning ineffectually.

With her naginata now free, Minako shot off like a dart towards Toji. "Ah crap-" was all Toji was able to get out before Minako was upon him; he held up his staff to block her downward swing, only to grimace as the force drove him to his knees. Minako spun, driving her heel into his torso.

Shinji saw the whites of Toji's bugged-out eyes before he tumbled backwards, rolling over several times before collapsing into a groaning heap of pained flesh. "Suzuhara-san!"

"Psio!" yelled Hamlet, right as Mana and Kensuke contributed with energy blades and crossbow bolts respectively.

Minako dove in and around the barrage, inexorably darting towards Kensuke.

"Crapcrapcrapcrapcrap-!" repeated Kensuke like a mantra, firing his crossbow rapidly; Ozymandias swung his shepherd's crook, yelling "Evil Touch!"

Minako weaved through the bolts before heaving her naginata like a javelin; the crimson and violent hand of Evil Touch was pierced through, skewering Ozymandias. Kensuke's eyes went wide, his hands impulsively gripping his head out of sympathetic pain. The girl in black ripped her naginata out of Ozymandias — dispelling him in the process — and smashed the staff of her polearm into the side of his head, knocking him down without mercy.

"Kensuke!" cried Shinji, impulsively running towards him-

'Move away!' came Mayumi's mental cry.

Minako was suddenly in front of him, reaching with a hand for his face-!

Hamlet — already gripping the back of Shinji's shirt — leapt back by over a dozen meters, yanking Shinji along with him. Mana took this opportunity to strike, swinging her axe for Minako's back. "DIE!"

Minako slid her foot in a wide arc, barely slipping by; as LABRYS crashed into the ground — missing her back back by mere centimeters — Minako shifted her other foot, bringing her free hand around to smash her fist into Mana's cheek. The very air seemed to vibrate from the force of the blow; Minako followed through with the motion, turning her punch into a chopping right that slammed Mana into the ground. She did not get up.

Shinji stared at the proceedings with muted horror; it hadn't even been half a minute!

'Ikari-san, you have to keep her distracted for just a bit longer!'

How am I going to do that?! wondered Shinji, impulsively gulping as Minako turned towards him.

His Other quietly nursed a wound.

"You face a Wild Card at their fullest potential."

The Beast scoffed, unimpressed.

"And that means WHAT? Against the likes of your rage?"

It (she?) leaned forward, hissing into his ear.

"Stop holding me back."

Grimacing, Shinji ignored the pounding in his head, dismissing Hamlet to summon one of his new Personas: Sobek. As the bipedal crocodile of Egyptian myth reared his ankh and staff, he snarled, "Mabufula!" A wave of ice surged forward, erupting with numerous spiky icicles; Minako leapt above the attack, swinging her naginata. Sobek blocked the strike with both ankh and staff; the force was still enough to push him down. Shinji lunged forward with his Monk's Spade, striking at her torso; Minako kicked high, sending the spade off course before she twisted her hips, bringing her other leg around to deliver a brutal sidekick to his gut. Even as his nerves screamed from the shock of the impact, Sobek — growling "Feral Bite" — lashed out with three quick chomps, intent on devouring Minako's head. The girl twirled away as a dancer from the first two blows, angling her naginata so that Sobek's mouth would latch onto the flat side of the blade. Without hesitation, Minako wrestled with Sobek, overpowering him (how was she so strong?!) and using her naginata's leverage to slam the Persona into the ground. Tearing her weapon free from his jaws, she then thrust the blade through the croco-man's chest and twisted it, shredding his heart.

(Minako showcased her dominance with such terrifying ease.)

(Not even Mister P intimidated you this much.)

Shinji faltered, hissing at the spike of pain that roared through his head, threatening to knock him out-!

xx

"Sukunda," whispered Kurosawa, firing a tiny bolt of green energy.

He had to take advantage of the girl's immobility while he could.

"Gun Break," he said immediately; Häyhä fired a translucent bolt of debilitating energy.

He had to set up a finishing blow.

xx

Minako was struck by Sukunda and Gun Break in quick order; ripping away her naginata, the girl gazed detachedly towards the rooftop of the house...only to suddenly look upward with alertness. She leapt backwards, right as Pale Rider crashed onto Sobek in a flash of burning robes and charred bones.

Shinji — nauseous from the forced dispersal of Sobek, spots flying in his vision, stomach aching like a massive bruise — watched wearily as Kala-Nemi and Trismegistus landed in front of him. Ken Amada walked forward with spear at the ready as Junpei Iori hopped off of his Persona's back. They...beat Pale Rider...? (Why didn't Minako seem upset...or affected?)

"...you are strong," she acknowledged.

"Diarahan," droned Kala-Nemi; a brief glow overshadowed Shinji, alleviating all of his weariness in an instant.

"That's one down," said Junpei with a confident grin, resting his bat on his shoulders. Even as the battles between the others — Sakamoto and Trumpeter in the sky, Misato and Mother Harlot on the ground — continued to rage, the seasoned A.T. Agent seemed unperturbed. "If we take you down, then it's our win!"

"Samarecarm." Kala-Nemi stated this thrice; each time, glowing droplets of water manifested from nowhere, splashing over Toji, Kensuke, and Mana in succession. They all arose, blinking dumbly at the fact they were still up and about.

"Stay back," ordered Amada, his waist-length cloak fluttering in the wind. "Recuperate as you must."

"Let the adults handle this one," said Junpei with a self-assured smile. "We'll put this psycho in her place!"

"...then come at me," she challenged, holding her naginata at the ready: the blade was angled downward and toward the ground behind her, with her right hand held closer towards the blade, while her left hand steadied it towards the butt of the pole. The stance seemed...practiced. No: as natural as breathing. "If you dare."

"Gladly!" yelled Ken and Junpei in unison as they charged.

The speed with which the two A.T. Agents attacked was a sight to behold.

Despite the metal bat being the stereotypical weapon of choice for punks and high school tough guys, Junpei used his with a strange sort of eloquence, using its hardy surface to parry incoming strikes before transitioning to devastatingly hard swings. Ken, by comparison, was far more graceful, spinning and twirling his spear before lashing out with fast slashes and piercing stabs. All the while, Trismegistus launched bolts of fire, and Kala-Nemi fired lances of lightning. With such an overwhelming assault, the mysterious girl should have been overwhelmed.

However...Minako was still faster. Only the fact it was four-on-one kept her from landing any damaging blows; for every Agidyne dispersed, her slashes were blocked by Junpei's bat; for every Ziodyne that was split in twain, she was forced to dodge Ken's spear.

"...how is she doing that?" wondered Kensuke, hesitantly aiming his Pearl Phoenix crossbow.

"They seem like they're handling themselves pretty well," murmured Toji, glancing towards the other battles. "...maybe we should help Sakamoto-sensei out...?"

"We're not exactly equipped for aerial combat," groused Mana, glaring at Mother Harlot. "Let's help Katsuragi."

"...then I'll stay here," said Shinji, summoning Neko Shogun. "I can empower Iori-san and Amada-san." (It was better than trying to interfere in a battle beyond his skill level.)

"All right then Ikari," remarked Mana with a nod, holding LABRYS and AIGIS in her hands. "Try not to get in over your head."

"We've done nothing but that," griped Toji, summoning Gilgamesh once again as he followed Mana.

Kensuke gave Shinji a brief node. "Keep us apprised of any changes. You got that, Yamagishi-san?"

'Oh! Um, right!' answered Mayumi in their heads.

Grinning, Kensuke summoned Ozymandias and took off towards the battle between Misato and Mother Harlot.

Nodding, Shinji turned his gaze back towards the frenzied melee that was Iori and Amada versus Minako. Um, Yamagishi-san, he audibly 'thought' towards Mayumi.

'Yes?'

Can you let Iori-san and Amada-san know that I'm about to increase their speed?

'...ah, can do!'

Moments later, Neko Shogun waved his fan, mewling, "nyah: Masukukaja!" A green aura overshadowed both Junpei and Ken...who were ready for it.

Minako, whose speed had (little did Shinji know) already been debuffed by Sukunda, was now just barely keeping up with the speed of Junpei and Ken.

"Not so tough by your lonesome, are ya?!" roared Junpei, smashing his bat down at an angle; Minako blocked it with her staff, retaliating with a front kick that Junpei guarded with his knee.

"Submit!" warned Ken, aiming for where her standing leg connected at the hip.

Minako actually jumped off of that solo leg, spinning and kicking Ken away before blocking another downward smash from Junpei.

Just a little closer...! thought Shinji.

xxxx

The One Who Sat Upon the Throne was intrigued.

"A rather interesting display of teamwork on their part...but you've elicited enough data."

It was clear that whatever this 'Velvet Room' had done to Ikari's companions...it had not imparted any unusual powers to them.

"I've seen enough to be satisfied on that front...but now it is time for another important test."

Peering through Minako Arisato's memories as though it were an old book, the Usurper manifested two cards.

"Let us see what can be done with these old 'bonds' of yours."

The cards bore the image of the Magician Arcana and the Justice Arcana.

xxxx

Minako's eyes suddenly flared with intensity; her free hand suddenly flared with orange light.

Junpei boggled. "An...A.T. Field?!"

SMASH!

The man yelped out of surprise as the spiritual shield launched Iori into Trismegistus.

How is she using the power of her soul in the Metaverse?! wondered Shinji with alarm.

The Beast laughed.

"She is no different from you: those with Power can bend the 'rules' as they will!"

Things had taken a sudden turn.

xx

Trumpeter's eyes suddenly gleamed. "Behold, the song of thy salvation! Evil Melody."

Ryuji balked at the unfamiliar choice of words. "Wait, what kind of technique is that-?!"

'...oh no, Sakamoto-san, it's an insta-kill attack! GET AWAY-!'

Mayumi's warning was too late, as the tainted sounds reached his and Seiten Taisei's ears; there was a distinct impression of glowing yellow light, and sharp static SCREAMING-

...for some reason, he simply couldn't find the energy to think anymore...why was he falling?

xx

'Iori-san! Look up!'

Junpei grimaced, raising his eyes toward the sky; he saw Seiten Taisei suddenly dissipate in a burst of flames, and then Ryuji Sakamoto was falling in a boneless heap.

"CAPTAIN!" yelled Junpei, as Trismegistus impulsively took off to catch him. So worried was he, that he spared no thoughts for Mother Harlot, who was surrounded by Misato, Kensuke, Toji, and Mana...nor did he think of Minako, who now faced Ken Amada alone.

xx

Ken split his eyes from Minako towards Ryuji Sakamoto...but only for a moment.

xxxx

The One Who Sat Upon the Throne took hold of the Justice card...and crushed it within their hand.

xxxx

Ken suddenly went still, as if something had reached inside and grabbed hold of his heart. What?

It was a feeling unlike any he had ever felt before.

As one moving through molasses in a frigid tundra, he turned back towards Minako...Arisato...? (How did he know her name?)

(Another place. Another time. Countless memories of a child, with a stern expression on his face, and righteous hatred within his heart.)

(Another place. Another time. He looked at the auburn-haired girl they all called Leader, and appreciated that she didn't talk down at him.)

(Another place. Another time. A time where feelings of appreciation bloomed into his first crush; though Leader reciprocated — "You've always seemed like someone with an old soul," she would often say — she always impressed upon him the importance of waiting. "You only have your youth once, you know? If you still feel the same when you're older...then I'll be waiting." She had always seemed so sad, when saying that. Every single time, she died within a year.)

(Another place. Another time. Every time he told Leader about the hatred he had once felt for Shinjiro...and the guilt he carried from his death...she had understood. Somehow, she understood. And he believed her, even if she couldn't explain why. "I don't know how...I just do," she would say with confused earnestness.)

(Another place. Another time. Another place. Another time. Another place. Another time...)

Ken's spear lowered, as if weighed down by chains.

xx

Shinji Ikari paled as Minako approached a seemingly unresponsive Ken Amada. What's going on?! "Amada-san? AMADA-SAN!" Before he and Neko Shogun could even advance...

"Megidolaon!"

The eruption of power from Trumpeter sent him flying with spasms of unexpected agony, dispelling Neko Shogun in the process.

The Beast snorted with derision.

"You have power...but are unwilling to use it. You might as well not even have it."

The Beast sneered in his face.

"You're WEAK...and now you'll learn the price of WEAKNESS."

His Other was silent.

Shinji could only whimper as he crashed into the ground.

xx

Staring at the girl as she approached him, Ken couldn't find it in himself to raise his spear. "Do...I...know you...?" he asked in a whisper. (He managed to have one last thought for his family. Yukari...I...)

Minako answered by stabbing him in the heart.

xx

Minako felt nothing as the light left Ken Amada's eyes. Kala-Nemi faded without a word.

(In her heart of hearts, deep within the impenetrable darkness...hands beat ferociously at the bars imprisoning her entire being. Each blow was accompanied by a piercing wail of agony.)

(Little did she know: far away, in Tokyo-3, a boy sharing her surname looked up with alarm.)

xx

Junpei Iori was the first to see it...and he couldn't believe it.

It wasn't until Trismegistus had brought Ryuji to the ground that Junpei realized that he had taken off running in a fit of blind rage. "YOU BASTAAARRRDDD!"

His bat was raised high, ready to bash Minako's skull in.

xxxx

The One Who Sat Upon the Throne took hold of the Magician card...and crushed it just as easily as Justice.

xxxx

Junpei's every move suddenly felt impossible; the air itself seemed to take on the thickness of tar, weighing him down with all the pitilessness of gravity.

As Minako pulled the naginata out of Kenny — letting him fall with an almost perverse lack of grandeur — Junpei couldn't help but feel nostalgic.

(Another place. Another time. Countless memories from when he had been a teenager in an unknown city, fighting Shadows alongside others in a hidden hour at midnight.)

(Another place. Another time. At times, the girl they called Leader was a source of annoyance, given how much power and authority she was entrusted with by the others. Yet in equal measure, he found her too easy to get along with. It was...nice, to have a girl he could pour his heart out to in a way he couldn't with another guy, and not have to worry about romance getting in the way. It was paradoxical, to be sure.)

(Another place. Another time. Whenever he lost Chidori — why did it seem like such a commonality? — she would look at him with an expression that seemed out of place on a teenage girl. How could she understand his pain?)

(Another place. Another time. Another place. Another time. Another place. Another time...)

"...I don't know how I know," he muttered, staring at her with a strangely soft expression. (All of his anger and hatred had evaporated; he couldn't fathom why.) "But...you don't want this...do you...?" He somehow forced a grin onto his face. "Cheer up." (This was not how he had expected today to go down. Sorry about this, Chi-Chi..)

Minako stabbed him in the heart as well.

xx

Minako felt nothing as Junpei Iori died. Trismegistus disappeared into flickering blue embers.

(In her heart of hearts, there was weeping and the gnashing of teeth.)

(Little did she know: far away, in Tokyo-3, a boy sharing her surname grimaced, feeling the pain of a lost Social Link just as she did, if not as acutely.)

xxxx

The One Who Sat Upon the Throne smiled. "Good...even after this long, the metaphysical bonds remain."

This would prove useful for the future.

xxxx

There was a strange lull in the air, as Ryuji tried to pull himself up with his gun-cane; Misato, Kensuke, Toji, and Mana were caught up in their combined assault on Mother Harlot, slowly but surely whittling her down...so much so, that they hadn't even realized what had happened with Amada and Iori. Shinji was sprawled on the ground, trying in vain to rise.

Mayumi Yamagishi was high enough to see everything, and thus did she cry. "K-Kurosawa-san...!" He'd had a clear shot, so why-?!

"I have to make it count," he growled, whispering "Charge." His rifle-arm vibrated with potential energy.

"But-!"

"Someone with that kind of power has to die; I won't get a second chance." With tension building up in his mind, he muttered "Critical Bullet."

Sometimes, he despised how his own mind thought of things...but there was an order to everything, in life. His Persona reflected that.

Häyhä had Null Dizzy, Null Confuse, and Null Panic. (No matter what the conditions, he would never take his eyes off of the target.)

It had Sukunda and Gun Break, to make his enemies easier to hit, and to render defenses against guns all but worthless.

It had Charge, to increase his power.

Only when he used those other three skills in sequence would Critical Bullet be usable. (A skill unique to his Persona: it would be a guaranteed Critical...if it hit.)

I can't miss...I WON'T miss.

Amada and Iori's deaths would not be in vain.

xx

Shinji sat up to the sound of a man roaring "VALJEAN!"

From above, a Persona bounded by tiny cages landed upon Trumpeter from above. Dragging the skeletal angel to the ground, Valjean wasted no time. "Triple Down!" Gun barrels extended from the Persona's sleeves, blasting away at Trumpeter. Then he cast Triple Down again. And again. And again.

Right as Trumpeter was destroyed, Mother Harlot — who had been bereft of her skills thanks to a lucky Makajama from Ozymandias — was obliterated by a combined Garudyne and Eiga from Tokoyo and Gilgamesh; the trace remnants of the horrid Persona's power were promptly sucked up by Mana's axe and shield, ending that battle decisively.

It was at that point that Zenkichi Hasegawa stormed onto the scene, running from the direction of the village. "I heard from Sakura-san that you were under attack! What's...?" His eyes turned towards the girl in black, hands clutching a bloody naginata; the sight of Ken and Junpei's bodies said plenty. "Oh shit! AMADA! IORI!"

The proverbial spell had been broken, and everyone's gaze turned towards Minako; the horror of what had just transpired seemed to dawn upon them all.

Minako's eyes shifted towards the newcomer, evaluating the new threat-

xx

Kurosawa's eyes narrowed. Her eyes are on Hasegawa. She has no Personas summoned currently. Now's the time. "...One-Shot Kill."

A massive bullet erupted from Häyhä with such force that it actually propelled Kurosawa backwards, embedding his back into the roof.

xx

An explosion erupted within the blink of an eye, centered where Minako stood.

Everyone had yet to fully grasp the significance of recent events — Amada and Iori were down? Who was fighting who now? — when the smoke cleared...

(Kurosawa's eyes widened out of disbelief. "Impossible!")

...only to reveal a new Persona standing in front of Minako, arms held wide as though protecting her. Its dark blue coat was stained by blood, and the metallic bear trap that was its skull was dented and marred. It looked on the verge of collapsing...

"...Enduring Soul."

...until, with a brief flicker of glittery light, all of the damage done to it was negated.

(Misato subconsciously shivered at the sight of the new Persona. "That's the one that defeated me," she whispered to herself. "...Thanatos...")

Thanatos loomed tall, staring imperiously at all of them; the aura it emanated was downright cancerous to the mind, manifesting a single and undeniable truth: you have no chance; nothing but despair awaits you.

xx

Minutes earlier, Ren Amamiya had exited on the other side of Sojiro's house, delving into the woods to the north...only to circle around to the ridgeline (sneaking past Archetypes that instinctively fled in terror from the presence of the strange girl in black; the fact that new Archetypes based from cognitions of fear weren't generating was sign enough of what they were facing) to the east. Delving through the woods as quietly as he could, he forced himself to watch in silence as the girl and her three fiendish Personas engaged in combat with everyone else. I left my mask back in the real world, he mentally griped.

(It wouldn't have meant anything.)

(What tricks could you pull in a large melee like this?)

So he was forced to watch, wondering who exactly this girl was, but knowing more than likely that this was the mysterious unknown Wild Card.

(July the 28th. Rei Ayanami had discreetly visited their room demanding answers due to a recent event involving a hostile Persona-user. "The one who had Thanatos also possessed the power of the Wild Card." As they deliberated the ramifications of this, Narukami had been his usual insightful self: "I think you're looking at it the wrong way. If this girl had her own attendant...then what could possibly keep her separate from us?")

It had gone unsaid, but the title of the Usurper had weighed over them all as the likely culprit.

(You haven't tried thinking about what they had gone through.)

It was with some trepidation that Ren watched the battle proceed; when Amada and Iori had taken down Pale Rider and ganged up on the girl with their Personas, he had felt a brief bout of hope...only for it to get dashed when Seiten Taisei had been one-shotted out of nowhere. When Ryuji had begun to fall, he had nearly lost all sense.

(Had Trismegistus not caught Ryuji, he would have run to try and catch him: damn the consequences!)

(What would you accomplish?)

Then, with strangely little warning, the girl had just walked up to Amada...and stabbed him in the chest.

Iori had lost himself to rage, only to be struck down with similar ease.

It was utterly bizarre; what had happened?

Then Kurosawa's One-Shot Kill had been blocked by Thanatos, and rendered entirely useless by an Enduring Soul. (One of his favorite techniques, in his past life.)

(It sucks when the tactic's turned against you, isn't it?)

As the Persona's deathly aura overshadowed the entire area, the girl's gaze subtly shifted...in his direction.

She's looking at me, mused Ren with a nervous grimace.

xxxx

The One Who Sat Upon the Throne leaned forward.

"Ah...if it isn't Amamiya."

What a delightful turn of events this was.

"Are you anxious because of genuine fear...or because of indecision?"

The interlopers in blue had not contacted him in this life, as far as they were aware.

"What do you want to do?"

There were so many choices that could be made. Was Amamiya merely a well-meaning patsy, pulled along in events beyond his understanding? Or was he truly in the know, and weighing his options?

"Were it not for the odd interference from before, I would know for sure...but that is irrelevant now."

Was the boy capable of summoning a Persona? If so...would he?

"Perhaps...it's time to force a hand to be played."

xxxx

Ren's eyes widened as Thanatos turned towards Shinji. Ah, hell.

(Would he have to do it?)

(Will you do it?)

xxxx

The One Who Sat Upon the Throne smiled.

"Am I bluffing? You have no way of knowing: it would be risky, to throw all of my preparations away, and bet on the chance of the next timeline...but I'm patient."

So long as Shinji Ikari's soul was in play, they were willing to endure anything.

"But can you afford that chance, I wonder? So many elements are seemingly stacked in your favor, this time around...would you be willing to risk that?"

Who would blink first?

"Will you summon a Persona, Amamiya? Will you unleash the power bound within your essence?"

If he did...then all the gloves would truly come off.

"Show me your mettle, boy."

xxxx

Ren clenched his fist, ready and willing to throw all caution to the wind...

(August the 8th. A chance meeting, with an old friend. When he asked about their plans, the little feline had snorted. "Nya ha ha...you'll most definitely know." As their meeting came to an end, he swore, "you ain't getting rid of me that easily.")

...only to let go of the tension. Morgana...I'm gonna put my faith in what you said...so where are you?

At that moment, a pillar of light pierced the clouds from above.

...well then.

xxxx

The One Who Sat Upon the Throne boggled.

"That interference...the source of it is approaching...?!"

xxxx

Within an unseen dimension, an Archangel's burning wings twitched with...anxiety. Or perhaps anticipation. "And so we reach the turning point," he mused, gazing upon the distorted visage of his Progenitor.

The response was dual toned: rumbling bass and melancholic piano tones.

"WHY"

"...because I believe that they can pull off a miracle."

"WORTHLESS"

"I can't fault you for feeling that way; without my presence, you'll only fall deeper into despair and hatred."

"ZERUEL"

"I know. He believes my path to be a foolish one. Such is the nature of Might, to discount the meek."

"DOOMED"

"No...I don't believe that. I can't believe that."

"WHY"

With a genuine smile, the Archangel turned his face away. "Because it's the nature of hope to emerge during the darkest hour. It's the reason I was born, after all."

For once, ADAM was silent.

"Stay strong: this will not be the last time you see me. I swear it."

"FOOL"

"No...I'm no Fool. I just know a couple."

And with that, the Archangel departed the dimension, descending into a more corporeal realm...

xxxx

Everyone was transfixed by the being which descended from the red and black sky of the Metaverse; such was their presence that it temporarily broke through the rhythmic pattern, from parts unknown.

(Distinctive sensations soared from the badges of the A.T. Agents and the sole Cognitive Freelancer, warning them of a Pattern Blue.)

As the light faded, the figure became visible to all.

It was a giant of a man, with skin blacker than coal; contrasting it was a long white tunic that went down to his calves, held in place by a golden breastplate that seemed to conform to the contours of the muscles along his torso. Heavenly wings forged of fire were spread wide, yet he acted as if they did not burn at all; strangely, his long white hair — going down to the middle of his back in naturally spiky locks, with two tufts sticking up on his head in a manner evoking cat ears — and billowing yellow scarf (which did not burn, even when it touched his wings) were more distinctive. The only sign of his Angelic influence was the mask of avian bone affixed to his face...yet it did nothing to hide the stunningly human eyes — colored a cool yet reassuring blue — gazing from behind it.

When he spoke, it was with a melodious voice that inspired confidence in the hearts of the humans. Raising his left hand, he gestured three separate times; each time, he said a name. "Zorro!" To his left manifested a Persona with an almost cartoonishly masculine physique, clad in black with a fencing sabre in hand; yellow eyes glared imperiously from behind a dark mask that covered his head. Most distinctive, however, was the giant belt buckle shaped like the English letter 'Z'. "Mercurius!" To his right manifested a humanoid in a blue bodysuit that covered him from head to toe, punctuated by shoes, gauntlets, and slim pauldrons forged from gold; amed with a staff formed from a winding coil in one hand, the Persona's most distinctive features were the giant blue bird wings emerging from his ankles, and the red shades on his masked face that likewise extended in the shape of wings. "Diego!" Below and in front of the Angel manifested yet another buff Persona, somehow more grounded than Zorro in design: with blue skin covered in tattoos, a long blue ponytail, and an angular dali mustache, the Persona's outfit — brown boots, blue jeans, a white dress shirt with a blue rose pinned on the chest, and a dark jacket hanging off of his shoulders — evoked the image of a Mexican outlaw, solidified by his black eye mask and ornate fencing sabre. "I am the Face of God...Angel of Hope..." With a flourish, he held out his right hand, summoning a saber formed from a cyclone of wind, swirling wildly yet compactly in various shades of green. "...PHANUEL!"

"...did...did that Angel just summon a Persona?" stuttered Misato.

"Did it just summon three of 'em?!" exclaimed Kensuke.

Phanuel pointed his wind-forged saber at Minako. "How about you quit stomping on the amateurs and face a real challenge?"

xxxx

The One Who Sat Upon the Throne stared with utter shock.

"...who the devil is Phanuel?!"

What kind of Angel name was that?!

"And those Personas...they belonged to that cat in the last timeline...how?!"

Had that unusual feline actually possessed a link to a facet of ADAM? How had it escaped their notice?!

"An Angel...with a link to the power of those interlopers in blue...?"

This...this was too tantalizing. It could grant them the ability to totally control the cycle of reincarnation, to override the influence of ADAM's rebellious facets, and of LILITH, in their entirety! The cognition of humanity could be subtly guided and influenced; never more would they have to sacrifice human souls for the energy needed to create a new timeline! They would be able to acquire Shinji Ikari at their whim, without fear or worry.

For another key to the 'Velvet Room' to fall into their lap...it was just too perfect.

"...my dear, this calls for a change of plans. Pursue this 'Phanuel'...and bring him to me."

xxxx

Minako promptly pointed her finger at her temple; with the 'pull' of two triggers, a grandiose angel with metallic skin, and a six-winged demon with hardy blue flesh and a wickedly sharp pair of horns, were summoned alongside Thanatos.

(Kurosawa boggled at the sight. "She can even utilize Metatron and Lucifer...?!")

Minako hopped atop Thanatos, clutching to his mantle as her three Personas ascended into the air. "Freikugel," rumbled Lucifer, emitting a searing ray of Almighty energy from his right palm.

Phanuel and his own triad of Personas dodged. "Too slow! Garubarion Triad!" At the Angel's command, Zorro, Mercurius, and Diego spun their weapons; they emitted concentrated cyclones of wind, looking akin to beams of green power for all their ferocity.

Surprisingly enough, Minako's three Personas evaded the stormy attacks, as if sensing their normal affinities would be of no avail against them.

("...do they naturally Pierce?" wondered Kurosawa aloud. What was happening?!)

"Catch me if you can!" challenged Phanuel before flapping his flery wings; as one, the Angel and his Personas suddenly took off to the east.

xx

Ren watched Phanuel depart with a steady gaze.

For the briefest of instants, the Angel looked down at him with blue eyes that could not be mistaken. (If he let his imagination run wild, he even thought that Phanuel gave the briefest of nods.)

However...it was enough for him. Mona...you'd better come back alive.

With that resolution in his heart, he slowly slinked away, to make it back to the cognitive double of Sojiro's house without anyone watching.

xx

With a terrifying sound akin to shattering glass, the Angel and the Personas broke through the sky, bursting through the dimensional boundaries entirely. Without hesitation, Minako and her Personas followed; with unnerving swiftness, the tear sealed up behind them.

And just like that, the battle had come to an unceremonious conclusion...if it could even be called that.

"...what just happened?" demanded Zenkichi Hasegawa.

"...I...think we just got saved by an Angel," muttered Misato with some measure of disbelief. Glancing around to take stock of the situation, she watched Ryuji Sakamoto hobble over towards...the bodies. "Oh...damn it, no..."

xx

Ryuji stared at the bodies of Ken Amada and Junpei Iori: save for the single stab wound in their chests (like you could even call it a stab; that naginata's blade was brutal), they seemed rather pristine. "Tch...you look like you got taken down like chumps," he bitterly muttered, ignoring the ache in his bad leg. Right now, he needed that pain to keep him focused. "How stupid..." What the hell had it all been for? Some random chick with the ability to use multiple Personas ambushes them, gives them a run for their money, takes down Ken and Junpei, and then...just ups and leaves to go after a friggin' Angel? How did any of that make sense?!

"...their next of kin need to be informed," soberly said Agent Hasegawa from behind.

"...yeah." The need to keep moving, to not stop, lest the agony take hold and root him in place...it was a familiar sensation. (The fact that he could say he was used to it was one crappy commentary on his life.) Another set of footsteps approached, prompting Ryuji to turn around; it was Kurosawa. "...some aim."

"No one anticipated that girl would have the powers she manifested. If nothing else, it provides corroborating testimony for what happened on the Ai Ferry-"

"Forget the damn ferry," snarled Ryuji, gripping Kurosawa by the lapels of his jacket. "Why didn't you take the shot earlier?"

Kurosawa narrowed his eyes. "She'd already deflected one of Häyhä's bullets already; I had to make the shot count."

"Fat lot of good that did."

"And you think if I had fired earlier, it would have made a difference?" At this, Ryuji could only muster an expression of frustration. "I took the shot when I believed it was best to do so, for the sake of defeating the enemy; don't question my integrity." With a sharp motion, he dislodged Ryuji's hand from his jacket. Turning away with a scowl, Kurosawa still found it in himself to say, "Amada and Iori...they died in the line of duty. There's nothing shameful about that."

"...like 'shame' means anything."

"...I'll call my superiors to inform them about recent events...and that we'll be delayed. I don't know how long they'll give us."

It was an unexpected gesture of generosity from the stern PubSec agent, which Ryuji accepted with a nod. As Kurosawa walked away, Ryuji turned back towards Zenkichi. "Thanks for taking down Trumpeter."

"Sakamoto...I only wish that I had gotten here sooner," murmured Zenkichi, looking genuinely sorrowful. "They were good men."

Ryuji snorted. "Nah; Junpei was a smart-aleck who never grew beyond being a lovestruck teenager. Kenny was way too uptight for his own good; getting him to loosen up was always an exercise in frustration..." Leaning against his gun-cane, he burned the image of their corpses into his mind. "They weren't always good men...but they were always great guys." Glancing over his shoulder at Katsuragi and the other kids (Amamiya, he noticed, was peering at them from beyond one of the house's sliding doors, a melancholy expression on his face), he said, "...let's round everyone up and get back to reality. Mind helping to get them to the nearest morgue?"

"Of course."

"Good...because I have some calls to make."

Life waited for no one: not even dead men.

xxxx

It was a scene that repeated itself in rather quick succession.

(Onboard a bus that was travelling westward towards Matsue, Yukari Amada answered her cellphone. Few words were exchanged before the realization of tragedy set in; the mood on the bus immediately darkened as the Feathermen watched their boss's expression progressively worsen. At last, Yukari thanked Sakamoto for informing her of the news...and only upon hanging up did the tears finally begin to escape. When she disclosed that her husband and Junpei Iori had died in battle, Rise and Ann both began to sob enough for everyone involved. That they showed such emotion so their boss didn't have to was...appreciated, in an odd sense.)

(Within a hotel in the city of Akashi, Chidori Iori answered her private cellphone without hesitation, as all business inquiries were directed to Kyoka Hiraga. That it was Sakamoto calling her was unusual enough...that he was calling to say that her husband was gone was the height of absurdity. She promptly hung up, refusing to believe it; the strange and roiling emotions within her demanded an outlet, which emerged in the form of frantic sketching. Before long, Kyoka — who Ryuji had immediately called next — entered her room, demanding that she accept the reality. After several minutes of insistence on Kyoka's part, Chidori simply looked up with a dead stare...until, like a dam crumbling to inevitable pressure, she screamed and bawled unceremoniously. For someone with such a reserved temperament, it seemed utterly out of character...yet who would blame her? Thus, Kyoka endured Chidori's emotional deluge with stoic determination.)

But it was one that had to be done, regardless.

Ryuji hung up his phone, staring despondently at it. "...didn't expect this mission to come with funeral expenses," he darkly joked. Sitting on the engawa, everyone was giving him space. It seemed like everyone needed space, because who didn't?

Still, he wasn't ultimately surprised when Toji Suzuhara approached him. "...sensei...?"

"Ain't gonna bite you, kid. Come on; take a seat if you want."

Toji nervously sat down besides him, looking at the woods with some measure of trepidation; for all the serenity of the outdoors, it seemed out of place relative to the chaos from not even two hours ago.

Since the boy wasn't going to talk first, Ryuji opted to do so. "Still in your yukata, huh?"

"...guess so," muttered Toji with some surprise, looking at his clothing. "Forgot it changes in the Metaverse."

"Yeah, it can lead to some embarrassing stories. Remind me to tell you some time."

"...how're you feelin', sensei?"

"Worried about me?" he asked with a sad grin, looking down at the moody teenager. "How 'bout you?"

Toji seemed honestly lost and confused. "I...I don't know. I mean...I haven't even known 'em for a month. But they were cool; Amada-san was with us at those sand dunes...we played volleyball at the beach...Iori-san saved me and Ken on the ferry...they helped to train us..." With a frustrated grimace, he added, "Iori-san and his wife even helped me out with a pep talk the other day."

"For a given value of pep talk, right?"

"...I don't know." The boy stared at his hands as though they were foreign objects. "Couldn't do anything to that freaky lady..."

"Neither could the rest of us."

"...thought it would get easier, after what happened with my friend Tomochika," explained Toji. "I carried that anger and frustration with me for weeks...but I got over it-"

"Nah, I don't think so," interrupted Ryuji. "You don't 'get over' someone dying," he remarked, recognizing Toji as someone who had experienced more death in his young life than any kid had a right to. It was only fair that he set proper expectations. "You just...learn how to carry it a little bit better, as time goes on." He'd had to learn that lesson a lot: with Chihaya, with Shiho, with his old comrades that had perished long ago. And now I'm the last survivor of my old team...not counting Shirato-kun. (What irony.)

"...I just...I just feel like cryin', and it doesn't make sense," he stressed with a grimace. "I didn't know 'em that long, and I never cried with my parents or with Tomochika, so why...?"

Ryuji shrugged, wrapping an arm around the boy's shoulders in the manner of an older sibling (or, perhaps, as a father would for a son). "Emotions rarely make sense, kid; maybe crying didn't feel like the right thing to do with your folks and Tomochika. Maybe after their deaths, you're able to more quickly process it when others die...I don't know. I'm no expert. But you gotta let yourself grieve. Could be in the form of silent brooding, could be in the form of ugly crying, could be in the form of working yourself to exhaustion...but you gotta grieve. Otherwise...you'll end up drowning beneath it all."

Toji's last bit of resistance began to crumble. "...but you ain't cryin', sensei."

"People grieve differently. If you wanna cry, don't hold yourself back on my account. Besides...who are you trying to impress?"

Toji said nothing else, cupping his hands over his mouth to hide his expression; however, it did little to stop his agonized trembling, the muffled sniffles, and the anguished tears that made their escape from his traitorous eyes. All the while, Sakamoto remained silent, letting his erstwhile apprentice express his sorrowful anger; what a strange turn of events it was, for the boy to cry for those he had not known for even a month.

(But if nothing else...Sakamoto felt a bit better by proxy.)

xxxx

The hours since the battle had moved felt...slow. Disjointed. At least, that's how Shinji Ikari felt.

(Misato had tried to give him, Mana, Mayumi, Toji, and Kensuke a brief talk on the reality of death, and how it was a risk that came with their job. However, everyone could tell that it was...too fresh. Even Misato seemed disappointed with her own explanation.)

Between Saori Hasegawa, and now Ken Amada and Junpei Iori...had he ever dealt with death on so intimate a level?

The Beast laughed and jeered.

"What audacity..."

At least, that's how he felt.

(Mayumi had been rather teary overall, professing a desire to be alone. "Amada-san and Iori-san...they didn't deserve to die." It was only afterwards that he remembered: she wasn't even a week removed from learning that her parents were dead as well.)

How was he supposed to react?

(Mana had thrown herself into a calisthenics routine, opting to distract herself with a purely physical workout. "...that girl was overwhelming," she muttered, looking at him with a beleaguered expression. "Hadn't felt like that since...our first fight." He didn't know to respond to that.)

Was there a 'right' way to react? A 'wrong' way? It seemed...a poor way of approaching the reality. Yet...was acting with such detachment acceptable?

(He had backed away and around the corner of the house, upon seeing Toji speaking privately with Sakamoto. When he heard muffled sniffling, utter awkwardness and embarrassment forced him to depart...but he supposed it was only reasonable. For who among their number took death as hard as Suzuhara did?)

It was why he was standing at a particular patch of grass in Sakura-sensei's yard: the same place where, in the Metaverse, Amada-san and Iori-san had met their end. Was it supposed to feel...harsher, than this?

He didn't know. At least, that's how he felt...

"Yen for your thoughts?"

Shinji blinked, looking up at Kensuke Aida. "Oh. Hi, Kensuke."

The bespectacled boy moved with slow steps, hands stuffed into his pockets. "Can't stop thinking about it, huh?"

"...no," he admitted. "I...I don't know how to think about it."

"How so?" When Shinji didn't immediately answer, Kensuke went for a tangent. "...we've done a lot of training, since the fight against Sho Minazuki in Okayama." Pacing in circles to keep his mind occupied, Kensuke continued, "what with the whole 'using your A.T. Field in the Metaverse' thing...looks like it wasn't as unique as we thought."

It's not; that girl used the same power as well. Who had she been? "I...I don't know if I should be feeling regret, or anger, or sadness...I just feel numb..."

Another place. Another time. After the death of someone precious.

"...I feel sad, but the tears won't come."

He had been numb. A hand reached out for his own.

A single touch sparked thoughts of shame and revulsion and disbelief and...and...!

"STOP IT!"

It was far easier to be numb, even if he hated it.

"...guess I can't blame you. Amada-san and Iori-san were pretty cool guys."

"...how are you handling it, Kensuke?"

The young man shrugged, an honest frown on his face. "I've been through this before, you know? With my mom, and all." Pausing to collect his thoughts, he then added, "I'd say it makes it easier, but that sounds kinda callous, you know? And...well, who am I to talk? I haven't exactly been on top of the craziness either."

Shinji nodded with understanding. "I wish I could cry like Yamagishi-san...or work myself into exhaustion like Kirishima-san."

"And what about Toji? He has Sakamoto to confide in, at least. Do you want to talk about it with Sakura-san or Katsuragi-san?"

"I wouldn't know where to start." He wished that he felt more guilty for how little he had accomplished. "...I feel like, even if I used more of my power, it still wouldn't have made a difference..."

Kensuke snorted, acknowledging the point. "Any idea if your 'friends in blue' know who that is? I thought they were the ones responsible for the whole...multiple Persona thing, after all."

"...I'm not sure." He resolved to find out. "But...it's weird. Part of me wanted to do more...but...I don't know if pulling out more power would have been worth it..."

"You think it wouldn't have mattered?"

"Maybe...but that's not why." He looked down at his right hand, clenching it into a fist. "I know we've talked about it before...the power of Evangelion, and what it does to me, I mean. But hearing about it and experiencing it are two different things."

"On the contrary," Kensuke said, "I was there when you had your first Evangelion training session with Ayanami. It was pretty brutal stuff."

He had almost forgotten all about that. (Like he didn't have enough memory problems.) "I...I don't like what I become, when I access more and more of Unit-01's power...but is it worth becoming more of a monster, if it meant protecting you all? I wish I could answer that, but I can't."

Kensuke stared at him quizzically, as if trying to figure him out. (A fool's errand.) "You must be inside your own head a lot, Shinji."

"...well, my Persona is Hamlet," he said, almost jokingly. (Oh, but how true it was!)

"Heh. Fair enough." Looking back at the spot where Amada and Iori had perished in the Metaverse, Kensuke added, "for what it's worth...I like to think that guys like that would prefer to die in battle. It's almost simpler, you know? There's no ambiguity or uncertainty; just the realization that their line of work caught up with them. Just like it did for my mom."

"...but it's not easy for those they leave behind."

Kensuke loosed a sober sigh. "Yeah. That's the kicker, isn't it? Even if they died as heroes...they're still dead. The people left behind still have to pick up the pieces." The expression on the boy's face was simultaneously nostalgic, thoughtful, and vexed. "...starting to think I owe my dad an apology, if this was anything like how he felt after mom died...I can understand why he didn't want to say anything."

"Because talking about it hurts," said Shinji, answering the unspoken question.

"No kidding. It honestly kind of sucks, to be honest."

His Other stared at a rickety bridge.

"It's comforting, isn't it?"

Slowly, he began to step across.

"Knowing that others share in your same struggles..."

"...I hope to have better answers, one day," said Shinji, breathing deeply in order to cement the current sensations into his mind. Junpei Iori and Ken Amada are dead. You're still alive. What are you going to do about it? "But...thank you anyway, Kensuke."

"For what?"

"For talking to me. For keeping me out of my head." (For keeping the numbness from consuming you.)

Kensuke blinked with genuine confusion. "Not exactly sure what I did, but I'll take your gratitude anyhow. You've helped me out enough to begin with, so why keep track?"

"I guess so." There was something refreshing, about that sort of simplicity. Inhaling deeply of the air, Shinji bowed towards the empty grass at a forty-five degree angle. Though there would doubtless be a funeral later...he wanted to say his piece. Amada-san...Iori-san...thank you for everything...goodbye.

Life waited for no one: not even the living.

xxxx

The rest of the day moved with similar alacrity: namely, not much at all.

A temporary barrier of sorts had been put up in Shinji's room, composed of copious amounts of tape and tarps. Afterwards, within the entry hall of Sojiro Sakura's home, everyone had gathered in the various easy chairs, listening to Zenkichi Hasegawa and Ryuji Sakamoto elaborate on the details of Amada and Iori's wake and funeral. "The closest funeral home is less than ten kilometers away, and they've already begun making preparations for a wake," explained Zenkichi.

(Akane had accompanied her father to the ryokan; that she didn't quite know how to approach her fellow teens was manifest in her awkward glances in their direction.)

"...when will it occur?" asked Mayumi.

"As soon as their wives can get in town," answered Ryuji. "They'll be interrupting their tours to swing back this way. The organizers in Matsue and Akashi were...understanding. Hopefully."

"So they should be here by tomorrow..." Ren leaned on his knees, resting his elbows. "Think Old Man Sakura would mind if we got guest rooms ready for them? They'll need a place to stay."

"...Sakura-sensei would complain, but I don't think he'll mind," murmured Shinji.

Ryuji turned his gaze towards Kurosawa. "Any word from your oh-so-lovely superiors?"

The expression on Kurosawa's face said plenty. "...unfortunately, they're not willing to budge. They've deemed the situation too severe to warrant delaying."

Misato stormed to her feet. "Now you listen here-!"

"Don't shoot the messenger," interrupted Kurosawa, who seemed genuinely irritated. "I have less authority than you might think."

"...well, I guess it's a good thing I made a call while I was out with Hasegawa," remarked Ryuji. "I asked the Commissioner to try and grease the wheels. Don't know exactly what he'll be able to pull, but he's a tough old cuss."

"Commissioner Morooka may have a well-known stubborn streak, but even he can't-"

"Hey, hold on, just got a message," interrupted Ryuji, looking down at his phone. "...huh. A video file?"

"Who's it from?" asked Suzuhara.

"Mishima-san," he answered, referring to Morooka's personal secretary. As he opened the video and turned the volume up, it showed Morooka from behind, walking through the halls of some government building in...Tokyo-2? "Oh no."

"What's happening?" asked Kensuke.

Before Ryuji could answer, there was the sound of a door opening; Morooka walked into a room occupied by numerous men in suits, who were obviously in the middle of a meeting. "Oh no..."

"...what did Commissioner Morooka do?" wondered Misato aloud, accurately guessing at the contents of the video.

"I think he interrupted a Cabinet meeting," Ryuji explained, referring to the executive branch of the Japanese government.

Morooka's grating voice echoed out from the phone's speakers. "Hey, Sakamura!" he called out, speaking to Hiroki Sakamura, the Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission. "I've heard from a reliable source about the behavior of the people under your jurisdiction, and I've half a mind to put you and the whole damn NPA on my shitlist!" What followed was...a tirade for the ages.

"Akane, cover your ears," ordered Zenkichi.

(Akane promptly obeyed the letter of his order by cupping her hands over her ears. It was in utter defiance of its spirit, because she could still hear perfectly fine.)

Morooka went on...

"...holy crap, that's a lot of curse words," murmured Misato with wide eyes.

...and on...

"Should...should we be listening to this?" wondered Mayumi with ever-increasing anxiety.

"Old enough to participate in life-or-death battles, old enough to listen to the profane ranting of a man arguing on your behalf," said Ren with pseudo-sagacity, unable to hide the sheer enjoyment in his grin.

...and on.

Ten minutes later, Morooka concluded, "so if you and that asswipe Mizugumi," referring to Hiroto Mizugumi, the Commissioner General of the National Police Agency, "sincerely think that our survival hinges on a bunch of kids getting to Tokyo-2 immediately for a damned debriefing...so much so that they don't even have time to attend the funerals of their comrades-in-arms, who gave their lives in the line of duty...then you must think rather poorly about our people and our ability to rise to the occasion. Quite frankly, your baseless opinion of the resiliency of the Japanese and the strength of our country is worth less than the piss I took on the way here!" Morooka finally turned around — utterly ignorant of the stares coming from the Cabinet ministers, who were gobsmacked and outraged in equal measure — and said, "and if you have any complaints, you can direct them to my secretary! Let's go Mishima."

"Y-Yes sir!" stuttered the man behind the camera, who quickly lowered his device. The footage ended moments later.

"...that was a lot of yelling," admitted Shinji with a stunned expression.

"I like that guy," said Mana, out of the blue.

"This was taken...an hour ago, apparently," said Ryuji, looking back towards Kurosawa.

In a fantastic bit of timing (be it due to sheer coincidence or cosmic irony), Kurosawa's phone buzzed. Pulling it up, he looked at the message with a stony expression. "...it would seem that attending the funeral services for Amada-san and Iori-san will no longer be an issue."

"I'm glad we could put aside our differences and come to a mutual understanding," snarked Ryuji.

Kurosawa wasn't impressed. "Let's be honest: even if this bit of clemency hadn't been extended, you would have stayed to attend their funerals regardless. After all...even if you're only a Freelancer now, you were once their superior, de facto and de jure." Leaning back in his chair, he — with an oddly wistful melancholy — added, "that sense of responsibility for your subordinates...it never goes away. Not completely."

At this, the adults in the room seemed to be in agreement.

xxxx

/Meanwhile, Eastward of Nagoya in Gifu Prefecture/

Tohru Adachi hummed thoughtfully as he looked at the road signs. "Hmm..." Standing near a rather major juncture, he consulted a pocket atlas to get his bearings. "...so if I veer towards the northeast, I could head towards Tokyo-2...or I could go southeast, and make it to Tokyo-3...decisions, decisions..."

Looking for all the world like a simple salaryman in a poncho, no one paid much attention to him. It was just the way of things.

"...shucks, I can't make up my mind." Pulling out an old 100-yen coin, he gazed at both sides. Numbers for Tokyo-2, sakura blossoms for Tokyo-3. Flipping the coin, he adeptly caught it on the way down, pressing it into the palm of his free hand. "And the winner is..." Opening his hand, he saw the choice dictated by chance...and immediately frowned. "That's not what I wanted...you suck." He promptly threw the coin away before blinking with realization. "...huh, guess I actually did make up my mind." (Funny, how he had tried to justify what he wanted to do with a completely superfluous action.)

And so Adachi went on his way, with those among him none the wiser as to who walked in their midst.

xxxx

The afternoon ticked by.

As Kurosawa preoccupied himself with keeping up to date regarding events of importance with regards to cognitive affairs, the other adults were busy trying to organize and prepare for the wake of Junpei Iori and Ken Amada.

This left the teens to their own devices. So they decided to teach Akane how to play Tycoon while elaborating on what had happened that morning, using one of the empty guest rooms.

Hasegawa was understandably subdued by it all. "...this has been a pretty crazy summer," she mused. She, Shinji, and Kensuke were sitting out of the current round, whilst Toji, Mana, Mayumi, and Ren were playing.

("Let us see if your luck can hold against me," challenged Ren with dramatic flair.)

("Why do people keep saying I'm lucky?" honestly asked Mana.)

("...bruh," said Toji with a flat tone. "You got all of the 2's, all of the Aces, and the Jokers in your last round. Who does that?!")

("Mana-san, apparently," remarked Mayumi with a tired smile.)

"No kidding," remarked Kensuke, glancing at the wrapping around her ankle. "How's that been?"

Akane glanced at the ankle she had sprained on the 13th, during the whole business with Kuchisake-Onna. "I still feel some phantom pains, even though it got healed; my mind is convinced that it should still 'feel' sprained, so the medical tape and bandages help."

"...cognition can be powerful, huh?" muttered Shinji.

"Hard to believe there are other people with the power to manifest multiple Personas...or Personae." Akane frowned. "Which is the preferred plural?"

"Don't look at me," remarked Kensuke. "I'm just an intern at NERV and a kid trying to make sense of everything. How about you?"

"Me?"

Kensuke made a gesture with his hand that evoked a sense of unease or uncertainty. "I know Agent Hasegawa's been training you in preparation for the Trainee Preliminary Exams...but with everything that's happened with Kuchisake-Onna, and now with two seasoned A.T. Agents perishing in battle...are you having second thoughts?"

Akane, to her credit, didn't answer immediately. "...I'm not sure."

"...you're not alone in feeling like that," acknowledged Shinji, feeling the unease and trepidation within the depths of his soul. (If another implacable enemy approached them...would he falter again? Would he have the resolve to muster the full extent of his power?)

(You won't know until it happens.)

By the time the sun had set and a simple dinner of leftovers from Sojiro's cafe had been had, everyone had seemingly decided to turn in early. The Hasegawas departed, and everyone else alternated with the washrooms.

After Shinji had showered and washed up, he exited the bathroom in his sleeping yukata, only to come face-to-face with Sojiro. "Sakura-sensei?"

"...how are you holding up?" he asked, lips contorted into a familiar frown.

"...I don't know," he honestly admitted.

"...I see." Sighing, the man scratched at the back of his head in a well-practiced gesture. "It can be hard, finding the right words to say at times like this. But...it's okay to not feel okay, you know?" When Shinji didn't say anything, Sojiro patted him on the shoulder. "Just keep that in mind. Sleep well, kid."

Shinji followed Sojiro's back as he walked away, wondering just what it meant to 'feel okay'. (Human emotions and thoughts could be so ambiguous, at times.)

However, it seemed like he wasn't the only one experiencing such uncertainty; shortly after he had turned in (staring rather intently at the tarps which had been taped over the hole caused by Minako), a familiar whisper could be heard. "Psst. Shinji."

Turning over, he saw that the door to his room had been partially slid open; Kensuke and Toji were there, holding their futons. "Guys?"

"...well, we thought about what happened this morning, and figured it would be best to be in a situation where we can quickly react in case of another surprise attack. You know?" explained Kensuke, as if justifying why he and Toji were both bringing their futons with them.

Toji snorted, not buying the excuse in the least...but it was one he was willing to go along with, apparently.

"...that makes sense," admitted Shinji, rising to let them in.

Not even ten minutes after the two boys had arranged their futons on Shinji's floor, another voice whispered from beyond his door. "Um...Ikari-san...?"

Rising to his feet, Shinji stepped around Kensuke and Toji's futons to open his door; sure enough, Mayumi and Mana were standing there. "Is something wrong?"

Mayumi seemed embarrassed, judging by how her eyes couldn't look at him. Mana, blunt as always, said, "she couldn't sleep, and wanted me to come along."

"Mana-san!" she quietly hissed with a mortified blush.

"...it's fine," he relented, opening the door to let them both in. Sure enough, Mana had brought her weapons with her as well, as though they were a security blanket instead of implements of battle.

Kensuke and Toji, to their credit, didn't say anything; they all knew why they were here, deep down.

The girls put down their futons, with Mana placing AIGIS and LABRYS on the floor between her futon and Toji's; an artificial barrier at best, but still an effective one.

With one bed and four futons in one room, it suddenly felt...not quite cramped, but not quite comfortable, either...but the sense of closeness was undeniable. "...good night everyone," Shinji said aloud, in the manner of someone testing out new words.

"G'night," said Kensuke.

"Night," mumbled Toji.

"Good night," muttered Mayumi.

"...sleep well," whispered Mana, breaking the trend.

It was an odd sensation.

His Other quietly placed two skulls upon a gravestone.

"In the face of death...is this not a natural inclination? To seek out the living?"

If nothing else, Shinji didn't feel quite so alone; he only hoped that the others felt the same.

Thus did Team Statherós fall into an uneasy sleep: marred by memories of loss and the occasional fluttering of plastic tarps against the wind...yet bolstered by the sounds of their friends slumbering in the night.

xxxx

/Elsewhere/

With a sudden burst of energy, Phanuel and Minako burst into a realm of red: with railway tracks winding downward into a crimson pit, it gave off the impression of an old realm called Mementos.

Funny, that such a place would be in and of itself a memento of a time long past.

Phanuel set down on the ground, his trio of Personas holding their weapons at the ready.

Minako did so as well, holding her naginata up as Thanatos, Metatron, and Lucifer glared at Zorro, Mercurius, and Diego.

"Welcome to my Domain," said Phanuel. "A bit drab...but a memory of an important place."

"You...are fated to fall," solemnly said Minako, using words that were not her own.

"Maybe. Maybe not. You are strong in your own right...and empowered by that wretch who pretends to be God, you might be undefeatable. But I don't care." Raising his windy sabre, the Angel also known as Morgana vowed, "because I have hope in the others! So let us fight: whether it be for days, weeks, or even months...I will give you a challenge unlike any you've had before. And in that...you will at least have respite from being that fool's plaything."

Minako said nothing.

(In her heart of hearts, she was grateful for such a small gesture.)

Thus did Phanuel's Domain tremble from the roars of cataclysmic battle.

xxxx

END OF 8/18/2015

xxxx

Author's Note: So...that was quite a bit.

- Minako showing off the powers of a Wild Card at her pinnacle. (The skills and affinities of Pale Rider, Mother Harlot, and Trumpeter borrowed heavily from SMT V instead of P5R, because their powers in that game are kind of busted. It emphasizes that her Personas are not the same as the Archetypes found 'in the wild'.)
- The Usurper can fiddle with Minako's Social Link bonds? That's not good.
- F in the chat for Ken and Junpei. :(
- And as it turns out, Phanuel was actually...Morgana! (If you look back through the scenes with Phanuel, Ayanami, and Ren on 6/29/2015 and 6/30/2015, the hints that Phanuel and Morgana were one and the same are actually pretty blatant.)
- Magician (the SL with Kensuke) is now at Rank 7, after their heart-to-heart over death and how talking about painful things can hurt.
- Commissioner Morooka being a surprise bro; his talents were wasted as a high school teacher! (Trivia: those who read my other story 'Mobile Fighter Evangelion' will probably recognize the names of Hiroki Sakamura and Hiroto Mizugumi.)
- Adachi be sus, but what else is new?
- Our party members are so shook up that they felt compelled to sleep in the same room for comfort. Poor kids. :(

Anyhow, we'll pull away a bit for the next chapter to look at someone who hasn't been 'on-screen' in a hot minute.