Toshiro responded to the rebellious call within his heart at long last, and Erina awakened as Ernesto. Now, the Phantom Thieves were able to stand against Shadow Toshiro and Jerri. "This ends now! Lend me your strength, Phantom Thieves!"
"Is Erina Toshiro's Persona!?" Mona asked. It was hard to fathom, because this was the first time he'd seen anything like this!
"Don't worry, I can still sense Erina within that Persona!" Oracle exclaimed. "It's almost like a cheat code. We've never seen anything like it, but that's Erina and a Persona all at once!"
"Hahaha, what the hell!?" Skull could only laugh. "Toshiro, Erina, you two are friggin' awesome!"
"She was never just a Cognitive being...?" Even Ichinose had trouble wrapping her head around this. Since she was also now the only one who couldn't fight, she made sure to stay out of the way! "Look at you, Toshiro. Your heart evolved way faster than mine did..."
"I know I've caused a lot of problems for you all, but my resolve is absolute." Toshiro said firmly. "I will not waver again!"
"Still you spout such nonsense? You can't change who you are, no matter how hard you try!" Shadow Toshiro scoffed. "And now, it's time for you to die!" Right after he said this, he threw his hand down, creating a barrier around his body.
"This farce ends now!" Jerri squawked from above.
"Let's see just how strong that barrier is!" Noir was more than happy to take an axe to Shadow Toshiro. She ran forward, dragging the axe along the ground. Once close to Shadow Toshiro, she swung right for his neck! However, the barrier stopped the axe from striking him. Noir grit her teeth before being forced backwards. She slid across the ground, but didn't fall over. "Stronger than expected."
"Leave it to me." Toshiro said while throwing his free hand to the side, his mask burning away as Ernesto appeared beside him. "We'll blast a hole right through!" Ernesto spun around, kicking her legs twice. Each kick sent bullets flying forward. While a single bullet didn't instantly shatter the barrier, all of them together did succeed in breaking it. Shadow Toshiro grunted and slid backwards.
"Not bad...!" Shadow Toshiro grunted with an annoyed smile. He planted his hand on the ground, sending a wave of darkness slithering forward. His target was of course, Toshiro. None of this mattered if Toshiro was dead and gone! Toshiro may have been awakened, but he was still new to this combat thing. As such, he didn't have the instincts needed to dodge out of the way.
"Crap...!" Toshiro wasn't used to his new form either. As such, he did jump back, further than expected. He staggered, not expecting to have this much alethic ability so suddenly. "...!"
Luckily, he didn't need to. Sophia intercepted the Stalking Shadow with a beam of light from Pandora, landing in front of him with a grin. "Don't worry, Toshiro. We got your back!" She winked.
"Hiyah!" Viper used this chance to summon Nuwa, who slammed right into Shadow Toshiro at full force. Shadow Toshiro did cross his arms to mitigate the damage, but he was still sent skidding backwards from that impact. "Ooooh, that felt so good."
"Please don't take that much enjoyment injuring someone with my face." Toshiro said with a sweat drop. He wasn't sure how long Viper had been waiting to hit him! But he was glad she was using his Shadow Self
"You pitiful creatures!" Jerri wasn't going to stand around and do nothing. "You should realize the futility of your actions and give up already!" While she remained airborne, she summoned multiple arrows of light, that began to rain down on the Phantom Thieves.
"You sound like a broken record!" Viper added. But Jerri's attacks were still extremely dangerous, even if she wasn't transformed. Viper and the others braced for impact, but Jerri's bombardment was countered by Crow using Hereward, and Wolf using Valjean. The two used their powers to clash with Jerri's attacks and force a stalemate. "Hey, Kitty! You're a cat, so you hate birds, right!?"
"What?!" Mona looked to Viper with a shocked look. "I mean...!"
"Good enough!" Viper gripped Mona by his head and tossed him at Jerri as hard as she could.
"WHAAAAT?!" Mona flailed about in the air. But he realized he was in a good position as he approached the silver parrot. "Take this!" He aimed a slash at Jerri, but she was easily able to evade this by moving to the side.
"You foolish feline!" Jerri mocked.
As Mona flew past Jerri, he spun around as blue embers appeared around him. "Diego!" His Persona appeared, slashing his saber in the air to create a tornado around Jerri. This fearsome whirlwind caught the bird in its grip, forcing her down a bit in the process. Mona was able to land and gave a smirk. "How's that, you pesky parrot!?"
"We can take care of you." Wolf said while twirling his twin pistols around. He, Mona, Fox, Violet, Crow, and Viper would deal with Jerri. Meanwhile, Joker, Panther, Skull, Dragon, Sophie, Noir, and Queen would deal with Shadow Toshiro along with him. He was the more pressing threat after all.
Queen rushed to Shadow Toshiro, throwing a flurry of punches at him. He had to constantly step back to avoid her attacks, and he couldn't avoid all of them either. Her punches hit hard, and she wasn't letting up. "It's time you get a taste of your own medicine!" She clocked Shadow Toshiro in the jaw, forcing his head to snap back. Right after that, multiple bandages emerged from the ground and wrapped around her. "Huh!?"
"If you want to be the first, that's fine!" Darkness swirled around Shadow Toshiro's hand, and he aimed to crush Queen with it. However, he was intercepted by Skull's pipe, which was charged with electricity. "What?"
"Yeah, I don't think so, asshole!" Skull planted his feet firmly on the ground and attempted to overpower Shadow Toshiro. With Toshiro's resolve manifesting a Persona, Skull felt like he was on top of the world. He was able to push Shadow Toshiro backwards. He then lunged forward, aiming to strike with Joker who was beside him. The two aimed their weapons right at Shadow Toshiro, but his barrier returned in the nick of time. They struck the barrier, only to be forced back into nearby air vents. "Oof!"
"Ow...!" Joker winced, but quickly regained his bearings.
"Shining Excalibur!" Dragon stood atop an air vent and held her hand up. Bella appeared, her blade shining brightly. The knight flew towards Shadow Toshiro and swung her sword down, knowingly clashing against the barrier. Shadow Toshiro didn't even have to move, he just laughed at her.
"Hah! It's useless!" Shadow Toshiro told Dragon, who's expression didn't waver. Bella was ultimately thrown back, and Dragon winced.
"But you're looking at me now, aren't you?" Dragon spoke with a slight smirk.
"Huh?" Shadow Toshiro blinked, then turned to his left. That's when he noticed Toshiro closing the distance between them, spear in hand.
"Great Partisian!" Toshiro thrust the spear straight at Shadow Toshiro's chest. The barrier flashed before shattering. Shadow Toshiro growled while taking a step back.
"Celestine!" Panther was waiting for this opening and she had it. Celestine launched a large fireball at the freshly exposed Shadow Toshiro, exploding against him. He nearly flew back from that impact. Because the Phantom Thieves strength correlated to how strong Toshiro's resolve currently was, they were extremely powerful. The rules of this Metaverse worked in their favor because of Toshiro's will to fight.
"Lucy!" Noir wasn't going to miss out on this. Lucy fired off a bombardment at Shadow Toshiro, who attempted to use darkness to shield himself from the attack. It didn't exactly work, because he was quickly overwhelmed by Noir's sheer firepower.
"Gaaah!" Shadow Toshiro gripped his suit, sweating as he glared at Toshiro. "How many times are you going to make me say this!? That woman...you have to kill her, with your own two hands!"
"Shut up. Nothing you say will work on me anymore." Toshiro said while pointing his gun forward; it was the same gun that Erina used. "My heart will never waver again." He clicked the trigger, an explosive bullet launching out to consume Shadow Toshiro. The evil doppelganger slid back from this attack, letting out a groan of pain.
"Guh...! What have you done!? What the hell have you done!?" Shadow Toshiro snarled.
Sensing the shift in momentum, Jerri abandoned her conflict with the other Phantom Thieves to perch on Shadow Toshiro's shoulder. "What do you think you're doing, struggling against them like this!? It never should've gotten to this point in the first place!"
"Your attitude's certainly changed." Toshiro said with a tilt of his head. "Where's all that cockiness of yours?"
"I thought you were going to crush us." Fox looked to Jerri. Despite the unlikely alliance between the bird and this Shadow Toshiro, their plan wasn't working like they thought.
"Heh! Hahahahaha!" Shadow Toshiro wore a sneer. "You should watch your tongue, Toshiro! "If this form is not enough to cow you, then perhaps your greatest failure will!" He started to sink into the ground, while Jerri flew upwards.
"Where did he go!?" Violet asked.
"He's still close! Don't let your guard down!" Oracle warned.
The building began to rumble violent. Everyone staggered around for a bit, trying to discern the source of it. "Is this an earthquake or something?" Wolf asked.
"Or something feels more apt..." Crow said while looking around.
"Hahahahahahahaha..." A rueful laugh shook the air, as a dark shadow covered everyone. They looked to the edge of the building, only to see a horrifying sight. A gigantic, wounded, disgusting Eri Natsuhara. It was exactly how she looked after the train accident, leaving no injury to the imagination. Eri's hands slammed onto the building to balance herself, and she stared right at Toshiro. "Hey, Toshiro...I hope you're ready for me to get my payback..." She leaned in close, a sick grin on her wounded face. "You know you have it coming, right? All of this...IS YOUR FAULT!"
Admittedly, this did shake Toshiro at first. Who wouldn't be shaken at this sight? He grit his teeth, clenched his hand into a fist, and stared at his left hand. "So this is just how low you'll go!? Using her against me? Big mistake! And I'm going to make it your last! You want your payback! I'll make sure you get it! Phantom Thieves, LET'S GO!"
"YEAH!" Everyone exclaimed at the same time.
Jerri scowled at the sight before her. Toshiro was far too rebellious to be stopped right now! This method wasn't working anymore. If breaking him mentally and physically was no longer going to work, then...!
"Beating this up feels gross..." Viper wasn't going to hold back. She pulled out her twin machine guns and started to open fire on gigantic Eri. The bullets did land true, but she had a hard time telling if there was any damage dealt.
Eri clenched her hand into a fist, darkness swirling about her hand. She then tossed an orb of darkness straight towards Viper. "You will fall!"
"...!" Viper braced for impact, but Dragon appeared in front of her with Aegis to block the attack. Viper let out a silent breath of relief.
Eri, however, knew that Dragon couldn't be everywhere at once. As such, she threw several more bullets out in haphazard directions, just to try and force the Phantom Thieves onto the defensive. It did work, as they quickly dove behind over. It didn't help, but it did reduce the damage they sustained from the Malevolent Bullets. "Die!"
"She's a big target." Wolf told the others. "Not the first time we've dealt with this sort thing, right?"
"Not at all." Sophie shook her head.
"I'll take point." Joker had his pistol at the ready, and was charging a shot. He ducked from behind cover, rolling into a crouched stance while pointing his pistol forward. "Take this!" He fired the charged bullet right at Eri's forehead. The bullet exploded against her, causing her head to recoil slightly. This succeeded in getting Eri's attention, but she wasn't happy either. Darkness swirled around her hand and she threw it forward, only for a strange orb to appear right next to Joker. "What the..!?"
"Joker, watch out!" Oracle warned. But it was too late, as the orb immediately exploded on Joker, sending him flying back.
"Joker!" Violet was quick to act, rushing forward, as she was the one to catch him this time. "Are you alright?"
"Had worse..." Joker replied with a pained grin. That did hurt, though. "Thanks..."
"Liberator!" Toshiro extended his arm forward, Ernesto appearing and flying around Eri. Ernesto kicked her legs, releasing bullets that struck Eri in numerous places. Eri moved her hand to try and swat Ernesto out of the sky, but when that wasn't working, she took a more direct approach. Orbs of darkness appeared in her palms, and she crushed them. This sent numerous beams of darkness into the sky, only to fall down towards the Phantom Thieves.
"Incoming!" Oracle warned. She and Ichinose had to take over, but the others had it cover. Everyone summoned their Persona, firing off a blast of their respective element to clash with Eri's attack. Explosions lit up the sky, but it kept them safe from harm as well.
"Gorokichi!" Fox ran forward with his Persona, ice covering his blade. He slashed at one of Eri's hands, ice forming around her wrist to try and keep it pinned there, dealing damage at the same time. Eri simply swatted at Fox with her other hand, knocking him down harshly to the ground. She prepared to squash him, but she was stopped by Crow, Violet, and Wolf pointing their blades upwards. Their swords stabbed into Eri's hand, causing her recoil and draw it back.
"Hereward!" Crow wasn't letting up. Hereward turned its bow into a blade and slashed at Eri's injured hand, forcing it down. "Rebellion Blade!" The mighty impact was enough for Eri to let out a disturbing, shrill cry of pain. Likely the same cry she let out when the train hit her. It was enough to shake the core of most of the group. "That's not going to work on me."
"TOSHIRROOOO!" Eri's frozen hand broke free from the ice, lifting up to point directly at him. "I'll...make...you PAAAAAY!"
"Panther!" Dragon unsheathed the greatsword on her back. It broke apart into two blades, and Panther grabbed it. She already knew what to do, as they both stood side by side. Flames and almighty magic gathered on the two swords, and they both leapt forward as a unit.
"Dragonfire Strike!" The two slammed right into Eri's face for a fierce, fiery explosion. Eri let out a loud shrill of pain once again, but she didn't allow the two of them to get too far. Her hand swatted the two of them down, crushing them into ground. Dragon took the brunt of the attack for Panther's sake, but they both still took some damage. "Agh...!"
Sensing their danger, Toshiro threw his hand out. He wasn't sure what he was doing, but this prompted a crystal to appear in front of Dragon and Panther, which began to soothe their injuries with its heavenly glow. "What...?"
"Whoa! Pops is working that support role well!" Oracle snickered.
Eri formed an explosive sphere right on top of Dragon and Panther, letting it drop onto them. But as it fell, Skull and Wolf quickly rushed forward, drawing their weapons back. Skull's pipe and Wolf's sword smacked the explosive orb right back into Eri's face! The explosive hit her good eye, causing her to cry out and cover it with her right hand. "William!" Skull pointed ahead as his Persona appeared before him.
"Valjean! One Shot Kill!" Valjean rose from in front of Wolf, chains rattling before releasing a gigantic bullet straight at Eri. At the same time, William fired off a very strong Ziodyne that merged with this bullet. The electric bullet collided against Eri's chest, the impact causing the giant to stumble back. She almost lost her footing and grip on the building, but she remained standing.
Viper jumped into the air, lifting her hands over her head as Nuwa appeared, aiding her in charging a bolt of lightning. She too fired off a Ziodyne at Eri's head. "Haaah!" The bolt of lightning was a direct hit, causing Eri's head to snap to the side. Viper wasn't alone; Violet and Sophie joined her. Ella and Pandora released a joint bombardment of Kougoan's onto Eri's body. The giant brought up her free hand to try and shield herself from the constant attacks.
Mona wasn't going to be left out of this, of course. Diego appeared in front of him, slashing at Eri and creating miniature cyclones of wind in the process. The damage was quickly compounding on the giant. "Take this!"
"Haaaah!" Noir swiped her hand to the side, using Psiodyne with Lucy's aid. A pink tornado or psychic energy swirled around Eri, mixing with Mona's wind. It was a green/pink twister that rapidly damaged the giant. Noir wasn't letting up on this tornado either, making sure she could inflict as much damage as possible onto their target.
"We can corner her!" Queen exclaimed, riding forward on Anat and performing a quick turn. This prompted a Freidyne orb to drop down on Eri and explode on her. Queen was keeping her foot on the gas, following this up by leaping off Anat and punching the air in front of her. This send a condensed blast of nuclear magic to explode against Eri's chest.
"GAAAAAH!" Eri screamed out. With rage, she clenched a hand into a fist, forming multiple explosive orbs around the Phantom Thieves. They had no time to react as numerous explosions occurred all over the rooftop. That damaged everyone, but they were saved at the last second by Oracle's quick defensive measures. She used Marakukaja to buff everyone's defense at the last second.
"I-Is everyone okay!?" Oracle asked.
"We're alive." Joker winced. Despite all the punishment this Eri had taken, she was still kicking. "We're going to need something a little more decisive here..."
"She's taken just as much damage as you guys, if not more!" Oracle reported. "One last push!"
"This is OVER!" Eri took aim right at the recovering Toshiro. She reared her fist to try and strike Toshiro. However, a rocket flew right into her face, causing her to stagger when it exploded against her. It was right into her bad eye too, which hurt more than it should've. "AGH!?"
That shot came from Ichinose, who grinned. "I still have my uses."
"Nice opening!" Joker saw this chance and lifted his hand into the air, Raoul appearing behind him. On that cold, snowy night, a single star shone brighter than all the rest. With the power of Lucifer within him, he aimed straight at Eri. "MORNING STAR!" That shining star dropped down a very potent beam of almighty magic onto Eri. She looked up and saw this coming, using both hands to try and stop it from colliding against it. She was defending against it, but this took all of her attention and energy, which meant. "NOW!" Joker yelled. On that cue, the others attacked. Fire, bullets, ice, nuclear, lightning, light, darkness, and almighty magic slammed into the defending Eri. She couldn't hold her defensive position, and so she was sandwiched between all of these attacks once, resulting in a large scale explosion that shook the building.
As the smoke cleared, Eri's head was tilted to the side, but she clawed at the ground, lifting her gaze up to glare at Toshiro. "Toshiro...TOSHIROOOOOOOOO..."
Toshiro stared at this fake Eri intently. "...Even at her lowest, her eyes never held such hatred." They held rage for injustice. For people who were getting hurt. But she never looked at him, or anyone, the way this Eri was looking at him. Ernesto appeared beside Toshiro once more. "My spirit made manifest...the spirit of Eri's will lives on in me, in Erina. In Ernesto...and I'm not going to break any of those promises I made!" On that call, Ernesto flew into the air, reloading her legs with the bullets from her cape. She then began to overcharge her legs, matching Toshiro's fury in this moment. "LIGHT OF A PROMISE!" Ernesto's legs exploded with powerful bullets. These bullets bombarded Eri mercilessly. Eri cried out one last time, before releasing her hold on the building, and falling into the darkness below. With that final blow, the evil ghost of Eri Natsuhara was defeated...
"Is she gone...!?" Viper said with a few heavy pants. That was...a lot.
"...Yes. I can feel it." Toshiro said while placing a hand on his chest. "It's finally over." He took a breath, and his outfit returned to normal, while Erina appeared beside him.
"Toshiro...and Erina!" Mona gasped. He wasn't sure if they'd see Erina again.
"Hm...? Hey guys..." Erina said with a faint smile. "I know we don't have a lot of time..."
"Do you really think this is over?!" Jerri was still present. The fight with the giant Eri was so intense, they nearly forgot about her. "To think that the guardian of your heart would manifest at this moment...!" The moment they were going to break Toshiro, he was able to break free.
"Oh, right. We still have one more left to deal with." Joker adjusted his glove. "So were you the one trying to break Toshiro this whole time? You're pretty bad at this!"
"As long as I was around, I would never allow it." Erina stated while glaring at Jerri. "I'm the core of Toshiro's heart. My purpose is to protect it from you! No...not just you...but the one you serve, too."
"The one she serves?" Wolf looked to Erina, all while Jerri gave a malicious smile. The ground then began to rumble once again, but this was far more intense than before. "What the hell!?"
"What is it this time!?" Akechi growled.
"Look!" Noir pointed up at the sky. "Up there!"
He descended from above. Dark clouds swirled together, and from it, a heavenly white deity appeared. His angelic wings spread out as he floated before the Phantom Thieves. Salmael appeared before them, his head floating within his cupped hands.
"What the...!?" Viper's eyes were wide.
"Who is this...?" Dragon had her staff at the ready. If they had to go through another fight.
"Ahh...My Lord. You've finally arrived." Jerri bowed before Salmael.
"Wh...!?"
"Now, now...do not be so frightened, my beloved children." Salmael said in a soothing tone. "I am Salmael. Caretaker of humanity, and protector of mankind's wellbeing. You must be the Phantom Thieves I've heard so much about."
"I hate this guy already." Viper wasn't hearing any of this. She didn't want to.
"That sure is a lofty sounding pretense." Toshiro scoffed. "I'm assuming you're the one that's responsible for everything that's happened?"
"For someone who wants to take care of humanity, you've got a funny way of showing it. You and your pet bird." Panther placed a hand on her hip.
"The one responsible? If it's for the sake of my beloved children, I shall graciously accept that moniker." Salmael replied calmly. "I apologize for Jerri's methods. They were far too heavy handed for my liking. My sole wish is to protect all of man. My precious lost little lambs."
"I've heard this before." Ichinose was reminded of the Demiurge. Everyone was, which is why they weren't buying what Salmael was selling.
"Why don't you cut the bull and tell us who you are." Joker wasn't in the mood for games.
"I am a being born from a prayer for peace." Salmael explained. "An instinct manifest in all who wish safety from calamity. As such, it is my duty to eradicate what some may call the will for reform - truly the root of all conflict. In doing so, I shall rescue my pitiable children from throwing themselves into the inferno of war."
"Oh, this thing is SO fake..." Viper didn't want to hear anymore of it. She could tell it was full of bull.
What the f... "Dammit, would you just speak Japanese or English already!? You're not making any sense!" Skull groaned.
"You idiot!" Jerri flapped onto Salmael's shoulder, glaring down at the Phantom Thieves. "My Lord seeks to erase conflict from the world! And the simplest way to do that, is to erase the will to fight, permanently."
"And in following that, why the hell did you torture Guernica so much!?" Fox demanded to know.
"My Lord prefers a hands off method. I wanted to seek a quick and easy solution to the problem that he faces. Bu using Guernica's art to force the masses to collapse, it would've saved My Lord much time. The world would've burned to ash, leaving nothing but peace and tranquility." Jerri explained, bringing a wing up to her beak. "Alas, my methods turned out flawed because of you all. I would've snuffed the flames of rebellion before they could've started!"
"Peace, Jerri." Salmael said. "If comprehension eludes them, then so be it. My protection is of a unilateral nature to begin with anyways. Accordingly, I had no intention of crossing arms with you in the first place. I brought Jerri back to observe you, as you began to make waves after dealing with that man's Father."
"So, when did you decide that we were a problem?" Queen glared up to Salmael.
"Your hands off approach involved many instances of attempting to break Toshiro's heart." Dragon placed her hands on her hips. "You were content to watch Toshiro crumble under the weight of it all. However, the opposite happened. He stood against the pain and awakened."
"Sounds like we messed up your plans so badly, you had to come and see it for yourself!" Erina spoke with an annoying smile.
"Silence, you tainted child of calamity and war." While Samael kept his calm tone, the harshness of his words wasn't lost on anyone.
"That mask didn't last long." Sophie commented. With that last sentence alone, everyone could already see Salmael for what he really was.
"I won't deny the children that I have been tasked to protect are on the brink of straying from the path of benediction. Therefore, allow me to shepherd you to your salvation. I implore you to accept my convocation of peace." Salmael said.
"Are you trying to make a deal with us?" Joker asked.
"What does that mean?" Toshiro asked as well.
"The power you just obtained is a mask of madness, one which will assuredly drive man to ruin. Especially the one that can drive madness within others." Salmael explained, looking straight at Crow as he did so. Crow was tempted to shoot right then and there, but Noir was able to hold him back for now. "However, if you should wish to have it removed, I shall make it so. In doing so, you would be relieved of the tragic memories you experienced here, and return to the life you know."
"If Toshiro removes the power of his Persona and accepts your deal, you'll return him to the real world with no memories?" Queen repeated, just to make sure she understood.
"Indeed. Furthermore, my offer is not limited to him." Salamael's gaze went to the rest of the Phantom Thieves. "The path of salvation is an invitation I extend to all of you. Though me infidels who had the audacity to defy a god, I trust this world has been edifying. Here you witnessed the folly of running into the flames of battle, brandishing nothing but discordant values."
"I dislike your condescending tone." Dragon narrowed her eyes. Salmael was talking down to them. Within the few minutes she'd known him, he was easily her least favorite deity. Considering Yaldabaoth existed, that wasn't a low bar to clear.
"You're...!" Toshiro began.
"Now, you needn't be hasty." Salmael added. "The intoxication of a fleeting victory has clouded your senses. I shall be waiting to hear your true verdict at a different venue."
"Be grateful for my Lord's mercy and generosity. Pray that you make the right decision when we see you again." Jerri scoffed.
"NO! WE JUST DON'T LIKE YOU!" Viper shouted. Although, Salmael and Jerri both vanished shortly after. "Wow, what a dick."
"Sure loves to hear itself talk, huh?" Mona let out a slightly annoyed grunt.
"If I'm understanding, it's saying if we stand down and surrender, it'll send us to the real world, right?" Noir tilted her head. "...But it would do so while we lose our powers."
"That was the gist of it." Oracle rolled her eyes. "Real generous of him."
"I know what it said was ridiculous, but you can't deny the feats it's pulled off so far." Erina said with a small sigh. "I'm not sure what exactly it is, but I think it's power is the real deal."
"That's not like you." Ichinose said with her arms crossed.
"I guess that's true..." Erina said with a faint smile. "Maybe I am feeling some uneasiness. According to Salmael, I'm the reason why this all happened in the first place. Not that I think everything it said was true, but I won't say I wasn't bothered by it either."
"Yeah, yeah." Toshiro said with a playful scoff.
"Exactly...wait...yeah, yeah!?" Erina gave Toshiro an annoyed look. "Toshiro, I'm trying to be serious here!"
"I'm just saying, meeting the head honcho made you unusually meek." Toshiro shrugged his shoulders. "But hey, perhaps you intend to accept his gracious offer of salvation?"
"N-No, that's not what I..." Erina glanced to the side.
"If you have a goal you believe in, then you keep moving forward. Even if it means knowing you'll get hurt. That's what you and everyone else taught me." Toshiro smiled.
"Found your answer, have you? Good job." Wolf chuckled a bit.
"It's almost sad...It's hard to make fun of him when he's matured so much." Ichinose withheld a snicker.
"I'm glad to see that he's grown so much!" Violet smiled. Toshiro came such a long way from the man who was cowering at the mere thought of a fight.
"If it thinks we're taking that offer, it has another thing coming." Joker said with a cool smile. "We've faced similar threats before. We'll make sure this is just one more for the tally."
"I don't see salvation as throwing away everything we've accomplished so far." Noir placed her hand on her chest. "I refuse. This mask is apart of me, and I'm not giving it up for anything."
"If we were willing to settle for a deal like that, we wouldn't be the Phantom Thieves." Fox added.
"I'm not giving up my heart! I worked hard to obtain it, and I'm going to use it to protect my friends!" Sophie was resolute in this declaration.
"That 'god' is far too late to change our minds." Dragon shook her head. "We've fought many hard battles for the sake of the things we believe in. If this Salmael believes he has us in check, he's another thing coming!"
"He pissed me off with how he talked to us. So I want him dead." That was Crow's take on the matter. Viper nodded fervently in agreement. "He thinks we'll consider his offer. The only thing I'm considering is how long it will take us to kill him."
"Honestly, I don't quite understand the power I've awakened to." Toshiro's gaze went to Erina. "But the one thing I'm certain of is that you're the physical manifestation of the courage inside me. And nothing some egotistical god says is going to change that."
"Toshiro...thanks." Erina smiled softly.
"Toshiro! When'd you learn to talk like that, eh?" Skull teased.
"I think we have our decision." Queen spoke with a smile. They didn't even need to think about it.
"Time to wrap this up, right, Leader?" Oracle nudged Joker.
"Joker, I couldn't have made it this far without you and the others. Your confidence means the world to me. So, will you fight with me to the end?" Toshiro asked.
"You don't even have to ask." Joker replied with a grin.
At this moment, Toshiro looked over the Phantom Thieves. "I couldn't ask for a better set of allies..."
"Alright!" Skull pumped a fist into the air. "Now let's go up to this salmon jerkward and...wait. How are we gonna get to him?"
"Uh...by going up?" Erina said.
"That. That doesn't really help..." Panther scratched her cheek. The sound of a horn bellowed through the air right after that. "Eh...?"
"Was that a train?" Violet blinked. It sure was. A blue glint appeared in the distance, and a blue train soon appeared in front of them. The landing was a bit rough, so Skull and Wolf had to dive out of the way to avoid being hit. When the train came to a halt, the door opened, and Lavenza hopped out.
"Well hello, everyone." Lavenza spoke with a calm smile, as if her arrival wasn't the most surprising thing in the world.
"W-W-Why did Miss Lavenza become the sky and come here from the train!?" Mona was stammering over his words. "W-Why is there a train!?"
"It will be alright, Morgana." Lavenza nodded.
"Uh. Is this...the Lavenza you guys mentioned...?" Erina blinked. She wasn't expecting a girl that looked younger than all of them!
"From talking cats to blue children...you sure have a number of acquaintances, don't you?" Toshiro said with a sweat drop.
"Excuse me, but please refrain from making peculiar observations of people." Lavenza told Toshiro. She didn't like being talked about like that! "Actually, let's save that for later." Upon being called out, Toshiro stepped backwards. "It seems to me that you all have a destination to get to. Should your will be resolute, I will gladly lend you my aid. I only ask that you make your decision while this room retains its present form."
"Room!?" Joker blinked.
"Wait...is this that Velvet Room place?!" Viper asked.
"Indeed. This is but another manifestation of the Velvet Room." Lavenza answered. "However, as for why it assumed its current form, following its previous volatile state...frankly speaking, even I do not have that answer." But she was going to roll with it!
"So let me get this straight." Viper looked at Joker, leaning forward. "First this 'manifestation' of your heart is a PRISON, then an armory, and now it's a freaking train!?"
"...Uh...yup. That seems to be the case." Joker replied.
"You have so many problems." That's all Viper could say. Joker had no defense either. Instead, she just stepped past Lavenza and walked into the train.
"I have so many questions, but we don't have the time to ask them, do we?" Wolf's head was hurting. He just accepted that he would never understand the Metaverse.
"So we'll be skirting across the night sky on a flying express line? How fun." Fox looked to Lavenza. "Would you mind if I took the time to sketch the train in its entirety?"
"I would mind." Lavenza said flatly. "Please board immediately."
Fox jumped back at this denial. "W-What?!"
"Come along already." Dragon pushed Fox into the train. Everyone funneled inside of the Velvet Train, and when they did, they were in their usual attire as well. They made themselves comfortable on the train. The blue seats were extremely comfortable.
"Full steam ahead, isn't that right?" Haru giggled.
"Wooo!" Futaba threw her hands into the air. "Toshiro, do the thing! You know, choo-choo!"
"You do realize that's not what a train actually sounds like, right?" Toshiro replied with a deadpanned look.
"Don't be such a spoilsport!" Ann spoke from the seat next to Hifumi's. "Do it!"
"Choo-choo!" Erina did it. This was worth it.
"Why are YOU doing it!?" Toshiro groaned.
Lavenza took a look at Erina and Toshiro. "We have some interesting characters in the fray now, don't we? Your group continues to grow each time we meet one another." She turned to Ren, who nodded.
"Yeah. But they are strong allies." Ren said with a small grin.
"The power vested within you grows through your bonds with others. It is quite feasible your powers as a Trickster have reached new heights because of it." Lavenza smiled, before beginning to walk towards the front of the train. "We are not departing. Please exercise caution so you are not flung from the train."
"...I don't think that's how the warning goes." Sumire said nervously, but it was already too late. Without warning, the train flew forward towards its destination. They conquered the three Kingdoms and Toshiro's trauma. Now, the only thing that stood in their way was Salmael. When they defeated him, they could return home at last...!