Disclaimer: Fate and Persona are owned by different companies and I hold no ownership and all that jazz.
8/26
Back in the Palace for the second round Hakuno kept her eyes peeled for more mimics. Futaba assured them that the method they were using to hide from her wouldn't work nearly as well anymore now that she had some good data to work off of but she wanted to be sure.
They only had one life after all. And while Death wasn't as assured in the Metaverse, it was still possible.
"You sure your scans will work this time, Oracle?" Ryuji's head was sticking out of the Safe Room as he spoke, "I really don't want another werewolf to bite my ass."
"Double Triple checked them with the stationary ones," Tabs nodded, "As long as their cloaking is only skin deep I'll pick them up."
Akira nodded, "Any traces of the Treasure?"
Futaba shook her head as Morgana spoke up, "I think it's underground." Hakuno had that thought too, most trains in Tokyo were underground, and as the Ruler lived in Tokyo he should have made that connection…
"Well, Oracle, can you pick up any basements or any stations with Necro?" Futaba frowned at Makoto's inquiry.
"Maybe?" Futaba frowned, "I can sense something that could be tracked, but it's all fuzzy like TV static, if we got closer I should be able to see it clearer if we get closer it's at the northern edge of town."
"Then it's settled," Akira clapped his hands. Fox, Magus, Queen with me up front, the rest keep Oracle safe and be our back support." Oh, she hadn't been a lead in a while.
This ought to be fun.
"Maeiga." Curtains of Black and Blue flames covered the Werewolf as it topped over screaming in pain. She jumped back as it tried in vain to reach while Queen's boot stomped into it and it turned to dust.
"Alright, the coast is clear. Good work out there! Only one more block towards the strange building!" The battles were a lot simpler with Futaba's ability to perceive them letting them sneak up and get them primed for an ambush.
The closer they got to the northern end of town, the stronger the scent of burning coal got. It had a slightly strange scent mixed in, something she couldn't place. Hopefully, it meant they were getting close. It would be interesting to be on a coal train; she had never been on one before.
"I think there is an entrance in the back," Akira's voice crackled over the headset, "I can see some footprints leading around." Hakuno hummed an acknowledgement as they slowly circled the building sticking close to the shadows of the nearby wooden walls.
Hakuno's eyes could barely make out the depressions in the ground leading to the back wall, it looked like a normal wall to her but Akira was already pawing at the wall feeling the wood. His Mystic Eyes must have picked something up but she wasn't sure what it was.
After a few moments of searching a section of the wall pushed in and the wall separated leading to a downward metal ramp, Hakuno could see the shining steel train tracks that led deeper underground. Well, at least they had their path now. Futaba must have given the all-clear as the thieves in the backline joined them in inspecting the underground tunnel.
"Dude… how are we going to see down there?" Ryuji had a fair point, the tunnel was nearly pitch black after a point, and even stretching her already good eyesight she could barely make out another step or two.
"Skill issue." Futaba's goggles beeped and glowed green, her eyes peered deep into the darkness right past the others.
Hakuno glanced towards Ann, the one person who could make this easy on them."We don't all got your fancy eyes," Ann said… "Wait…" She concentrated, and the little ball of light appeared in front of her.
"Jesus Panther!" Futaba shrieked as she covered her goggles, "Warn a girl next time!"
"Hehe," Ann smiled, "Sorry! It takes me a moment, we should be good with this right Joker?" The glow it gave off was a dull shine, bright enough that they could realistically survive off of it for a while, well that Akira's Mystic Eyes and Futaba's guidance.
"Radiant as always Panther~." Hakuno tilted her head as she looked down at Morgana.
Akira coughed, and beside him was Makoto sweating bullets, "Panther, Skull, and Fox with me, let's see if we can't turn on the lights. Everyone else keep an eye out." Hakuno idly nodded.
The team composition made sense, her firepower was dwindling in this Palace, more and more Shadows were getting resistant or outright immune to Curse Skills and she could only make Avenger use Almighty attacks a few times before running out of Od. But she can't say she enjoyed waiting around. But Hakuno might as well take this moment and work on that Mystic Code she was making for Morgana.
The tunnel went on for what felt like forever, it was a striking steel-colored metal floor and silver metal train tracks in the middle. She hoped that whatever God existed the Train wouldn't come or they would have to run and not get flattened.
Keeping that little flashlight on wasn't too hard Ann mused as it floated around her body like a little lamp. It was cute, if a little weird, and reminded her of those wisps in Ryuji's video games.
Snapping her whip as Hecate blasted her hot-ass fire, turning a small part of the steel floor into melted slag.
"Alright, keep it going if my readings are right, which they are, going left should lead us to a power room of sorts." Sweet! She was getting slightly tired from throwing around those large spells and keeping the little lights glowing as bright as they could. It probably also wasn't 'stealthy' but they didn't really do a whole lot of actual sneaking, cognition was so helpful in that aspect, so as Thieves they didn't have to worry too much, but she could see the slight agitation on Akira's face as each Shadow turned around before he could 'ambush' them.
"Panther after this, I would like your assistance in a painting," Yusuke's sword slashed through a Shadow, "I would be honored to paint your ignis fatuus, the inspiration it is giving me makes me want to drop my sword and pick up my brush." She rolled her eyes as the Artist froze and shattered the Shadow he was fighting.
"Dude, did you just say she had a fire fat ass?"
Yusuke's expression was hard to tell but she could tell he was annoyed, "Skull… Ignis Fatuus is a phenomenon commonly called a will-o'-wisp or a ghost light." She didn't know what it meant. She did know Ignis was supposed to be fire or something.
"Sure Fox, we're taking a break the day after tomorrow right Joker?"
"Hm? Yeah, hopefully, we can get halfway today and wrap up the route tomorrow with her help." Her? Oh, Haru doesn't have a code name yet. Oh, she loved giving out code names! But she would have to see her outfit first, unless the girl had other names in mind she didn't have a lot of ideas involving telekinesis. But, Akira's nicknames usually won when the person didn't have a good idea.
"Oooo a Safe Room nice~." Futaba sang as they turned down the leftmost tunnel. Ann felt herself frown, "The power room is only a few minutes walk from here and I am detecting a stronger Shadow Presence in that room. Also, there's a Will seed down the other path. What's your call, Joker?"
"Let's get the power up first." He was probably worried about Makoto, the girl could not handle darkness too well.
Ann nodded, she pushed a bit more and the little flare became a smidge brighter, she wondered if she could make multiple motes, but she would need to practice… and she doesn't have a ton of time lately, Ryuji's been taking most of it and the whole juggling Phantom Thief business alongside her modeling. But she supposed she could get an hour or so with Hakuno every day or so.
Reaching the Power room, which was a solid metal door with only a door knob sticking out, Akira made a shushing motion as he slowly opened the door. There was a small light and as always there was a Shadow. It reminded her of the large goons in Kaneshiro's Palace, sleeping at its desk.
"Show me your true form!" Akira was on its back instantly, ripping off the Shadow's Mask as if it were nothing. The Shadow fell back and dissolved into a man with a crazed look in his eyes a white beard and riding a crocodile.
"Tsk!" The Shadow clicked its tongue as it blasted them with pillars of fire she jumped into the attack covering her friendly artist. The flames washed over her like it was nothing nullified by her burning heart.
"Gator Rider isn't that strong but don't hold back!" She felt a wave of strength from Futaba as Ryuji smirked and slammed his pipe into the old man's stomach, the alligator's head turned unnaturally, and belted out more fire at her boy.
"Fox cool him down!" Akira ordered out as he summoned one of his Persona and belted out a gust of wind. The man waved his hand lethargically as it barely rustled his robe.
"Goemon!" A surge of ice, cold as fuck, caused her to jump to the side as the artist was right behind her. He quickly ran in his Katana swinging, cutting down on the old man who was momentarily frozen.
She took the moment to bring out Hecate to heal Ryuji, sending another small Agi towards the Shadow who repelled it back at her. She frowned at having to be the medic of the fight but knew it could've happened.
"Resistant to Physical and Electric! Blocks wind and is reflecting Fire, neutral to Ice, maybe try Nuclear or Curse?"
"Seiten Taisei" A flurry of blows followed and smacked into the old man who barely flinched the Shadow sent a burst of wind that hit Ryuji hard while the alligator spat out a lump of fire that Yusuke got nicked by.
"Hecate! This one!" Green energy flushed the two melee fighters as they shook off from being hit by their weakness. The Shadow took their momentary stop and created a thin barrier in front of itself.
"White Rider!" The skeleton horse blasted the man with black and red energy knocking it to the ground. "Let's go!" The freedom given to them with an All-Out attack always made her giddy with excitement, Shadow collapsed into sparkling black dust as usual. She barely noticed a piece of paper drop from the Shadow, while Futaba jumped out of her UFO and began to fiddle with the control panel.
"Oh sweet a map!" Ryuji yoinked it out of her hands as he looked at it he frowned, "Well, for a train?" He scratched his head, "Still gotta figure out how to get there though."
"Shouldn't be too hard," Futaba mumbled, "The notes here say it's been on a few test runs these last few years and is finally ready to handle its full speed, whatever that means. And… there!"
Finally, the lights flickered on, an ugly fluorescent yellow reminiscent of school but it was still light that they could use… that would let Makoto come on down.
"Holy shit." Ryuji uttered, "Dudes…" Her eyes quickly looked to where Ryuji was looking and well…
It was dozens of the same posters of Palace Ruler, in a long black trench coat with a large hat on and a sleazy expression on his face the phrase 'For my Future!' on the bottom. It had him sticking his torso out of the window while in an old steam train gilded with gold and thousands upon thousands of waiting fans waving at him.
It hadn't taken long for them to recoup and meet up in the Safe Room, "Going from what I can detect we should be close to halfway, the Shadow density is becoming stronger down the path with the Train."
Hakuno nodded, "Perhaps we should gather the Will Seed first and call it a day?" She wasn't too tired, having only encountered a few Shadows above ground while waiting for them.
She did use a fair amount of Od trying to fix the damage that the Black Mask did to the Mystic Code when he interrupted her, it should be almost complete now. At least the parts she could do, the actual cell phone connection will have to rely on Futaba adding it somehow. But even considering that she could deal with most of the normal Shadows as long as they weren't immune to Curse.
"Sounds like a plan, Magus, Queen, and Skull be upfront with me." She kind of felt bad for their leader, he always made sure his versatility was put to use by chugging large amounts of coffee whenever he could.
"Alright, let's go." The lights were honestly blinding as they reflected off the polished steel floor, she was just lucky that, probably due to his cognition, it wasn't shiny enough to be reflective…
Taking a right as soon as they came to the fork in the path they quickly dealt with another Murmur and a mannequin torso with a tree growing inside it. Shadows are getting weirder and weirder but luckily it was weak to Ann's fire and joined Akira's mask collection.
Once they reached the Will Seed Room Makoto's fist broke through the wooden boards with ease and Ryuji's hammer blew through the door barring their way.
"Come on down, let's get another glimpse at the messed up lawyer!" Hakuno rolled her eyes at the statement, but she was curious if the one incident of getting broken up caused him to go down this path.
The mist pooled out of the skull the moment Akira picked it up, the vine-covered room quickly changed to the appearance of a backroom in a Bank. It was reminiscent of a few of the rooms in Kaneshiro's Palace.
"Denied?" The man in white spoke quietly, "Why?" Hyōma was clearly upset, and his white suit was ruffled more than not.
"You simply aren't qualified." A man in a pitch-black suit stated, "Barely a graduate with no cases under your belt? While it is impressive you passed the exam on your first attempt, we have already taken under our wing a newly minted prosecutor from your generation who passed at the top of his class."
"But!" Hyōma stood up.
The man raised a hand, "And the recent scandal involving your family makes it even more difficult… however." He shuffled some papers, "But for the… middling respect I have for your Family I might be able to assist you in placement if you would donate a quarter of your earnings for the next oh five years?"
Hyōma slunk back into the chair, "Five years?"
The other man shrugged, "I suppose we could settle for a few favors here and there, the department of education would really appreciate your joining but ah a finders fee of sorts is common, more so if I am adding my recommendation to it greasing a few wheels takes both Money and Notoriety both things you currently lack. See this as an investment that I will place in your hands. And see to it that it doesn't go to waste."
"Money and Fame really make the world go around, doesn't it…" The man in the white suit held his face in his hands.
"Indeed, I am sure you will make some strong connections over there," The man's smile was off-putting, "Don't worry with the Okumura name backing you surely will make some fine connections to bolster your career… and you must not forget the debt you owe me eh young Sagara?" The now-named Okumura placed a hand on the other man's shoulder.
"I understand completely…" Hakuno could see a strange glint in Hyōma's eyes, "I know what I need to aim for now." And with that, the mist began to fade taking a few moments to fully dissipate.
"What the fuck." Hakuno could only idly nod at Ryuji's utterance.
That throws a strange wrench in their plans, Haru's dad(?) was the reason Hyōma was placed into MEXT… could Haru's dad have access to the Black Mask?
Author's Note: Well, sorry this chapter took so long, had half the chapter done but decided that it would fit better in a later chapter so I pushed it to the side and rewrote the entirety of it. I believe that Haru's dad has some connection to Shujin and using the lawyer a connection was made before she even enrolled. Debated on putting this as the last Will Seed memory but it fits more towards the middle part which I kind of see as the turning point in them.
While they have yet to step foot on the train but are basically at it, one more Will Seed and a bit of train exploration, and it will be good to go. Yes I know that technically the keyword should have been 'Train Station' instead of Train but I felt that having a build-up to an underground train would be better and well, the actual train invasion/ruler fight will at least make it make a bit more sense.
Anyway, have a good one, and see ya'll next time!