The Phantom Thieves stepped into You in Wonderland once again. Now they were properly aware of the challenges they were going to face going forward. Weakened Personas and their guns didn't work. It was going to be a challenge, putting it lightly. Luckily they had some extra help with Zen and Rei by their sides. Now, Joker was leading the way forward.
Oracle was reporting from within the halls of Yasogami High. "It's pretty different from Mementos." Oracle said with a frown. "I can't even figure out what the floor looks like, or where the Shadows are going to come from. Sorry I can't figure out anything else…"
"If Oracle can't navigate, we'll need to find another way to avoid getting lost." Queen pursed her lips.
Zen stepped forward, holding a small notebook in hand. "Would this help? I made it by putting the student's date plans together. I made it to write down where Rei's favorite shops were, but I don't need it now that I've memorized them all."
"You really care for Rei-chan, don't you?" Panther said with a sweet smile. Zen glanced to the side, mildly flustered with how she was saying it.
"Yes." Zen answered quickly, before looking back to Joker. "Since you're our leader, you should handle marking our path from now on. It'll help keep us from getting lost."
"Thank you, Zen." Joker accepted the notebook. "I'll be sure to mark things as we go along."
"Oh! Uh. There's something else I need to tell you guys." Oracle said. "There's a really strong reading at the depths of this labyrinth, obviously. But there are also some really strong Shadows scattered about here as well. Like, they'll give us Game Over kind of strong!"
"So we should avoid these at all costs." Crow surmised. "Unnecessary conflict in this place could prove to be detrimental."
"We'll need something to call these new enemies of ours…" Dragon took a few steps forward, and then it hit her. "Ah! Of course. How about…!"
"Fysis Oiken Eidolon." Zen suddenly blurted out.
"Huh?" Dragon blinked and looked at Zen.
"What did he say?" Skull tilted his head. None of those words made sense to him.
"Fysis Oiken Eidolon." Zen repeated.
"T-That doesn't help!" Skull groaned. Saying it twice didn't matter if it didn't make any sense!
"I quite like the name." Fox saw no issues with it.
"Of course you do…." Oracle rolled her eyes. "Classic Inari. What does it even mean?"
"It's just as it sounds." Zen said calmly. Again, that didn't really help. But it was the best they were going to get.
"Can we shorten that somehow?" Noir asked with a bashful smile. She didn't have much faith in her ability to repeat that.
"Let's call them…F.O.E's for short." Mona said. That was far easier to digest.
"...I had a better name in mind." Dragon mumbled. Her shoulders slumped, feeling robbed at the opportunity to name something. Panther smiled a bit and just patted her on the shoulder.
"So, about those F. !" Oracle began. "Like Crow said, we should really just avoid them if possible. You'll know what one looks like the moment you see it! Joker, I'm trusting you not to lead us to an early grave. It's too early for me to die!"
"I don't intend on dragging any of us into danger…" Joker said.
"One last thing. I'm picking up a faint signal a little further in. It's not like a Shadow, though." Oracle reported. "And it's moving around a lot, too."
"Do you think it could be the person Elizabeth was looking for?" Violet looked to the others.
"There's only one way to find out. If they're alone and moving fast, they're probably in danger." Queen said with a sense of urgency. "We should hurry."
"I hope they're okay…" Rei mumbled.
"Let's go." Joker said. With that, the group began their trek deeper into You in Wonderland. They pushed past the door Joker and the preliminary team got to before.
"A door made of piano keys?" Skull poked at the door, almost jumping back when it opened. "Oh, geez."
"I see this world draws forth upon the drearier aspects of Alice in Wonderland." Fox commented. Everyone kept an eye out for Shadows. As they walked, Fox also noticed something else. "Oh, hold a moment. There's a clock here…"
"A clock?" Panther stared at the clock. She even poked it a few times, but nothing happened. "The hands are moving, but it's not really doing much else."
"I wonder if there's a use for this clock somewhere within this place." Crow wondered aloud. They didn't have a lot to go off of. "I suggest we move on until we find an answer."
A fair point. The group continued carefully, rounding a few corners. Soon enough, they spotted yet another clock after a few turns. It was Skull who pointed it out this time. "Oh, hey! It's another one of those clocks!"
"So there are two of them…" Dragon leaned in to carefully expect the clock. "I wonder…"
"Maybe it's connected to the other one!" Skull said while reaching forward.
"Wait, Skull-!" Queen tried to stop him, but it was too late. Skull vanished through the clock, much to everyone's surprise. Left with no choice, the others followed Skull through the clock, only for them all to wind up in a previous location.
"Huh…?" Noir looked around. "Weren't we just here…?"
"Whoa! That was…pretty trippy." Skull rubbed the back of his neck.
"You moron! Don't just go touching things!" Mona groaned.
"I agree. What if it was dangerous? You need to be mindful of the things you interact with!" Queen held a sharp tone while addressing Skull. He immediately flinched and bowed his head to her.
"Y-Yes, Queen." Skull mumbled.
"Ooooh. Is that why she's called Queen?" Rei looked to Zen. Zen was the last person who had a clue, so he gave a small shrug.
"We did learn something important." Dragon gestured. "I believe with these devices, we can even go through walls so long as they are both activated."
"That's a good point!" Violet said. She then stepped forward and touched the clock. Everyone followed her lead, and returned to their previous location. "That's a handy trick."
"That'll save us some time." Joker said. He made sure to note this down on the map and press forward with the others. They entered the next room, only to stop in their tracks as a gigantic card soldier was standing on the other end of the room, where there was a large pond in the center of it. "W-W-!?"
"Holy shit! That Shadow is HUGE!" Skull gasped.
"That is an FOE." Zen warned.
"Danger readings off the charts! Do NOT get anywhere near that thing!" Oracle crossed her arms in an X formation. "That thing is screaming danger!"
"I hope it doesn't charge at us…!" Rei hid behind Zen as she said this.
"Even with our numbers, I predict we'll struggle…" Dragon furrowed her brows, watching the FOE carefully. The longer she did, the more she realized it wasn't even paying them any mind. "Hold on. I don't think it even cares that we're here."
"I sense that as well." Crow said. He had a habit of noticing one's bloodlust, and so far, that FOE didn't have any towards them. They stared at the FOE moving, and it was simply hopping around the area. It was literally going in circles.
"I think it's on patrol?" Noir wasn't entirely sure. "There must be something around that pond."
"I believe that is the FOEs territory." Dragon made this assumption based on the enemy's movements. "If we step foot into its territory, I do doubt it would hesitate in unleashing hell upon all of us."
"Do you have to phrase it so violently…?" Skull shuddered.
"Luckily, that's not something we'll have to worry about!" Mona said confidently. "After all, we ARE Phantom Thieves. Sneaking around is our bread and butter!"
"I don't know how to sneak around very well…" Rei admitted.
"Heh." Mona gave Rei his usual arrogant grin. "Don't worry about that. Just follow my lead, and you'll be a master of stealth in no time!
"Oh! Because kitties are masters of stealth!" Rei's eyes sparkled. She missed the point in Mona's eyes, but he was just going to let it roll off his back this time.
"Just…follow me." Mona groaned softly. After watching the way the FOE circled around the pond, Mona made his move. Zen and Rei followed his swift movements as quickly as they could, easily slipping past the FOE without it even realizing they were there. "Nyahaha! Flawless execution by yours truly!"
"You're pretty quick." Zen said. He was barely able to keep up and so was Rei. But somehow, they managed. The others followed suit easily.
"That was kind of fun…!" Rei beamed. "I could use a donut after that, though…"
"I feel that way all the time." Panther nodded in agreement to Rei.
"Two peas in a pod, they are." Fox commented. At the mention of the vegetable, both Panther and Rei stuck their tongues out in disgust.
While they did make it past the FOE without issue, they were soon set upon by Shadows. This was the first time those that weren't apart of the initial scouting team got to witness them. They were attacked by Jupiter Eagles and Justice Swords. "Shadows attacking!" Oracle exclaimed.
"These are Shadows? But how…" Queen found this a little hard to believe, but the way the Shadows attacked did remind her that they were enemies. One of the Justice Swords did swing at her and she leapt back to avoid getting sliced. "They're different from what we're used to, but we shouldn't underestimate them…!" When the Justice Sword came to slash at her again, she countered it with a spinning kick. The two clashed, and while Queen felt like she would normally win such a clash, she could feel how weak she currently was. As such, the two of them slid back.
"Whoa!" Rei's eyes sparkled as she watched Queen engage with the enemy.
"Queen, are you okay?" Noir asked, running towards Queen's side.
"Yes, I'm alright." Queen nodded, furrowing her brows a bit. It was an instinct to want to pull out her revolver and start shooting with the distance they had, but knowing their guns didn't work stopped that idea. "I see now what you all were talking about. I feel like I should have been able to kick it back easily."
"Let's work together! Zen-kun, can you back us up?" Noir asked, and Zen nodded with his crossbow at the ready. Another Justice Sword slowly slithered over to the little fray. "Milady!" Noir's mask burned away, and Milady was summoned in front of her. Milady's dress opened up, revealing the numerous guns underneath.
"Whoa!" Rei's eyes went wide at the sight of Milady's artillery.
"Are you sure you need my help?" Even Zen's stoic expression broke a bit when he saw the firepower Noir was packing. Although appearances were slightly deceiving, because Noir could not release her usual bombardment of bullets. Instead, she could only release a few shots at once. "Oh…"
"They really are weaker…" Noir grit her teeth. Not only was Milady much weaker than usual, but she could feel that it was taking a toll on her. "Queen!"
"Leave it to me!" Queen took advantage of this opening, small though it was. She summoned Johanna with a great deal of difficulty, riding on the bike as fast as she could. The Justice Swords were somewhat pinned down by Noir's rate of fire, which allowed Queen to easily sideswipe them and knock them into the air. "Now, Zen!"
"On it…" Zen took aim with his crossbow, firing off two bolts at the Justice Swords once they were skyward. His impressive aim landed two direct shots, which took them out.
"Whoa! Zen! Makoto! You were so cool!" Rei said, before she quickly corrected herself. "I mean, Queen!"
While the grounded Justice Swords were easy to deal with, the Jupiter Eagles were a completely different story. They were agile birds, easily flying through the air. Normally, such enemies wouldn't be a problem, but the Phantom Thieves were lacking their guns. As such, they had to rely on exhaustive skills to attack such evasive enemies."Damn it! These things really just don't hold still!" Skull grunted in frustration. A good shotgun blast would've put these bastards down already!
"Remain calm!" Dragon said while glancing around. The Jupiter Eagles were definitely mocking the group with their movements, but she could spot a weakness. "They still have to get in close to attack. When they do, use that moment!"
"I see…" Crow nodded slowly. They needed to converse as much energy as possible. A simple spell felt like it took a lot out of them. "If we swing blindly, we'll just create more openings for them to mock us."
Fox slid into a stance, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. A Jupiter Eagle circled around before diving towards him. Fox timed his strike perfectly, parrying the Jupiter Eagle's attack and throwing it off balance. The moment he did this, he closed the distance and slashed his sword to cleave the Shadow in half. "Perish, you foul pheasant."
Panther really just wished she could start unloading bullets with her gun. That was her first instinct against such an annoying enemy. But she had to get smart instead! She cracked her whip up into the air. While it wasn't enough to reach the Jupiter Eagle's and their swift movements, they were dodging in the direction she wanted them to; straight towards Dragon and Violet. "There!"
"Take this!" Dragon jumped into the air, twirling her staff around before slamming it down on a Jupiter Eagle. At the same time, Violet used her gymnastic ability to leap off of a tree, and spin forward, landing a spinning slash on the other Jupiter Eagle to take it down. She and Dragon landed on the ground with soft exhales.
"Those were annoying." Joker said flat out. Not having a gun at their disposal was going to force them to get creative. He noticed a blank card at his feet and knelt down to pick it up. Did one of the Shadows drop it..? "Is everyone alright?"
"Fine. Just irritated." Skull stared at his useless shotgun. Part of him wanted to chuck it because it was just a prop at this point, but he decided against it. "I ain't used to fighting without a gun."
"Your guns look so real…." Rei stared at Skull's shotgun. "What do you mean you can't use them?"
"Where we operate, Cognition is everything." Mona crossed his arms and nodded. Both Rei and Zen looked towards Mona with noticeable confusion. As expected, they didn't get it. "So, basically, we fight in the Cognitive World; a world that's created by the cognition of the general people. We call it the Metaverse. In the Metaverse, there are certain rules that apply. One of them being if someone believes a gun is being pointed at them, they assume it's real. And then, it can shoot bullets!"
"That sounds incredibly useful." Zen nodded. He kind of got it. "But this world is different from this…Metaverse, yes?"
"Unfortunately, yes." Queen rubbed her arm. "We all carry fake firearms when we come into the Metaverse, because they serve as real guns for us. However, it seems that that doesn't work here."
"This world is riddling us with handicaps." Fox slid his sword back into its sheath.
"We simply have to adapt." Dragon said bluntly. She didn't like it as much as the others, but they couldn't afford to dwell on it. "We fight well as a team, so we'll have to use that to our advantage going forward. Even though these enemies are not what we are used to."
"Dragon's correct. We can figure this out." Joker had faith in the team to work through their current shortcomings.
"And while we work on that, look what I noticed!" Oracle pointed off to the side, where there was a set of stairs. "Those stairs will take us deeper into this place."
"Sounds like we're finally making progress." Joker looked to the stairs, and then the others. With a silent nod, he led the way down the stairs…
.
.
The second floor of You in Wonderland had a slightly different vibe than the previous. The sky was yellow this time and it looked even more ominous than the last. "Doesn't seem like this floor will be any kinder to us." Violet commented.
"Rei, are you alright?" Zen gave Rei a cautious glance. Even though the marvels of the Phantom Thieves did catch her attention, he did worry about her.
In response to Zen's concern, Rei gave a jovial nod. "Mm-hm! There's so many people with me, and you too, Zen. I'm scared, but I'll be okay."
"We've got your back!" Panther gave Rei a thumbs up and a wink. "We're all friends here. So if you need us for anything, we'll be there for you."
"Mhm! You can ask us for help whenever." Violet added.
"You certainly became fast friends." Crow couldn't help but comment. They'd only just met Rei and Zen. He still had his doubts; meanwhile the others were happily calling them friends already.
"We shared sweets together! So that makes us friends. Right, Violet?" Panther snickered.
"Violet ate so many donuts." Rei said in awe.
Violet rubbed the back of her neck with a sheepish grin. "Yes, we're friends after all of that…"
"You know, I've always been drawn to this place." Rei admitted, staring down at the ground. "But I was too scared to explore it. But with everyone helping, I'm okay coming in! It's a lot of fun exploring with friends! Thank you all very much!" She even gave an appreciative bow.
"You don't have to be so respectful to us! We're all equals here." Skull said, a little embarrassed at how earnest Rei was with her gratitude. "But like Panther n' Violet said, we got your back!"
"..." Zen said nothing.
Worried, Rei turned to her companion. "Zen, what's wrong? Does it hurt somewhere?"
"No," Zen mumbled. "I don't really understand…" And after a small pause, he looked to Rei. "Rei…will you…stay by my side?"
That was an out of the blue question. Not one Rei even had to think about. "Of course I will!"
"Sometimes it feels like we're not here." Noir said with a shy smile. "They're off in their own world when they talk."
"That reminds me of a certain other pair of ours." Joker looked to Panther and Dragon with a teasing grin. Dragon found herself blushing and turning around. It took Panther a second, and thankfully her red mask could hide her blown as well.
"I. I don't know what you're talking about….!" Dragon spoke so quickly she almost tripped over her words. "A-Anyway, I find it interesting that Zen and Rei can fight and even heal without Personas…"
"I didn't even think about that…" Skull scratched his head. There was so much going on, he was just happy to have support. "You sure you guys don't have Personas?"
"The "power of the heart" you guys use?" Zen shook his head. "No, we don't have anything like that."
"And they can fight Shadows no problem without it…" Oracle was intrigued! She had no idea what this meant, but Zen and Rei were proving to be reliable!
"Speaking of Personas…" Mona looked to Joker. "Have you been feeling alright? You've only been using Arsene so far."
"You can summon more than one?" Zen looked to Joker. Based on Mona's words, it sounded like Joker could summon plenty. "Why are you not summoning them now?"
"...Now that you mention it…" Joker had yet to switch off of Arsene. However, when he looked through his Persona stock, he realized something. "...I don't have any other Personas?"
"What!?" This came as a surprise to the Phantom Thieves.
"Now that he mentions it…I don't have Loki at my disposal here either…" Crow thought to himself. That was…a bit of a problem, admittedly. Did he even still have Loki's powers? That wasn't exactly something he could test either. Was he stuck with just Robin Hood?
"This could be…no, this is a problem." Dragon frowned. "Joker's versatility in battle is usually key in many of our strategies…"
"The only thing I have on me is this blank card." Joker held out the card that the Shadows dropped earlier. "I don't know what it is, but it gives me a weird feeling…"
"Maybe we should return to the twins?" Noir suggested. "They might know something about it."
"That's probably for the best…." Joker agreed. The earlier battle was a lot more difficult than he'd like to admit. With his WIldcard power gone, things looked as if they would only grow more difficult.
"Wait!" Oracle suddenly exclaimed. "I'm picking up a reading from this floor! It's moving around really fast, too!"
"Is someone else here?!" Panther looked to the nearby door.
"It could be Elizabeth's guest…" Crow surmised. "If they've been down here all this time, I can only imagine their struggle."
"We have to help them!" Rei exclaimed. That was something everyone could agree with. They didn't know how far in this reading was, but if they were moving, there was a high chance they'd run into each other.
"We can go back after we find this person." Joker told the group. They started to sprint ahead, rounding the corners they could.
"It's getting closer…!" Oracle told everyone. "I don't know where you're going to meet them, so be careful!" If she could read the lay of the land, it would make things so much easier. For now, all she could do was tell them how close they were.
The next piano door opened, the group immediately had to cover their eyes from an explosion. "What's going on?!" Queen asked while shielding her eyes. When the dust from the explosion slowly settled, they could see a few Jupiter Eagles, a Lying Hablerie, and a new enemy, two Enslaved Beasts.
"Where are they looking…?" Violet peered forward.
That's when she appeared suddenly. Minako dove down from a tree with her Naginata, using the element of surprise and height advantage to slash at the Lying Hablerie, taking it down in a single hit. The moment her feet hit the ground, she jumped back just in time to avoid a wide swipe from the Enslaved Beast. She slid backwards across the ground, reaching down for the gun at her hip, and spun it around a bit before pointing the barrel at her temple. "Orpheus!" She clicked the trigger and a blue pillar exploded behind her, calling forth her Persona, Orpheus. The female harp stringer threw her arm forward, fast balling a streak of flame towards an Enslaved Beast. It was a direct hit and the Shadow howled in pain before it was taken down.
"Holy shit! She's going crazy!" Skull said with wide eyes.
"Is she a Persona user!?" Panther gasped.
"But, wait…who is she?" Oracle tilted her head. "Elizabeth was looking for a blue haired male, right…? She doesn't match that description at all…!"
"We can ask that question later…! Look!" Violet pointed at Minako.
Even though Minako looked like she was handling herself…the truth was, she was starting to reach her limit. She was pretty badly hurt, panting heavily, sweating, while barely managing to keep both eyes open. All of this solo fighting in such a strict environment was taking its toll on her. "Almost done…" She told herself, staring at the enemies ahead. She could feel herself growing incredibly exhausted, but she had to keep fighting.
"Zen! She needs help!" Rei looked at Zen with pleading eyes.
"I know." Zen nodded.
"Let's go!" Joker shouted.
Minako found herself narrowly dodging a swipe from the other Enslaved Beast. She ended up staggering backwards a little, the rush of adrenaline being the only thing keeping her going. As soon as she landed on her feet, she saw the Jupiter Eagles flap their wings fiercely. They were combining Garu spells that turned into a fierce gale. Minako was unable to hold her ground and she was thrown off her feet, her back hitting a tree. "Ugh…!" She winced and looked up, now seeing the Enslaved Beast pounce on her. Her eyes widened as everything moved in slow motion…..
"Aegis!" Dragon appeared in front of Minako with Belle Star. Belle Star's Shield protected the two of them from the Enslaved Beast's attack, causing it to rebound as a result. "Worry not, you are safe now!"
"W-What…?" Minako's eyes were wide for a different reason now. Who was this girl in a kimono, and where did she come from!?
"Zorro!" Mona bounced forward as Zorro appeared, swinging his saber in a Z motion. This prompted a Garu spell; the whirlwind caught the Jupiter Eagles by surprise, throwing them off to the side.
"Captain Kidd!" Skull had his eyes trained on the Jupiter Eagles. Captain Kidd appeared in front of Skull, his arm cannon pointed forward. Skull pointed ahead and the Captain released a bolt of lightning from his cannon. The Zio flew forward at high speeds, striking the Jupiter Eagles down in a single shot. "Got ya!" It felt good, but boy was that exhausting as well!
"Other Persona users…?" Minako was surprised. It was then that Rei came over to her, using her healing powers to ease the girl's injuries. Noir, Zen, Queen, and Violet stood in front of her, just in case a Shadow attempted to attack in the chaos.
"Are you alright?" Rei asked Minako, who winced a little from the healing.
"I…I think so…" Minako replied with a small hiss of pain.
"Robin Hood!" Crow went on the offensive, using Robin Hood to fire an arrow of Curse Magic at the remaining Enslaved Beast. The Beast jumped to the side to avoid the arrow, but it was surrounded on all sides despite that.
"Carmen!" Panther called as Carmen appeared in front of her. She flung a fireball at the cornered Enslaved Beast, and the direct hit was enough to wound it severely. If it was Hectate, or even just a stronger spell, she could've handled it. "Not enough…!"
"Leave it to me!" Joker used his grappling hook to latch onto the nearby tree, pulling himself forward and into the air. Arsene appeared by his side, before the Persona flew forward, crashing into the Enslaved Beast to take it out. "There!" Joker landed on the ground afterwards. They cleared out the enemies.
"I'm not picking up anything nearby." Oracle reported. "I think it's safe now!"
"Whoa…" Minako let out a sigh of relief. "I'm saved. Thank you. Um…are you guys Persona-users too?"
"Indeed. It appears you are one as well." Crow said.
"To think there are additional Persona-users here. I sense a mysterious fate linking us." Fox stated.
"You sure surprised me! You have such elaborate masks, I thought you were enemies for a second." Minako admitted.
"The enemies we've encountered so far do have masks on them, don't they…?" Dragon thought back to the Jupiter Eagles…
"Ahahaha…Yeah, I guess we do look pretty weird from other people's perspective." Panther said with a sheepish laugh.
"Oh, no no! I think they're pretty stylish!" Minako smiled. "They show off a lot of personality! Ah, right. I haven't introduced myself yet! My name is Minako Yuki! It's nice to meet you all!"
"Nice to meet you, Minako!" Rei smiled.
"It's nice to meet you as well, Minako." Noir gave a polite smile.
"So, I have a question." Minako tilted her head, observing the the Phantom Thieves, and the stark contrast they had to Rei and Zen. "It's not just your masks, but all your outfits - they kinda make me think of phantom thieves."
Compared to Rei and Zen, who had no idea what Phantom Thieves were, this made the Phantom Thieves actually tense up for a moment. "Oh, shit…this is bad! We can't have her figuring out who we are-!"
"Uh…who you are…?" Minako had no idea what that meant. It only resulted in more questions…
"Skull, you moron! Stop digging our graves!" Mona said with a harsh whisper.
"How…do we explain this?" Queen looked at the others. Clearly, Minako was from their own reality, at least, as far as they knew. She could use a Persona after all!
"We're just…cosplaying as the Phantom Thieves." Joker lied.
"Smooth." Oracle face palmed. But it was the best he could come up with and she couldn't blame him.
"The…what?" Minako was even more lost than before.
"Wait." Dragon tilted her head. "Do you…not know about the Phantom Thieves of Heart?"
"Nope. Never heard of them." Minako shook her head.
"But…really?" Violet blinked a few times. The Phantom Thieves were branded as criminals in the eyes of the law and to all of Japan. "Everyone's talking about them online and on the news!"
"Is she really unaware of them?" Crow mumbled.
"Uh-uh." Minako shrugged her shoulders. "I watch the news pretty regularly, too."
"This is strange…" Noir shifted about. The Phantom Thieves were the most infamous criminals in Japan right now…
"We shouldn't complain for now." Crow said. Minako's cluelessness about the Phantom Thieves was a good thing.
"Yeah…I guess we should be grateful." Mona nodded.
"WHOA!" Minako suddenly exclaimed, staring at Mona. "A talking cat!?"
A bit slow on the reaction time there. Mona's jaw dropped. "What!? You're just NOW realizing this!? We were fighting together just a second ago!"
"Whoops, sorry!" Minako gave a smile. "I guess this cat is a Persona-user, too? It still surprises me that even animals can use Personas…!"
"I am NOT a cat!" Mona huffed. "Wait…animals?" What was she implying with that statement!
Before this riveting conversation could continue, Oracle popped in once again. "Uhh, guys! I think you need to hurry back right away!"
"What's wrong?" Violet asked. The sense of urgency in Oracle's voice was concerning.
"Elizabeth is in the background asking 'they're still not back yet' while throwing cards at random gears! And the twins are joining her in it!" Oracle wailed. This was too much for her!
"Elizabeth's here!?" Minako's eyes had newfound life in them.
"Do you know her?" Queen asked.
"Mhm!" Minako nodded. "She's my Velvet Room attendant! Er, wait. Do any of you know what that is…?" Just because they were Persona-users didn't mean they had the power of the Wildcard like she did! At least, that's what she thought.
"She has two attendants?" Crow asked aloud. "She asked us to look for a young man with blue hair and headphones. We found you, a girl with headphones in a similar outfit as she described…are you two related, perhaps?"
"...?" The light in Minako's eyes briefly flickered away. That…didn't make any sense. "Huh? N…No, I don't know anyone like that…" Although, before she could delve deeper into those questions, the soreness of her body and her injuries rapidly caught up to her. The adrenaline pumping through her veins flushed out a while ago. "O-Oh…there it is…." She started to tip over and lose consciousness, but she was caught by Dragon.
"Is she okay?!" Rei panicked. "I did my best to heal her…! Was it not enough!?"
"She's still breathing." Zen could tell by looking at Minako's chest. "I think she's just unconscious…"
"She was fighting for a while all by herself, under such debilitating conditions. It's no surprise." Joker stared at Minako. "It's good timing. We can take her to the Nurse's office and see what Elizabeth and the Twins want with us at the same time."
"Now is as good a time as any to head back." Queen agreed to that sentiment. "Um, Dragon. Are you going to be alright?"
Dragon was struggling to hold Minako. But she gave the team a somewhat strained smile. "D-Don't worry about me! I can…carry her! This is nothing!"
"I'm pretty worried." Panther said with a sweat drop.
The Phantom Thieves found a new ally within this strange labyrinth. The mysterious Minako…one can only wonder what her presence in this place means. For now, they have no choice but to return to Yasogami High and see what it is the Velvet Attendants require of them. Perhaps some answers await them. But with answers, only more questions tend to spring up right behind them….