Fandom Persona 5: The Meta War CLOSED

[Nellancholy]

It was night, but the emerging moonlight that bore down on the group felt to Shiro as if it was the brightest sun, beating down on her, desiccating her like she was some kind of salted meat. The battle had been long, very long. Her skin in the real world betrayed little of the blazing heat that Phoenix had turned upon her and Thrud, but she still felt it. And the bloodthirsty blades of Countess, the thought of whom gave her a chill more severe than the ice that could actually be conjured in the Metaverse. Those mercs just kept coming. Kept entangling them in their affairs. On the street, there were few foes that Shiro couldn't just crush if she put her mind to it. But they were different. Even if she wanted to throw herself heedlessly at them...

She sighed. Her steps carried her a short distance away from the group, amongst the trees. Her fatigued physical state made her recent feelings of being unmoored needle her more than before. She had very little to plan, to look forward to, until her new job and new life began. She didn't generally acknowledge herself as being...unintelligent, but most of her problems up till now were fairly direct, easy to run away from or intimidate if more practical solutions didn't work. But to face this particular palace master, with her knot of conspiracy, and the mercs propping her up...that was far from Shiro's strong point. While the others worked their strength on that front more, she chose to keep her mind on tactics whenever they were brought to battle. But would that be enough for what they would be facing?

As Masami spoke, Shiro allowed herself to answer. "You can count on me. All of you." She didn't let her spine falter for even a moment when she was leading her gang, and she wasn't about to now. "Next time, we'll win like we have before. Not just survive." She craned her neck, turning around as she kept her eye out for Agata.

 

[That Weird girl]

Ann had never wanted to collapse more at the moment. She and the other thieves had fought to the bone in order to get this far. They would soon face off against Hosan and take her treasure, bringing another palace user down. Ann was beginning to realize that she also had fought to the bone and definitely held her own. Maybe she wasn’t a liability to the team after all. Though, she couldn’t afford to let her ego get ahead of her, because they still had to fight to the bone.

Yet that merc who captured Prophet…she reminded Ann of someone very familiar. Someone who she has butted heads against to get a photoshoot. Oh, how that person would get a kick out of her being beaten and bruised. Or at least see the reaction on her face as she was trapped in webs. Ann had a few suspicions on who the mysterious merc could be in her real life. But none of them would make sense except for Sadako, but Sadako was not a fighter...or was she?

Ann was pulled out of her thoughts by Masami giving them praise for their efforts, Ann agreed. The speech was very inspiring and lifted her spirits. She glanced at the team, grimacing at Imato’s wounds. The blond wanted to join in on the inspiring moment.

“Ya, I think we are going to get stronger,” Ann piped up, “considering our last escapade with Kamoshida, we’ve gotten a lot better and more coordinated.” This was true, during Kamoshida's palace, it was true that they were not very well coordinated. The Thieves have noticeably gotten a lot stronger and a lot better at working on a team. She was proud of her fellow thieves for doing better and prouder to be a Phantom Thief. Dying alongside these guys sounded ideal if need be.

"That Mad Monk guy should be a part of our ranks," Ann said to the team, "we could use someone like him honestly." Ann thought of the time in the mobile when Prophet was skillfully driving away from the danger and managing to save Imato. She glanced at the white-haired boy and shook her head, "you know, next time try not to get knocked out." She grew red from Imato being on her lap, clearly Ann was blushing. She did not know how she felt about this, but she knew that she should ignore the feeling because she did not want to cheat on her feelings about Roadkill.

Anthem Azurian Dream Maeve Valor Nellancholy

 

[TreasureSniper]

Frozen pride

Within the steel compound of the metamerc arena, a symphony of weapons clashing with one another filled the air. The battle between Frostbite and Slayer had been raging on for an hour now, with neither side backing down.

After his "defeat" at the hands of Phantom Thieves, the icy warrior was eager to reclaim his glory and needed an outlet to vent out his frustrations. This feeling, it was like a sickness, an obsession. To think his otherwise perfect track record was blemished by this chance encounter. He couldn't let things be as they are. He wanted to take action to right things that were wrong. But even he realized the the futility in this pursuit. The one he desired to defeat the most, Prophet, was already marked by Thunderlord. To defy the will of a fellow MetaMerc is one thing, but to get in the way of the All Father's champion was suicide.

"One way or the other, I will have that damned rematch. So you best watch yourself.. Prophet."

On the other side, there was Slayer, an infamous metamerc who has lost a lot standing as of late. Despite his status as one of top enforcers of the metamercs, he has had an abysmal turn of events over the course of the last month. Failing to finish off Prophet on his first encounter has weighed very heavily on him. While he wasn't directly involved, a handful of mercs blame him for Fixer’s banishment. Apart from that, the younger mercs have also began to stand up for themselves, directly challenging his authority given the chance. The new merc, Jester in particular, was very vexing to him. To think someone so weak, so fresh would be promoted to almost equal his strength.

Slayer clenched his sword, covering it with flames of darkness, summoning the 8 shrouded warrior to his side. This is it, today is the day Slayer will finally best Frostbite, putting the hero wannabe it his place once and for all. Thanatos remained by his master's side, concentrating curse energy into its mouth. Meanwhile, the spectral minions closed the distance, firing smaller beams of cursed energy towards their opponent from multiple directions with coordinated precision. Slayer had been training for a confrontation like this, he won't let the past repeat itself.

"This circus keeps on getting more and more clowns. I'm sick of this. All of them with their quirks. I'll get stronger and one day, I'll crush them all, meta merc or phantom thief."

With feline like grace, Frosbite weaved through the blasts, dodging deadly beams that are just centimeters way from his body. Using his Ice affinity to his advantage, Frostbite froze the ground, allowing himself greeting mobility, while also creating ice platforms to change directions mid air. Despite being on the defensive, this was exactly where he wanted to. To test his limits, his instincts, to go further beyond.

While the battle rages on, the team on the observation deck continue to monitor the two combatants, making sure that they are both adhering the perimeters set by overseer, Maestro. He seemed rather pleased with both combatants, seeing that both of them were fired up for their own respective reasons.

While slayer’s character leaves a lot to be desired, his usefulness as an enforcer leaves a lot to be desired. But even so, he needed him to remain strong enough to be useful.

On the other end, Frostbite while a formidable fighter still needed time to mature his personality. His newfound obsession over the Prophet is a notable factor in his surge in motivation. However, Maestro recognized that this obsession could lead to complications. Sooner or later, Maestro will need to address this behaviour, lest it be addressed by someone who was a lot less civilized.

Peering into another section of the arena, Maestro could observe a hotrod-clad fighter hard at work through the obstacle course. Roadkill, arguably the fastest of the new-gen mercs, had always been the more laid-back metamercs, often not taking things too seriously. But something was different about him today.

Having just acquired a new weapon, the speedster would put it to good use, laying waste to soldier shadows that stood in his way. The sound of intense gunfire was ever-present today, deafening to most but for road kill it was only slightly louder than his Persona’s motorcycle engine.

Zooming past the bullet riddled soldier shadows, Roadkill left a trail of empty lead casings and skid marks. He was on roll today, going through the course in record time. Normally, the merc would be overjoyed by this, but his mind was preoccupied with something else, which explained his lack of usual chatter.

“Why…would she tell me that? Why me of all people?”

Frustration and confusion filled his mind as he continued forwards, decapitating a soldier with a well placed kick, using the momentum to latch onto a nearby wall and began scaling it, utilizing his new skates. The remaining soldiers struggled to land their shots, with their target becoming increasingly more evasive. Seconds later, their attacks were reciprocated in kind by the speedster, bringing to bear an onslaught of bullets from his guns, both of which were glowing red hot. And yet no matter, how many of them he took down, he couldn’t get rid of this sinking feeling in his heart. He was feeling helpless, and powerless in this situation.

“If things keep going the way they are now..she’s going to..”

His thoughts went back on the day she decided to reveal to him about her other life. He warned her the best way he could, but was that really enough? Could he have been more sterner? Some stronger words to push her away from such a life. And now their friendship was in an awkward spot because of that interaction.

Eventually, Roadkill would find himself before the final obstacle to the finish line. A disaster shadow, cerberus. A wild shadow that is difficult to subjugate but an ideal monster to fight against. While the merc has fought larger opponents, it was always alongside his teammates. Despite being alone, he knew the same rules still apply when engaging an adversary such as this.
Clearing his mind of distraction, Roadkill took a deep breath, turning off the engine mounted on his back for a short moment. Closing his eyes, he visualized an image that always puts him at ease, a green field that stretches as far as the eye can see. A place where he could crawl, walk or run to his hearts content. Only this time, it looked a bit different. He could see something on the horizon, the vague silhouette of a person.

Roadkill smiled behind his mask, getting into the a sprinter’s stance, the roar of his ignition filled the arena. Blackrider materialized to his side, popping a wheelie as the fires from his bike enveloped his master.

“I will find a way.”

With determination, Roadkill bolted forward, breaking the sound barrier in the process. No matter what challenges may come, he knows what must be done.

---

The ride to Inokashira Park seemed longer than Baron had expected. Cruising through the metaverse on his bike, he couldn’t help but think back the conversation he had with Gecko. The sense of uneasiness, conflict and hesitation had crept into cold-blooded Baron.

Riding his motorcycle through the open path of the park in the metaverse, his eyes wondered to the rear view mirror where he would spot the hilt of the storm sword mounted his back. He couldnt help but think back to the times he had spent with Ace. The countless hours he had spent training under him, clashing blades and sometimes ideologies, it was only natural that he would adopt some aspects of it.

Ace was a hero, something that was largely mocked by the majority of the metaverse netizens. But even so, none can deny his strength, his dedication and his kindness. While he himself is gone, his actions and legacy still remained, honoured by individuals who have been touched by his deeds, the Samaritans.

While Ace tried to steer Baron and his compatriots onto the righteous path, he never did so with an iron-grip, only providing when needed but ultimately letting them choose their own path. While its master its gone, the weight of the blade and its legacy was something Baron did not enjoy carrying with him. A constant reminder of what he had lost in exchange for choosing his own path.

No matter how much he wanted to deny it, Baron knew it in his heart that Ace would not approve of this. Recklessly endangering individuals in the pursuit of a selfish desire, just like many of the targets they have taken down in the past.

Upon closing in to the agreed meeting space, Baron deactivated the metanav, allowing the motorcycle to appear in the real world next to a bench covered under a resting hut. Parking the motorcycle to the side, he removed his helmet and began unpacking a care package he had prepared in the case of the emergency, laying everything out on the table. It had all the latest medication from Tae’s clinic. While he was not privy to the current condition of the phantom thieves, he had his suspicions, based on the fluctuations of their vitals from earlier that they must have came back from combat with strong opponents.

“I am parked at the resting hut near the lake. Medical supplies are ready if necessary.” His response was brief and curt as always.

 

[Azurian Dream]

~Function & Tact~

"Well, that was more than we bargained for in our goals today," Dascal lethargically groaned as he slipped slowly onto the bean bag in Futaba's room. He watched his adoptive sister go to town on her computer, chugging an energy drink down like a champion as she went supersonically on her keyboard. He was frayed out, and while his wounds were gone thanks to the metaverse medicine, the pain, along with the bloodless, had sapped out all he had. Yet she was still trucking along even after all the first-time boots-on-the-ground scares she had been hit by.

A serene smile appeared on his lips. He had a lot of concerns about letting her be a legit targetable member of the plans, but he had been happy to see how much she had proven of herself... even if it was at the cost of a mini heart attack with some of the things she had told him she had pulled off of course. However, Swan had been instrumental in her success in blooming out into the social world of responsibility/chivalry, and he owed the crow-skulled girl a lot for that.

He turned to the whiteboard he had been furiously at work on, seeing what had caused the plan to go sideways and hilariously go right back up. At the halfway point, everything unpredictable had hit. Crow's extremely powerful hate for Swan, along with the very psycho boyfriend vibes at Baron, Countess's unique transforming form Persona, Syren's hatred of Baron, someone named Kaiser, the unknown underwater beast tendril creature they were now fully aware of, and atop that... a three-part palace ruler... it was a lot to take in.

While this cleared up many Metaverse tangles, it now knotted the fabric of their real-world evidence. Kagura Koga was no longer a viable suspect of being HoSaOn. Yet that also twisted the issue of her role in all this. She had extensive knowledge of psychotic breaks and was even able to read the Tragedys system so efficiently, but she was a business owner. Atop that, she was rather melodramatic apparently while Tragedy and Swan fought this Riot person. It was almost as if she was losing will during the botched cornering... and she had won with a nuke over their heads.

The Phantom Thieves were not as organized as he had initially thought. No matter how well he had tuned it to work, every plan went wrong. They were not professionals, they were not fully coordinated, and they were not all there. Yet...

"Yet most impressively... they turned the tide nonetheless. They stood by each other's decisions no matter how undermanaged or underskilled. Operations-wise, they are not cohesive at all, but past that, they worked off each other and trusted one another. That unbreakable will of bond to one another allows them to work off their mistakes and faults. Though when Swan gave commands, I noticed a sudden structure of elevation of efficiency spike up... there pretty insane all things considered," Dascal spoke aloud, letting his head gently lay against the bean bag as he watched his sister with an upside down view as she turned around on her chair.

"So they're precisely like us, is what I am hearing. Hehehehe, good thing we found them then, bro. Let me introduce you to Big Sis Swan; I think the overall sexy tight-skinned Panther, if I am honest, those pigtails are way too familiar, and... grumpy bug Tragedy... pre-wounds," Dascal lowered an eyebrow in confusion before righting himself up to be introduced... to the true identities of Swan and Tragedy. After all, he had already discovered Panther's Identity through the bizarre world of a talking cat, Mona; thus, that didn't have much impact as more of a confirmation.

Having hacked directly into Ms. Koga's cloud device, she could worm her way into Koga's office computer before spoofing her actual address from it. From there, hacking the wi-fi established at home was simply a matter of minutes.

"Rookie mistake using her personal computer to hide this little dreary secret blackmail of hers," Futaba nodded to herself while wagging a finger disappointedly. Though the fact Futaba had pulled it off didn't surprise him, what indeed took Dascal for a loop was the faces that were now on her screen.

Masami Ogawa, and Imato Makage. Dascal froze at their images momentarily before a hand gently rubbed his chin. Futaba, noticing the sudden change in the air, gave her brother a look.

"Something on your mind?"

"I know both of them."

"Wut?"

"They both go to Shujin Academy, a year under me. I met Masami at the library while she was trying to decrypt something. At first, I thought it was an elective project, but now I see I was wrong. I helped her handle something, I assume, under her phantom thieve belt, though I did hang out with her a few other times as well, and now that I think about it, I see that she did have some oddities to her. As for Makage, well, it makes sense now how he was able to go so heavy toe to toe with me in the gym," Dascal expressed, going over his memories with both of them, trying to initially pull out anything of a weave of sense about all this.

"How does that make sense of a boy's fight... wait a second, have you been dating a girl behind my back... THE BETRAYAL BIG SIS," Futaba was serious for a moment before becoming a bit melodramatic, dropping her head onto her desk as she lazily punched it a few times.

"Still siblings, and your 15 Futaba."

"Guh!!!... Not by blood though," Futaba lunged back as if pierced by a verbal arrow of defeat from that point out.

"Well, as you know, we get super strong in the metaverse, but that strength doesn't transfer back into the real world. What does is muscle memory. He had a fully formed combat style for someone his age like me. Not to say, with great practice, a teen could get to that point, but when we spoke, it was clear to me his life was rather shambled too much a mess to commit to something like that, but with the addition of the Metaverse fueling him, it now makes sense how he is lightyears ahead like myself. The metaverse speeds up growth processing and mental ability, resulting in combat style improvement on steroids," Dascal explained, pulling a chair up as he thought things over.

"Can you kill it from here?"

"No... that's the problem. It's a two-part program. If I just kill the computer version, it will trigger the phone version to send the message, and the same goes the other way around. Koga's using her phone as a timer and a secondary mail-out system. I have to kill both at the same time, which means... I need to be connected to both at the same time wirelessly," Futaba mumbled, sitting upright in her chair again, unhappy about the inability to finish it here and now.

"Sounds like we have some work tomorrow."

"You gotta idea?"

"Well, you just need a wireless connection to her phone. Given that she has to keep it online, all I have to do is get close enough to her long enough for you."

"To ping in, and hack and then BAM shotgun them both," Futaba smiled wildly, mimicking a shotgun blast on her chair before spreading all her limbs out as if she had been shot, spinning her chair before jumping dead onto the bean bag from earlier.

"Exactly."

"So should we tell them we got out for them," Futaba asked, pulling out her phone. Dascal mulled over that moment, clasping his hands together as he leaned back in the chair. That was a rough question to answer.

"Probably shouldn't for now until we accomplish it, at least. Atop that Swan, in particular, is dangerously smart, as is that Cryptic kid. We bring this up, and they might question us into a corner about the potential reveal of identity. They might be able to ascertain that we know almost all of their identities, minus Cryptics. The kid is surprisingly the sleuthiest of them all, oddly enough. Even if by accident in the process they might not see it in a good light," Dascal admitted with a side nod, though, to be fair, had it not been for Baron, he wouldn't have known Shiro was Heartbreak, which still bothered him as well.... why would he change their identities, and were they aware of that.

"So we wait to tell them after this is accomplished, the palace itself, I mean?"

"That would be the best route because we can have a calm setting after victory to discuss everything when everyone's heads are cleared. Doing it during this is risking a bow already tensioned tightly. We might accidentally snap an arrow into our own shoulder," Dascal waved a hand. It's not exactly how he would like to do it, but the Phantom Thieves already had enough on their plate from this palace; potential mistrust was too dangerous to add to the pot. They needed a game plan for tomorrow on how to kill-switch Koga's insurance over Swan & Tragedy.

.........................................................................

~Icey Burnout~
Maeve Valor Nellancholy Anthem That Weird girl TreasureSniper

"Strangely, he shouldn't even still have that mouth wound," Isao pointed out before expanding on his comment as he winced in memory of Countess-bladed thorns stripping at his more petite frame.

"The power of our persona and Takemi's medicines should have sealed it like the rest of them... maybe that Countess truly is Kuchisake-onna, and Imato has been mentally infected to the point our modern ways can't heal. However, Masami still has hers from her fight with the unknown element Riot, making it vexing. It's almost like they are mentally blocking the supernatural healing process," Isao mumbled in response to Mona, drained very much from the excursion they had survived. Though he should have been joyous upon the revelation of proving the mothman real as a meta merc in disguise, he didn't have the energy to go into one of his ramblings on the occult.

Instead, he was slung over in a daze as he slowly pulled out a go-gurt from his pocket, fidgeting with it until the container gave way to the tear, at which point he plopped it into his mouth, letting it hang as he slowly vacuumed out the contents. As they made it to the park, Masami did her best to rally the troop, reminding them that while they were dinged up, they had indeed won the night. Shiro spoke up, seemingly bothered by something on her end, but was still just as proud as ever, singing her assurance of their victory timing.

"You know, it's funny. I remember when we had no idea at all what we were doing. When I ran straight into proving the other side of reality by mad dashing with a crazy blonde calling out some wackos cultist who I had hoped to be part of the eldritch entity Paradox queen... into the metaverse, I was nearly ready to die with a bunch of people I didn't know upon discovering my research-born fruit with," Isao paused realizing he was going into his ramblings again this time surprisingly cutting himself off as he coughed a few times fighting the urge to continue his theories as he got back on point.

"I agree with Masami, Shiro, and... Ann. I didn't know what to think of you guys, but now I agree we will pull this together. I guess this is what it's like to have a band of friends with unplaced/unfounded optimism... probably get us dead, though," Isao mumbled, catching the go-gurt wrapper from his mouth, barely catching it with his sore hand. Isao was so spent that his lingo was normalizing in his weakened state. Yet his words were oddly thankful. Then Ann spoke up about the Oracle and the Prophet. At first, Isao was silent, but he decided it was okay to give his opinion.

"They did give us a lot more open scope. I mean, most of the time, Baron's plans, if not ourselves, point in a direction, and we scream like rabid dogs... to end up causing explosions, getting our rears kicked, and botching into fights we cant manage. Though this time, during the explosions, getting our rears kicked, and botching into fights we couldn't manage... were minimized," he spoke, coughing again as his petite figure was still sore all over his torso from when he had gotten captured by the Bathory Persona's whip-like appendages.

"For once, we also caught them entirely off guard, and they didn't even realize what we were up to until it was too late. We were ahead of them, baffled them, and even countered their own home team tactics... which we had not achieved before. We should effectively think about an operator and a strategist when recruiting, and as Ann said, they fit the bill pretty well. Also, he can drive, and I honestly think we need a legit wheelman... over whatever Masami thinks she is at the wheel," Isao spoke, giving his vote on the thought and a slight jab at Masami's horrendous driving there nearly scared the soul out of all of them.

As they continued, Isao noticed Sougo on a bike near a hut. For now, rest sounded good while letting out some vents of explanation unto what had transpired and could be managed by Masami for now in his mind.

 

[Anthem]

~ Imato

With a few words rambled on throughout the group, the white-haired rogue's attention was finally dragged away from the depths of his own mind and instead back to the situation at hand. He would take a slow breath to cool his nerves, they all had been through hell today... now wasn't the time to ramble on and cause any more worry within their minds. Despite feeling his injuries plaguing his body, he would suck it up and force himself to stand tall like pain was a bygone concept that no longer applied to the moment. A grin would slowly grow onto his damaged visage as he first paid attention to Ann's quick comment of his precarious position after being KO'ed. "I can certainly try. But even you have to admit despite passing out after the second use. That new spell, Freidyne is fucking epic." Perhaps the talk of spells and such wasn't a good idea in public but around someone like Isao who talked cryptics nonstop, maybe it would seem a bit normal to the unknowing ear.

But the advice was still good to follow... Even though it was a nice awakening, he didn't fancy waking up to a touch of embarrassment.

"That is some food for thought." A quick mumble befell his lips as Isao started his report on his observations for the night, the injuries they were sustaining were... more concerning than he'd care to admit. While growing tired and sore of being within the cognitive realm was somewhat expected, to start taking some of the received wounds out with them was starting to make the Fool believe that it was simply more than just cognitive now... it had to be. His lips became pursed and his eyes closed, trying to wrap his mind around the continous development of knowledge from their second lives. The uninjured side of his mouth would rise into a smirk as he would throw his hands and shoulders up into a shrug as the idea of the recruitment of Oracle and Prophet were brought into the mix. "Now that's using the noggin. The quicker we get Mosshead away from the wheel the better ya know?"

The casual walk was brought to an end as more of the group would start to finally spot Sougo awaiting them, this included Imato. "Yo." Doing a little bit too well at acting like injury was the least of his worries, Imato would see a few meds beside the blondie. He would walk over and grab a painkiller, downing it before turning back to the rest of the group. "Any how, I like that way of looking at things. We got the info, and to add to it we gave the mercs a run for their money! We'll kick their asses in due time." Imato's wide grin returned once more, his fist clenched as a fire burned in his cold eyes now.

"Oh great... we got him fired up for battle again..." Morgana mumbled under heavy breath as he trudged along with the group, remaining beside Masami for the most part.

 

[Maeve Valor]

It was a warm feeling. The feeling of having her words be reciprocated with further encouragement. As she looked to each of them again, she back to what Oracle had said. Were these people like family to her at this point? Isao for seemed to be aligning with a similar train of thought as he was by reminiscing the fateful day when he joined the Phantom Thieves alongside her and Imato. He was right, the three of them didn't know the Phantom Thieves personally or even each other for that matter and yet each of their rebellious nature conquered over all other instincts they had within that battle against Slayer and his cohorts.

Gratifying was the word that came to mind after Shiro had spoken first. Masami was thankful that the group had someone like Shiro on their side to rely on. Shiro even went a step further than she did by claiming that the next time they face the MetaMercs they would win. Masami had her slight doubts for the time being, but she did indeed know that she could count on Shiro. So Masami inwardly told herself, that she would try her very best to live up to Shiro's expectations.

Ann had offhandedly brought up a good point. In such a short amount of time, Masami could already notice everyone's skills getting better even since dealing with Kamoshida's palace. Although much like in that palace, everyone was scattered in this palace as well but with some direction, they all pulled together. Yet Masami almost suffered from whiplash with how quick Ann seemed to bring up the next subject, which was possibly recruiting Oracle and Prophet as Phantom Thief members. While the others seemed to be on board with them joining, Masami found that it logically made sense, but... "We don't know them and why do you all keep saying things pertaining to my driving being bad?... also my hair isn't mossy," Masami responded obviously offended by the 'Mosshead' nickname. As everyone spotted Sougo at the same time, they made their way to him and Masami listened more to what everyone else had to say before continuing. "Trusting them out on a battlefield is different from trusting them with our identities in reality. Until we know who they really are, the prospect of requesting them to join us should be put aside. They haven't given us a reason to mistrust them, but that shouldn't be a reason to put our trust in them outside of the Metaverse."

Gently touching the gash down her jaw, Masami checked the wound to make sure that Ann's sewing had held it closed. While it did stay in place throughout their infiltration in the palace, from all the activity, it seemed to have loosened the suture. Among the medical supplies, Masami sifted for the sewing equipment and handed the kit to Sougo. "Thank you for bringing these. Do you mind replacing the suture with a new one? I assume you have done this sort of thing," Masami requested since she figured he most likely had the most experience out of everyone there to be able to do it. Ann was barely able to patch her up before but that was only because she didn't like seeing Masami in pain as she sewed up the wound.

"Before you chastise us, yes we infiltrated the palace and fought against the Mercs again. But that bitch Koga... she knows me and Imato's identity. Both in reality and in the Metaverse. Somehow she has knowledge of the Metaverse, yet is not a user herself. Panther, Oracle, Cryptic, and Prophet even found out that Koga didn't even have a career in the movie industry before Kongo Burst. What's stranger is that Koga accused us of working for some unknown guy that isn't a MetaMerc. Though I bring this all up to say that she has threatened me and Imato to stay in line or else she'll report us to the authorities. With so much in question still about her, we had to go back to the palace. We needed to break down that mental wall, though now I'm not so sure if the ruler is even Koga anymore..." Masami stopped speaking so that it was easier for Sougo to start stitching and gave someone else the chance to take over explaining what has happened if they had anything more to add.

 

[TreasureSniper]

One by one, the members of the Phantom Thieves walked into Sougo’s view. Just from the way they moved and carried themselves, he could tell they were injured, some more noticeably than others. Imato, despite his best attempts to hide his strained movements, was clearly forcing himself to stand strong. His facial wounds aside, the young man’s slight limp betrayed his current condition.

“You’re going to need more than painkillers for your wounds, Makage,” Sougo said, tossing him a small bottle of antibiotics before turning his attention to the other members of the Phantom Thieves.

Shiro had noticeable burn marks, likely the handiwork of a fire-based opponent. Rummaging through the first aid kit, Sougo presented a roll of bandages and some aloe vera ointment.

“Put some of this ointment on your burns and wrap them up, Akiyama.”

Next, his attention turned to Ann, who, like the others, seemed to be on her last legs. He noticed a bit of blood seeping through her white hoodie, indicating cuts on her body.

“Takamaki, I suggest you find somewhere private to disinfect your wounds. They may be small, but they can still cause significant issues if they become infected. As for the bloodstains, they can be removed with vinegar or hydrogen peroxide.”

Then came Isao Yagi, arguably the most eccentric member of the Phantom Thieves. Like Ann, he too had blood seeping through his clothes, though his wounds appeared to cover much of his body. Some of these wounds seemed to have been made with needle-like weapons dragged across his skin. While he likely wasn’t in pain anymore, the wounds would no doubt leave scars and draw unwanted attention from his peers at school.

“That goes for you as well, Yagi. I recommend wearing long-sleeved clothes and pants to avoid unnecessary attention. Also, have Takemi check your wounds in case the weapon used was laced with something.”

Surveying everyone’s injuries thus far, Sougo was relieved to see that Mona seemed relatively unscathed. As he often did, he opened a can of tuna for the cat. Approaching Mona with the can, he gave him a quick head rub while listening to the discussion among the thieves.

He caught the tail end of the conversation: something about allowing the freelancers to join their ranks. Masami was slightly against the idea due to the lack of verifiable information about their identities and character.

“Do not place too much faith in these freelancers. Just because your goals may align now doesn’t mean they always will,” Sougo warned.

Finally, Masami came forward. Like Imato, she had wounds on her face. There was a brief, awkward silence as Sougo registered her presence. Taking a set of medical gloves, he set a suturing kit to the side before gesturing for her to sit in front of him. Gently lifting her chin, he examined the wound, noticing that it had been hastily sewn shut, much too loosely for its size. His gaze shifted toward the surgical stapler gun he had brought, but he decided it would be better to stitch it by hand.

As Masami summarized the situation, Sougo’s growing concerns about their escapades were confirmed. They were indeed injured, having encountered both the metamercs and an unknown third party. Additionally, it seemed likely that both Masami’s and Imato’s identities had been compromised. A maelstrom of thoughts ran through Sougo’s mind. This was one of the few times he had left the Phantom Thieves to their own devices, and this was the result. While it would have been easy to pin the blame on them, the fact that he left them unsupervised with the freelancers was questionable at best.

Once Masami finished her explanation, Sougo remained silent for a moment before handing her a rolled-up piece of cloth.

“This will hurt a bit. Bite into that… you might want to hold on to something too.”

His hands were slightly shaky at first, as he wasn’t accustomed to tending to others’ wounds. Nonetheless, he steeled himself, preparing the preloaded suture.

“I won’t remove what’s already been done, but I’ll add another layer to tighten the hold,” he explained.

Slowly and steadily, Sougo pierced Masami’s skin with the needle, threading the string to close the wound. He maintained a consistent rhythm, aiming to finish quickly to minimize her pain.

“It’s done, Masami,” he muttered, wiping the sweat from his brow as he inspected his handiwork. The wound was tighter now, but something else weighed on him. His gaze lingered on the girl, a strong sense of guilt rising within him. Could he have prevented this? To date, these were the worst injuries they had suffered, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was partially responsible.

Sougo gently wiped the excess blood from her wound with a clean cloth before pulling away. Staring at the bloodied cloth, he wondered how much longer they could endure this. From sores and bruises to cuts, burns, and gashes—what was next? Broken bones? Dismemberment? Death?

“Your achievements thus far have been impressive; that, I won’t deny. But…” Sougo paused, putting aside the bloodied cloth. “They’ve come at a great cost. Your injuries are much more severe than before, and perhaps more importantly, your secret identities have been compromised.”

Removing his gloves, he tossed them aside and applied hand sanitizer to his hands.

“I won’t pretend to care about this palace or its ruler—or the freelancers, for that matter. However, I am concerned about the problems this palace and these freelancers have already caused for you.”

Sougo’s thoughts drifted to Prophet’s promise to protect the Phantom Thieves, even at the cost of his own life. While there was some sincerity in that promise, Sougo doubted someone like Prophet could protect them when it truly mattered.

“Yagi is right. As you’ve noticed, your injuries from the Metaverse are beginning to carry over into the real world, which indicates their severity. You’ll need time to recover. I suggest visiting Takemi’s clinic tomorrow after school.”

For now, their injuries were still manageable, but only time would tell if that would remain true.

“Your psyche will also need rest. I recommend visiting the student counselor to evaluate your mental health. From my experience, spending too much time in the Metaverse can make individuals erratic.” Sougo had seen freelancers succumb to this, and he already suspected that some Phantom Thieves were susceptible to the effects of mental fatigue.

“As for this Koga character… it’s strange that she hasn’t reported on you two yet. Her knowledge of the Metaverse is worrying but still manageable. I’ll accompany you to the palace and help end this once and for all.”

From what Lady Dragonfly had told him, the mysterious third party might be connected to the enigmatic “Financier,” though that was still speculation. Only by launching his own investigation could he confirm his suspicions.

Before they moved forward, though, there was something the Phantom Thieves needed to address.

Sougo’s gaze swept over them, his voice soft but firm.

“Consider carefully whether you want to continue this operation. Your injuries are worsening, and the risks are higher than ever. If this is the end, your story stops here—not as saviors, but as martyrs. Think about what that means for your goals.”

He gave them a moment to absorb his words before adding,

“That said, you’ve shown remarkable skill and resilience. Despite the odds, you’ve made it through again. Whether or not to recruit the freelancers is ultimately your decision—I’ll respect whatever you choose.”

“Regardless, if you decide to pursue this palace further, I’ve already procured new armaments for all of you. They’re at the Metaverse Leblanc. I highly recommend picking them up before your next infiltration.”

Should they wish to continue, they would need all the help they could get. Based on what they had faced so far, the challenges ahead would only grow more dangerous.

Anthem Nellancholy Azurian Dream Maeve Valor That Weird girl

 

[Anthem]

~ Imato

His hand would shoot up to catch the bottle of antibiotics tossed to him, his crimson eyes looking over the bottle. Thoughts raked through his mind for a few moments, and eventually the bottle would be placed into the bag on his back. He didn't need the meds... but he knew people that did and it was a good just in case resource. "It's Imato." The teen grumbled under his breath, while it was a topic that annoyed him it wasn't time to worry about such simple things like names. A roll of the eyes soon came when the mention of the freelancers came into the light once again. They were a valuable member of the last incursion and without their assistance the tides could have easily been in the Shadows and Meta Mercs favor, and the chance of them not making out could've been very possible.

Lips opened to speak but words refused to fall out as his eyes landed on the scene before him as more medical work was done. The albino teen didn't know what was causing him to lose his stride, what was causing his lips to purse and his eyes to squint. After the procedure was done, Imato walked over to the blonde boy and gifted him a light but swift smack to the back of his head. "Geez, don't you know it's weird to just sit there and stare at people's wounds. Next time just treat it and be done, we have enough hemomaniacs to deal with ya dumbass." Venom fell from his injured lips, perhaps it was just a touch rude to the person who just offered them medical assistance but the teen was always one to speak his mind.

"As for the palace. We still have work to do, there isn't any ending it until we get to the bottom of who the ruler is before we do something too volatile to their psyche. Until that triad personality is solved... we have a long way to go. But if I know you lot well enough... We ain't given up." Even though it was painful to speak as much as he was, he needed to get it off his chest. He felt his wound reopening, but that didn't matter, his determination was set.

 

[Nellancholy]

The burns that now covered Shiro's skin were not nearly as severe as the ones inflicted on her spiritually in the Metaverse. But they were still there. If she had the same life she had before, she wouldn't care about whoever might see her injuries, or when. But things were different now, her path diverging. It wouldn't do for her to show up to help out at the shrine with her body injured like this. She quietly accepted the ointment, applying it to the parts of her skin that were visible, as well as reaching under her sleeves to get her arms before adding on the bandages. There was a time not too long ago when assistance like this had to be schemed and sought for, but now it was easier. The stakes were higher, after all. And she was getting the same level of responsibility, if not more.

Agata's statements distracted her from the first aid process, and the heat rose in her again, making her skin feel like it was still being charred. "You know who we are by now." She sighed. She still wasn't used to receiving help from him, in particular. "We're not in this because someone will praise or reward us, or for our own convenience as if we were thieves or swindlers." She seemed to completely fail to appreciate the irony in her statement. "Freelancers or no, we're the ones who'll solve this. We could always choose not to get involved, but now that we have, we'll see it through."

"So...thanks. For the weaponry, to be clear." She allowed him that much.

There had apparently been something of an arms race among her allies that Shiro had largely not been privy to, shielded lance not withstanding. After all, raw power seemed to be enough, until now. But it was time for her to keep up, too.

 

[Maeve Valor]

As Sougo gestured for Masami to sit down, she studied his expression and he surprisingly showed great concern. The missions, infiltrating, these fights, didn't he encourage this? Isn't this what he wanted? It had been evident for a while now that great damage was always a possibility when entering the Metaverse. Masami continued to ponder as he inspected her injury and under normal circumstances, the sensory contact would make her blush. However, in this case, Masami was well aware that this minor procedure was going to hurt thus the anticipation outweighed teenage infatuation attempting to peer out. So to best get through this, Masami took Sougo's advice and accepted the piece of cloth as she noticed he briefly seemed almost jittery. To people unfamiliar with how he acts they probably wouldn't notice, but due to Masami spending much of her time recently with him she was able to catch on. He didn't want to hurt her; it was either that or wishful thinking on her end that he cared about her well-being enough to react in such a way even if for a moment. To cover her basis Masami attempted to subtly reassure him by saying, "I'll be fine, don't mind me and just do what you need to. If need be later on, I can always just go to Takemi's clinic and seek assistance there to fix me up."

With each pierce, Masami resisted flinching though thankfully Sougo did indeed make it quick. "OW THAT REALLY HURT LIKE A BITCH!" Masami thought very loudly as she threw aside the piece of cloth that helped get her through this task. When she looked back at Sougo, she couldn't help but tilt her head in confusion as she watched Imato lightly smack the back of Sougo's head. It seemed... odd to say the least since she didn't notice Sougo's gaze prior to the smack. To her, it just seemed like he was looking over his work rather than a lingering look.

Masami then listened to the rest of what Sougo had to say. Some of it confirmed her previous thoughts that he was concerned, though by the way he was expressing it, it seemed like he believed they were biting off more than they can chew. To some degree, he wouldn't be too far off but Masami rather be damned than accept defeat and let this palace continue its existence. "Not much considering is necessary. Shiro is right, I agree with her and Imato. We started this venture, so we are not going to quit now. We just need to know what the hell is going on. I think we are so close to figuring it out and finding the missing pieces to this puzzle."

 

[TreasureSniper]

With each Phantom Thief's reply, Sougo frustration grew more and more unbearable. Hearing them dimiss his warning trivially had rub him the wrong way, so much his signature stoic visage was starting to crack. He wanted warn them again once more, he wanted to lash out, to beg them to abandon this quest or at least be more reasonable and cautious with their approach.

Sougo gaze towards Imato injuries and then lingered over Masami for a bit. These were simple scratches and bruises that could be hidden and patched up easily. The desire to inflict righteous retribution swelled within him, a feeling all too familiar to his old ventures in the metaverse.

Sougo fingers twitched a bit before clenching into a tight fist. This was it. He needed them to know that he wasn't playing around this time, that despite their relationship as investor, he did not wish to see any misfortune come to them.

Aion's voice chimed in within his mind scape, trying to his voice a reason during this brewing emotional turmoil within the young man.

"No matter what you say, they won't listen to you. It is in their nature to follow through with these goals and actions….You of all people should know that by now."

Sougo gritted his teeth, frustrated by this situation. He didn't want them to get hurt, not from situation that he had a hand in. But even so, he knew they wouldn't budge from their own desire and goals.

Before he could form a coherent thought, Imato's playful strike had sent a jolt of adrenaline into the young man, immediately prompting to swiftly turn around and retaliation.

The sound of wood cracking echoed through the park, silencing insects sounds and scaring away whatever animals were nearby. Sougo's fist was planted firmly next to the now battered pillar of the hut. Sougo himself was breathing heavily, as if he was struggling to catch his breath. Blood began to flow from his hand, a wound inflicted from punching such a tough object with his bear hands.

It took sougo a full few seconds to realize what he had just done. He pulled his hand away, now bloodied and bruised with some splinters in the wound. "I….apologize. It was a reflex." Sougo said in a rare sincere town before giving imato an apologetic bow.

Taking a moment to take out a pair of calipers, he began the arduous process of removing the wooden debris from his injured hand.

Having a few seconds to think of what to say next, Sougo finally allowed his logical side to shine through again. "I…do not agree with this plan of action. It poses too much risk towards all of your wellbeing."

Sougo sighed, pouring some alcohol on his wounds showing the group a face of great displeasure. "But even so…, I have a duty of care towards all of you. As a member of the student council and more importantly as your investor."

As he wrapped his a bandage around his hand, he turned his eyes towards them once more, returning to his stoic self. "I will continue helping all of you, for now. But know that even I have my limits."

Aion voice spoke to him once more, giving some parting words of wisdom. "That will do for now. But soon you will have to make your decision as well…To stand with them….Or leave them behind."

 

[Anthem]

~ Imato

Nothing was supposed to come from the playful strike, maybe a small reaction or a few words to go against the claims he made after the quick placed hit. Certainly not the reflex reaction from Sougo. Crimson irises shrunk as his eyes widened when he saw the blonde's fist rearing back, quick footwork allowed the injured boy to move aside as his eyes like daggers remained trained on the one who threw the punch. Unlike his heavy and unsteady breaths, Imato's were bated only released as the realization flowed through his mind that it wasn't intentional. The thoughts certified by the tone and bow from the blonde.

The reaction was all too similar to one he'd have in a situation as this, and Imato hated how true this was with his realization. But it did allow him to understand the position Sougo was placed in despite his dislike for the fact. Gritted teeth were shown for a moment as he readjusted after the sudden shift from his own reaction, soreness was already starting to kick in from the intensity of their activities, luckily the painkillers were dulling the sting even though it was by a small amount.

"We understand that Agata, but just listen for a moment. You said it yourself, you care due to your position as member of the Student Council at Shujin. Then you have to understand why what we're doing is important." Pulling his phone from his pocket and opening it with a flick of his wrist, Imato brought up a few screenshots of articles about the results of their past escapades. "Kamoshida, Suzuki. They could've been bad news for the student body if we didn't step in and kick their asses. Dealing with these palaces has taught me the effect, the power a palace ruler can have if they're left unchecked. So while the school may not be involved now, shit could get worse if we just say fuck all now." With a sigh, the albino teen would slick his hair back and rub his head a bit to quell the headache that was brewing within his mind.

"We're far from being heroes, but we have people relying on us to deal with these rulers. To be better than them and bring them to justice. So as far as I'm concerned, we'll be back at it here soon."

 

[Maeve Valor]

Jolting from the sudden punch, Masami was about to say something until she saw the look on Sougo's face which yet again surprised her since he seemed surprised with his own action enough to even apologize for the outburst. Imato was the first to respond and Masami nodded a few times to what he had to say since she agreed to most of it. Though she had her suspicions that him claiming that he cared as a concerned student council member was a poor excuse for why he cared although she didn't blame him. Heck she herself will most likely be thinking about how Oracle had compared the thieves to being family for her and she knew she would refuse to utter a word of this self-reflection to anyone. So for the time being, Masami thought it best to be left alone yet lend an ear if needed.

"Imato has some good points, this is who we are and your input on the matter is understandable. I'm not sure if I can speak for everyone but I believe we are thankful to have you looking after us like you have. Just keep in mind that certain risk will always be present with the way we are being led on how to get stronger." Masami held her gaze before continuing on. "I should head home, it's starting to get late. I suggest the rest of you do the same. And Sougo... call me if you need any more information with the events of today," Masami accidentally let slip saying his first name before starting to walk away.

 

[Nellancholy]

An ugly, rasping cough escaped Shiro's lips, as she couldn't help spitting out a bitter laugh at Agata's speech and his little display. Street thugs were always like that. Wasting their strength on intimidation, getting into each other's faces and trying to get the other to start trouble first. As if it was more justified to hit back...or they were just too cowardly to take the first hit. Though of course, she often used similar tactics to keep the heat off her "sisters". In any event, there was little to be trifled with regarding a fellow who could do that to an inanimate object...and to himself. "W-worry not, Agata." It would take a bit longer than this for her to recover and be free of the smell of charring and burning invading her lungs. "You are welcome to continue offering only what you can from your...coffers. But we survive, with or without an 'investor'." Was it ungratefulness? Or the will to survive, even if independent and cut off from all aid? "We are called 'thieves', after all. We can take without being offered." She had a mild distaste for the title, but she did not disagree with it. Beg, borrow, or steal in the name of survival, she was quite familiar with the concept.

"I'll be going then." Her burnt skin stung as she stood up, making to depart. "I suppose I needn't inform any of you the time of our next meeting. More often than not it is our generous investor who sets the schedule, after all." Even so, she made sure to check her phone periodically after. It would soon be time for her to move in at the Hie Shrine and begin her duties.

Honest, hard work, something that she hadn't had to deal with in her life. Hopefully, the affairs of the palace's master and the mercs would not interfere with this...

 

[Azurian Dream]

~Calling it a Night~
Maeve Valor Nellancholy Anthem TreasureSniper That Weird girl

For most of the doctoring going around, Ann had quietly shuffled over onto a bench, plopping onto it with a small mewl of pain as she got to her own wounds. She swore the next time she had a swing with that Spider, she would burn it to a crispy pummel with her whip before pepper spraying it into oblivion with her SMGs. Hilariously, she gave a thumbs up to Imato's violence before giving a thumbs down to Sougo, suggesting they quit the palace, and thumbs back up to Isao, who motioned for Masami never to get behind the wheel again.

From there, she went back and forth between falling asleep and growing a scowl on her fast as Isao kept nudging her to stay awake. How was a girl to get her beauty sleep in all this action madness? She did catch what Sougo was putting out there, and for some reason, that caused her to turn to Shiro as she remembered how this journey started... actually, now that she thought about that, there was something back then that was now starting to bother her.

"Not to be ungrateful, but I think I will pass on the Councilor... you know, since you are the student council member who probably has access to it. However, I am unsure if you would break the tap on the confidential doctor-patient oath... I do know I don't like psychiatrists," Isao pointed out, not liking the idea of giving someone an unnecessary look into their brain. Not only that, Sougo called himself an information broker for a reason: he was keen on gathering intel. Their psyche was in fact, intel he could use. Also, in truth, Isao just had too much of a sour taste for people gauging his obsession with the unknown as a mental problem... his passions were not a problem.

As Isao's mind floated out of the scenario with him sitting next to the laid-out Ann, Ann found that sinking feeling in her gut when Shiro spoke up again. What was she trying to put together? From there, things were pretty par the course of conversation, feeling again like a group of teens who were just that... a group of teens chatting about their actions of late. Things were lightening up a bit with Imato playfully hitting Sougo on the... BAM. The sudden sound of flesh imprinting wood jolted both Isao and Ann from their stupor-drained thoughts and states as they all turned to Sougo.

Ann listened to what Sougo had to say as she forced herself to sit up on top of the bench table as blood spooled from his self-acquired wound. When he spoke about his duties to them as an investor and student council member, Ann's eyes suddenly opened back up with a weight that made her inertia-sinking feeling come to a halt... she finally realized what was bothering her. She bit her lips softly and kept it to herself for now. She would need it. No, she wanted to talk to Shiro later about it.

Isao, in turn, took out his notebook, writing down the last bit of what Sougo had said about limits. Circling the last word in particular as he thought of the boundaries that kept many a cryptid trapped in certain areas or an ankle monitor that limited what a house arrested for drunken disordered clown could be kept to. Things with limits had reasons for those limits after all... so what per say happened to the investor to earn his?

Isao was starting to realize in the hype of finding the metaverse and expanding his research; he had not kept an eye on the mystery in front of them all, Sougo Agata, or better yet, Baron of the Metaverse... Everyone gave their thoughts on the matter as they all started to prep for to leave a strained taste in the mouth of bitter victory, and sour caution stung by Sougo's concerns. Ann in particular started to feel her head jumble at Shiros response.

"If we let this palace go to full bloom now, no one will give Asahi the peace he's longed for. Doesn't he deserve a student council to prove his innocence from shameful judgment," though how he said it came out weird, it was clear what Isao was getting at. Judged and left by society, Asahi was like them, left and ignored in the dark, but unlike them, he couldn't swim in it. He was left to sink into the abyss, trapped in his own mind, a toy for someone to shame and bury.

"His parents and friends were left to think he attempted to commit suicide, all left to feel guilty as well, thinking they didn't do enough for him. The fact points all of them to shame that has burdened them. Burdening others is rough for good people... I would know... my parents haven't had it easy with me and my passion. There isn't just one victim in this matter, after all... it's never just one," Isao quietly whispered, standing up, his wounds properly tended to as he dusted himself off, giving his friends his empty face as usual.

"As Phantom Thieves were meant to steal back for those wronged from those who wronged them. Well, I want to steal Asahi's voice back, so I am voting with the others. I want to continue this," Isao gathered his things as Ann watched him head off, surprised by his vocal approach given how he was usually only long-winded in talks about statistics or cryptids.

Ann had nothing to add, though her opinion was pretty well known to be more always towards the positive forward motion; however, she was quick to chase after Shiro, scribbling on a piece of paper she had as she handed the gang girl the note.

"Hey, when you get a chance, can we hang out? just us? I kinda wanna talk about something," Ann mumbled, not wanting to bother Shiro too much as she ran off towards home.

....................................................................................

~The Nightly Call~
(Collab with TreasureSniper )

Late That Night...

This was a rare situation, extremely rare, so beyond the expectation of parameters, it didn't even have a code name in the system for its bizarre happenstance. The burly man Abyss sat outside, plagued in thought over the reports from his team in the happenstances in the black cube that hid the palace from the rest of the metaverse. Sitting on a cargo box, he softly tapped his own majestic forearm. Abyss had only been away for a few hours, and in that time, pure anarchy had hit. Furthermore, the meta merc youths attempted to turn it around aggressively but failed to snatch one of the Phantom Thieves.

Yet it wasn't a loss per se; the decisions made by Crow walloped the Thieves hard, even knocking out one of their numbers before everything was interrupted by the Palace Ruler. Abyss looked up from his hunched stance on that particular thought. It was rare for a Palace Ruler to become so hostile without a threat to their Treasure/Will Seeds.

There was also the unexpected call from Yankii to Crow telling him to close the operation out of the blue. This all led to something curious that he wasn't in the loop for or, more likely, just hadn't been informed cause he wasn't on the scene. With that in tow, he pulled out a small screen device, plastering it onto the black cube as it expanded out to a decently sized screen. With a few runic symbols made by Abyss fingers, a sort of call trigger as the visage of Maestro would soon appear on it.

"I assume you have already seen my report on what was pulled here today by the Phantom Thieves, Sir Maestro?" He spoke in a low, gruffed voice, his usual excitement surprisingly chilled for the moment as he crossed his arms together, knowing some big news was to come. Maestro had already expected this call, though he would have preferred to meet the large man in person. Even so, he answered the call while adjusting his data table in the war room.

"Yes, I have, and we have a lot to discuss," Maestro replied, shifting pieces of the board, sliding and replacing some aspects on the metaverse map.

"Tell me, Abyss. Why were you not present at the time of their infiltration attempt?" Maestro wasn't one to jump to conclusions and, as such, was willing to give the whale man a chance to explain himself.

"As I recall, you were the one in charge of securing this palace..." He knew Abyss liked to involve the fledgling members of the meta mercs in his activities, but he definitely disapproved of involving this many individuals.

"While you are certainly welcome to invite your students, I must remind you that our forces are stretched thin as it is. While it is important for us to remain in the good graces of the Financier, we must not lose sight of our own objectives." The metaverse conflicts were escalating each day. A surge of new factions entered this world, and older ones became much more dangerous with new technology.

"As for the phantom thieves, it seems we may have underestimated their craftiness. I can see why Baron has taken an interest in them. Their ability to manipulate the shadows of the palace without affecting its inner structure and will seeds is certainly...peculiar, but the resort palace itself is full of abnormalities." Under normal circumstances, he would feel a strong need to satisfy his curiosity by having Bruja dissect the palace, inside and out, but she, too, had her own matters to attend to.

"Well, that can wait till later, assuming this palace survives this campaign, of course." As Maestro finished adjusting the last piece on his board, he couldn't help but smile as the table was finally up to date.

"I fear we may have committed too much resources to a relatively low-value resort palace. The financier's disappointment is something we can handle, but the damage done to our forces is not as easily recoverable." Maestro paused momentarily, letting Abyss absorb what he had just put forward.

"What do you think, Abyss?" While his opinion of the matter was clear, he was willing to hear his subordinates' thoughts.

The strategist was clearly hard at work, as shown during the video call. It seemed in the big guy's absence from HQ; specific projects had picked up some big moves that were happening on the maps. Abyss watched patiently, knowing it was best to let the Elite finish before this conversation went full swing, and once the conductor of the meta merc orchestra was ready, the conversation started right on the rising crescendo.

"Making up for a pair of elites in training blunder. Nothing more, nothing less than old ways and all that. Crow is also an Elite in training. Rules dictate I test his ability to lead from time to time, and this seemed like an ample chance to test the threshold of the young prince," Abyss expressed, giving Maestro the full answer that he probably already had the answer to. He was a genius, after all, probably had already placed two and two together, and Abyss didn't need to bore him with the reason or explicit details on an absence to abstain honor.

"However, while I find fault with the actions taken, I must bear the truth that I would have been just as stumped in his shoes. I remember when we laughed about this new group, and now I can honestly say these Phantom Thieves have jumped hurdles beyond most in their starting year. Turning a whole palace on those prior sets is nothing I would have imagined in all my years of experience," Abyss motioned, not faulting Crow's actions as he also took the full brunt of the blame that in his shoes, he couldn't have done any better without of course killing the Palace Ruler. In a standard contract, that would have been the preferred method when a client's shadow turned on them, but like Maestro himself has said, the person behind that client needed to stay in a good grace of light. As Maestro finished his board to perfect, the behemoth was deep in thought.

"I don't know that individual is unpredictable with his "hobbies." As much as I don't care for him, a crash course with him could escalate problems deeper with our operations unforeseeable. I am also very curious about how and why the Phantom Thieves operate here. Given their prior targets, it's strange to me how they got fixated on this one. Let alone someone like Baron would be uninterested in this sort of area," Abyss expressed, sitting down with a sigh as it was a two-way street of complications. Leaving the palace to recollect resources would have a negative impact on those who worked it and those who wanted blood on the PTs. Double down if the PTs were successful for whatever reason they were here.

At the same time, though, their numbers hadn't been growing as projections had hoped, and they had lost two of their own to this group: luck, skill, or by the Baron. Regardless, if this wasn't managed cautiously, someone else could end up a casualty or, worse, create a scenario of insubordination again like Tanuki. This was a rough one as no correct answer didn't leave some form of sting. Both sides had equal cons and pros. The problem was the biggest drill in Abyss's head.

"However, I am concerned about what the Phantom Thieves will gain if they are successful again. Kajik Saito, The Matriarch, and Suguru Kamoshida. Nothing is amazing about these marks, but an unnatural growth has accrued from each one. My students lost a valuable mentor with Fixer fall, and I a old friend. Haze and the Tanuki loss were not lightly felt either, even if by Baron's hands those were in junction to Phantom Thief activities," Abyss broke down his view of it all. This could not be ignored any longer, but Maestro was right. For that very reason, the potential of high loss out of the blue was now a new factor that had to be considered with this bizarre group.

"I think if we don't give this official attention in some capacity, this may come back to haunt us. However, if the Palace was to fall to them, the Financier would more than likely direct his ire at them," Abyss answered.

"It's a shame. Crow's IQ is among the highest of the newer mercs." Maestro himself showed great interest in the development of this particular merc. Apart from the Tanuki twins, the other existing mercs were not quite elite material, at least not yet.

"We shall have to review the footage to see if that was the case, but I shall trust your judgment for now." He held Crow to a high standard, but alas, even he understood there were many things the avian merc had yet to experience.

"A man's ambition should never exceed his worth. While the financier has greatly contributed to our cause, he must remember that we are not freelancers who serve his beck and call." While the previous requests of the financier had been somewhat reasonable, this one was particularly vexing for Maestro. He rarely showed even the slightest hint of annoyance, as the strategist was always known to have an affable demeanor in most interactions.

It made sense to him from a strategic standpoint. To route so many of the mercs into a trivial resort palace instead of fighting the other factions on other, more critical palaces. "As for the Phantom Thieve's motives, it is likely that one of the members of the thieves has a personal stake in the palace ruler. It's the only explanation for why Baron would even bother with it. He is trying to placate one or more of his members....How amusing." He couldn't help but form a slight grin, finding it funny that he would even consider such a gesture.

"Regardless, one thing is clear: this place wastes our time and resources. I would pull our forces back and reroute to more pressing sectors if it were up to me. The shadow soldiers might be a more appropriate asset." At this time, he had already sent a personal request to the All-Father himself, outlining why continuing this endeavor was an unfavorable path of action.

"In this case, it's not about what they gain, more so what we would lose." What the phantom thieves gain from this situation is entirely irrelevant.

"Hmm, the palace itself is worthless, but the financier's ire can be...problematic.." He was at an impasse. Would it indeed be wise for them to risk a few of their sectors to remain in the good graces of the financier?

"Hmm, how can we turn this back in our favor..." While he waited for the All Father's input, he posed an open question to Abyss, wanting to hear if the mentor had any ideas on his side.

"WITHOUT A DOUBT, EXPERIENCE WILL FORGE THAT YOUNG BOY FORWARD HICCUPS IN THE PASSION OF YOUTH ARE A CERTAINITY AFTER ALL HAHAHAHA," Abyss laughed, highly expectant of Crow as well as he returned to his usual self being a bit more boisterous on the call with his signature laugh. Abyss listened to the Maestro converge attention on the Financier nodding in agreement on the terms of partnership over ownership. Though it was impressive to annoy Maestro, a clear sign in the verbiage gave sight to Abyss watching the man on the screen.

Though once the conversation turned back to the Phantom Thieves Abyss, he wasn't so sure, but he kept his thoughts to himself on that. It was clear a request from the top was the decider on the matter as Maestro gave opinion over command... to think this had escalated so quickly... again was impressive.

"I SEE. AS IT IS ABOVE SO SHALL IT BE BELOW AFTER ALL," Abyss nodded, understanding how things could turn out from here. Whatever command came from the top would be followed expeditiously. It was as Maestro said and questioned the bulwark whale of a man. This was a unique scenario that the Meta-Mercs hadn't been in before: a lose-lose situation. They left the Phantom Thieves alone. The Financier would potentially end up with one of his infamous out lashes, but if they stayed, the Phantom Thieves could shack up the already frustrated members of the Elites into a frenzy... one in particular that was.

"Honestly, I would attempt to recruit the Phantom Thieves in full. WE HAVE YET TO TRY DIPLOMACY FOR WORTHWHILE ASSETS," Abyss flexed at the idea of such upstarts being trained. While he had come to love the notion of fighting them, given their moxie, being a well-oiled machine for the Meta-Mercs to grow off of potentially, the thought of training such hellions excited him just as much.

Abyss was indeed a complicated man's man. Yet the problem was that given prior action, such acceptance on mass would not sit well either with the rest of the Meta-Mercs hell, just the one potential recruit he had heard about being a Phantom Thief had its strains... which reminded him War Song had requested his attention on the boy whose application had been made to their ranks.

"However, as far as the Palace goes. BEST NOT TO LEAVE THINGS TO ASSUMPTIONS... ABANDONING A POST IS NOT TO MY LIKING. YET WE MAY JUST HAVE TO LET THOSE THAT BE HAVE THIS BOARD AND HOPE NOTHING MORE COMES OF IT. IF NOT OVERWHELM THE SITUATION IN HOPES TO DISCOURAGE FUTURE ACTIONS AND LEAVE IT AT THAT," Abyss expressed a fear tactic approach vs. a tactic of a gamble. Both are the unfortunate only options given Maestro's higher opinion at play. It was either all in or nothing at all. However, that wasn't to say a mix of the two was also not an option.

"HOWEVER, AS FAR AS DOMINATION ON THE MATTER WHOLE, I SEE NO COURSE UNFORTUNATELY THE MOVES MADE HAVE MUDDLED THE NORMAL TACTICS WE INCORPORATE IN SUCH SITUATION," Abyss spoke, flexing again as he sat down on a container groaning against his mass weight contemplating in a thinking man position.

"Yes indeed, but he requires much more training, tempering, something I will see to personally." An elite in training needed to carry himself better than this. Especially if he was going to devote so much time and resources to them.

"So it would seem." Regardless of what his thoughts were on the matter, he had his orders, and he would carry them out to the letter.

"Diplomacy...might have been possible at a certain point. But unfortunately, their involvement with Fixer's banishment would likely not sit well with most of our existing members." Alas, poor Fixer. Despite their clashing personalities, Maestro had the utmost respect for the now "retired" mentor figure of the mercs. Even he could not anticipate that a less experienced opponent would take out Fixer. But then again, perhaps it was for the best after all, the mentor's age was slowly getting the better of him after all.

"Oh by the by, how was Phoenix's performance in this bout?" Maestro's tone switched back to his usual stern tone just as he prepared a pen and paper, clearly looking forward to hearing the results of his "experimental" procedures.

"There are, of course, expected to be some level of side effects, but it shouldn't be anything someone like Phoenix can't handle." He was a unique subject, after all, a merc that rapidly regenerated health and energy, allowing Maestro to increase the potency of the runes and enchantments.

After listening to the whale of a man's report, Maestro turned his attention towards a message that he had just received from the All-Father himself. While not quite the message he wanted from his superior, he couldn't help but smile a little, knowing he would get some value from this palace after all.

"Abyss, pull the squad the back."Before the whaleman could protest, he would put his worries to ease almost immediately.

"Calm yourself, friend. It is only a temporary measure. I will have one of the ravens watch over the place in their absence." It was unusual for Maestro to offer such a courtesy, considering that the Ravens were completely overqualified for such a menial task.

"I have a few new experiments for them to test out.." If they were going to spend time on such a palace, he might as well get some valuable data from it. And now that the All-Father sanctioned this field test, he knew it was a good opportunity to test some of the more unstable additions to his menagerie.

Abyss continued to listen. Most of what was brought were things signed and sealed by Maestro's decision. Crow factors were discussed with him, and he had nothing more to add. The moment Fixer's name was brought up, Abyss could feel a pang of loss... yes Fixer's loss was felt, but he was alive, which in itself was a grace. Yet even then, given Fixer's mentality, pulling in troubled youths would still be what he wanted. Regardless, he wasn't here anymore, making that mission nigh impossible to push at this point.

What Maestro spoke of was valid; many in the younger ranks would feel that sting for a very long time. The inquiry about data broke Abyss's thoughts. Maestro's bread and butter with his side experiments. Phoenix was a perfect candidate for that after all.

"That sword clearly escalated his magic attack attributes. Seemed even to help push the bounds into a pseudo-second awakening... something I never thought I would see in my life," Abyss admitted. Second awakenings were treated like myths. They were the stuff in legends, with only a literal on one hand accounted for in the Metaverse. To see a youngling like Phoenix trigger one... was intense and yet startling concerning.

"It also seemed to expand his area effect radius. However, it seemed like control of said moves was less manageable than natural growth control. While it bolstered him well, I think he lost handling of it in the process. Though I imagine training will fix that, I wouldn't recommend such an item for on-the-field use, but for performance-enhancing goes it did well past what I think was expected of it," Abyss kept his voice calm more so than usual. Now it was clear he had concerns about it, but wasn't against admitting its results, but as a mentor, there was a lot of concerns to how much it heated up Phoenix's mentality, and control.

"Someone without Phoenix's traits may well have a rougher go straight into depletion, I would wager," Abyss spoke, folding his arms and ending his observational notes. Yet what followed next broke that cross as Abyss was told to pull out. Their was without a doubt a desire to bark back, and reject such a order... yet Abyss realized who had made the call causing the powerhouse to bite his tongue... one never argued with that man. At least a measure was being taken with the Ravens, but now things felt a tad strange... what was the master up to?

"ALRIGHT, BUT I SHOULD WARN YOU A MAJOR MENTAL GAP HAS BEEN FORMED. IF YOUR GOING TO CARRY OUT SOME FORM OF TESTING GROUNDS, I RECOMMEND IT STAY THERE TO AVOID PUSHING THE PALACE RULER TO HARM," The Giant returned to his more natured vocals as he flexed again sending Maestro the new map layout of the middle of the palace.

...........................................................................................................................................................................................................


~Whatever Happen to That Tanuki?~
(Collab with Maeve Valor & TreasureSniper )

A Few Days Later...

White…still white… the walls had been the same bright, piercing white color for over a few days. It was like staring into a blank void except you wished it h was a void to lessen the strain on your eyes from the powerful brightness that plagued his mind…it was a unique silent torture. The darkness would be kinder was all Tanuki could think of as he was chained down in the middle of the room. With only one other individual he couldn't see behind him, the non-stop madness that warped his thoughts was wearing down his ability to think much else. Other than that, all he could think about was his brother… and how he now was paying for not asking him the plausibility of everything that had happened not too long ago.

The chains sung to him jingled the annoying song of screeching steel as he moved in whatever little way he could. He heaved with parched lips as he tried even to guess how long he had been there now… yet the end of this earned punishment was no doubt in his mind soon… or soon he would go blank overall. Who knew silence and the light could be such an effective method of burning someone out… yet the answers he had would remain the same.

Echoing throughout the pristine surface among the sound of the chains came an unfamiliar sound of footsteps leisurely getting louder and louder until finally, the door to the room opened. Drifting into the space revealed a woman dressed in an outfit reminiscent of what one would imagine when thinking of a witch. She wore a long-sleeved, tattered dress with a dark purple tint and a pointed hat to match the aesthetic, yet something was off with this accessory as under the brim of the hat, it slightly glowed. The skin that was seen showed olive skin to match her short, brunette hair that reached maybe an inch below her pierced ears. Tanuki would be familiar with them as an elite who doesn’t socialize with others too often, is stoic in nature, and speaks with brevity. This was Bruja.

As she entered the room, she gave the prisoner a steely gaze followed by… a yawn. Lazily, she closed the door before speaking,

“My nap wasn’t nearly long enough, so let’s get through this swiftly.” Despite her calm entrance and nonchalant behavior, with the wave of a hand, suddenly Tanuki was lifted to the ceiling enough to bend his neck, using the surface to make him look down at the witch with an unseeing force. Yet, a faint purple wisping aura surrounded him as the chains harshly cut into his hands.

“Answer me this: what gave you the sanction to directly oppose the All-Father’s edict of keeping away from anything and, more importantly, anyone involving the Phantom Thieves?”

The restriction hit fast, swelling an immediate adrenaline reaction, reawakening Tanuki's sense of placement… Bruja had returned. Though many feared Thunderlord as the top dog, those of the Meta-Merc ranks knew better… each elite was in their own right to be feared. Yet Bruja was more unnerving than even Veno; there was no predictability, but at least with Veno… you knew how bad it could be. Yet the femme fatale of the generals… you knew not what could come your way… and that's what made being unable to see her all the more menacing… even the yawn, though genuine, had him tense.

“... Yes ma’am. My brother tricked me. He said he had gotten an assignment to bring the demonic clockwork monster Baron down and that the All-Father had granted him special tools,” Tanuki explained once more to Bruja, his hands now bleeding again from his shackles as the Elite bent him to her will physically and mentally. Helplessness… he was reminded of his brother, and though he could endure this, he knew his brother could not. Escalation of heartbeat, interchanging dilation, it was clear he was barely holding together under the weight of Bruja’s might. Yet through it all, he continued, forcing that memory back to dormancy.

“Yet I only knew about the residual essence of Ace’s Persona… I wasn't aware he was carrying a piece of the “cup” nor Ace’s actual storm blade. Had I known he had those… I would have known it was a lie and stopped it,” he finished his report again the same as the countless other times he had to bleed it out to her question… yet now he knew he was near his limits he could feel nausea taking over. The only relief now was if Bruja would accept his truth.

It wasn’t often, but Bruja had done these interrogations enough to know when someone was at their breaking point. She understood that if she pressed anymore, then he would completely shut down and possibly suffer from permanent mental damage even more than what had already been done from this whole ordeal of crossing paths with that traitor.

The witch tsked as she felt disappointed that all this time she had put in had seemed to be for naught. She then released her telepathic hold on the boy, not even caring to look in his direction to ensure his landing was gentle as she started muttering aloud.

“No doubt that ridiculous Black Market owner had something to do with supplying that.” She sighed before continuing to say, “This means I’ll need to add one more task to my to-do list and have a little chat with that damn fox.”

Only now did she return her attention to Tanuki and stated, “As for you, blind faith should never be exhibited, even if it was your brother. You are a hapless fool, but a fool nonetheless. For that, I deem you to be honest for the time being, although I will not be the one to decide how you will be judged for your involvement. The All-Father will assess the facts before coming to a befitting punishment. And considering that I have officially concluded my examination, he will likely be arriving any moment now.” With that, Bruja insouciantly took a seat in midair with a slouch as if she were on top of a levitating invisible chair.

“Feel free to make yourself comfortable as best you can in the meantime.. Or don’t. I do not care either way,” she said in an uncaring tone, matching the action.

As soon as the elite merc finished her sentence, a surge of rainbow-like energy converged into a pillar of power, forming the signature entry point of the ravens of the All-Father. Four figures would step out of the iridescent pillar of light. First, the ravens stepped forward in their signature hivemind-like rhythm, with the Maestro following closely behind. And finally, the one who created this very realm, the All-Father. The leader of Meta Mercs was not known to show any negative emotions, but today, he was wearing a very noticeable look of disgust and disappointment.

The ravens were quick to act, summoning spears into their hands and severing the chain links that held Tanuki, freeing him from his bonds, only to be pinned to the ground on the floor. The ravens, maneuvered their talons to hold the boy’s hands onto the floor, forcing him into a prostrating position, preventing him from ever laying eyes on the All-Father. The ravens would then hold the tips of their spears against his neck, indicating to the boy that any attempt at resisting would instantly result in their demise. This was an unusual show of strength coming from the All-Father, but one which is well warranted considering the nature of the situation.

Maestro stood aside, looking as disappointed as the All-Father. To think, this was one of the people that he had handpicked to undergo intensive training. The only thing he was truly sad about was the result of this treachery. He had thought such individuals would know better than to disobey the All Father’s decree so brazenly.

“....Do you have any notion of the consequences of your blunder?...” The All-Father spoke slightly more raised than usual. Even Maestro was surprised, as this was one of the few times he had seen the All-Father upset over something. Time and time again, one the most basic lessons taught by all meta mercs, was to never trifle with dangerous beings of the metaverse, be it the Reapers of the mementos, the Beasts of Demiruge, or the Angels of the Grail. Beyond the beings of the metaverse, there is one exception: an individual considered incredibly dangerous, whose very existence threatens their entire operation.

Baron.

Any merc that dared engage Baron did so at their own risk, and even then, each and every one of the mercs were taught never to engage him directly unless given express permission from the All-Father himself, something which was only done in person.

“I certainly hope you will not fall back on your supposed ignorance. You should know that the Baron of Mementos should not be taken lightly or stirred up at your own leisure, regardless of your beliefs.” Maestro added, injecting some of his disgust into the discussion.

“Frankly speaking…I am surprised he merely banished your brother. Considering his past, things could have been worse…a lot worse.” While many of the mercs that exist today have never seen Baron as a meta-merc, those who have tend to be very surprised at why he has been so merciful lately.

The All Father turned away from the fallen merc, silently looking at the wall behind them, contemplating carefully on his subsequent actions and providing Tanuki an opportunity to speak. Though he doubted that anything this merc had to say would improve the situation.

Tanuki hit the ground hard, barely able to catch himself with his own hands and feet. She believed him, and that meant… he would live a little longer. He would barely get a moment to breathe normally and sit in a kneeling position, only able to give her a brief look before what felt like peace returned straight to torture… so this was the cost of his brother's desire for peace of mind. The chains were severed as four new entities were brought in. Tanuki didn't have the mental fortitude to register everything at the brink he already suffered.

He only knew the ravens had freed him as he was rammed back down, talons on his arms and spear tips at his neck. It didn't take a wild guess to say Maestro and the All-Father were present. Once the two started speaking, asking him their own variants of disgust and insanity about what had transpired, he could only think of the one thing the questions all had in common… Baron.

“I do,” Tanuki responded no more, no less to the All-Fathers question.

“I know what I was told and shown. I have indeed disgraced myself and my rank. I stand firm though in doubt any of the others of my rank and experience wouldn’t have fallen for it as well with all tools at hand,” Tanuki spoke. He knew he couldn’t get pulled into the direction Maestro suggested that he knew for the moment it sounded like there was any validity he would be banished… or much worse.

The truth was all that was keeping him alive… if a Meta-merc was still useable, they wouldn’t be thrown away, but the moment they were broken goods, especially on this type of blunder… well, let's just say the few stories of the All-Fathers rare cruelty spoke for themselves.

“He’s not the same Baron anymore… some things changed in motion just so slightly. I doubt the only reason I am alive comes not that he was caught off guard by the confirmation of Ace’s fate… but something that swayed him as of late… his Phantom Thieves,” Tanuki spoke. At first, his words might have seemed odd, but Maestro in particular knew Tanuki was just like Syren a survivor of why they feared the clockwork demon. He had seen the original, the thing that was true to be feared in all its nightmarish splendor.

While the three higher powers were no doubt one step away from banishing him just for the wrong thought… he was still handing over a mission report. They all had heard about it. Baron’s murderous streak… had been non-existence of late. His extreme violence warranted a notice in its lessened state… there were only theories, but all Meta-Mercs were taught from the beginning was reading the enemy's mentality based on their actions on the chessboard along with how to hide from your enemy doing the same.

“If I didn’t know better, I would say he's taken an obsession with them. That day I fought him, that was someone who couldn’t be interrupted. His wraith was there, but even when we did damage him, his concerns were about something more to him than his life,” Tanuki spoke. To most who knew Kaiser, or now Baron, they were aware of his loner mentality. A loner never placed themself in danger for another, especially with how Kaiser played. Yet now, with this out-of-nowhere infiltration, it made no sense for Baron to back it up. Even with how dangerous he was, he never pushed into their side projects, yet ever since the Kajik contract and the birth of the PTs, things had… changed.

“It's like you said, the consequences of my brother's stint and fault of my trust should have had him completely on us, but it didn’t. This didn’t bring about anything to him… cause he’s already on a crash course for us. Yet the crash is coming at a snail's pace… but that's already known, isn't it,” Tanuki asked, bringing why he was talking about this to the table to showcase that his worth was still valuable.

There was a reason Maestro had chosen the twins as part of the selection of the elite program. They had talents of deduction atop their unique, disorienting fighting style. He was on the point with something that was currently only at the top. The weight in the room was heavier than that on Tanuki’s neck.

“I understand from this point on I will never climb any higher, that I am now damned to where I stand. No longer seen as an equal to my peers, but trash… but I will still perform my duties to the utmost as I always had before this,” even in his damaged state, he kept his voice proud of what he was… a meta-merc. Undoubtedly, he was still willing to give his all to the father at hand. This was as close to the knife as one could be. Tanuki had to show resolve and reason as to why they could still use him if it didn’t take… it was over.

“And you think that would be enough?” The All Father spoke, still refusing to look at the treasonous merc.

“That blade…it was supposed to be a peace offering.” While he never outright said it, it would be apparent to many close to the All-Father that he did not wish to be enemies with Baron.

“It was a memento of a good friend. But now… you’ve tarnished his memory by using it as a weapon…against Baron no less.” The All Father remained still, tightening his fist in anguish. Like Baron, he also felt great pain knowing their mutual friend’s final memories had been desecrated.

“No…you cannot begin to understand what you’ve done.” The lord of the mercs finally turned towards the prisoner, with Raven forcefully raising the boy’s face to see the visage of a very grim-looking old man. While his face seemed stoic, his eyes conveyed a strong sense of anger and disappointment. Hearing the merc even dare to speak out of turn absolutely infuriated him.

“Maestro, he is your disciple. So I shall leave you to decide his fate. If I were to stay any longer, I may do something I would regret.” The ravens released their grip on the prisoner, throwing him back onto the ground with little care, and made their exit with the All-Father, leaving Maestro and Bruja to deal with the prisoner.

“When I first laid eyes upon you two, I knew both of you would be capable of achieving something the others could not. And you did.” Maestro, knelt down, grabbing the boy by the chin in a gentle manner, speaking with an unusually sympathetic voice.

“You’ve managed to provoke the All-Father enough to deem you beyond contempt.” His mentor would tighten the grip around his chin before releasing it in disgust.

“I am surprised you still think you still have a single shred of pride to argue your position.” The audacity coming from the surviving twin was staggering. Even Maestro was second-guessing his pupil choice, having picked them both for their intelligence more than their raw strength. Maestro’s eyes turn to Bruja, forming a slight sinister grin on his lips.

“Bruja…you’ve been in need of a volunteer recently for your experiments, haven’t you?”

Only now did Bruja express the emotion of curiosity as she raised an eyebrow at her fellow Elite. Up till this point, all of her requests for a human subject had fallen on deaf ears promptly after being declined. The reason was that they were quite… physically demanding to, in good conscience, let someone go through it. Though to Bruja, she was ever so slightly galvanized by such an offer as she accepted and began to explain the experiment in her own way.

“Yes, I have. As we know, this ‘metaverse’ has been made up of one’s subconscious. A person’s true view and emotions of how they see the world can be so strong that they manipulate the area around them, which turns into what we know as a ‘palace’. However, I would like to know if a meta-user like us can balance the border of subconscious and conscious behavior. Would that make them stronger if kept at a certain wavelength?... Tell me, Tanuki, do you normally have a healthy sleep schedule?...”

In contrast to the smirk that Maestro wore, Bruja’s expression was cold and unchanging with her words on the matter. She held the portrayal of what one would assume to be a true scientist in nature. Everything was black and white through her perception as a researcher. If the young mercenary answered no, it would force her to alter the original plan on how to approach this experimentation. But if he answered yes, he would be the perfect specimen, and the tests would go quicker and smoother than the alternative.

There it was the final three strikes to the nail in the coffin. I'm any form of success, Tanuki, and one that stays cognitive in this world. The cost would be vile and an infernal rollercoaster as all that hard work, that intense work, and climb from the bottom plummeted into nothing upon the All-Father and Maestro's words. The pride he had feverishly drained from his soul as Maestro let go of him and allowed him to slump to the floor. Bruja's chilling voice finally crawled up his skin with just one question. The words before it hung in his mind, along with the rumors that always hung around the unknown nature of Bruja's mind.

"Yes, ma'am," etched the words in response that escaped the husk known as Tanuki as he pushed himself slowly back up.

“Hhm,m I see. Well then.. I shall leave him to your capable hands then, Bruja. Let's hope he won’t disappoint us once more. But then again, even a broken clock is right twice daily.” While his expectations for the supposed “erudite” Tanuki twins were all but gone, he was sure that someone as selectively talented as Bruja would be able to use someone like him; after all, even those who have nothing left can still give their lives. Maestro took one of the ravens with him, disappearing in a column of energy, leaving the other one to accompany Bruja until she also wanted to leave.

Bruja briefly looked to Maestro as he walked away and evenly stated.

“No need for concern. With what I have planned, it would be quite surprising if any solecism were to occur because of him.” Once Maestro had officially left, Bruja walked over to the boy and inspected his face closely. For the most part, it seemed she was observing his eyes.

“If I recall, your records show that you have 20/20 vision, no mental illness, and were in top physical condition prior to the incident… Yes, you will fit nicely into ‘that’ project,” as she spoke like she wasn’t even really talking to a fellow human being. It was as if one would speak to an animal specimen in the sense that they were speaking more so to themself rather than what or who was present.

She then took hold of the cuffs still on his wrists as they began to glow purple, with some faint clicking on its inner workings. Then, it finally unlocked independently, and she let them fall.

“You are free to return. Come back approximately 47 to 48 hours from now and have plenty of sustenance with sleep. If you feel that you are unable to sleep for any reason, you may take some over-the-counter medication, but document how much you took.” The witch turned on her heel to walk towards the Raven, signaling them to summon the portal while speaking.

“Lastly, if you do attempt to escape, it will be my responsibility to find you… Do not put me in a position where I must search for my specimen.” Her voice went to a slightly lower octave, indicating that this was indeed a threat even though the words themselves were vaguely intimidating.

“Now come,” she commanded as she walked towards the portal with him in tow.

 

[Anthem]

~ Credence through Sparring
Collab between Maeve Valor & Anthem

After her encounter with Hardshell and then soon after that they started to take on a new palace with more fights lost to follow along with her now deep scratch that is surely to scar up, Masami felt fired up to get stronger among other emotions as well. Now more than ever Masami wanted something to punch, something to yell at, something to really get all her frustrations out; And what better place to do it than Mementos? The only issue is that her along with the other thieves were advised not to go alone to train for the time being, which was fair considering how a MetaMerc could show up at any time, evidently even in the real world. Though that was all the more reason to raise her threat level. Luckily, she knew just the person best suited to help her get frustrations out in a violent nature.

Towards the end of the school day Masami began to message Imato, but then stopped herself. She thought back to the day they fought Riot. It was still awkward so Masami felt like she had to weigh her options. Eventually she came to the decision that someone eventually needed to break the ice, reasoning that it might as well be her and then messaged Imato with, “I’m heading to Mementos to train after school today. If you’re free can you come as well?”

It was another pointless day for Imato, he had decided to skip the last few hours of the school day. He wasn’t worried too much about being expelled for it, since the bast- Sougo, usually bailed him out most of the time. He was boredly doing stuff around his home while his folks were away until his phone buzzed, specifically with the tone he had set for chats between other thieves. A smile set upon his face while reading the text from Masami.

“Oh you wanna meet with me specifically? How romantic~.” Imato would laugh a little bit as he sent the sarcastic text, it was hopefully obvious that it was a joke. “I’ll be waiting near the Meta-LeBlanc then. See you there Ogawa, don’t get lost.”

Wasting little to no time after sending the second text out, Imato entered the Metaverse and started to make his way to the meeting place. He spent the time before meeting with Masami to get more familiarized with the area so usage of the map could be brought to a minimum, to waste less time. The thief would then place himself outside the cafe, now waiting for his friend to arrive… hopefully on time.

At first, Masami sneered at his joke in the message back as she muttered “idiot” under her breath as her sneer couldn’t help but change into a smile, “Romantic doesn’t come to mind when I think of Metaverse training. Nice try though, maybe next time. Talk to you soon.” Masami responded before scrolling on her phone to bring up her parent’s list of previous targets. Little did Imato know that this trip to the Metaverse wouldn’t be only a training session, but he’d be helping her take care of a shadow. After doing a quick review of her notes regarding the victim, she put away her phone and made her way to a safe place where she could jump into the Metaverse.

Admittedly, it did take slightly longer than she expected to get there. The Metaverse was sometimes a confusing place to traverse around for some reason. Nonetheless, she did make it to LeBlanc. When she walked in, the owner of the establishment was there as usual so she immediately requested for a drink before addressing Tragedy. “Hey, thanks for coming out on such short notice. And just to make things clear, why I asked for you in particular is because I have noticed that I… lack when it comes to hand-to-hand combat. I was hoping that you could help me in that area of expertise… that and I just really want to fucking hit something.” With that, coffee was placed next to Swan on the counter and she took a couple of gulps in frustration. “So where do you suggest we start?”

Tragedy looked over as Swan entered the LeBlanc, looking at his phone for the time and chuckling a bit. He assumed she had gotten a little bit lost but still quicker than he assumed. Before he could say a word, the green-haired girl then explained her reason for wanting to meet. When the girl said that it was for combat, Tragedy couldn’t help but grin as he wanted to fight something… like usual. “Well, I won’t ask why you specifically want to hit something. I’m just glad you called the right person to help out with this little problem of yours.” After speaking a bit, the thief would gulp down the rest of his soda before sliding the glass back down to the shadow server. He then stood while rubbing his chin in thought.

“Where to start…? While I would usually recommend one of the “paths”, I believe the next one I have access to is a little too powerful. Even for the two of us together. So maybe just going to the equivalent of the business district? Should be a lot of shadows there.” Tragedy gave a suggestion to see what Swan would think of it. It seemed he was able to actually think some things through despite popular belief that he was no brain, all brawn.

Going over his suggestion, Swan nodded her head in thought at it before answering with, “Hm, yes. That should do just fine. That place is also close to a target I had in mind of going after as a bonus in today’s training as well.” She hoped that by mentioning this so casually in passing, Tragedy would assume this target was just from the Phan-Site and not something personal that she wanted to take care of. “Alright, let’s not burn any more time with chit-chat and kick some ass,” Swan said as she stood from her seat. Her eagerness to fight was evident, but at the same time it was out of character for her. Sure she sometimes became upset and irritated (especially when it came to Tragedy) but Swan was the kind of person that dealt with her problems through wit and thought violence to be a last resort. The fact that she all of a sudden wanted to unwind in an aggressive manner was most unusual.

Once they got to the depths of Mementos in the area recommended by Tragedy, Swan did one more check through her equipment to make sure her usual setup was fully stocked. She finished by loading her gun with ammo in both slots. “Good to go. I’ll lead the w-... Actually let me send you the coordinates for the target and we can train along the way. Is that sufficient?” Swan in mid sentence changed her mind because she didn’t feel too confident in her own directional skills so she did as she said and sent the coordinates through the smart watch. Not too long after that, a beep would be heard from his watch to confirm that they were sent.

In Tragedy’s mind he wondered what caused this sudden burst of violent energy from Swan, not taking her to be the type to throw hands and ask questions later. And the mention of a target, while it seemed smooth the boy squinted when it was brought forth. Though for now he would just deduce it as a way to earn some extra progression and to help a few folks out along the way, so no complaints came from the fool. “Alright…” Small skepticism came from his voice before they moved out.

As Swan prepared her loadout, so did Tragedy as he made sure his usual magatamas and beads were at the ready. “That depends, can you keep up with me? Because I don’t hold back, even when training I try to give it my all.” Acting a little cocky, the boy spun his gun around with a few simple tricks before holstering it. He would then view the coordinates, taking note of the location by taking the chance to mark some landmarks near the target before speaking once more. “But in all seriousness, maybe we should work on bettering our fighting style instead of power-leveling your threat level. Strength is fine and all but without form it’s meaningless.” Dropping his usual brutish, battle-hungry attitude, Tragedy would take a moment to check Swan’s threat level. He hummed while thinking before snapping his fingers, having made a decision about whatever was in that crazed mind of his. “I want to see what you alone are capable of as we go against these first shadows, since you’ve had a few of your chances… stolen. Then I’ll know what I can help you out with.” Turning this more into a teaching session, the boy smiled as he waited to hear what Swan would think of the plan.

As the two walked side by side down a path within the eerie depths of Mementos, Swan looked away while going over his suggestion. “Hm… I’m fairly certain that I can keep up with you, so that sounds just fine to me,” Swan smiled to the horned thief. While she herself believed she knew what her weaknesses were and had already told him what one of them was (that being hand to hand combat) she still wanted to know what his own assessment of her capabilities were.

It didn’t take long after a while of traveling along the beaten railway that a shadow was spotted by the duo. Luckily, it had not noticed they were there yet and was walking away in the other direction. “I got this…” Swan immediately took this opportunity to throw out her grappling hook at the shadow and launched herself at the being to land on its back. She then ripped its mask off quickly to then back off and reveal its true nature as Thunderbird. In its wake, it also summoned another shadow that looked like a Baboon reading a book to appear which according to her watch it recognized the shadow as Thoth. While she wasn’t sure what Thoth’s weaknesses were just yet, she knew what the Thunderbird’s were already. So she began the fight by using Maeiga to engulf the two enemies in cursed energy as she took out her chakrams to get herself ready.

A light whistle came from Tragedy’s lips as he watched Swan shoot off from the spot she originally stood via her grappling hook. It seems he wasn’t the only one who at least tried to practice a little bit with their gear instead of just their weapons and Persona. Upon seeing what the girl would be up against, the boy hummed a bit as he took the moment to squat and observe his allies’ abilities throughout this miniature brawl.

Upon their release from their hidden form, both Thoth and Thunderbird screeched out to reveal their power, showing that they were roughly close to Swan’s threat level. Though before they could react, Swan’s Maeiga consumed them and inflicted heavy damage to Thunderbird, though Thoth remained relatively unaffected. The bird-like shadow would be immobilized temporarily due to the girl hitting its weakness, but the baboon wouldn’t hold back just because its ally was injured. Thoth raised its book to the skies as it released another horrid screech, calling upon a nuclear power to strike down Swan, it was obvious that Freila had been casted.

“Hmmm… A nuclear shadow could prove to be troublesome if that power is left unchecked.” Speaking quietly as to not really give Swan any advice yet, Tragedy would try to keep a tab of both parties. Though a hand stayed on his firearm… Even if he was supposed to be teaching Swan on this outing, he couldn’t help but worry about her well-being in this solo battle. She was still his friend after all.

Even though Swan tried to physically defend herself, the nuclear damage from the attack blasted her back as she summoned Scheherazade to the field. Since her persona was closer to Thoth, she had Scheherazade keep him distracted as she swung wildly at the shadow with her Claymore. As this was happening, Swan noticed the Thunderbird start to regain its composure so she ran to jump up on the avian creature’s body and keep it from taking flight. She then imbued her chakrams with curse energy to stab down on the wings of the bird, raking down them to completely cut the wings off as it squawked loud before dissipating into nothingness. She didn’t waste time to follow up by helping her persona deal with Thoth as she did a diagonal swipe at it. “Take that!”

Nodding his head as Swan relentlessly fought against the two shadows, Tragedy wondered how much the opposing side could endure before defeat finally overtook them.Though he figured it wouldn’t be much more considering his ally had just cut down Thunderbird’s existence. Thoth was in hot water, as it had both Scheherazade and Swan attempting to strike it down. As a last ditch effort, the shadow jumped far back and raised its book high to the sky while screeching an incoherent chant. As the shadow chanted, it would start to radiate with a bright, white energy.

“Ugh! I hate to do this but can’t risk it!” Not killing Thoth, but rather disabling it from finishing the spell, Tragedy quickly shot a hole through the shadow’s spellbook. “What are you waiting for?! Take it down! We can’t risk being hit by an Almighty attack!” Yelling to Swan to finish the job, the boy knew that even despite them being stronger threat level-wise an almighty attack would still have a devastating impact.

Swan looked to her next target as she witnessed Scheherazade miss landing an attack on Thoth. Before Swan had a chance to try having either her or Scheherazade try again, she saw the shadow stagger from the shot Tragedy took at its beloved book. She briefly was confused since she thought that he was strictly going to observe this fight and looked to Tragedy. Yet even the slightest hesitation made the fight lessen in her favor as the baboon now tried to chant again. After Tragedy yelled over to her she had Scheherazade turn and raise her claymore in front of her as Swan jumped on it to, letting her persona launch her above the shadow. From this vantage point she heaved her chakram downward onto its shoulder slicing it down the torso before it too was defeated as it made a screech. As Swan stood up she commented in a disgruntled tone, “What was that about wanting to see what me alone were capable of? I think it is safe to say that was bullshit.”

Shaking off the shadow’s black blood off her arm, she approached Tragedy as she asked, “I could have taken care of it myself. Yes I know it was not the best performance, but what’s your opinion?”

“Yeah, yeah. I know.” With an annoyed sighed, Tragedy angrily ruffled his own hair a bit before taking a breath and pulling his hood back over his head. “Almighty attacks still freak me the hell out. It doesn’t help I worry enough about the safety of the lot of you-” With a small gasp of realization, he covered his own mouth. Silence filled the air for a few moments before the horned thief quickly pointed at Swan. “You didn’t hear that, aight?” Still trying to keep up the tough demeanor, Tragedy quickly swapped topics back to answering her questions.

“Well, despite my little interference you did quite well. Though I must admit it was quite lucky to encounter a shadow that had a weakness to your specialty.” The boy started, thinking back to how quick Thunderbird was defeated by Swan’s quick thinking, and of course the use of weaknesses. “The way you use Scheherazade was inventive, relying on her for the heavy attacks while you focus on your own mobility and finishing strikes.” Tragedy would cross his legs and rub his chin, trying to think of how he could also critique the girl. Compliments were well deserved but no good would come from this session if he couldn’t pinpoint a weakness in her combat.

“I see you have become quite keen on how to use your chakrams, but that leads me to a potentially fatal flaw. If your weapons were to become disabled, and Persona combat is limited… how will you fight? Are you confident in your hand-to-hand combat?” Tragedy asked, while the weapons they held were of course vital to their Phantom Thief arsenal, but what if the worse happened? The boy knew he was more than capable of throwing hands, but what about Swan?

Tragedy taking notice that she had gotten more intuitive with her use of the chakrams made Swan happy to hear since it meant what few sessions she’s already had with Kikyo’s training had already increased her skills in combat. Although what came next from Tragedy made her sigh due to her knowing all too well this was an area she very much lacked in.

“No, I’m not comfortable with hand-to-hand in the slightest. Up till awakening my persona I’ve relied on talking my way out of situations and that has always worked out for me. So I don’t know about fighting as much as I’d like to,” Swan spoke, neglecting to go into depth on what she meant by ‘situations’. To the average high schooler, they wouldn’t normally find themselves in tough predicaments like that in the first place. So it was strange to say the least and wording that Swan wouldn’t normally let slip, but it seemed that other matters occupied her mind as of late.

“I still feel like hitting stuff so do you mind if we move on? Now that we know what I need to work on, perhaps while fighting you can let me know what I can do to be better,” Swan suggested as she swirled a chakram in her hand before clipping it back to her side while she walked in the direction of the target she had in mind for them.

“Hm.” Letting out a soft hum while he listened to Swan’s responses to his critiques, Tragedy would take note of his fellow thief’s words about having to deal with ‘situations’. Normally this would be kept as info to potentially dig up later, but instead the fool kept track of it for a different reason entirely. As his time with the thieves grew ever longer, he continued to learn just how important a good team mentality was and one person being out of it could harm the whole team if left unchecked.

“Go ahead and lead the way then, I’ve got all night and then some.” Tragedy started as he jumped up to his feet before following close behind Swan. He would spin his pistol around on his finger, doing a few simple tricks to keep himself occupied and to do something instead of just walking. “If we’re talking hand-to-hand, I might need to have you join me at the gym sometimes so I can go into better depth with it. Fighting here in the verse has a lot of differences, but it’s always good to know the principles of Martial Arts.” Finally holstering his weapon, Tragedy tried to keep conversation going to avoid any form of awkwardness. “And if you trip and fall a few times, don’t worry about it. I won’t laugh too hard.” As Swan walked a ways in front of Tragedy to lead, she mumbled a few choice words that may or may not have been directed at the fellow Phantom Thief.

When they continued onward, Swan had forgotten why she didn’t take the lead in the first place and the route to their target ended up taking longer than really necessary due to her making a few wrong turns. In the process, the duo had come across enemies -again, more than what was anticipated- that they took the opportunity to train more with all the way until they reached their destination. Upon realizing this, Swan looked back at Tragedy as they walked cautiously, “Let me fill you in on what we’re getting ourselves into. The person we are trying to help is the head chef of his family’s restaurant. He was going to inherit this restaurant as the new owner, until a critic gave a bad review. My sources say that when the critic visited, the dish that went to him was sabotaged. And now the new owner is going to be the victim’s older brother, who has no passion for the industry, no prior experience, and is unwilling to hand off the title back to his younger broth-,” Swan explained with as much detail as she was comfortable giving him until what seemed to be a dangerously heavy blast of cursed energy went right past her and Tragedy. The source of the warning shot came from a shadow that was still a fair distance away from them. “That must be our target, Ishihara Yuji.”

“You know me? Oh you must be regulars of the restaurant! Well whatever, if you leave now I promise to give you both discounts on your next meal. I’m busy.” Ishihara dismissively stated as he began to walk away.

“Busy running the restaurant to the ground more like.” Swan retorted before taking her mask off briefly to summon Scheherazade. Little did she know that in that moment, she had slipped up.

It was at this time that Ishihara glanced back just in time to see Masami’s face. “Hey… I know you. Where did I see you before?... Oh yeah! You’re the one who threw that bug into the critic’s dish. Don’t worry, I was the only one that saw, but man that was expertly done. Your parents weren’t kidding when they said you were good. Thank you by the way. I would have never inherited the place if it weren’t for you,” the man expressed his gratitude as he revealed to both Swan and Tragedy that he was in fact the one that paid her family for her to sabotage the reputation of the business.

The Fool had tried his best not to laugh when Swan had led them astray from the most direct path to their objective, especially when it happened more than once. Though he couldn’t complain much as it led to them getting an even greater amount of training then what they had once intended. So to the battle-crazed thief everything was turning out just fine at this point. Well, until he visibly flinched when a wrathful blast of cursed energy whizzed by the duo. Since he didn’t have the greatest of defenses, the flinch was understandable since the blast would’ve done decent damage.

When Swan had summoned Scheherazade, the brawler put up his fists as he entered a Muay Thai stance so he could maybe give the female thief a better understanding of different styles. Though he stopped dead in his tracks when it seemed the shadow knew Swan a little too well, and her family in general thanks to their hand in this little situation. But instead of turning a sense of annoyance towards Swan, Tragedy glared at Yuji with a wrathful gaze.

“So you saw injustice against your own blood, and you just stood by so you could get all the glory of inheriting your family’s restaurant?” Displaying his speed, the Fool rushed towards the shadow and delivered a few heavy blows. Specifically, he struck Yuji’s chest twice with his fists before a kick to the ribs, and a roundhouse to the head before backing off to create distance.

“You disgust me, Ishihara Yuji.” His voice filled with spite, Tragedy shifted his feet to create a more defense-oriented stance as he prepared for a potential onslaught.

While noticing that Tragedy was now using a different fighting style she was simultaneously thankful that he wasn’t digging deeper into the fact that he knew exactly who Swan was. Also, with them heading into battle with this shadow, Swan was observing Tragedy to see if he was acting… unhinged like he was the last time they fought together besides this day. At the forefront of her mind, she had wondered/worried that the stronger the enemy was, the more likely that side of him might come out. Although so far he seemed to exert the regular type of aggression he had normally shown. When Tragedy had attacked, the shadow took the hits causing a few grunts to come from him as Swan threw a chakram at his head. Swan was aiming for his neck, but the shadow was able to move away enough for the chakram to hit his mask instead, knocking it off and reared back before revealing its true form that the duo’s devices recognized as Taotie.

It opened its jagged mouth as if it were about to roar, but unexpectedly it began shooting out black seeds like a gatling gun first at Swan and then moved its head in Tragedy’s direction. Scheherazade was able to quickly get in front of Swan with her claymore to block the oncoming hits, but this meant that Swan was unable to go on the offensive against Taotie. Although this ended up not mattering as much since it then skittered at the nearest being, which was Tragedy. Its creepy, sharp appendaged tapped loudly against the floor as it scurried in a jittery manner. Once it soon reached Tragedy, it reared its front legs up as if it was planning to pin him.

Seeing what it was about to do, Swan knew that neither she nor Scheherazade could get to them in time and it looks to have a moderately thick exterior. This left her with using Eiga as the best option while this time she didn’t hesitate to cast the ability. As the energy attempted to engulf Taotie, it glowed red as the smoky aura seemed to have been dispelled, dissipating itself from around the shadow. It did seem to do a little damage since a bit of its exterior was chipped away but not nearly as much as she had hoped, showing her that this enemy was highly resistant to curse damage. Though little as the damage was, it still got his attention as it briefly looked at Swan, giving Tragedy an opening.

Despite the anger he displayed moments before towards Ishihara, Tragedy couldn’t help but start to laugh as the shadow revealed its true form as Taotie. How could he not make fun of a walking beast that was simply just an angry apple? The laughter however was short lived as the beast started firing upon the thieves, luckily Swan was able to easily defend herself via the usage of Scheherazade’s mighty blade. The fool was able to unsheathe his melee weapon, using its chained state to break through many of the incoming seeds. A few were still able to strike upon him, but not enough to slow him down.

Swan saved him from being pinned and potentially receiving a heavy blow from the fruit beast. He wasn’t going to waste this opening, so with a quick rip of the mask Loki was summoned onto the battlefield. As if the thief and trickster god were chained to one another, they moved in unison as Tragedy lifted his cane blade, and Loki lifted his glaive. The two delivered hefty slashes to Taotie, their unison ended afterwards as the boy jumped behind the shadow.

“Keep the pressure going, Swan!” Calling out to his ally, Tragedy blasted Taotie with a point-blank Freila to send the beast towards Swan and Scheherazade. His hopes were that that they could keep the damage / pressure high so that the rotten fruit wouldn’t even get the chance to fight back.

As Tragedy was attacking, Swan took this chance to buff the strength of both along with the personas present, causing a red glow around them all and a surge of power to briefly course through them. Having realized that her curse damage would not help that much in this battle, she noted that it was best to do physical attacks; the irony of it all. So when Taotie was blasted in her and her persona’s direction Scheherazade stopped it by slamming her weapon down onto one of its legs. Following up, Swan cut off one of the protrusions that looked like apple cores on its head and then sliced its abdomen, literally peeling its outer layer, making it a weak point for future attacks. Not too long after that, the place where she cut began to glow green from poison as it looked like it was rotting at an accelerated rate. “I would apple-aud you for your efforts, but it looks like you need to strengthen your core,” Swan taunted although when she spoke this aloud she immediately regretted it since it sounded better in her head rather than actually saying that.

Apparently Taotie was not too fond of her insult either since it seemed to quickly get back on its feet regardless of its wound and rammed into Scheherazade with a blow to the stomach which knocked her clear all the way to the nearest wall behind her. It then breathed out a black mist which reeked of what can only be described as famine as it attempted to cause intense hunger to all who smelled it. Swan thought she would fall prey to this stench until it dispelled due to her immunity to it.

Seeing how Swan used the moments provided to her to their advantage, the boy grinned a wide smile. Not only was she using her own weapons to a great advantage, but also her persona and its mighty weapon. Though his pride in her actions was quickly replaced by a sense of total confusion as she pulled out a full on pun to use against the shadow. Though the confusion turned into a bit of laughter since he wasn’t quite expecting from such a serious member of the thieves, perhaps his own quips were rubbing off onto her?
Though that sense of accomplishment would have to wait, because as soon as Scheherazade was struck by Taotie, the fool jumped into action once more. But of course his hard-headed assault was countered against like it usually was when he didn’t add on any form of precautions. Tragedy got a whiff of the noxious gas and started to cough violently before suddenly stopping, it was obvious the famine was now starting to hold an effect on the boy. Slowly lifting his head, the rebel’s mouth drooled as he stared at Taotie. “You… GET OVER HERE!” With a hungerous craze, the boy lunged at Taotie and did the unexpected… He started to bite and gnaw at the parts of Taotie that weren’t poisoned by Swan’s chakrams.

As soon as Taotie had seen the look of ravenous intent on Tragedy’s face it in turn had an expression of registering that they had just made a huge mistake. The once savage being was now fearful for its life as it was about to run away, but Tragedy was much quicker with his attempt to devour Taotie. As it jerked, thrashed, and writhed to get the boy off of it both Swan and Scheherazade stopped and tilted their heads to look at them in disbelief of what was happening. Scheherazade then looked to Swan, looking for some sort of sign on what to do next, though all Swan could do was shrug. Taking a moment to contemplate what to do next, Swan dismissed Scheherazade’s presence with her arms crossed as she decided to let Taotie suffer a little longer. After a solid minute, Swan said to herself, “Well… I don’t think it would be ethical of me to let a friend consume a man’s shadow. I guess I should stop him.”

While still believing that he was a detestable person, she didn’t wish the man to die. With a sigh, Swan went through her small pouch of items until finally coming across something that would help. So Swan bolted into a sprint towards Tragedy, and threw a vial down in front of him that would elicit an aroma of its own to negate the state he was in. “Tragedy, you go high and I’ll go low!” Swan threw her elbow up into one of the joints of Taotie’s legs and lowered herself to sweep that same leg from under itself, throwing its balance off.

The aroma emitted by the vial Swan had thrown worked instantly, negating the ravenous ache that plagued him just a moment before. The Fool would spit out the bits of shadowed apple in his mouth, scraping his tongue a bit to be rid of the taste if possible. Though the need for mouthwash had to wait as the battle was still ongoing despite the scene that had just taken place. On Swan’s command the boy would bound back via a well produced back-handspring, before launching his grappling hook at the fiendy fruit.

“You're getting juiced, you damned plant!” Building off of Swan’s assault, Tragedy pulled on Taotie to completely knock it off his legs before launching towards the fruit at top speed. Forgoing any exact form of fighting, the thief started to spin at top speed like a saw blade as he approached the shadow until he finally struck Taotie’s head. Landing a devastating spinning kick, Tragedy would land and jump back a decent distance to allow himself time to recover from how dizzying the spin kick was.

As Taotie was trying to get back up it tried to take a swipe at Swan in which she swiftly blocked the attack by catching its bug-like leg in one of the notches of a chakram. In this vulnerable state, she used her other chakram to cleanly cut off the leg. In a frantic state, the shadow then wildly reared and swung its other appendages at Swan. With the next swipe Swan dodged with a twirl and slashed, cutting off that leg that one as well. She then somersaulted away to follow up with turning around and slice through the exoskeleton exterior up its chest, neck, and jaw, causing black blood to spew everywhere before he reverted back to his human form. “It’s not fair… He was always the favorite… Is it so wrong to want to be given a chance to prove I’m worth just as much as him?”

Now seeing that the shadow was no longer hostile, Swan put away her weapons as she began to comprehend just how this man became corrupted. It was the common tale of jealousy. The desire to feel just as special as his brother seemed to be. The search for approval from their parents and probably others as well. This did not excuse him for his actions, although she had gained some newfound understanding of the situation. “It’s not wrong, but there are other ways of showing them besides tearing down your brother’s reputation. If you continue living like this, you’ll never receive the respect you want. It starts with being honest… right Tragedy?” Swan looked to Tragedy, alluding to the inevitable explanation she knows that she will need to give him after this encounter. Though she was also insinuating that she was willing to practice what she was teaching about being open and truthful.

As the shadow reverted back to its normal state, Tragedy would take a deep breath and let himself fall back onto his back for a few moments to catch his breath. The small rest was nice to give his working body a nice break before he jumped back up to his feet and walked to his ally to finish this job by making Ishihara’s shadow finally find the wrongs in his actions. Despite the claims against her made by this damned shadow, the Fool still stood by Swan without any form of spite or distrust against her.

“By the myriad truths, all is revealed… So yeah, respect starts with honesty.” Putting his hands in his pockets, Tragedy’s crimson eyes would glare daggers into the defeated shadow. He would let out a soft sigh before speaking once more. “Ishihara Yuji. You are to reveal to not only your parents the sabotage you witnessed, minus the identity of the saboteur - But to also contact the critic that was swayed, to give your brother another chance at the life he rightfully earned. Do you understand, scum?” His voice was low but powerful, not wanting to give Yuji a chance to snap back at all.

Under normal circumstances like if they were in the real world, Swan would expect Tragedy to give her the cold shoulder and keep his distance. Yet with him standing beside her, Swan just assumed that he was just setting aside any hard feelings for the time being in order to complete the mission. The feathered thief gave him a sideways look briefly while still facing the shadow as it went silent before nodding in acceptance. “I-I understand… I’ll do what I can to mend his career and stay out of the way from now on. And I’ll find a more respectable way to be given a second chance. Heh, who knows, I might just start helping the restaurant by working at the bottom of the food chain as a dishwasher. Maybe then my family will take me more seriously.” With that, the entity dispersed into the void.

Swan was the first to talk afterward and awkwardly scratched the back of her head while cautiously asking, “I appreciate you telling him to leave me out of that confession but make no mistake. I do deserve some sort of retribution as well.” She then turned to Tragedy and took off her mask. If they were getting into this conversation of explaining her past, she wanted to fully face him. Not behind a mask. “I… really do wish I could give you an explanation where I did it for a noble cause, but I didn’t.”

A slow smirk appeared on the Fool’s face as he watched the shadow disappear into the darkness of Momentos, hopefully to never be seen in this way again. Tragedy would crack his neck before turning to Swan, who seemed to be feeling the guilt even after setting everything right. “You’re better for the cause here in the Metaverse, not rotting in some sort of prison cell or youth facility.” The boy would sigh a bit before walking to his avian ally and giving her a hefty pat on her shoulder, there was no animosity in the way he was moving nor in his words. “Noble enough, righting previous wrongs is always a plus in my book.” The white-haired thief would start to walk, expecting Swan to follow along.

“Life constantly deals bad hands, and sometimes you have to do what you must to survive. No one is perfect, you aren’t, I’m not at all.” Tragedy slowly spoke as he walked, his hands in his pockets within the jacket. Ruby-red eyes would lock onto the mosshead as he turned to her. “You don’t have to explain any of it to me, I understand why you wouldn’t want to. As long as you’re doing what you can to right some wrongs, you have my support through and through. Just lemme know what you need.” The fool would give a grin to his ally.

Now feeling more at ease, Swan followed to walk next to Tragedy and let her shoulders slouch as she exhaled a sigh of relief. “I really don’t give you enough credit then. Even with the knowledge of how I’m trying to make up for things, most wouldn’t willingly support an ex-con artist in their endeavors. I am grateful for your understanding on the matter… truly I am.” Now that he knew this aspect of her life, she felt a sense of normalcy like they had before the fight with Riot, adding to the repose of the moment. Though this quickly diminished when she remembered the reason why she messaged Imato in the first place.

“Look, I know you said I don’t need to explain anything, but there is at least one thing I feel that it’s necessary for you to be told. You need to know because it has to do with a part of my past that might hurt you guys as well… Remember how I said I really wanted to hurt something at first? There was of course something more to that.” Swan suddenly became uncharacteristically nervous as she fidgeted with her mask before continuing on with the topic. “I… was ambushed by an old ‘target’ of mine. It wasn’t just an ordinary ambush though like some sort of thug mugging me, it was much worse. He has since then become a merc… and that merc is Hardshell. He caught a glimpse of my identity back in Kamoshida’s palace and from there it was easy to track me down and transported us to the Metaverse so that he could ambush me… I fully believe I could have been banished that day had it not been for Veno intervening. At the end of it all, I stupidly challenged him. I told him that next time I would be stronger and that I wouldn’t hold back on him. I talked bravely, but really Tragedy… I’m terrified of him.”

A little bit of warmth hit the Fool square in the chest when Swan spoke of giving him just a bit more credit, borderline respect for not pushing her away like many in their judgmental world would. Though a tang of concern would strike his expression when she mentioned how her history may affect the others within their ragtag group. It went beyond just her acts with her family, Swan spoke of Hardshell… a member of the mercs that Tragedy was somewhat familiarized with in the terms of combat. To hear that she had almost been hunted by the rhino-esque merc angered the horned thief, but he shoved that anger away as that wasn’t what he needed to portray in this moment. Not while Swan was before him, fearing for the future that had been laid out for her.

With a flowing motion, Tragedy peeled away his devil-like mask. The girl didn’t need to speak to her ally in combat, the one that had caused her injury in the past due to his recklessness… She needed to speak to Imato, the friend he hoped she still had some relative trust in. “You’ll be ready, I know you will.” Forgoing the brave facade he dawned around them, the boy spoke from his heart as his ruby eyes met her emerald gaze. “I can confidently say you’re one of the most awe-inspiring people I know. Despite your past, despite not being some powerhouse of a persona-user, I’ve still seen you perform great feats and act as a team-player. Without you or your planning ability the thieves most likely would’ve fallen into disorder by now. Whether you like it or not you’re pretty great.” Compliments help people when they’re feeling down, right? Luckily enough, Imato had plenty to say for each of his friends despite never speaking out about them before.

Though it seemed out of left field, the albino boy stepped to Swan and wrapped his arms around her for a hug. It was similar to how he calmed his younger sister, so to Imato the feeling was natural to protect and encourage. “And the biggest point of them all, is that you’re not on your own anymore. You’re not alone. You have thieves and I can say for a fact all of them would come running to help you.” Holding the hug for just a few moments, the Fool would then pull away slightly, keeping his hands rested on her shoulders. “We all help one another, or we all fall, there isn’t any alternative. You hear me, ‘Sami?”

It was surprising to Masami that Imato seemed to know exactly what to say. The trust that Tragedy had in her that she would be prepared made Swan believe in herself. Swan knew that doubt in her own capabilities would likely creep in later but in this moment, Tragedy’s bolstering had really helped set her mind at ease; Something that she hadn’t realized until just then that it was something she awfully needed since it had plagued her mind constantly since then compounding on top of all the other events that had been going on. Despite worrying about Tragedy’s recent show of a temporary shift in character, the person speaking to her now was someone who was a good friend worthy of her trust in return for his.

Masami hugged Imato as well and inwardly made the decision that she would continue to keep an eye on him, but not out of fear. It would be out of concern and a want to protect their friend because after that day, she could tell that he would do the same if their roles were reversed. “I hear you, you’re right. I’m not alone anymore. It’s something that I keep needing to be reminded of, but even so I’m very glad that I’m not… so thank you Imato,” After a bit longer Masami stepped away with a smile.

“Good to know that you do have a soft side,” Masami slightly teased as they started walking back to the entrance. She then took out a wallet that looked strangely similar to Imato’s. “For that let me take you somewhere to eat, my treat,” she said as she began rummaging through the wallet for cash or a card with a mischievous smile, making it obvious that she stole his wallet while they were hugging.

“You little…” Despite the theft that had just occurred upon him, Imato couldn’t help but smile as he walked to catch up with the fleeing Swan. Before the sly girl could pinch out a few bills from the small leather container, the boy quickly swiped it back into his possession. Though it didn’t take him long to pull out a card, the smile still staining his face. “Yeah, my treat.” As they walked to the entrance, Imato promptly ruffled her hair with his knuckles before wrapping his arm around her shoulders. The brute felt at ease, letting his guard down for the first time in what felt like centuries.

 

[Maeve Valor]

~Tainted Shrine~
A collab with Nellancholy Anthem


So far Masami had been making some good progress on helping the victims listed on the file she found made by her parents. So far, she had helped some of them get out of a financial dilemma and others out of a more emotional rut; But once again, she came across a situation that required a bit of back up. Upon going through the list and looking into the background of some of these people, to her surprise she came across the name of Head Priest, Matsuo Hajime, who was in charge of the Hie Shrine.

After further investigation, she found out that a few months back rumors started spreading about how Hajime used money that was donated by visitors of the Hie Shrine for personal use. As for what that personal use meant, theories varied widely within the public. Some said that it was used to gamble and there were also a few who even went so far as to say that it was for drugs. Though the truth of the matter was that her parents scammed the priest into thinking that he was paying for materials that would then be used for construction to improve the shrine. Then to make matters worst, they left some money behind to frame him. Ultimately, the case was dropped, but that didn't stop the rumors from going rampant resulting in many of help that was at the Hie Shrine had left. That and the ones who decided to stay does not help the public view and instead murmurs amongst themselves therefore keeping the rumors alive. This was a delicate situation where the shadows surrounding the shrine needed to be defeated and then quelled into silencing their gossip nature, but with this many shadows Masami knew she couldn't do it alone.

As Swan peaked at the shrine entrance from around the corner of a building, she spotted the teem of shadows and wondered who she could call to assist her. She knew that unfortunately Sougo was currently dealing with student council duties, so she needed to think of others who might be available. Before bringing any unwanted attention, Swan decided to leave the Metaverse and used her phone to take her back into the real world before then messaging Shiro and Imato each saying, "Hey, are you free right now to help me out with something in the Metaverse? Meet me in front of the Hie Shrine if you can."

Shiro, on the other hand, had spent the past few days even more aimlessly than before. Most of her time during the day was spent sleeping in various places, waiting until the police passing by or other people threatened her with loitering charges before moving on. The target of the palace at hand still weighed heavy on her mind. But in the meantime...what could she do? Start showing up at school again? It was a miracle that someone could miss almost the entire year and still be enrolled. Perhaps the recent upheavals involving Kamoshida and the students kept her case under the radar. Not to mention Sougo's efforts.

Maybe now that she had no one to take care of she could take shelter in an internet cafe like some NEETs did. Not that she liked being in that kind of place.

"Hey, kid." The gaunt, headscarved woman who ran the convenience store whose air-conditioned window Shiro was currently leaning on peeked out of the automatic door. "Here you go.” She all but dropped a cold canned drink on Shiro. "Drink this and go look for a job. Preferably somewhere further away. I don't need you here driving away the customers."

"...Thanks." Shiro shook her head and took the can. That was her sign to move on. She swung her legs and stood to her feet, glancing back at the older woman as she walked away.

It was then that her phone beeped. Swan- no, Masami.

"Hold fast, Swan." She replied. "I'll be right there."

The Hie Shrine? She hadn't visited that kind of place a lot. Who knew that even such places could fall victim to interference from the Metaverse? It was time to get to work again.

Imato was spending some well needed time with his family, after being busy with school work and training in the Metaverse he rarely gave himself time to really relax with them anymore. So while the boy of course was still dealing with his fair share of activities, he had allotted time with his folks which in turn helped him destress a little bit. The summer time certainly opened up the schedule a lot more, so that was the one reason Imato actually enjoyed this time of year.

But the life of a Phantom is anything but peaceful, so when Masami texted him the white-haired brute was definitely not surprised when there was some work to potentially be done. While it didn't seem to be a palace of course, if the Mosshead had pointed out a place in particular there must be some rhyme or reason. "Ah, causing more trouble? I dunno... should I help?" The red-eyed fool would laugh at his initial text before sending out his actual response. "Yeah, I'll be there. Just give me a few to actually get over there, not the shortest of trips ya know?" With a small grin upon his visage, the teen put away his phone.

"Oooo, were you actually talking to a girl Imato? That's surprising!" Ibuki, Imato's younger sister, teased him which prompted a chase around the house for the next few minutes before the older one finally bolted out the door. While normally the trip to Hie Shrine would take a little bit of time, the fool cut down the time via a... less common way of travel, skates. It was odd but certainly did allow the speed-demon to shave some time.

Imato found himself at the shrine in a short time, looking around for Masami. He certainly did look out of place for the other people there, since he was wearing sweat shorts and a jacket, alongside his shoe-skates. So he would most likely be spotted first.

In the meantime, Masami decided to wait for them in the real world. Both of them came surprisingly quicker than she expected, but fortunate nonetheless... even if one of their methods for arriving was a bit unconventional. "Shiro, Imato, thank you for coming on such short notice. I will brief you two on the mission at hand. As you both know, I wish to make amends to as many people as possible that my family has caused damage to in some way or other. The priest in charge of the shrine is Matsuo Hajime and bottom line is that my parents caused the reputation of this shrine to become bleak in that the shrine hasn't been up to par with its upkeep. Many of the help has left due to rumors and these rumors have stayed with this shrine. I've already scoped out the place in the Metaverse and have come to the conclusion that in order to help, we need to defeat the shadows of the artisans here yet not destroy them. We just need to convince the shadows to stop the hearsay going on. Alright, now that you both are filled in, let's get going."

Masami then led the way to off a beaten path behind some trees and shrubs of the shrine, taking out her phone once she looked around to make sure no one was watching before she clicked on the eye icon to transport the three of them. Thankfully it seemed that the area was not warped by any wicked perceptions of the Hie Shrine and only had the customary vibrant colors that usually came with the Metaverse atmosphere. The only difference was that now the zone was teeming with shadows all dressed in traditional red hakama yet most of their kosode were grey with some darker than others instead of white like they normally were. White kosode were typically a sign of purity for Mikos so Swan could only guess that these shadows were knowingly tainted in some way.

Now as Swan she looked to her companions to inquire, "Are you both properly equipped to go in? Any questions beforehand?"

It was truly admirable to see Masami continue to try and fix her parents' mistakes. This went beyond atonement, because this was not a wrong she did herself. But to help someone who she could just as easily ignore and leave to solve their own problems, that was what set them apart from people who exploited either the Metaverse and mundane powers.

But as she spoke, Shiro couldn't help but feel a tugging at her own spirit as well, as if fate itself was using this opportunity to act through Thrud, and offer Shiro another turning point on her continuing journey.

"I understand full well, Swan. Let us lift Hajime-san's burden."

She kept her arms at her side, walking down the central path of the shrine's grounds, beneath the torii. Keeping her head low and her eyes half-closed under her helmet, she listened carefully for the voices of the Shadows.


Without any argument, Imato gladly followed the two into the Metaverse after learning what they were here to do. While his trust in the thieves was already ensured, the fool was glad to see that their access to Mementos was being used to assist in righting the wrongs of the city they called their home. So it was easy to say that the boy was more than excited to get going on another small quest, even if he didn't directly show it with his expression or words.

As they entered the alternative reality, Tragedy took a few moments to look at the area they found themselves in and to maybe see if there was anything of interest other than the shadows. But after not spotting anything in particular, the fool stepped forward to join the other thieves... only to fall flat on his face with little warning. "Son of a-" Looking down at his feet to see what had caused the sudden trip to the ground, Tragedy took note that he had kept the skates upon their entrance to the Metaverse. A light groan fell from his breath before he slowly rose back to his feet, walking would be a tad more difficult but possible nonetheless. Plus, the movement the skates provide may prove... useful depending on what threats they may face in the near future.

"I got my gear, so I'm pretty much all good." The fool said whilst giving Swan a small thumbs-up.

Swan nodded, "very well. Let's not draw attention to ourselves unless we want to be swarmed by shadows. We won't be able to talk them down that way." She then swiftly led the way, hiding behind a large post and then to the corner of a building nearby. From this vantage point, she noticed a small group of three shadow away from the rest. They didn't have a specific aura around them, indicating that their threat level was within their capable parameters. So Swan signaled to Tragedy to hide in one area and then for Heartbreak to hide in a different one so that they call all ambush the shadows. Swan took action first by blocking one of them and the direction they were going in order to rip their mask off so that it then revealed its true self as some sort of tusked beast.

Upon showing itself, it swiped its rat-like tail at Swan, making her jump back. When she looked down at her watch, the gadget recognized them as a Baku.

The air within this spiritual representation of the shrine's grounds was heavy, not unlike the surroundings that might be present within a Palace. If Thrud was a little more versatile, she might have had some kind of way to take advantage of that, but...punching could probably get through this as well.

This was of course a symptom of Hajime's own burdens as well: it was bad enough if money and time were lost, like some of the other victims of Masami's parents. What was once a well-respected (if modest) shrine had fallen into disrepair because aspersions had been cast on the name of the head priest, an unjust thing to do to an honest man dedicated to the gods. Even if this problem was solved (which it would be in force), it'd be an uphill battle restoring everything to a form close to its prior glory.

That could wait a little.

Never one to miss an opportunity, Swan took the initiative, engaging the Shadows on the scene.

"They never fail to show their true selves. Let battle be joined!"

Three to three, but that didn't mean the odds were even.

Shiro charged straight at the Baku nearest to her, head lowered as if to headbutt it (which with her helmet, wasn't the worst plan). Taking the bait, the creature lowered its head as well, ready to meet her with its goring tusks.

But right before making contact, she crouched and leapt over it, pulling her lance off her back and hurling it at the Baku. As she landed, her weapon crashed into the Baku, sending it staggering rather than impaling it.

Breaking into a sprint again, she met the dazed creature with a flying knee, leaving it momentarily in a wounded state where a breeze could knock it over.
Normally the fool would have some sort of partial plan into just how to address foes and threats, but this wasn't a palace where they had scoped out the reach and capabilities of it beforehand. So the fact that Swan had taken the initiative to bring order to the trio as they started their assault had truly impressed Tragedy. He knew from first-hand experience that she was certainly clever, but the fact that she was taking that skill into the Metaverse made it where the boy couldn't help but grin widely as they waited for their opening onto the shadows.

As the others started to attack their selected shadow, the Fool slid out of his cover and sent his grappling hook flying towards the unexpecting foe. Upon a quick tug the wire from the grapple wrapped around the shadow's neck, which promptly sent the figure towards the brute. Catching it by the face, Tragedy slammed his selected foe into the ground ripping their mask off and jumping back.

"Now that's what I call a rude awakening!" Exclaiming as he retrieved his grapple, the Frei-user quickly approached the tusked-beast to deliver a strong roundhouse-style kick to side of the rodent's head. Tragedy used the opening his initial attack made to send the Baku back a bit, by cracking at the monster's skull with his cane.

Looking up to check on his allies, Tragedy whistled a bit as he saw that Heartbreak had already dazed her shadow. Her tenacity never ceased to impress.

The Baku quickly approached her once more to attempt swiping it's forearms at her followed by kicking both of its legs at her like a Kangaroo would while remaining stable with its tail. Swan was able to dodge the swipes with ease but was pushed back by the powerful kick. Briefly, Swan checked to see how the others were doing and was happy to see how well they were holding on their own. Heartbreak had managed to have a Baku reeling from an attack while Tragedy was fending off his target equally as well. In seeing this, it gave her the boost of confidence she needed, making her refuse to bring out her persona so soon. The others seemed to making good progress so she should be just as successful given all the the time and effort she has put into her training as well through multiple sources.

With this resolve, Swan casted Rebellion on herself, giving her the ability to be hyper-observant of the enemy and their potential weak spot. She then threw out one of her chakram, slicing one of the Baku's legs before the chakram arched back to her grasp. The wounded area began to have a tint of green to it as it bled more profusely than it really should have by the looks of how deep the cut was; Though this was due to her weapon's poison coating on her blades. And in turn, the beast growled loudly and then made a low humming sound that would make her and the rest of the team drowsy.

Fighting off the effects of the ability the Baku used, Swan tried to make it stop humming by running at it with full force. Swan attempted to slash at the Baku, but it blocked using it tusks. For a moment in this clash, they were at a stalemate until Swan tactically reached through the handle part of her chakram to pull its trunk back to her side of the handle and used her other chakram to cut the trunk. Swan had the opportunity to completely cut the trunk off, but she felt that it might have been a fatal blow that way. Instead she gauged that the poison damage they were taken, should weaken them enough to revert back to their other form and thankfully, it worked. The shadow was now knelt down, not having the strength to fight anymore as it hissed, "What do you want?"

Swan put away her chakrams as she said, "My request is simple. Don't spread every rumor you hear. Especially ones regarding the shrine. Be more respectful to Mr. Hajime and the good things he does for the shrine. If you can promise me this, you are free to go." The shadow merely nodded as it slowly limped away, seemingly disappearing out of sight although it probably was just retreating to a different part of the Metaverse to recuperate.

ith that, Swan had dispatched her adversary, and Tragedy would probably make good time on his own as well. Good: hopefully they'd be able to resolve this situation without any complications.

Setting her lance under her arm, Shiro took two wide steps forward. Instead of running the hapless Baku through, she swung her weapon outwards in a backhand motion, battering it down and out.

The Shadow's monstrous form spilled off it like a mass of ink, leaving a vaguely humanoid shape sprawled on the ground. Another person's cognition...

"Hm..." Shiro had done something like this before, but she wasn't necessarily used to it. "And should any dare to enquire further, let them know that Mr. Hajime was the victim of liars and slanderers. Do not encourage such behavior in those you speak to."

That was as easy as could be, but that wasn't all. "This is hardly the extent of the matter. Let us seek out Hajime's shadow, and discern how we may put him at ease.”

As the low hum sounded around the battlefield, Tragedy stretched and yawned a bit as his eyes slowly shut. The fool seemed to be rendered asleep from the ailment inflicted by the Baku which allowed the boy's foe to approach by starting to jump at the fool, aiming for a kick of some kind. "Gotcha..." Tragedy's eyes suddenly jolted open as he dodged out of the way of the Baku's legs. He would take the opening given to him, grabbing the rodent by the tail as a vicious smile was painted onto his face.

"It's over..!" Taking advantage of the Baku being in mid-air, Tragedy would start slamming the rodent into the ground while swinging it around as if it were some ragdoll. Before it could even comprehend what was going on, the Baku was basically imprinted into the ground at this point, beaten senseless. Dark ooze surrounded the rodent turned into a simple shadow once more.

"Y... You! What if we keep spreading those rumors... huh? What are you gonna do about it?!" Trying to protest the thieves request, the remaining shadow remained defiant despite the beatdown. A chuckle evolved into full laughter as the Fool stepped on the shadow's back, training his firearm on the back of the shadow's head.

"Go ahead, and I'll just have to make sure you'll never speak again... So tell your friends they better keep true to ending the rumors, and this mercy of mine won't be a waste." Despite Loki not being summoned, a feeling of dread surrounded the air around Tragedy, causing the shadow to react in fear.

"OKAY! Just let me go and I won't cause anymore trouble for the shrine or anyone! I promise!!!" Tragedy smirked as he watched the shadow squirm for a moment before he lifted his foot, watching the pitiful being run off while holding its injuries. The fool would holster his weapon, and that horrid feeling that loomed in the air was gone almost instantly. The fact that it was gone so quick was almost as creepy...

"That settles them, so let's get movin'." Tragedy said with a small grin, as if he hadn't just threatened a couple of lives.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to ask Hajime's shadow what more we can do besides taking care of the rumors. But let's keep searching for someone that has been primarily spreading these rumors. In these type of situation, there is usually one or two people who act as a source to keep them going," Swan explained as not a moment sooner did a yell of distress emanate from a different part of the shrine followed by a loud crash. Hearing this, Swan wasted no time in running towards the direction that the sounds came from, assuming that the other two would join her. Upon reaching the destination, what they would see is what looked to be a shadow of which their true form was already shown as they were hacking off chunks of a structure that belonged to the shrine with a large blade.

Behind them was the shadow of an elderly man on his knees begging the other shadow, "Please, no more. Hurt me instead, but please not the shrine!" Based on the shozoku the man was wearing and including the kanmuri he wore upon his head, this person was clearly the priest, Matsuo Hajime.

"Not a chance! For 15 years I've toiled and trekked these grounds, even gave over to a cousin my parent's estate that was entrusted to me so that I could devote myself to the shrine by living here! I've been here the longest out of all the Mikos! And what do you do?! You decide to start training someone else as the Priestess that will take over the shrine in your place when you pass aWAY!" The shadow broke off a bigger piece of the structure than last time as it yelled the last portion. They then geared up for another blow as their blade started to have blue sparks start to form around it and when it came down it was met with two chakrams blocking contact with the building. Now understanding the situation, Swan was hoping to knock two birds with one stone if this shadow was the source of where the rumors were coming from since the Miko's shadow showed resentment to the priest. Now that the shadow had officially made contact with the group, this shadow was identified as Panlong.

The commotion was unmissable, a reflection perhaps of someone who had put their efforts into the shrine as much as Hajime, who may have had their work affected by the rumors as well, and all of that only added to their resentment at being passed over for a position they sacrificed for.

That was the kind of thing that could fuel an aggressive Shadow, just as surely. Shiro was reassured by the fact that Hajime's Shadow had yet to come to direct harm, which meant it wouldn't be too difficult to help him recover mentally, in the real world.

Imagine: actually aspiring to achieve a position that people looked up to. She wasn't sure she could relate.

Stepping forward, she raised her gun, leveling it at Panlong. "Look at you!" As was often her tactic, she chose to draw attention so that her allies could find an opening to attack. "Such resentment is unbecoming of a position that asks for clarity of the spirit. Will you prove that Hajime was right to doubt you?"

Tragedy couldn’t help but feel a tang of sympathy for the shadow, such time spent toiling away in hopes of achieving a great achievement just for it to be torn away by circumstance. Though that didn’t validate what the rather… terrifying shadow was doing to the shrine that “wronged” them. Long-term Mikos or not, it was time for this damned beast to be stopped and luckily the others had just started the attack with Swan blocking the shadow’s bloodied blade and Heartbreak taking the attention of the shadow.

With a smirk, the Fool faded into the shadows without much of a trace as the two ladies took Panlong’s attention. His crimson eyes lit up from the shadows out of Panlong’s view, before Tragedy had rushed out with his fists covered in the crimtane aura from Auto-Tarukaja. Rearing back a strike, the boy sent his fist into Panlong’s lower back with the intention of knocking the beast off-balance ASAP. After the strike he slipped back into the shadows once again, using the thieves’ knack of stealth to his advantage.

The humanoid growled in frustration before averting her attention to Heartbreak to answer her question. "No!... Yes? Agh! I don't care about proving myself to him anymore! Apparently my best wasn't good en- ah!" Panlong was interrupted by Tragedy successfully getting a surprise hit off on them. In confusion the shadow looked back and then scanned the area to see who it was that attacked.

At first when Heartbreak tried to converse with the shadow, Swan noticed that they seemed to come to their senses with a moment of clarity, so Swan did not immediately jump into action. Yet Panlong's mind did not want to defog their mind of vengeance. The important part to Swan though was that talking seemed to work even if only for a brief time. Though when Tragedy clandestinely took the opportunity to strike when talking was starting to seem like it wasn't working, Swan took the chance to swipe with her chakrams but Panlong had already become on the alert by this point. They immediately parried Swan's blades with her sword which made Swan step back. "Yes but there has to be a benevolent reason why you wanted to be a Miko in the first place right? This can't be what you pictured for yourself when you began dedicating yourself," Swan spoke, trying to get Heartbreak and Tragedy to hopefully continue talking them down.

There was a moment of clarity as the Shadow seemed to waver between its resentment and its prior dedication. No one traded 15 years of their life and a promising future for a humble life of devotion unless they were truly faithful, or at least if they believed in their duty.

Heartbreak lowered her aimed weapon, holding her arms at her side to show she would not initiate further attacks. Even so, Thrud remained behind her, ready to spring into action to defend against any further assault.

Unlike against their more...proactive antagonists, Shiro didn't necessarily want to blow away a Shadow like this, even if it "worked" as a solution. Something driven by subconscious emotions, that anyone could fall victim to at any time. Something that just needed a little help to see things differently.

"I've had to let go of some things in my life recently, too. When you've spent a lot of time holding onto something like a family...or an ambition, when it falls out of your hand it feels like you can only see everything else you gave up to grab the prize in your hand. It's easy to call it 'sacrifice' and 'giving up'. But there's a reason you chose these duties, to serve the gods within this temple and work with the Head Priest. A reason you stayed here for 15 years. You didn't lose anything, not without gaining something in return. Your sense of duty, your faith in the gods."

Heartbreak's face remained inscrutable behind her helmet. This kind of speech would sound trite in the real world, but in the Metaverse where emotions ran high and could influence people subconsciously, this might be the push the Shadow's master needed to remember why they made the choices they did.

"Even if you want to take a different path in life from now on, isn't it a disgrace for you to try and shame the temple and the priests like this? You're not just betraying them...you're betraying the you who put all that hard work in for them."

It would take a few moments before Tragedy would finally understand what Swan had intended for himself and Heartbreak to do, but he eventually put two and two together. He would remain in the shadows, unseen as Heartbreak first spoke in an attempt to strike true not only to Panlong's mind but soul as well. Straight-forward, to the point, the perfect way to address a crazed shadow in the state that they were in. He was confident in his teammates ability to talk this beast down so he would give up the advantage of the shadows by emerging from them, walking forward to face the shadow directly.

"Your hard work isn't put to waste even if fate has chosen a new outcome for you, you can use the years you worked to support those around you and bring about positivity. Why destroy everything you once worked to protect?" Tragedy would shove his hands in his pockets after taking down his hood, tilting his head as he squinted his eyes. The boy lightly tapped his foot against the ground as he would smirk just a tad. "No one can truly choose what options they'll be offered, what matters most is how you make the most of said options. Your future is your responsibility, and if you support others they'll give that support back. Eye for an eye."

"Don't try to relate to me and everything I've been through! You can't possibly know what it feels like!... Or... perhaps you do... You've let go of some things as well?" Now seeing that their aggression was no longer being met with further aggression, Panlong became even more bewildered enough to stop and listen to the adversaries. Seeing this drastic shift, Swan put away her weapons as a show of good faith in hopes that maybe this whole problem can be just worked out through a discussion.

After hearing the rest of what Heartbreak had to say, the shadow looked down in a manner of which was surprisingly in shame. "A sense of duty... when I first was appointed as a miko, I felt that I had a purpose in life." Slowly coming to their senses, they dropped their weapon beside them. The way it slipped out of Panlong's hands was as if for the first time, the weight of guilt had truly been felt and was compiling unto the blade they wielded until they could bare it no more.

Tragedy was next to speak as he too had made Panlong resonate with the words that had been spoken. "Yes... positivity... I remember a time when all that mattered was supporting people." Panlong stated before reverting to their original form as a middle-aged woman with very long, dark hair tied up in a ribbon and wearing traditional clothing like the rest wore at the temple, but her kosode was pitch black and was the darkest out of all the mikos they had seen so far. She had a distant expression yet at the same time she looked... sad. "I guess my focus had changed."

"What happened that made you diverge from who you were?" Swan asked, thinking that if the shadow faced their truths it would be enough for the shadow to be released and merge with themselves in the real world.

"My parents always made fun of me for choosing to be a miko. My family has more than enough money to influence getting me good connections on a 'wealthier occupation’, but I always felt that my happiness lied with the shrine. And when the estate was to be entrusted to me and I declined, I began to doubt myself. I wondered if it was all really worth it... You..." The woman looked in Heartbreak's direction. "You mentioned that you've let go of burdens recently... how do you move on afterwards and be content with where you are currently in life? I've given up so much... yet I feel like it wasn't enough."

"Parents, huh?" Shiro let her hands rest at her side, walking not much closer to the Panlong as it calmed down, but a little to the side. Her usual tone was absent, as she spoke from her heart. "I've heard that story before. Parents...some of us get stuck with the ones who won't give an inch when your path isn't the one they expected from you."

Their situations weren't entirely the same, but..."After mine kicked me out, I had to learn to survive on the street, making use of everything I could find. And I wasn't alone, but that wasn't a reassurance. Some were adults, living in that state far longer than I ever could. They didn't need help, at least not from me. But some were kids, like me or even younger. Some who lost their parents, some who were...rejected by them."

She could confess all this: it was not like the Shadow's host would remember perfectly, let alone connect her voice to a name she didn't even know.

"I took them in, made us something like a family. Kept us looking out for each other. It wasn't easy, but I could hold everything together. Until one day, something changed." She thought back to the smell of smoke on that day, the discontent that ensued. "I realized I couldn't keep them safe, not in this way. And I also realized that none of us were getting younger. I may have kept them going for a while, but if I held on to them any longer, I'd be destroying their future."

"So I made sure they'd be taken care of. But I made sure it was on my terms." She made sure to emphasize that last part.

"I had to face the fact that my way wouldn't be the right way forever. That meant change was coming for me, whether I liked it or not. I couldn't pull on the reins and force it back the way I wanted. I guess...that'd make me just like my parents." That was the connecting point back to the miko's story. "And now I keep doing...this." She gestured to herself as she was, now. "I help people like you, whose hearts just need a little change in the right direction so they can take the reins again." She left out the part about all the blasting and punching and the meta mercs.

"The point is..." Finally, she got to the point. "Everyone has an..." She searched for the word. "...ideal within them. Maybe it'll never be fully compatible with others', or the whims of fate. But if you're holding on to yours, you can't lose your way for long." For the moment, she discarded self-consciousness in favor of a proper dramatic speech.

"When the Head Priest made his decision, you must've felt terrible. You must've believed that your parents would be proven right. And that you had no choice but to go back to them, follow their path again. Are you going to do that? Did I do that? We're not going to. Think about what made you put aside all that, to follow the path of a miko. And...let it guide you to the next turning point in your life. The important thing is not to hold still, and never look back."

That wasn't always the perfect advice, but that was what she needed to hear. It was resentment, stewed in stagnation that drove her to lash out, outwardly and inwardly. To do something so underhanded to the Head Priest and the other members of the shrine that viewed her as a worthy follower and a trusted friend. She needed to move forward, in a way that wouldn't betray her past decisions and her own true beliefs.

"But... I've done so much wrong to this shrine. How am I supposed to continue on as a Miko after the things I've said?" The woman solemnly said but she seemed to resonate with Heartbreak and the way she spoke to her right before she felt someone touch her shoulder. She had been so enraptured by her own emotions that she didn't notice the shadow of the head priest come to her other side opposite from Heartbreak.

"Oh Rin, this helpful stranger just gave you the answer. Just don't look back. If you want to continue being a Miko then do so with pure intentions," Hajime spoke and for the first time in this encounter, her real name was revealed as Rin. The elderly man then hugged Rin, "I am so sorry for not noticing how much I hurt your feelings. My decision on who I would train would have remained that same had I known how important the title was for you, but I would have at the very least approached it differently. Perhaps request a fellow priest at a separate shrine to train you as a priestess."

Rin broke down to cry on Hajime's shoulder as her figure slowly started to dissipate. "No... my reaction to your decision only supported that fact that I'm not ready for priesthood. So to get back on the right path, I'll return to my true self and confess my malevolent actions to the real Matsuo Hajime and restart my life as a miko at a different shrine. Although... it would be nice if the real you instead of recommend another priest to train me, they can just take me in as a humble miko. And I would like to give my gratitude to the rest of you... thank you," After addressing the three thieves present she fully disappeared into the ether of the Metaverse.

It felt like a wave had been lifted off Shiro's shoulders, and she took a few steps forward towards Hajime's shadow, her hands reaching up to pull off her helmet. Though her face would not be correctly perceived or remembered by him, she wanted to reach out to the older man anyway.

She sensed a sort of...opportunity, a way to turn the page and begin writing the next chapter of her life. It was a good thing that Rin would begin to change her ways, and continue to do good in the ways that she originally wanted to. But that was just the beginning. Hajime would need someone else's help from now on too.

"Hajime-san." Shiro's voice took on a tone that if not exactly deferential, was certainly at least considerate. She bowed with both hands at her side, an unfamiliar gesture. "You don't know me, not just yet. But I want to help. Please, let me do what I can to help the shrine after what happened. Now that Rin has taken a different path, you'll need someone else to start rebuilding with you. Think about it." Not that he'd be able to do much else with the information. "I'll come find you."

Tch, Parents? Seemed like that was quite the trend with the little group of misfits, having shitty parents that ended up leading them towards the path they were currently taking with their lives. Tragedy would cross him arms as he listened to Heartbreak talk to the shadow that was revealed to be named Rin, only nodding along as his ally poured her heart out to help this stranger that had been defacing the shrine only moments before. It was fascinating to the teen how not all battles, especially ones within Mementos were ones of the spoken word just as much as they were of blades. A small smile shot across the wild teen's features as he witnessed the scene between Haijime and Rin, watching the once displaced Miko find her answer thanks to the solace within Heartbreak's words and wisdom.

As the shadow would finally dissipate into the ever ending blacks and reds of the Metaverse, Tragedy would take a deep sigh as he removed his hood and peeled away his mask since their job was seemingly coming to an end. "Job Complete." The fool would state first as if they were in some video game as he would lean back to stretch his aching limbs. The boy would look to his allies, a smile still stretched on his lips before a few thoughts would strike true causing a worried expression.

"We may have stopped the origin of the rumors and prevented any further damages..." Tragedy would start as his red eyes looked to the Metaverse's version of the shrine, his eyes on the parts struck down previously by Panlong. "But that isn't going to remove the rumor from people's minds like it never happened. And as far as I'm concerned, our whole thing is not fucking with people's minds, yeah? So how the hell are we gonna reverse that?"

Thinking that the others would want to start heading back, Swan began to walk away before she heard Heartbreak speak sincerely to the shadow of Hajime. The man seemed surprised as well as he stammered with his next words, yet it was not out of fear but he spoke with a sense of shocked gratitude to her kindness. "Y-yes, of course. You may visit whenever you like. Until then, I will think about the sort of help I would like around the shrine despite you having done more than enough to aid me. Although, helping anymore would be nothing short of a blessing, this I know." Hajime bowed back at Shiro before he left the area.

Afterwards, Tragedy had brought up a good point about the situation with the shrine. With Swan, every thought ended only with enforcing Heartbreak's kind offer. "I'm not sure exactly how the rumors can be wiped out. My parents really did a number on him. But what I do know is that Heartbreak can figure it out with a little bit of time."

Swan then placed a hand on Heartbreak's shoulder and said to her with a comforting smile, "You're doing a very noble act by contributing to his much needed assistance Heartbreak. I must thank you as well. If it wasn't for this decision of yours, I'd still have the rumors on my conscience; But knowing that you'll be taking care of the rest really sets me at ease. They'll be in good hands, I'm sure. Just let me know if you ever need me to help in turn."

And with that, Heartbreak was finally able to let out a sigh of relief, visibly relaxing without the inscrutable cover of her helmet. "It's time for me to get everything ready, then. I've made a promise to Hajime-san, and I will not disappoint." She was rarely this frank, even in the Metaverse.

"Tragedy, Swan...thank you." Even if she didn't fully agree with the approach he took, he and Swan helped to make this possible without risking Hajime's volatile mental state in an outright battle against his trusted former miko's Shadow.

"I'll be getting what little I have in order." She nodded to the other Thieves, as much of a gesture of gratitude as she might show though her other actions would say much more. "If you need me to help in this way...you know how to call me."

With that, she turned to leave the Metaverse on her own.