2026-03-27: The Lion's Roar
- Log: 2026-03-27 The Lion's Roar
- Cast: Tatsuya Suou (NPCed by Penguin Sniper), Baofu (NPCed by Penguin Sniper), Maya Amano (NPCed by Penguin Sniper with her player's permission), Goro Akechi, Ayame Watanabe, Jun Kashihara, Kurou Ryouhara, Tsubasa Seki, Shinjiro Aragaki, Masao Inaba, Shinobu Shimizu, Eikichi Mishina, Akari Hoshi, Hyousuke Suzuki, Hitomi Mandai, Katsuya Suou, Julian Marlowe, Ririka Kawase, Umie Akabane, Tamaki Uchida, Tatsuya Sudou
- Where: Konan - Main - Aerospace Museum
- OOC Date: March 27, 2026
- IC Date: Tuesday, October 16, 2012
- Summary: Escaping with children caught up in the blaze, all finally reach the top of the burning Aerospace Museum, where Tatsuya Sudou awaits to try and make the true Joker remember... the Other Side. Follows immediately after this cutscene.
OOC Note: This scene will be an Arcana fight, after a leadup. It marks part 1 of the Season 1, Episode 1 finale for the MUSH and will take place on Tuesday October 16th, ICly. A Monad of the Aerospace Museum that will open earlier in March and is recommended, but not required to be run before this scene takes place as it will detail the circumstances that lead you to the scene.
TW: Child Endangerment, Eye Horror (Minimal).
(|=============================== Konan - Main ===============================|) -================================================== Sumaru City/Konan Ward ====-
Konan Ward is right up on the ocean, which could be considered one of its best
features; Ebisu Beach is but a stone's throw away for those who live here in one
of the many local apartment complexes, like Lunar Palace. The presence of the
Konan Police Department might make one feel safer too, though there's bad rumors
about nasty things lurking in the abandoned factory. All kinds of businesses are
available at the Seaside Mall.
The Aerospace Museum to the south, right next to the beach, is a great place to
take young kids on a field trip--they'll be able to learn all about the history
of aviation with tons of model planes and even a built-to-scale replica blimp
that rumors claim is real and can fly. Surely that's just children's
imaginations running away with them, though.
<Pose Tracker> Penguin Sniper has posed.
It's chaos on the rooftop. Even as the Old Maid falls into the flames below... No one is given time to process all that just occurred, because the rooftop is rumbling, and shaking like its structure is giving way.
Smoke billows out through ever-widening cracks in the roof and to those trapped up top, one might wonder, how do we escape? The Zeppelin, with enormous balloon like mass feels like it's a taunt. After all, everyone knows as a fixture of Konan's museums that it's a replica to celebrate the history of Japanese aeronautics.
Right?
Tatsuya Suou in his sooty motorcycle leathers turns to regard everyone for a moment, before commanding quickly, "Follow me. Someone get the kids on board." As he turns towards the Zeppelin restaurant, its checkered awning hosts a metallic plank to board, or more precisely, to enter the passenger compartment.
It's an upscale rooftop cafe, after all.
Baofu runs up to him, "Hey, you don't really think that thing will fly, do you?" Before his posture changes, "... What kind of rumor did you spread!?"
Tatsuya only glances at him for a few moments, before continuing onward. He can't tell him after all that, he didn't spread any rumors. Any rumormongers among them might be baffled, because they know of no rumor of this place flying. No one on 'This Side' has spread that this Zeppelin can fly.
There's no hesitation as he enters the cockpit and finds the control, already jamming buttons to turn the engines on, rotors in the back of the enormous beast that is this Zeppelin beginning to spin. This thing didn't even have a working engine before. Everything had been stripped out in service of its new function.
And yet, with the power of rumors, none of that matters. There wasn't an engine before? There actually is. It's impossible for it to fly? The evidence of the rational mind only holds up so much before the evidence in front of their eyes. It can't fly? It will fly.
He only waits long enough for everyone to get on board, before tugging a lever down hard and turning the wheel.
Zeppelin Soundtrack - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2ZPmvQKtdk
Below, glass ruptures, steel buckles, floor after floor of the museum start to collapse upon itself, detonating as flames spew into the sky. And a rumbling behemoth rises through the haze of smoke triumphantly rising into the sky.
It is like a movie moment, a fantastical flight away from certain death as Tatsuya Suou pilots the Zeppelin in a great arc over Konan's district, passing high above the streets and buildings as it loops around steadily towards the Bay.
"Safe~! <3" Declares Maya Amano, before a sudden dread sets in with two words from Tatsuya Suou, "Not yet..." As he suddenly lets go of the wheel, and begins circling towards the back of the cockpit, out towards the passenger compartment.
"I'll need someone to take the controls."
What's he worried about, exactly?
OOC Note: If you haven't, please read 2/152 prior to responding to this, and the associated cutscene. Everyone will have forty five minutes in the opening round to get your characters on the Zeppelin. Don't worry about the piloting part, it's handled! You'll see how in round two! If you want to cameo your other characters here, feel free, but it's recommended you have them in a different role, like protecting the kids or the like.
AS: Prophecy (Healing in 2 rounds!) applied to Umie Akabane! AS: Prophecy (Healing in 2 rounds!) applied to Ririka Kawase! AS: Prophecy (Healing in 2 rounds!) applied to Jun Kashihara! AS: Prophecy (Healing in 2 rounds!) applied to Ayame Watanabe! AS: Prophecy (Healing in 2 rounds!) applied to Akari Hoshi! AS: Prophecy (Healing in 2 rounds!) applied to Shinjiro Aragaki! AS: Prophecy (Healing in 2 rounds!) applied to Masao Inaba! AS: Prophecy (Healing in 2 rounds!) applied to Hyousuke Suzuki! AS: Prophecy (Healing in 2 rounds!) applied to Hitomi Mandai!
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
Goro Akechi stares at the hole that's opened up, even as everyone recovers from the whole hostage situation. He stares down, eyes narrowing as they search the inferno raging below.
"I'm going after the Old Maid."
He produces an item, some strange chilled Yokan, and takes a bite. As he does so, a shining fiery barrier forms over himself as it casts the Fire Wall spell.
"...Don't wait up for me."
And then he leaps into the burning depths below after Tatsuya Sudou disappearing into the blaze almost instantly, as it roars up, with nary a sign that he was there in the first place.
AS: Prophecy (Healing in 2 rounds!) applied to Tsubasa Seki! AS: Prophecy (Healing in 2 rounds!) applied to Katsuya Suou! AS: Prophecy (Healing in 2 rounds!) applied to Shinobu Shimizu! AS: Prophecy (Healing in 2 rounds!) applied to Eikichi Mishina! AS: Prophecy (Healing in 2 rounds!) applied to Tamaki Uchida!
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
The chaos at hand brings coughing out of Ayame, as the fire and smoke get worse. She was worried for longer than a moment there--Jun managed to get out of the way and understand her cue, but...
That was close.
"Right!" Ayame calls over the people with the kids, waving her hand to the Persona-users there like that nice girl Ogre and that less-nice girl Isabeau. Soon, she'll be able to be with Koume again, who has to have been frightened to see the confrontation...
"Wait-!" A boy goes into the depths. Ayame winces--but her own daughter has to be her priority, and these children. "Baofu!" she calls. "We have to have faith!"
A mvoie moment...
It is, isn't ti? Ayame doesn't go for the controls. Instead, she looks to Tatsuya Suou, and smiles. "You really helped us," she says. "But don't be so reckless! We can all do this together, can't we?"
"Now..." She looks around, "Koume-chan? Koume-chan, are you all right?"
AS: Prophecy (Healing in 2 rounds!) applied to Kurou Ryouhara!
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
For all the heat rising up from within the burning museum, Jun feels cold. He's grateful that Maya and Tatsuya are safe, but he hadn't meant to push Sudou into the burning building. Could even the Old Maid survive that inferno?
But Tatsuya reassures him it's not his fault. That helps, for all that the two refrain from touching each other, but then Akechi puts his money where his mouth is by going down that same hole to chase after the serial killer. Jun's eyes widen in shock. "Akechi-kun, wait--!"
But he's already gone. Jun shakes his head slowly, strangely comforted by the gesture. "He's very brave," he comments to Tatsuya. "I wonder if he's a Leo too..."
There's no time to dwell on that, though. Tatsuya leaves for the zeppelin cafe. Jun follows with the rest, confused--until Baofu asks if he thinks it'll fly. Astonishment crosses his face. "Was there a rumor like that...?"
He'd decided to pay more attention to those now that he's Awakened, but he completely missed that one! (Because it was never spread on This Side.)
Once everyone is aboard, Jun watches in wonder as Tatsuya pilots the zeppelin away from the museum in a rain of glass and steel. The view is incredible--but it doesn't seem like that's the end yet.
"Wh--Tatsuya, wait!" he calls, hurrying after him and decidedly not taking the controls. Maya, take the wheel! (For the love of god, Maya, DO NOT take the wheel.)
<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
Kurou keeps back with the children he had led through the flames, and makes it his vigil for any others who come to join those seeking asylum and escape. But he does watch the horrors unfold. The Old Maid... Remembrance... Old Times. Kurou narrows his gaze, fingers hovering above the scarf around his throat, as he moves a silent step back nearer the children in case.
What the Old Maid is really after, and what the Old Maid receives... Jun Kashihara's shock and horror in such a moment is foreign to Kurou.
An escape is being made. The Ryouhara have their own methods. He could disappear in an instant. It would be best if he did, if no one had the chance to even realize he was here.
But while there are children cowering in fear, he cannot will himself to leave.
He is not among the cowering this time. He is no longer so small and so helpless.
Kurou will remain their guardian until this is over, no matter what happens from here. Though he will endeavor to not call attention to himself, if he is noticed...
... that's a price he will pay for today.
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
Seeing the children gathering by the binoculars, Phoenix's first priority is making sure that their gaggle of kids can get there, too -- covering Ogre in the process. (There's a fat girl in fabulous Victorian clothing with the children, already, who lambastes Ogre for being late. That's Isabeau. Don't worry about her, the only thing you need to know is that she has a ruby spear and she's protecting those kids with it. Minato's there, too, but he's way less critical.) Those are priorities which end up placing Phoenix -- ironically? -- right near Katsuya, in the perfect balance of crime and punishment, as they take a forward position in keeping the Old Maid away from the schoolchildren.
"Fuck him up!" They cry, as Auntie Watanabe's brave actions push that blade away from Jun's throat. Tragically, it's followed by Sudou opening a crack into the burning building below. "You nuts?! -- ugh, what'm I sayin'?!" Of course Sudou is nuts.
... but their blade is distinctly two-handed, and in the seconds it takes for those horrors to unfold, Phoenix is still caught between the logistics of disarming themself versus lurching forward. "OI, AMANO-SAN--!" But Jun's got it, with those ridiculously overweighted flowers of his...
And Jun feels responsible. Phoenix's gut twists, as they call, to him: "C'mon, man! You reckon fire gon' kill that prick?!" They're talking tough, of course; the fire's soon to kill all of them, with that kind of structural damage.
Tatsuya tells them to pile into the zeppelin, though, and Phoenix gawks: "You serious?!" Didn't the LAST zeppelin flying go up in a shower of flames?!?! But the roof rumbles a little more, and Phoenix squwarks -- "You really are! Holy shit!"
Up onto the zeppelin they go. (Minato, in the background, feels a sense of deja vu, watching Tatsuya at the controls, as he remembers grappling with an impossibly-speeding train's controls in the Dark Hour.) Phoenix pauses on the walkway only long enough to yelp, "Hey--!!", down to the Princely Akechi as he leaps down into the flames. "... goddamnit!"
When the zeppelin rises up, though, Phoenix is -- frankly -- shocked, and more to the point, too shocked to focus too much on the kids. Kurou manages to sink into the background successfully! "What th' hell... we really flyin'?!"
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
Shinjiro is stressing. He reaches the roof a bit late, as the Old Maid falls below and Akechi follows, unable to interfere with what just happened.
But as he sees Tatsuya Suou, someone he's learned to trust enough to follow, telling them to get the kids on board, he starts to move his group forward, trying to get them to the airship. "Come on!"
Once they're all on the ship and moving, Shinjiro turns to Tatsuya. "You think we're clear?"
He's still on alert, at least. This airship could be shot out of the sky or something. It's not a comforting thought.
MEANWHILE:
Ulala Serizawa is sticking to Maya after that near-fall. She won't be any help with the kids. Not that she thinks she could. Hazuki Nakao will stay with the kids, however. That, too, is heroism.
<Pose Tracker> Masao Inaba has posed.
DURING THE STANDOFF
It takes some doing, but Masao "Mark" Inaba - alongside the mysterious and unidentifiable but verifiably cool Ogre and Phoenix - are able to see the kids they were able to locate join up with everyone else in the closest idea to 'somewhere safe' that they can given, uh. It doesn't need elaboration.
(One can make out Roger in the relative distance making the back. He helped a scared, separated child too overwhelmed by everything by connecting almost instantly over a shared interest and that the only way to play again is to come with everyone.)
He's got his axe drawn and held up in one arm, the other on his hip, standing near Phoenix as he eyes Old Maid with a promise that they're not going to do in everyone like they did Hannya and so many others.
There is one name he is aware of due to... circumstances he does not want to openly discuss. Eriko spoke with him in English in the overrun sanitorium for a reason. That name stuck. If Old Maid's "friend" is anyone - anything! - at all related to that, then... Ayame has no idea just how right she is.
"Ah crap!!" Masao shouts as things escalate, to be decisively overpowered by Jun deciding to reject absolutely everything Old Maid has stretched out a hand for - for what one hopes the last time.
"I don't even know what to expect," Masao says, muted in the wake of all of that, despite mounting adrenaline and the continued issue that they are on top of a burning building.
Especially not what Tatsuya Suou suggests, which reinforces what he just said.
DURING THE PART THAT MASAO "MARK" INABA DOESN'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT
"We're doing this," he echoes, incredulous. But they don't really have a choice, and there's a high school kid taking the controls. Okay. It's that or wait for a fire department whose sirens he didn't hear coming, and frankly they don't have the time because he knows what he saw in the museum... and he knows what parts are going to be explosively bad as fire gets toit.
He misses the sight of the Detective Prince entirely, back turned to all of it, left only with the capacity to answer Phoenix thus as he sees Ayame go to comfort her child.
"Yeah, we're flyin', looks like..." To give them the grounding comfort that, yes, this is actually happening and no one's dreaming this.
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
It all happens in just a few short moments. Shinobu had left Ayame and the others, volunteering to guard Koume and the other school kids while they checked on something else, and by the time she's started to move as she spots the Joker Killer - she arrives just in time to watch Jun push Sudou off the edge and into the blaze that was once the Aerospace Museum. A grimace crosses her face.
"...Damn it." If she only had gotten back sooner, or if she had never left at all... Sure, it's not that she doesn't think it's better this way... But it should've been her, or one of the other adults. Jun shouldn't have that kind of weight on his shoulders at that age.
And then the rooftop shakes.
"...Damn. This place is gonna come down soon. We gotta find a way off!" Shinobu calls out. She looks around. Is there an escape ladder? ...Is it even still usable, if there is? With all this fire...
Her vision snaps up as Tatsuya commands them all to follow him.
"...Follow you? What, you got a plan or something?" Shinobu asks. She frowns. The zeppelin? But that's just a show piece, isn't it? ...But there's no time to second guess it. "...You heard the man! All aboard!"
She'll help shepherd everyone aboard, raising her voice in a commanding tone. ....And surprise crosses her face when, sure enough, once she's onboard, the thing takes off.
"...What the hell. It really worked." She's surprised, and she looks toward Ayame, moving to join her. "Don't worry, she's fine. Let's see, she's probably with the other kids..."
Fuuka Yamagishi, meanwhile, is also here - her primary focus right is now looking after the schoolchildren and doing her best to help them stay calm. Her own nerves are a wreck right now... but she has to do her best to put a brave face on when there's a lot of tiny faces looking up to her.
...Still, a part of her is a little exciting to actually be flying on a blimp... What a remarkable display of technical ingenuity.
<Pose Tracker> Eikichi Mishina has posed.
Eikichi Mishina is currently watching the kids, making faces and singing really bizarre childish songs. He is playing a harmonica and not his 'guitar' for some reason.
In truth he has mixed feelings about what has transpired. It was over right? It didn't feel over.
He sighs, continuing to sing songs and keep spirits up.
<Pose Tracker> Akari Hoshi has posed.
Suzume Fukura wasn't sure what she was going to experience when she came to the Aerospace Museum for the first time today with a few other SEES folks, but it definitely wasn't what had actually happened: a bomb, a fire, a rescue, and a blast of memory. A memory of something - somewhere - else, a moment of weakness that nearly made her fall.
When Suzume slipped and caught herself on the railing rather than tumble down a whole flight of stairs, she'd twisted her arm and knocked the air out of her. She'd be fine, she'd just blame a sports injury if anyone asked her at exams tomorrow, but it meant *right now* she was letting other people take the lead.
She hated every minute of it, but she understood the reasoning, which is why she'd stayed with the crowd of elementary school children, meeting up with Minato immediately. Which is ALSO why she finds herself escorting them - and making sure they don't lose any - onto a zeppelin. And she doesn't enjoy that, either, because she keeps catching herself looking down... and forcing herself through one thing she fears and won't admit she fears: dealing with heights.
Man, her life has gotten weird the last few months.
It's the great warrior Ixquic that pounds up the stairs at the last minute. REALLY the last minute; she didn't see more than half of went on up on the roof. But she knew the Old Maid, the Joker Killer, would be there...
No. She knew Leo would be there. That was his name, wasn't it? Or, at least, it was what she called him... though she can't imagine why. She's never exactly sat down and spoken to him, has she? He's not the kind of person she wants to meet! It's confusion all around.
So when she pounds onto the roof, practically slamming the door open with her shoulder and blasting through it at top speed, her cloak billowing behind her as she does, it's just in time to see someone fall into the flames as several others are saved from the pit. It takes Ixquic a moment to recognize who it was, and then she knows all at once; only one person it could be.
She focuses on Jun for a moment, then, as he looks guilty, guilty, guilty. "You!" It's not even clear who she called that to. Part of her wants to declare him a villain for killing him even as he looks horrified for doing it, but the rest of her doesn't know where that even came from. To kill a murderer...
It's bad. Killing is bad, isn't it? But if it saves someone... isn't it right? Wouldn't you bomb the world to fix it?
...
Ixquic doesn't let herself think about it. Not here, not now, maybe not ever. She turns, waving to the other Persona-users. "Come on! Come on! I was right, we can escape through the roof!" Though she hadn't expected it to be quite this way, she's not going to complain about riding on the zeppelin. It feels right, somehow.
But she keeps looking over - at Jun, at Tatsuya, even at Eikichi and once, for a long moment, Maya. Does she recognize her? She's sworn she's seen her recently...
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
Hyousuke burst through the door, and raked eyes of sharp, emerald, green across the area before him. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as his analysed the details, but there was no cleverness to his gaze, nor wit to his actions. His manner was that of a hunting hound, muscles wound tight until they went taut beneath his skin, and teeth bared beneath the muzzle of his mask in a razor-lined snarl. He didn't search for clues on what had happened, or routes to get the children down without incident - he looked for a way towards the fight.
But for all his strength and fury, Hyousuke had not been quick enough in his ascent. No sooner had he set foot upon the rooftop than he saw Jun dive into Sudou, the lilac held before him. There was no time for him to intervene. He hadn't the chance to save anyone, shield anyone, or deliver a blow of hellish anger upon the murderous wretch that had tormented so many, for so long. All he could see was fire, and Sudou dragged down into that yawning chasm of his own creation.
Even so, Hyousuke strode forward with all due haste. He was no ghost, wreathed in the shroud of the supernatural and granted a new identity. He had not been granted new strength and form by the defeat of some scheming parasite, and made to manifest his true self. But even so, he emerged clad in armour of rich purples and golds, pitch-dark accents serving to highlight the solid form of the hulking mass that made his presence known. Though his face was hidden by a great wall of purple and a golden visor, his turning head made his looking around clear to see, before he finally settled on those before him.
"Are you guys alright? What the hell happened here?" He asked, looking down to the blazing abyss, then to everyone around him. "Forget it, you can tell me on the way out. If you can stand, we gotta move - Joker Killer's rigged this place to blow, and I don't know how long we've go until the whole place goes down. We need a way out, and-"
Before he could finish, Suou issued orders, and relayed a plan. Hyousuke could only stare at him, blinking and dumbfounded, trying to figure out if he'd missed something. When he finally spoke, there was a slight hesitation there - as if he still was not sure he'd heard him correctly. "The zeppelin? You know that thing's not a *real* zeppelin, don't you?"
But there was scarcely time for argument. Everyone else had begun to head up into it, and Hyousuke didn't have a better idea than to follow them. Whoever that white-clad warrior was, they seemed to have a plan, and Hyousuke would have been lying if he'd said he was *entirely* certain that Sudou had perished. The man had taken spears and swords and magic and every other attack under the sun, yet still crawled away with nary a scratch. But, as much as he wished to deliver the coup de grace, there were children to evacuate. Sudou would have to wait.
Before he had a chance to ask what the plan was, a juddering ran under his feet. Hyousuke shook and staggered, but not because of the motion - it was because of the shock.
"The hell?!" He asked, looking around him as he slowly regained his footing, hand lashing out to steady himself against the nearest stable surface. "This place was just supposed to be a cafe! How'd you get it to-" Once again, he was cut off. He didn't know what Suou had found, but a pit formed in his stomach, and an itching clawed at the back of his mind.
Though hellfire and choking ash rose up from below, reaching up as if to try and drag its escaping prey back into a blazing maw, Hyousuke had the sinking feeling that the worst was yet to come.
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
When they reach the roof, they find the children; and when there is someone else there, the Joker Killer himself, Hitomi Mandai is somehow unsurprised.
She was, of course, a little 'late'. She was traveling with Shinjiro, through their merry tour through the underlying inferno that the Joker Killer has stoked. There is an audible gasp from her, seeing the Joker Killer and the Hostage. For a fleeting moment --
(It was weird, Hitomi will think later, if she lives. It was like all the weight started coming off me.)
-- she doesn't see anyone else. But there are others, and before they can do more than close some distance, Sudou is moving-- --except that Jun strikes him and he falls into the fiery cleft in the roof.
Hitomi blinks once slowly. There is a momentary glance at Shinjiro as if to validate that she saw that. But she does not speak about it. By the time she looks back, she is close enough to hear Akechi. "-- Wow," she says, in tones of strange delight leavened by a stunned demeanor. To Ririka, Hitomi says, "I saw that guy on TV! The Detective Prince, I'm pretty sure. Unless it's his brother or something," she gabbles on before TATSUYA SUOU LAYS IT DOWN:
"Are you shitting me?" Hitomi answers, with that same tone of bland-stunned-but-excited.
Once everyone is onboard, Hitomi contributes while trying to look in the control room -- Hitomi seems to have few illusions or desires regarding her ability to calm the children -- "This thing was fucking real all along? I had NO IDEA! Why did it just stay parked here???"
"Sorry I swore but we're all about to die," Hitomi adds, this one to Shinjiro. Her head swivels back to look ahead. "I guess even if all it's gonna do is float, it's better than the fire! Does the steering work? I guess worst case is we get blown a little out to sea, but everyone is *going to see where we went.*"
She takes off her glasses to clean them on a cloth from in her pocket. This may keep her from seeing something horrifying in a minute, but they have gotten a lot of haze and dirt on them...
Hitomi continues, possibly on autopilot. "So hi all of you I'm Hitomi M-- My last name is secret for right now, I grew up around here, I go to -- haha -- I'm panicking, I'll shut up. But hi!!?"
<Pose Tracker> Katsuya Suou has posed.
"No--!"
It had all happened before Katsuya could so much as blink. In one moment, Tatsuya had been barely holding onto the edge, with only the combined efforts of Maya and Eikichi keeping him from slipping into the inferno below. Sudou had advanced on the both of them with the sword, and then, just before Katsuya could consider taking that shot...
Jun had struck at Sudou, sending him falling into the widening crack. Eikichi and Maya had pulled his brother up before he could even reach their side. "Tatsuya, are you--"
An explosion from below prompts him to focus. The building is still burning up below them, and there's no escape to be had on the roof. Can emergency services fly here fast enough? How long until the next explosives go off?
Follow him, his brother bids, and Katsuya, uncomprehending at first, turns to look at Baofu as the man comes running up. "You don't mean-- a rumor?" He looks between Baofu, Ulala, and Maya. "Will that really work?" He looks over at Tamaki as if searching for some confirmation here, only to shake his head. "No, there's no time. We need to get everyone on board!"
Breaking away from the others, he'll do his best to calm down the children (alongside Phoenix) after what they've seen and get them moving towards the Zeppelin cafe. "Everyone, follow me!" he urges, in due time; after that, it's simply a matter of finding somewhere for the children to settle down and be comfortable. Is it just his imagination, or is the air clearer in here? Like it had an air filtration system, perhaps in the anticipation that it would need to fly. ...It's ridiculous. But that, he thinks, might just be their only salvation.
Moving towards the cockpit once he can, Katsuya can already feel the beast of a vehicle starting to move. This... will work, right? If it doesn't work, they'll--
He's still shocked when they actually do take to the air. He has to grab onto something that surely minutes ago was just part of the decor to stabilize himself.
"It's... really flying," he says to his brother, incredulous. His gaze turns sharply towards his brother. "Wait. How are you able to fly this? You only have a motorcycle permit!"
Tatsuya, though, lets go of the wheel and starts to move towards the back of the cockpit. "...Tatsuya? Where are you going? Hey, wait!" He moves to follow after him, of course.
<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
It's a good thing Julian Marlowe regularly engages in stamina-building exercise, with all the running around he's had to do today. Few things motivate him to do so more than endangerment of children. Some might have caught a glimpse of Vesper speeding by on a different floor while they were otherwise engaged, at most giving a nod to those en encountered with children in their care. His anxieties could not be quelled by anything less than personally making sure, and double-checking, that no one was left behind.
Being that thorough does come with its disadvantages, the least concerning of which is not being there to see the Joker Killer's fate as it happens. The far greater concern is all the fire, and a building about to collapse, with nowhere for him to go but up.
Needlessly to say, when he finally bursts onto the roof, he is VERY surprised to see a zeppelin taking off, but not about to question it in the moment. As dramatics would have it, he'll be the very last to make it on, seconds before takeoff and certain doom.
He needs a moment to catch his breath after all that, not particularly caring about his image right that minute. Cognition may will his suit to still somehow appear immaculate in spite of all the flames, but the man behind the mask is far from immune to fatigue and smoke inhalation. He considers, not for the first time, if going off on his own like that might not have been the best of ideas.
Once he's reasonably sure he can manage to stay on his feet and at all appear in control, he makes his way to the passenger compartment, the man in the stark white mask tipping his bowler hat in general greeting to the unfamiliar but mostly familiar faces he encounters.
"Well. This is a fine how-do-you-do."
That's one way of putting it.
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
The Aerospace Museum has been... less than fun. From the moment the first bombs went off, to having to rescue a group of scared children, to dealing with Trish(!?), and then having... something messing with her senses that she can't identify.
Like somehow knowing they only had fifteen minutes to get to the roof, which she'd assumed was her Navigator intuition at work... except Hitomi and Shinjiro knew it, too. Or that scream, that she both heard and did not hear, that was not present...
And all that while trying to mind all the kids and keep the smoke out of her lungs.
And once they got to the roof... other groups, more kids, and a dramatic confrontation that plays out. She wants to go help Jun--but she knows she's not that kind of direct combatant, and she's mindful of the children that she's been watching over, keeping herself interposed between Sudou and them, to make sure they can't become targets too.
And then Sudou is pushed, and falls. Ririka gasps sharply, trying to position herself so that her group of kids can't see. But there's not a lot of time to contemplate that, because the roof is crumbling.
Suou says to get in the zeppelin. Ririka frowns, but any chance it might fly is better than falling into the collapsing building. And maybe being in there will shield them somehow. She turns, kneeling to gesture to the children she arrived with. "Come on, everybody, we're gonna-- take you all for a ride!" She hopes.
Akechi elects to go into the inferno to find the Old Maid. "Wait, are you nuts!?" That Fire Wall... well, it's better than nothing, but she can't do anything for him now.
But once inside, the Zeppelin actually takes off, and Ririka does a double take. "What the..." She is... really glad that worked. And also confused.
She'll leave the kids in the care of others, and meet up with the other Persona Users. She's standing out of the way, eyes closed, and she's just... listening. But not to anything here.
"After everything I've seen him do," she says, as she rapidly taps a rhythm on her thigh, trying to stim herself calm so she can concentrate. "I have a hard time believing he's done for. I'm trying to scan the museum, but it's hard to make out anything past all the flames..." Yes, she's trying, from here. Don't worry about it, it's just Navigator things.
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
Umie thought the burst of familiar, chaotic resonance would be enough to prepare her for what would wait for their party when she went through those doors.
Instead, Umie sees an open portal to what the lower floors are now like: an inferno of flame, over which Maya grips onto Tatsuya, with Eikichi keeping the both of them from falling in. Just as she processes this, the Joker Killer approaches the three of them, sword in hand... and Jun steps in, to shove the man into the fires below.
"Kashihara-kun..." Umie can't know the thoughts going through Jun's head, but she can be certain, from her own memories, it's nothing no one should have to deal with.
Tatsuya is there, about to comfort him... but stops. "Takkun..." Umie says softly. No matter how much blame Umie may feel falls on her shoulders, Tamaki's right: there's nothing that proves Umie had anything to do with Tatsuya Suou's Mark. It makes thrusting the blame on herself an even emptier gesture, more likely to soothe Umie's need to fix the situation that it will ever, for a moment, help a single teenager trying to solve everything by himself.
That's all it ever was, wasn't it? Trying to solve a problem that's grown so much larger than Umie herself. Was Umie ever even close to being the center? Is this all just her own selfishness?
These are the thoughts Umie has, when she sees Tatsuya's hand fall back to his side.
'I'm going after the Old Maid.' "Wait, what do you... Ak--! Stop!" Umie's eyes widen as she sees the young man leap into the flames below, barely able to stop herself from yelling his name aloud for all to hear. "Stop!!" You can't stop gravity, Umie.
And time is running out.
======
Collecting herself on the Zeppelin, Umie sits down, takes off the mask Tamaki loaned her, and rubs the edge of a clothed left palm over both eyes, before resting her head there. Hearing Vesper's greeting, Umie looks up. "I don't suppose you guys could survive a thing like that, right...?" People like Vesper, that is, with cognitive masks.
"I suppose it doesn't matter," she says a second later, quietly.
Ririka tries to scan for the Joker Killer. "I guess he wouldn't be down for long, if that was the case, but..." Umie fans herself with the black mask in her right palm, her eyes looking through the window to the cityscape below.
".... I wonder who's piloting," Umie says, just as Tatsuya moves to the passenger area.
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
Tamaki is caught between two competing impulses, oscillating from one extreme to the other, stuck in spinlock. Fists tightly clenched, she stands frozen at her distant vantage point with the kids and Hazuki as several events transpire before her eyes.
(Conversely, Aigis is not. She has her own set of priorities. For one, she's there to protect Minato at all costs. Two, there are children to protect, and she'd prefer to not let anyone else suffer from her negligence.)
Stay away from the main conflict. Exit stage left. Help in the background, despite being entirely capable of holding her own alongside everyone else. She's had her fill of playing the hero, or so she thought, so she stayed behind during a certain incident at St. Hermelin.
Rush in before the others. They're not as well-informed and experienced as her. They're just kids, and she's one of the adults, but ... she can't shake some ominous feeling about that approach. It IS what she did last time, after all.
What jolts her back to her senses is Sudou's invitation to 'enjoy your express trip to hell.' She's been through an analogous experience -- she wasn't the biggest fan of it. There's a third option, offered by Umie, offered by Tamaki herself to the younger Suou brother: work together for once. She breaks from the sidelines and looks back at Hazuki to call, "Nakao-chan! I'm going ahead!"
In an attempt to assuage Jun's guilt (and ward off Ixquic's attention), she offers, "I ... wouldn't count him out just yet. Not until we have more firm evidence."
After Baofu questions what kind of rumor Tatsuya had spread, she interjects with genuine shock and dismay, "Th-this is news to me! If he's the one who spread it, he didn't do it through us!" In response to Katsuya, she shakes her head and muses, "It could in theory, but I haven't heard anything of the sort. If it was, it's escaped our notice."
Tamaki's jaw drops as the zeppelin takes off, leaving her as utterly flabbergasted as anyone else. This shouldn't be the case, but it is.
She does manage to recompose herself enough to happily greet a certain masked gentleman. "Vesper-san, it's good to see you here! Glad you can help out."
Umie's question about who's piloting does cause Tamaki to quietly look around and take a headcount, but she doesn't comment out loud on the matter.
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Sudou has posed.
A heavy cackle is heard from inside the zeppelin as that heavy sickening feeling that has long been associating Tatsuya Sudou settles in. From no where Sudou steps forth, the right side of his body covered in burns and his eye seems to have been burned away at some point. " Another thing has come to pass, and another step towards the other timeline we have taken. Everything according to destiny." Sudou's voice sounds calm and content, but the look on his face says he is quite angry about the matter.
Mocking grabbing at his face, Sudou tears at an invisible mask as he shouts, "Persona!" The Joker persona climbs it's way out of Sudou's shadow and stands tall behind the giant that Sudou is. "You guys can't leave yet, you forget to pick up your commemorative gifts from the gift shop. I have plenty of shirts that say 'I died at the hands of Tatsuya Sudou, and all I got was this lousy t-shirt." Another horrible laugh as Sudou finds his own jokes funny, maybe having some of those precious brain cells from smoke inhalation.
Gazing at those who have gathered, as the Joker persona shuffles a deck of cards above him waiting for the attack. From the trenchcoat Sudou draws the claymore and is already moving to engage, not willing to give this lot free shots this time. A grin forms on his face as he sees Ixquic, "Another step indeed. " The joker persona grins at Jun and gives a little finger waggle.
The fight starts suddenly, as all fights do. A fist is thrown, its sudden and quick, as Sudou rushes forward and aims a fist for Eikichi's face. "Don't wet yourself this time you wanna be. We are in the big leagues now." The Old Maid doesn't stop as he continues his motion and moves into Tamaki's personal space, wielding the sword like it is a cheap plastic copy, striking multiple times with the claymore. "You should have stayed home as you are already in check."
Leaping and flipping into the air he unleashes a barrage of fire down upon Ayame, landing within ear shot, "Watanabe-san, so nice of you to come. So nice of you to bring your child to this playdate. I will make sure she gets home to her dad when I am done with you. She can carry your ashes."
Scooping the fire from the air the Joker's taint turns the fire black and double flame, hovering behind Sudou it leans down and whispers. "Oh that is good. " Taking one of the balls of fire, he throws the black flame at the phoenix. "Some darkness for you tweety bird." Turning his eyes to Umie, "For Umie-chan, enjoy the fire. I made it specifically for you." The other ball of darkness flies towards Umie, intent to corrupt both of their elemental resistances.
The Joker persona is already moving, targeting those who have proven to be willing to put their bodies on the line. A magic spell is cast and the Joker persona turns intangible as it dashes through Shinjiro, and then Hyousuke. What did it do, maybe nothing, maybe it was all meant to freak them out, or maybe it was to help them truly risk themselves.
While the persona is acting on it's own Sudou continues to move through the crowd approaching Jun. "You could have been on this side Jun. You could be helping me fix things." Looking at the sword for a moment he grins, "Then again maybe if I damage you enough he can fix you." The claymore is hefted and The Joker Killer attempts to stab at Jun with intent to kill.
The intangible persona returns to its rightful form as it floats back and taps Sudou's shoulder before pointing at Ixquic. A whisper in the ear and Sudou nods as he draws a bottle of sake from the trench coat and gives it to the persona who drinks it. Moments later the persona sprays forth a black flowing mist towards Ixquic. Sudou stares at Ixquic, " If you ever wish to find your proper place. Search me out after this. "
Still Sudou recognizes he can't focus to much on any soul and moves on quickly from Ixquic, looking from Hitomi to Ririka, Sudou comments, "Time to reach out and touch someone." Sudou crouchs and stuffs his left hand into a shadow as shadow hands rise up trying simply touch Hitomi and Ririka.
Pulling his hand from the shadow he looks at Julian and gestures to their feet. " Haven't you learned to not stand in the red circle." Beneath the feet of Julian, there is indeed a red circle that has formed before erupting in flames.
Turning his head towards Shinobu for a moment he produces a knife from his jacket and throws it at Shinobu. " Catch this with your mouth." Sudou laughs at the poor joke.
Sudou turns to look at Mark and tilts his head for a moment, " Haven't I burned you alive before? You remind me of someone." The Old maid shrugs, "Oh well I guess I will make it stick this time. " Another eruption of flames is brough on by Sudou's persona from beneath Mark's feet.
Finally there are the Suou siblings, older and younger but Sudou can see the resemblance between them. "Tatsuya, Katsuya, so good of you both to show. Tatsuya, I am ashamed you didn't let yourself fall to try to save her. Seems like what a hero would do. Katsuya I bet the scream of anguish at that sight would have been amazing. " Grinning the Joker persona comes up behind Tatsuya suddenly , bringing with it electrical wiring with it. As if they have a life of their own they try to grab and shock Tatsuya.
Sudou turns to Katsuya, as Sudou's sword lights on fire with a black flame. "Now be the good older brother, and die first." Sudou slashes with a cold fury behind his blade at Katsuya.
As an afterthought Sudou looks around, "Tatsuya, where is Maya?"
AS: Weapon! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Strike skill Surprise on Eikichi Mishina! 2 Hits! AS: Aggression: Tatsuya Sudou gains 1 Limit! AS: Weapon! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Slash skill Multi Strike on Tamaki Uchida! 2 Hits! AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Fire skill Fireballs for everyone on Ayame Watanabe! 3 Hits! AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Dark skill Flaming Darkness on Tsubasa Seki! AS: Block Worst! Eikichi Mishina takes 60 Strike damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Surprise. AS: Counter Neutral! Eikichi Mishina takes 99 Strike damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Surprise. Critical Hit! AS: COUNTER! Tatsuya Sudou takes 60 Strike damage in return for his attack! AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Fire skill Cursed Flame on Umie Akabane! AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Dark skill Curse of Nyarlathotep on Shinjiro Aragaki! AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Dark skill Curse of Nyarlathotep on Hyousuke Suzuki! AS: Weapon! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Pierce skill Stab at Thee on Jun Kashihara! AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Dark skill A Nyarly Touch on Hitomi Mandai! AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Dark skill A Nyarly Touch on Ririka Kawase! AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Fire skill Inferno on Julian Marlowe! 2 Hits! AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Pierce skill Unidentified Flying Sharp Things on Shinobu Shimizu! AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Elec skill Psi on Penguin Sniper! AS: Tandem! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Fire skill Dark Fiery Fury on Katsuya Suou! 2 Hits! AS: Block Best! Penguin Sniper takes 18 Elec damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Psi. AS: Bind (Magic and Avoid Penalized!) added! AS: Take! Shinjiro Aragaki takes 0 Dark damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Curse of Nyarlathotep. AS: Recovery_Wall (Healing Down!) added! AS: Take! Umie Akabane takes 0 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Cursed Flame. AS: Fire_Break (Fire Affinity Down!) added! AS: Avoid Neutral! Hitomi Mandai takes 118 Dark damage from Tatsuya Sudou's A Nyarly Touch. Critical Hit! AS: Pain (Attacker takes damage on healing and PL 0 attacks!) added! AS: Avoid Neutral! Jun Kashihara takes 73 Pierce damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Stab at Thee. AS: Take! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 0 Dark damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Curse of Nyarlathotep. AS: Recovery_Wall (Healing Down!) added! AS: Block Worst! Shinobu Shimizu takes 96 Pierce damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Unidentified Flying Sharp Things. AS: Avoid Neutral! Ayame Watanabe takes 61 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Fireballs for everyone. Critical Hit! Weak! AS: Blast (Magic and Block Penalized!) added! AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Fire skill Inferno on Masao Inaba! 2 Hits! AS: Avoid Best! Ayame Watanabe takes 38 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Fireballs for everyone. Critical Hit! Weak! AS: Avoid Neutral! Ayame Watanabe takes 61 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Fireballs for everyone. Critical Hit! Weak! AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Dark skill Black Dragon Breath on Akari Hoshi! AS: Block Best! Ririka Kawase takes 71 Dark damage from Tatsuya Sudou's A Nyarly Touch. Critical Hit! AS: Block Neutral! Katsuya Suou takes 44 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. Resist! AS: Block Neutral! Katsuya Suou takes 44 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. Resist! AS: Block Neutral! Masao Inaba takes 65 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Inferno. AS: Block Neutral! Masao Inaba takes 65 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Inferno. AS: Block Neutral! Julian Marlowe takes 54 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Inferno. AS: Avoid Neutral! Julian Marlowe takes 53 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Inferno. AS: Block Best! Akari Hoshi takes 46 Dark damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Black Dragon Breath. AS: Sick (SP Damage on end of turn!) added! AS: Block Worst! Tamaki Uchida takes 47 Slash damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Multi Strike. AS: Block Neutral! Tamaki Uchida takes 48 Slash damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Multi Strike. Critical Hit! AS: Take! Tsubasa Seki takes 58 Dark damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Flaming Darkness. Critical Hit! AS: Dark_Break (Dark Affinity Down!) added!
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
"It's all right," Ayame says to Hitomi with a small smile. "We can forgive a little bad langage in a situation like this, right? It's totally fine." She sees her panicking! "And so are you. We're all fine, together."
She gives Mark a big wave. "We are!" she says. "I'm so glad you're here..."
She knows they can rely on him and his friends, even if she can't say why.
But suddenly, just as that girl suspected--
"You!?"
Ayame is shocked nevertheless to see Tatsuya Sudou. "Your face--"
How horrible. Ayame stares for an instant--but only an instant, as she brings back out her sword and holds. The fight starts... Ayame takes a few fireballs, hit hard by the first and knocked from her feet, where she skids to the back as the second and third impact. "Aaah!"
But she catches herself on a crate and grits her teeth, looking up sharply. "Don't come NEAR her you--you--Monster!"
Dragging herself up, Ayame puts her sword between her and Sudou. "You came for my husband. You threatened my daughter and her class. I don't believe in hurting people..."
"But you have to be stopped, no matter what."
"So laugh it up while you can!"
She starts forward, sword out, but calls forth, "Atropos! Come!"
The Fate rises, holding her shears, and lifts a graceful hand, her golden eyes shining beneath her hood.
Multicolored psychic energy crashes around towards Sudou: one shot from behind, one from the side, one from above!
"Take your Other Side and LEAVE US ALONE!"
AS: Persona! Ayame Watanabe has used the Elec skill Furious Psi on Tatsuya Sudou! 3 Hits! AS: Ruin: Ayame Watanabe gains 1 Limit!
<Pose Tracker> Eikichi Mishina has posed.
Eikichi doesn't like being right here. He hears the cackle and his body tenses with a heavy sigh. "Sorry kids....Michelle needs to get to work." He is starting to put away the harmonica, making it a point to take his time because the Joker Killer is kinda a loser.
This is probably why Sudou gets the first punch in, which the Death Boss takes in the face. He grins devilishly as a streak of blood runs down his mouth. "Heh...Now you're close, mother fucker." The second punch is responded to with a headbutt, sent right toward Sudou's nose or general face.
"I don't know why you call me a wannabe, Sudou. I'm everything I want to be. A Sexy rock star in the making...You on the other hand...Heh...You're a loser. You bully people with your bullshit."
Eikichi grins and pulls his guitar strap as he assumes a stance. "Nah, dude. You're gonna go back in your hole and I ain't even gonna feel bad. THEN I'm gonna play a kick ass show and dedicate it to my biggest hater, Tatsuya Sudou."
Rhadamanthus appears behind Eikichi, revving to life as it poses behind the Death Boss. "I mean look at you...You're all wet." Eikichi points and his Persona begins to spawn a sphere of water which grows before launching toward Sudou's center of gravity.
AS: Persona! Eikichi Mishina has used the Water skill Aqua on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Eikichi Mishina regains 8 HP from Regenerate! AS: Avoid Neutral! Tatsuya Sudou takes 18 Elec damage from Ayame Watanabe's Furious Psi. AS: Bind (Magic and Avoid Penalized!) added! AS: Avoid Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 58 Elec damage from Ayame Watanabe's Furious Psi. Critical Hit! AS: Avoid Best! Tatsuya Sudou takes 10 Elec damage from Ayame Watanabe's Furious Psi. AS: Block Best! Tatsuya Sudou takes 45 Water damage from Eikichi Mishina's Aqua. Weak! AS: Paralyze (Physical and Avoid Penalized!) added!
<Pose Tracker> Penguin Sniper has posed.
Phoenix shouts to fuck him up. Tatsuya doesn't say anything. He still doesn't understand why...
As he's pulled up, Katsuya asks him if he's alright. He walks past him without answering.
Shinobu asks if he has a plan, his eyes just say 'What do you think?' without any words behind them otherwise. Tatsuya glances at Jun, at his comment of Akechi being a Leo. "Doubt it." Is all he says, before continuing onward.
Tamaki notes he didn't spread it through them. Then how did he do it? On that point at least, he isn't sharing.
You serious?! Phoenix asks, as he hits the controls, still not responding, his silence telling enough on the matter. 'We're doing this,' Masao says, incredulous. Tatsuya knows it will work. Hyousuke asks how he got it to do that. Hitomi wonders if this thing was real all along,
Baofu, a man with long hair and a bohemian style, wearing sunglasses tells them, "He spread a rumor kids, try to keep up."
Ayame tells him that they have to do it together, he doesn't respond to that either, outwardly.
You shouldn't have to.
And as Katsuya comments on the fact he only has a motorcycle permit, there's a glance, and all the emotiveness of a shrug of his shoulders. "I saw someone do it once..."
As he enters the other compartment, Tatsuya draws his sword, and stares down the face of the man whose face he burned as a boy, trapped and scared before a burning shrine.
"It didn't have to be this way." Tatsuya tells him with a somber tone, thinking of how this time, it was Jun who attacked Sudou in defense of someone else. "There's no predestined path. This is the choice you made."
Nyarlathotep has a twisted sense of humor.
"Stay back everyone. I'll take care of him on my own."
Boss Fight OST - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVkaYZqoR0s
The Joker Persona darts in, with electrical wiring and Tatsuya steps to the side, catching the wire on his arm. The electrical shock is certainly unpleasant, but empowered by Apollo it doesn't have the same effect it might.
Tugging forward on the wire, against his Persona, he grows closer to him like the two are in a gang street fight.
"Maybe it's because I'm not a Hero." He says with a sort of simmering anger, "Persona!"
Apollo appears, descending to try and crack the Joker across the face thunderously with a far too quick right straight that cracks with the force of a sonic boom. He knows it's his face beneath.
That's only fitting.
His question though?
"Somewhere safe."
He would tell Eikichi to step back, but- he knows, he knows he never would. No matter which Eikichi he is.
-=-=-
~Moments Before~
As Tatsuya leaves the compartment, Maya Amano puts a hand over her mouth, then glances at the controls and steps up to the plate. "Let's think positive!" She declares to those still watching, "They've got this!"
Some few people may have a Deja Vu moment of great foreboding the moment her hands touch that wheel.
Tatsuya said she was somewhere safe, but... are all of THEM safe?
AS: Persona! Penguin Sniper has used the Strike skill Sonic Punch on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Pressure: Penguin Sniper gains 1 Limit! AS: Penguin Sniper regains 30 HP from Regenerate!
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
'Doubt it,' Tatsuya says of Akechi being a Leo. Jun purses his lips, but knowing his dislike of the detective, doesn't argue with him on the matter. There's more to Akechi than bravery; more likely, he's one of the air signs.
Ixquic shouts, and Jun shoots his head up towards her. It's not clear that she meant him, but she's looking his way. She looks furious... But then she moves on, along with everyone else.
Phoenix shouts their own encouragement at Jun, pointing out that fire's unlikely to be able to kill the Old Maid. Jun glances over at them, remembering them from his rescue, and gives them a small but grateful smile. Ririka likewise weighs in that she thinks he's alive, though she's not yet able to sense anything besides the flames. Jun makes a small, concerned noise as Umie and Tamaki each comment he'll probably be back soon, and rubs his temples. He'll note the person Tamaki addresses as Vesper later, but right now...
The view as the zeppelin soars improbably into the sky is incredible, but the crowd here is enormous. Jun had an idea of that, considering how many people here he approached earlier to warn about Sudou's coming when he was searching for a museum employee, but it feels even bigger than he imagined--probably because they're all crammed in here with a bunch of children in a claustrophobic space. All he can do--all he's been doing--is chase after Tatsuya to the passenger compartment. There... that sickening feeling, not quite deja vu anymore, overcomes him.
When Sudou reappears, half his face burnt--on the one hand, it's terrifying (and just like the final sting of a horror movie), but on the other hand, Jun finds himself relieved to see him alive. He would have eventually come to terms with the idea of killing Sudou by knowing he'd protected Maya and Tatsuya by doing so, but psychologically, disfigurement is a fate far better than death, especially when Sudou maintains his grotesque sense of humor... to say nothing of his JOKER Persona's leering finger-waggle. Phoenix was right--but where's Akechi? Jun can only pray he's all right. For now, he clenches a fist around the stem of his weaponized flower.
"Sudou-san! This has gone on long enough! Surrender, and we--I can heal you!" he calls to him. He doesn't know that Sudou will listen to him at this point, if he ever did, but that's the only thing he can think of right now to try to get him to back down. They can't risk a fight here with all the children on board.
But when has Sudou ever listened to anyone other than the Voices in his head? "What in this world even needs fixing?" Jun demands. He pauses when Tatsuya says it didn't have to be this way, and Jun glances at him. No destiny, only choice... "Then I'm choosing to help you," he insists when Tatsuya would fight Sudou alone.
However, for all Jun offers mercy, Sudou offers back--on top of all his other unconscionable threats--a whirlwind of violence. Among other attacks, he thrusts his claymore at him--this time, with unmistakable killing intent. Jun gasps; Argeiphontes materializes instinctively to help him sweep out of the way to avoid getting cleft in twain, but relying on his Persona like that for his defense exhausts him.
With a gasp of effort, Jun nonetheless stands tall again. At this point, they can't risk not fighting him--and Jun is well and truly sick of Sudou's bullshit. He's a kind-hearted youth, but there existed a version of him, however warped, who sought revenge for years.
"Argeiphontes! Shut his eyes with slumber!" he commands. At his back, his golden-armored Persona raises his spaceship caduceus, and waves of magical soporific energy whorl around Sudou in an attempt to make him sleepy and dull his senses.
AS: Persona! Jun Kashihara has used the Almighty skill Dormina on Tatsuya Sudou!
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
Be fair, Baofu: Phoenix is trying to keep up. Just -- everything's happening so much, despite Masao's efforts to cover for them. For instance: here's Sudou, inexplicably.
"H...holy shit..." Phoenix takes a step back, their jaw dropping behind their witch's hat mask, as they take in the burns across Sudou's body. (No apology, unlike Hitomi.) Their left hand lifts, from their greatsword, to grasp at their right arm. It's covered in ninja robes, right now, forearm wrapped with sarashi bandages -- but beneath...
There is a hint of it, on the right side of their own face, beneath their mask. Some light discolouration, blotched and covered up by concealer.
(The burns across the right side of their own face.)
"Fuck destiny, dude, your eye!" They scream, their own eyes wide, heart hammering in their chest, as they're assaulted with the memories of surgeries and interventions the doctors had to undertake to save theirs. There's a bit of a squint, to their right eye -- a visual indicator of that vision being a little altered -- but they managed to keep them both. It wasn't easy.
Darkness assaults them, while they're still standing there, shocked to the core -- and it's not a strength of Phoenix's, but doubly so, as that cursed energy seeps in through their feather cloak. They hear Tatsuya telling everyone to stay back, though...
... and Phoenix charges in. "Fuck THAT! This fuckhead almost burned -- Tsubasa-kun to death! HrrrAAAAHHHHH--!!" That's the sound of them hefting their greatsword, trailing after them in their charge, to swing it horizontally into Sudou's space.
(Still with the children, Isabeau, gripped by a moment of horrific deja-vu, demands in the most rancid manner that someone locate the parachutes. Why is she so worried? Surely it has nothing to do with Maya being at the wheel...)
AS: Weapon! Tsubasa Seki has used the Slash skill Greatsword Charge on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Aggression: Tsubasa Seki gains 1 Limit! AS: Tsubasa Seki regains 8 HP from Regenerate! AS: Block Best! Tatsuya Sudou takes 41 Strike damage from Penguin Sniper's Sonic Punch. AS: Haze (Physical and Block Penalized!) added! Bind removed! Explosion! 77 damage! AS: Take! Tatsuya Sudou takes 0 Almighty damage from Jun Kashihara's Dormina. AS: Exhaust (Damage when using Weapon/Tandem!) and Sick (SP Damage on end of turn!) added! AS: Counter Best! Tatsuya Sudou takes 59 Slash damage from Tsubasa Seki's Greatsword Charge. AS: Exhaust (Damage when using Weapon/Tandem!) added! AS: COUNTER! Tsubasa Seki takes 26 Slash damage in return for their attack!
<Pose Tracker> Masao Inaba has posed.
They're on a zeppelin that's taking flight, away from a burning museum, to who knows where. He might be on the verge of disassociating because it seems a little too silly and he remembers full well what he got up to a handful of years ago.
Yet, that awful feeling, that pounding in one's chest from the Resonance, doesn't subside--
"Ah shit he's here too," Masao says understated, from the street artist, in actual horror of the prospects of it all - especially how he's still going even after what's happened to his face.
He's flashing that axe when the Old Maid is even looking at Ayame. "Don't you dare threaten her!" Spoken more like a grown man trying to lay down the law as his generation will define it as they further travel into adulthood, rather than a snappy high school kid. (To be fair, he is an adult!)
He gets stopped from advancing, briefly, by the barrage of fire flung that briefly cuts him off from going to Ayame's side - and anyone else's. By the time some of the residual flames clear so he can, Sudou's already ready with an inquiry.
'Haven't I burned you alive before? You remind me of someone.' Oh well, guess maybe they'll make it stick this time--
Masao braces with grit teeth as flame erupts around him, an angry yell as flame washes around and past him.
"Hey, man, I don't know what your deal is," he says to Tatsuya the Suou, the brooding young man who can apparently pilot a zeppelin for some reason, "but this guy's picked a fight with all of us, and to that, I say..."
"Let's get funky." Masao holds a hand up as a column of blue light surrounds him. Ogun appears in a thin light, stretching out to that familiar wood-man shape, rearing back a spear as if to throw as suddenly there is a massive rain of arrows converging upon the Old Maid himself.
Katsuya's little brother reminds him a little too much of Reiji, and how he seemed ready to destroy himself trying to settle a grudge on his terms.
Not on Masao's watch.
AS: Persona! Masao Inaba has used the Pierce skill Arrow Rain on Tatsuya Sudou! 3 Hits! AS: Avoid Neutral! Tatsuya Sudou takes 46 Pierce damage from Masao Inaba's Arrow Rain. Critical Hit! AS: Avoid Neutral! Tatsuya Sudou takes 32 Pierce damage from Masao Inaba's Arrow Rain. AS: Avoid Neutral! Tatsuya Sudou takes 46 Pierce damage from Masao Inaba's Arrow Rain. Critical Hit!
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
Shinjiro turns, frowning as Hitomi says they're all going to die. "...only if we accept that. Stay calm," he says.
But then, Sudou is returning, and the Joker Persona crashes through Shinjiro, weakening him and his Persona's inherent healing factor. He can feel this is going to be really touch and go.
But in those flames, in that burnt-off eye, in that rage, Shinjiro sees the man who helped ruin his life.
"This is for Miki," he tells himself quietly, as he darts forward, grabbing his Evoker. "CASTOR!"
He needs to capture Sudou. Some of the others might try to kill him, but... that's not how this needs to go. Right?
Castor charges forth after a shot of the Evoker, moving to bulldoze Sudou unless he gets out of the way. Shinjiro's explicitly being careful not to throw him through the wall of the ship to a crushing death, but if he gets angry... who knows what will happen. He can't let that happen.
"Sudou, how do you see this ending? Stand the fuck down!"
AS: Persona! Shinjiro Aragaki has used the Strike skill Bash on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Pressure: Shinjiro Aragaki gains 1 Limit! AS: Shinjiro Aragaki regains 15 HP from Regenerate! AS: Block Neutral! Tatsuya Sudou takes 92 Strike damage from Shinjiro Aragaki's Bash.
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
Hyousuke did not recognise many of those gathered, or only knew them in passing. But to those those he did, he made sure to linger by, glancing at them to make sure they were alright. He needed Phoenix and Umie's strength, Tamaki and Ririka's smarts, Jun and Vesper's skill and composure, and for Shinjiro to stand with him as a stalwart shield against the dark. He hated to admit - even silently, and even to himself - that he needed them with him. But that dread he felt, supernatural in origin or simply instinctual, was not something even he dared to face alone.
Something he would have to face sooner than he would have liked.
Something emerged from the air, manifesting itself as dread incarnate. Something stirred in the depths of Hyousuke's soul, and set every nerve in his body ablaze. Something in the back of his mind screamed to brace - to ready his defences, knowing that there was nowhere to run, and nowhere to hide. Something became someone, and someone became Sudou. Ravaged by the fire, his skin burnt to the flesh and reduced to cinders, while his eye had been claimed by the blaze below, but very much alive... and spoiling for a fight. Hyousuke threw his hands into a guard, and readied himself.
"You piece of shit!" Hyousuke roared, making no attempt to restrain his anger. He didn't care that his feral rage might scare those close to him. He didn't care how embracing that raging inferno in his soul might have burnt him. All that mattered to him was that Sudou yet lived, and posed a threat to all before him. "How many goddamn times do we have to do this?! For once, do us all a favour just stay the fuck DOWN!" Even with the mask, Hyousuke's savage roar left no illusions about how his face had been pulled into an animal snarl, or how his eyes blazed with a fury that made the inferno below seem like mere cinders.
Achilles rose at his back, dragged upwards in a cacophony of creaking, clanking, metal. It was as if the armour strained against its own weight, ringing out into the air with such intensity as to rattle the windows in their place, and make the ground itself quiver. There, at Hyousuke's back, finally stood a titan cast in battle-scarred bronze, its hateful eyes of crimson red light gazing from beyond the helmet's back abyss. At Hyousuke's command, Achilles raised his shield to the intangible thing rushing through him and Shinjiro, but no pain came. There was a cold in his body - as if his very cells had been commanded to halt, and his blood turned to icy tar in his veins - but no wounds. It could not be ignored, but neither could it be dwelled on. Every moment that the man remained alive was one that he could not afford to be distracted for.
"EVERYONE!" Hyousuke bellowed. His shout - his warcry - ripped through the air as surely as the clamour of battle, and Achilles raised his spear to meet his user's rage. "We're ending this here and now! I don't care what it takes, this asshole's going down! FUCK. HIM. UP!"
A wave of fury radiated from the blessed spear, and from within the confines of that mighty armour, a raging warcry tore forth, instilling its targets with a soldier's strength.
AS: Persona! Hyousuke Suzuki has used the Recovery skill Raging Warcry on Hyousuke Suzuki, Tsubasa Seki, and Shinjiro Aragaki! AS: Pressure: Hyousuke Suzuki gains 1 Limit!
<Pose Tracker> Akari Hoshi has posed.
Ixquic looks from Jun back to Tamaki. "But - " Ixquic saw him fall. Nobody's going to survive that.
And if you hadn't been rescued from the plane by her -
Make it stop! Ixquic thinks to herself, squeezing her eyes shut again for a moment. Why does this keep happening? Why could she barely even look at that stupid plane? She's never seen it before! She isn't even into planes! Planes are boring compared to magic and sci-fi... The zeppelin is more interesting because it never happened, really. Except it did, didn't it? She can't really remember...
She opens them again and is promptly jumpscared by the reappearance of Sudou.
Ixquic lets out a startled shout and brandishes that enormous golden sword of hers, holding it - sideways. Almost like a shield, which is what she uses it as; the Persona sprays her with flowing mist, but the worst of it hits the flat of her blade, leaving a more or less clear spot for Ixquic to stand behind it. It's *such* a big sword. She can almost hide her entire upper body behind it, held sideways.
"I don't know you!" But there's a hint of a lie to her voice - a catch that shouldn't be there. Ixquic can hide her face behind her mask, but not her voice. "But I'm Ixquic, the..."
The hero. The great hero. But she can't bring herself to say it.
"...reincarnated warrior of destiny! I don't know what you're going to do, but - but! You can't kill everyone! Come out, my guardian! PERSONA!"
Even if Sudou has more knowledge than he should about the Other Side, he won't know this - because the being that comes to Ixquic's call wasn't ever there. The motorcycle centauride appears next to Ixquic, roaring past her on both wheels before it pops up into a wheelie, slashing downward at Sudou from a mounted position.
"I'll protect the others from you!" Ixquic does point her sword at Sudou, dramatically. "Even if you return from death a dozen times, I'll be there to fight you! I'm Ixquic!" It's less an introduction, this time, and more a declaration. Who else could she be?
Not Akari. Akari Hoshi could never do this.
And she then calls to the ones she saw: Tatsuya (Suou). Eikichi. Tamaki. ... Jun. "I'll fight with you! Let me help!"
AS: Take! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 0 Recovery healing from Hyousuke Suzuki's Raging Warcry. AS: Atk_Up (Damage Up!) and Crt_Up (Critical Up!) added! AS: Persona! Akari Hoshi has used the Slash skill Hyper Slash on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Aggression: Akari Hoshi gains 1 Limit! AS: Akari Hoshi: Loses 8 SP and TP from Sick! AS: Take! Shinjiro Aragaki takes 0 Recovery healing from Hyousuke Suzuki's Raging Warcry. AS: Atk_Up (Damage Up!) and Crt_Up (Critical Up!) added!
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
"It's a balloon so basically you'd just have to cast off and it'd work," Hitomi tells Katsuya. Her explanation continues, underneath simultaneous audio tracks. "See they balance the buoyancy the same way a submarine does but of course it's for air pressure but I'd figured this was just a big permanent balloon kinda mockup all this time but if it gets really bad we can probably just put tears in the I'm gonna shut up now."
Hitomi then bites on the joint of her thumb to shut herself up. She breathes quickly and deeply, twice. She puts her glasses back on.
She immediately sees Julian. She takes her glasses off to clean them again but no he's still there in a white mask and bowler hat afterwards.
"... You've got a point, but even someone like that's going to be stunned. Especially if he hit the Zero and it fell on him," Hitomi continues to Ririka, quietly. "I bet that's why Akechi-san went down there to secure him." She may have also thought 'to finish him off' but doesn't voice that one.
"Thank you," Hitomi says to Ayame, with a smile that doesn't last.
BECAUSE...
... HE'S BACK
The presence is bone-chilling, as much for the dissipation of relief in their already-exercised bodies and souls. Soon enough it's worse: There are hands coming up towards her. Hitomi tries to hurl herself out of their way but mostly ends up having the horrid crawling touch of something from OUTSIDE concentrate its grasping, clinging, squeezing, testing, inhuman caress on her leg. She blanches.
It's too familiar.
Too familiar.
Too familiar.
Too...
Something shudders through Hitomi. Part of her mind wonders if they just hit a building or if Sudou set off yet another bomb, just to add familiar injury to established injury.
Then Hitomi sees Ririka. Something about Ririka (metaphorically) strikes Hitomi in the forehead. Jars her out of the groove of despair she had briefly slid into. Perhaps it is not any quality of Ririka (though she has many) but the simple and complete fact of her *presence*.
I'm not alone,
thinks Hitomi, and then she is standing up straight, or as straight as you can; she has a hand on the cabin wall. She pushes herself upright. There is a growling sound from the back of her throat, but her verbal riposte to Tatsuya Sudou is: "Tyche!"
The cognitive flower blooms. It's a statue, a classical Greek statue with its anachronistic ornamentations of Japanese culture. Marble eyes in a marble face look towards Tatsuya Sudou, the outstretched hand shimmering.
"You don't know when to quit, do you." The shimmering hand extends outwards. A wordless aura with the semiotic sensation of a foot stomping down on the back of the neck, a glowering and imperious will that demands immediate and comprehensive submission.
Her eyes cut towards Shinjiro afterwards. She is visibly focused. She must have gotten over whatever-it-was! "I don't think he's going to stop, sempai. I don't know if he even knows what he's doing --" Achilles storms forwards, and in the aftermath, Hitomi exhales: "... He's right," Hitomi concludes.
AS: Persona! Hitomi Mandai has used the Almighty skill Submission on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Hitomi Mandai takes 90 damage from Pain! AS: Counter Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 140 Slash damage from Akari Hoshi's Hyper Slash. AS: COUNTER! Akari Hoshi takes 7 Slash damage in return for her attack! Resist! AS: Take! Tatsuya Sudou takes 0 Almighty damage from Hitomi Mandai's Submission. AS: Crt_Dn (Critical down!) added!
<Pose Tracker> Katsuya Suou has posed.
Katsuya is pointedly ignored by his brother. Given the circumstances, Katsuya lets this one go, only furrowing his brow about it. Even he knows they don't have the time for this.
Going to see to the children, there's no time for instance to do more than call out a, "Wait--" as a certain young detective declares he's going to go after Sudou. He can only hope that Akechi's skills will see him through; it's too late for him to do much of anything except make sure that everyone up here gets on board the zeppelin. In a moment like this, he decides, he has to leave Jun and his certainly shaken-up state to Maya and Ulala; he has other responsibilities in the moment as an officer, and it's simply not possible for him to do both things. As a police officer, the children should be more inclined to trust him, even as a stranger.
Tamaki, though, confirms one thing: if this spread as a rumor, it wasn't through their office. "I see..." In fact, it probably hasn't even been spread until a few minutes ago, Katsuya considers. "No, I think... it was only just spread," he tells Tamaki, speaking to that very revelation. Is it because the children are prepared to believe in such a thing...?
He saw someone do it once? "But that's..." Katsuya trails off, that very question dying on the vine as he follows after his brother into the next compartment to find that someone has come along with them. "You--" he starts, shock coloring his own expression as he takes in Sudou's appearance. "Sudou! That's enough! It's not too late for you to surrender!"
Except, as the man summons his Persona, it becomes clear he intends to do no such thing. Drawing his gun, he's soon made the target, himself, of the Joker's attention. "Enough!" he shouts at Sudou, fury coloring his expression. "If you refuse to stand down, then I have no choice!"
Of course, Sudou promises that first he will lead with Katsuya's own death. "--What?!" Katsuya barks, twisting his body to try to mitigate the impact of that blazing sword. There's not enough time to do much else except stand firm. Well, that and,
"Persona!"
Helios, stepping into the world, intercedes into the space of that second blow, sparing Katsuya further injury (though this suit may never be the same between flame and blade).
And indeed, at this range, his Persona, his cat-like Persona, responds the best way it knows how. Launching itself at Tatsuya Sudou, Helios's claws reveal themselves to not be just for show. They're sharp--
Perhaps quite sharp, indeed.
He's not in the cockpit to see it, hence, there's no reason for him to have that startling sense that something terrible is about to happen. Alas, more pressing things take precedence.
AS: Persona! Katsuya Suou has used the Slash skill Scratch on Tatsuya Sudou!
<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
With a gentlemanly chuckle, Vesper responds to Tamaki with, "Thank you, Uchida-san. Believe me when I say that I am very glad to be here." Yes, that's more like it. Say you almost died without saying you almost died. He is wearing a mask for a reason, even in dire situations the role must be played.
Speaking of masks. He doesn't manage to piece together the meaning of Umie's 'you guys', but it doesn't really matter for his answer. "I rather doubt that anyone could survive being caught in such a conflagration."
Aaaand he is immediately proven wrong. Not that hadn't known the Joker Killer had appeared to die to begin with, he was going by the assumption that the man had managed to pull another one of his inexplicable escapes. He may thus be a little less surprised than some, but no less dismayed by the sudden appearance of Tatsuya Sudou on the zeppelin. At the very least, he doesn't seem to have come away unscathed.
Julian has plenty of reason to be enraged by this man, but as ever, his anger remains controlled, to the point where Vesper appears unperturbed by this development. "You have a lot of confidence for a man in your condition. Might I recommend a hospital visit?"
Sudou will have none of that however, summoning a pillar of flame underneath Vesper's feet. Though he dives and rolls away, he only manages to do so after the fact, forced to endure yet more fire. As if there hadn't been enough of that today already. He curses his sluggish reaction, even knowing well the reason why he's slower than usual. He very much doubts the Joker Killer is going to give anyone opportunity for the rest they so sorely need.
The other Tatsuya declares he'll handle this on his own, but as long as Vesper can stand, he won't let anyone fight alone. Least of all people who are, or should be, in school. He hand goes for his mask, glowing blue.
"That's far enough! Persona!"
The iron-masked figure half clad in a trenchcoat, half in cricket gear, appears on command, Raffles slamming the mass of dark tendrils it has for a right hand into the floor. Rather than a red circle, it's a dark purple one that appears beneath Sudou, right before a pillar of darkness springs forth. Only then does he question further.
"Even an insane serial killer should know better than to persist in such a state. What possesses you to go this far?"
AS: Persona! Julian Marlowe has used the Dark skill Mudo on Tatsuya Sudou!
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
There's a sickening pulse. Shinobu recognizes almost immediately.
"No..." Shinobu says through gritted teeth. How? It can't be possible.
...But sure enough, Sudou emerges from nowhere. His fall has certainly taken it's toll but he's here, and somehow, alive.
"...You're looking a little uneven, there. Not enough time on the heat?" Shinobu says. It's defiant, but it's more for her own benefit than anything - something to motivate herself.
"Tell that to him." Shinobu replies to Tatsuya as he says he'll take care of him, with a shake of her head. "If we don't fight, he'll bring just bring that fight to us."
With a joke, Sudou flings a knife. It's fast - Shinobu draws her staff and tries to deflect it, but it's too fast to redirect completely. She winces as it slices acrosses her shoulder.
"You alright?" Shinobu calls over to Ayame, before fixing her gaze back onto Sudou.
"Lachesis! Blunt that blade of his!" Shinobu calls out. At her call, the cloaked woman rises behind her, bearing a measuring rod. She races toward Sudou. A weakening aura surrounds her weapon as she thrusts it forward. Even should his weapon remain as sharp as ever, the idea of bluntness remains.
Over with the schoolchildren...
"Lucia...!" Fuuka Yamagishi - with a carefully concealed Evoker, because the children don't need more trauma today, calls upon her Persona. Lucia rises - and Fuuka concentrates all her efforts on defense, the protective globe acting as a wall to ensure that the children remain safe from stray attacks.
AS: Persona! Shinobu Shimizu has used the Strike skill Swordbreaker on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Block Best! Tatsuya Sudou takes 34 Slash damage from Katsuya Suou's Scratch. AS: Sick (SP Damage on end of turn!) added! AS: Block Best! Tatsuya Sudou takes 86 Dark damage from Julian Marlowe's Mudo. Critical Hit! AS: Panic (Damage when using Persona/Tandem!) added! AS: Avoid Best! Tatsuya Sudou takes 18 Strike damage from Shinobu Shimizu's Swordbreaker. AS: Atk_Dn (Damage down!) added! <Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
Vesper's answer lands against a now neutral face.
Surely, Akechi wouldn't give his life up so willingly. He'll be in the news, in a few days, and Umie will throw a still drying mask at the TV. Meanwhile, of Sudou is alive, he'd likely pop back up. That was Umie's thoughts on the matter, the latter being voiced with a weary inevitability.
Letting herself rest against the back of her seat, the blonde lets her eyes close, her head lolling back for a few selfish seconds of rest.
... Damn it, Sudou, Umie didn't mean _this soon_.
"You..."
How many people have put themselves in harm's way to try to solve the problem of Tatsuya Sudou, only to fail?!
'Stay back everyone. I'll take care of him on my own,' says Tatsuya Suou.
'Now, it's up to you all to succeed where I failed. None of you deserve to go it alone,' said Shiryuu Ryouhara.
'Then I'm choosing to help you.'
Umie's eyes flick to Jun's face. She shouldn't be surprised, given the young man previous shows of quiet mettle.
She shouldn't, but she still is, nonetheless.
Umie gives him a blackbird's open grin, eyes twinkling with respect at the tall young man's resolve.
It happens dim the harsh bile of anger in her throat.
Seeing Phoenix rocket into battle, Umie taps a nail to her chin as she gets up. "What kind of senpai do you take me for, Takkun?" Then, with a more sober tone, she adds, "No one is allowed to do this alone."
No more martyrs are needed; they'll solve this all now, themselves.
Taking on the Joker Killer's bolt of dark, Umie points a chipped, sooty dark red nail towards Joker Killer, her body outlined by the hovering wraith that is the Badb, who gives him a ghastly, delighted smile. "... I'll witness your death, Old Maid."
AS: Persona! Umie Akabane has used the Dark skill Bad Moon Rising on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Umie Akabane takes 45 damage from Stress! AS: Ruin: Umie Akabane gains 1 Limit! AS: Umie Akabane regains 3 SP from Invigorate!
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
As Hyousuke checks on Ririka, it's fair to say she's 'managing', and that's an extremely generous description. But she has a task to focus on, so she's trying to do that.
Hitomi reasons that even that fall must have stunned him. "That's true, but... I've watched him sink into the ground before. I'm not trusting anything until we can see him." Everyone knows unless you see the body in a movie or a TV show it doesn't count. (And sometimes not even then.)
Well no wonder Ririka can't find the Joker Killer in the Aerospace Museum-- because he's not in the museum anymore. Her eyes snap open. "Shit! Everyone watch out!" she shouts as the Joker Killer manifests--he's got that trick to leave, of course he can use it to arrive--
And that's all Ririka feels her stomach churn as she spots that eye, but she's already scrambling to retrieve a katana from her backpack, chucking the bag away afterwards. "You again!"
Maybe that scanning kept her alert enough to give her just enough time to turn and block the shadowy hand that grasps for her, gritting her teeth as she tries to push it back. It's strong, but with effort she repels it away from her, though it takes a bit out of her to do.
She whirls around, blade momentarily held out with one hand. "Don't you have anything better to do than trying to ruin our lives? Whatever sick game you're playing, you won't win!"
What's going on? Why did someone set the museum on fire?
Ririka grimaces, and shakes her head. No, she has to hold it together-- she's a Navigator, she's here for support. For people like her fellow SEES member, Hitomi, and everyone else.
Her hand is trembling a little as she grips her Evoker and brings it up to her head. "AMPHION!"
Blue flames and breaking glass rise up in the shape of a giant stone man holding a golden lire with holographic strings. "Everyone! I'll support you!" A pair of headphones materialize on her head as Ririka points her katana at Sudou. "Amphion, Analysis! Show me his rhythm!"
Amphion strums, waves of sound washing out towards the Joker Killer. Ririka listens to them through the headphones as they come back, eyes closed in concentration as she prepares to analyze what she hears.
AS: Persona! Ririka Kawase has used the Almighty skill Full Analysis on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Insight: Ririka Kawase gains 1 Limit! AS: Take! Tatsuya Sudou takes 55 Dark damage from Umie Akabane's Bad Moon Rising. Critical Hit! AS: Omen (Damage in 2 rounds!) and Panic (Damage when using Persona/Tandem!) added! AS: Take! Tatsuya Sudou takes 0 Almighty damage from Ririka Kawase's Full Analysis. AS: Ririka Kawase's Strength Scan! Tatsuya Sudou resists Fire! AS: Ririka Kawase's Weakness Scan! Tatsuya Sudou is weak against Water! AS: Ririka Kawase's Support Scan! Tatsuya Sudou has passive skills Block Fire, Dark Boost, Dark Resist, Fire Amp, Fire Boost, Heavy Weapon, and Peerless Skill! AS: Take! Tsubasa Seki takes 0 Recovery healing from Hyousuke Suzuki's Raging Warcry. AS: Atk_Up (Damage Up!) and Crt_Up (Critical Up!) added! Mitsuru Kirijo has arrived from Historia: The White Chronicle.
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
(As it turns out, Tamaki's a Leo. Silently, she agrees with Jun's assessment, but there's no way in hell that she'd admit it out loud.)
"But what?" she curtly responds to Ixquic's beginning of a protest. Her tone and expression are both dead serious. She's not saying it just to comfort Jun. "I've seen people pull through worse."
Ixquic isn't the only reincarnated warrior around. Tamaki knows that all too well.
A weight forms in the pit of Tamaki's stomach accompanied with some new sickening sensation as Baofu asserts that the younger Suou brother did, indeed, spread a rumor. He must have. She wordlessly looks at Tatsuya with a wounded expression, momentarily hurt that he would seek out someone else's services, but ...
Then she remembers that she had prescribed advice to Suou-kun that she didn't follow, herself. The eight winds cannot move her, or so she thought. Surely, this is proof that her and Umie's insistence that he open up is what finally pushed him away. Blaming only herself, she breaks her gaze.
Tamaki raises her head and widens her eyes at Katsuya's musings on how a rumor could have been spread just now. She double-takes at the gathered kids, then back at Katsuya. "-- That quickly?!" From the minds of babes ...
Sudou reappears, causing Tamaki to scowl. She's not happy about having been proven correct.
Tamaki tries to parry Sudou's claymore to the best of her ability with her own sabre. During the exchange, she quips, "Really? I'm the one in check while you're the one who's left your king exposed?" Granted, her own weapon isn't anywhere as large as Sudou's, and agility can only take her so far. In return for her verbal retort, she doesn't emerge unscathed.
Ixquic hesitates to call herself a hero, just as Tamaki hesitates to call herself one and excluded herself from their earlier show for the kids. Tamaki figures that Ixquic could use a nudge and begins to prompt her, "What else are you?" In doing so, she's reminded that she could also use one, herself. "No -- what else are we?"
Tatsuya claims something similar, and in mounting frustration, Tamaki clutches at her necklace and yells, "What potential is there in us all?! Show us, Arianrhod!" Her own silver-armored Persona appears and holds up her broadsword, shining its light on herself, Ixquic, Eikichi, and Mark.
AS: Persona! Tamaki Uchida has used the Recovery skill Per Aspera on Tamaki Uchida, Akari Hoshi, Eikichi Mishina, and Masao Inaba! AS: Tamaki Uchida takes 45 damage from Stress! AS: Take! Tamaki Uchida takes 0 Recovery healing from Tamaki Uchida's Per Aspera. AS: Atk_Up (Damage Up!) and Inner_Strength (Affinity Damage Up!) added! AS: Take! Akari Hoshi takes 0 Recovery healing from Tamaki Uchida's Per Aspera. AS: Atk_Up (Damage Up!) and Inner_Strength (Affinity Damage Up!) added! AS: Take! Masao Inaba takes 0 Recovery healing from Tamaki Uchida's Per Aspera. AS: Atk_Up (Damage Up!) and Inner_Strength (Affinity Damage Up!) added! AS: Take! Eikichi Mishina takes 0 Recovery healing from Tamaki Uchida's Per Aspera. AS: Atk_Up (Damage Up!) and Inner_Strength (Affinity Damage Up!) added!
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Sudou has posed.
There are a lot, more then Sudou has ever fought at once and he can feel it all being a little thin. As he finishes his attacks they are already retaliating. The Old Maid is on the run.
Weaving in and out of the psychic energy from the mother, only to force to raise his sword to try to weather the water from Eikichi. Tatsuya's persona shows up in his face and Sudou stands strong against it as it forces him to stumble back. " The voices say you are wrong, the voices say that destiny and fate will still prove me right."
Regrouping, the Joker Killer turns to Jun and can't do anything about the magical slumber that is slowing his movements, "The voice Jun, you could reach out to it. Hear it for yourself and know the truth." Forcing himself to keep moving, not letting himself linger on Jun the old maid turns and faces the sword of the Phoenix, charge right in and swing back at the phoenix. Swords meet and blood from Sudou is spilled but he can't stop moving, the familiar looking one is raining arrows on him and it's almost as hard to dodge arrows as it is to dodge rain itself.
Sudou's running puts himself in the path of Shinjiro's fist and tenses ready for it but Shinjiro hits like a truck and knocks him back. It hurts. Standing up slowly he looks at Hyousuke and grins at the question, "I think that is up to the cop." Sudou answers. His attention is pulled from Hyousuke to Ixquic as she makes her declaration. "The warrior of destiny, a proper name for you. For that is what I am too." Sudou charges forward Ixquic, its only right for the two to cross swords. More blood of Sudou's is splattered across the ground.
Katsuya responds to the threat of death with his own persona, who definitely has claws and is using them. Sudou raises his sword to block said claws but they slip by and rake his right arm, the trench coat sleeve destroyed, showing the mark for all to see. The question is asked as what is driving him and Julian draws his attention, "The..." Sudou doesn't get a chance to answer as he is hit with a pillar of darkness and slides back across the room. Coughing a little he finishes, "...voices drive me."
Standing to his feet, Sudou watches Shinobu charge in with the staff, "OH! It's you. I remember..." Sudou is slow to avoid that staff as he takes it to the gut and getting cut off again. "Still swinging a stick I see." Sudou says weakly. He feels the wraith of Badb enter him and he turns to Umie, "You have always been so nice to me Umie-chan. " He feels pain suddenly from the wraith, "Damn that thing has cold hands."
Ririka's words cause Sudou to shake his head, " I am simply doing my due diligence to fix things. I must says the voice. " It's Tamaki though that gets a different reaction from Sudou as the others, at the mention of the king being exposed. His smile fades and a sorrowful face looks at her "Oh no, you see I am cheating. I am but a pawn hoping to make it across the board to hopefully become a queen. The king isn't even on the field. "
Sudou breathes heavy, already tiring as he assesses himself, blood dripping, and extra crispy. This son of a bitch should be dead if you showed a picture to anyone. "You all think I am the bad guy, that I am the monster. You can see me as nothing else, so be it!" He makes a finger gun out of his right hand and raises it to his head, imitating shooting himself in the head.A dark aura runs through him as he lets those negative emotions push him further down the road. "Nyarlathotep, I give you half my world, give me your strength. As for them, let them see the monster everywhere."
The Joker persona laughs as it pulls out multiple decks of cards and pours them out, bringing forth a whirlwind of cards across the room. When the whirlwind dies down there are , if only for a brief moment, Joker Killers everywhere and it may be hard to say which one is real. The real problem is they are all raising a sword and they are all moving towards a combatant with the sword on fire and striking at them.
AS: Tatsuya Sudou spends Limit on Reach! AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Almighty skill Burning Spirit on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Tatsuya Sudou takes 90 damage from Panic! AS: Take! Tatsuya Sudou takes 0 Almighty damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Burning Spirit. AS: Atk_Dn and Crt_Dn removed! AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Dark skill Everything is wild on Eikichi Mishina, Masao Inaba, Shinjiro Aragaki, Hyousuke Suzuki, Tamaki Uchida, Penguin Sniper, Katsuya Suou, and Umie Akabane! AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Dark skill Everything is wild on Tsubasa Seki, Akari Hoshi, Ayame Watanabe, Jun Kashihara, Hitomi Mandai, Ririka Kawase, Julian Marlowe, and Shinobu Shimizu! AS: Take! Tamaki Uchida takes 0 Dark damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Everything is wild. AS: Charm (Attacker or Ally takes Damage!) added! AS: Tandem! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Fire skill Dark Fiery Fury on Eikichi Mishina, Masao Inaba, Shinjiro Aragaki, Hyousuke Suzuki, Tamaki Uchida, Penguin Sniper, Katsuya Suou, and Umie Akabane! 2 Hits! AS: Tatsuya Sudou takes 90 damage from Exhaust! AS: Tandem! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Fire skill Dark Fiery Fury on Tsubasa Seki, Akari Hoshi, Ayame Watanabe, Jun Kashihara, Hitomi Mandai, Ririka Kawase, Julian Marlowe, and Shinobu Shimizu! 2 Hits! AS: Tatsuya Sudou: Loses 8 SP and TP from Sick! Fast Heal! Reach removed! AS: Take! Shinjiro Aragaki takes 0 Dark damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Everything is wild. AS: Avoid Best! Tamaki Uchida takes 14 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. AS: Avoid Worst! Tamaki Uchida takes 132 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. Critical Hit! AS: Take! Masao Inaba takes 56 Dark damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Everything is wild. Critical Hit! AS: Charm (Attacker or Ally takes Damage!) added! AS: Take! Penguin Sniper takes 0 Dark damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Everything is wild. AS: Charm (Attacker or Ally takes Damage!) added! AS: Block Best! Masao Inaba takes 26 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. AS: Block Neutral! Masao Inaba takes 49 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. AS: Block Worst! Penguin Sniper takes 58 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. Critical Hit! Resist! AS: Block Best! Penguin Sniper takes 9 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. Resist! AS: Take! Akari Hoshi takes 0 Dark damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Everything is wild. AS: Take! Eikichi Mishina takes 55 Dark damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Everything is wild. Critical Hit! AS: Take! Umie Akabane takes 43 Dark damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Everything is wild. Critical Hit! Resist! AS: Charm (Attacker or Ally takes Damage!) added! AS: Block Worst! Eikichi Mishina takes 79 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. AS: Block Worst! Shinjiro Aragaki takes 114 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. Critical Hit! AS: Block Best! Shinjiro Aragaki takes 36 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. Critical Hit! AS: Block Worst! Eikichi Mishina takes 112 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. Critical Hit! AS: Avoid Worst! Umie Akabane takes 88 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. Avoid Fire! AS: Block Worst! Akari Hoshi takes 80 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. AS: Avoid Best! Umie Akabane takes 16 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. Critical Hit! Avoid Fire! AS: Avoid Best! Akari Hoshi takes 19 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. Critical Hit! AS: Take! Ayame Watanabe takes 0 Dark damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Everything is wild. Resist! AS: Avoid Neutral! Ayame Watanabe takes 76 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. Weak! AS: Avoid Worst! Ayame Watanabe takes 166 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. Critical Hit! Weak! AS: Mind Up! Tsubasa Seki's SP +8! AS: Take! Tsubasa Seki takes 0 Dark damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Everything is wild. AS: Charm (Attacker or Ally takes Damage!) added! AS: Counter Neutral! Tsubasa Seki takes 103 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. Weak! AS: COUNTER! Tatsuya Sudou takes 68 Slash damage in return for his attack! AS: Counter Worst! Tsubasa Seki takes 129 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. Weak! AS: COUNTER! Tatsuya Sudou takes 55 Slash damage in return for his attack! AS: Take! Shinobu Shimizu takes 64 Dark damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Everything is wild. Critical Hit! Weak! AS: Charm (Attacker or Ally takes Damage!) added! AS: Block Neutral! Shinobu Shimizu takes 68 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. Critical Hit! AS: Block Best! Shinobu Shimizu takes 35 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. Critical Hit! AS: Mind Up! Jun Kashihara's SP +8! AS: Take! Jun Kashihara takes 0 Dark damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Everything is wild. AS: Charm (Attacker or Ally takes Damage!) added! AS: Avoid Neutral! Jun Kashihara takes 72 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. Critical Hit! AS: You have 1 more attack in queue! AS: Avoid Neutral! Jun Kashihara takes 52 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. AS: Take! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 0 Dark damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Everything is wild. AS: Charm (Attacker or Ally takes Damage!) added! AS: Take! Julian Marlowe takes 0 Dark damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Everything is wild. Resist! AS: Avoid Neutral! Julian Marlowe takes 39 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. AS: Avoid Worst! Julian Marlowe takes 79 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. AS: Block Best! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 24 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. AS: Block Neutral! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 47 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. AS: Take! Ririka Kawase takes 0 Dark damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Everything is wild. AS: Charm (Attacker or Ally takes Damage!) added! AS: Block Neutral! Ririka Kawase takes 49 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. AS: Block Best! Ririka Kawase takes 26 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. AS: Take! Hitomi Mandai takes 0 Dark damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Everything is wild. AS: Charm (Attacker or Ally takes Damage!) added! AS: Block Best! Hitomi Mandai takes 17 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. Critical Hit! Resist! AS: Block Neutral! Hitomi Mandai takes 28 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. Resist!
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
Frankly, Phoenix's reaction seems reasonable to Ayame--Sudou has suffered a horrible wound. Nevertheless, Ayame is no longer holding back if she can help it. And when Shinobu asks if she's okay she says, "I'm all right! What matters is keeping him away from the children!"
She wants to ask Mark if being 'funky' is part of the process, but it feels too light for the moment. Hyousuke's battlecry startles Ayame a bit--and Izquic...
A reincarnated warrior of destiny...? But she seems so young. Still, "Right! Together!"
The gentlemanly Vesper reassures her a little--but only a little. Even Katsuya can't say this situation is under control...
Ayame steps up next to Shinobu. "We'll be all right."
-=-=-
With the children, Ogre kneels down with them. "It's OK," she says. "It's going to be OK."
-=-=-
A Joker Killer right before her. The dark aura and whirlwind of force are one thing; Ayame can shrug that off. But the attacks--
"Aaaah!"
Ayame takes a terrible gash on her arm that instantly cauterizes in red and blue flames, and is knocked back by the second. She can avoid neither, on the ground after the assault, reeling. "No... Ikkaku..."
But he can't come. He's not here. And Ayame...
"Fine," she says. "I... will save myself!"
"Everyone!" she calls. "Don't give up, no matter what! We have him on the back foot!"
She hopes that's true. But Atropos rises again, her hood flaring in the wind. "...Take him."
She puts out her hand--and Atropos rushes past Sudou, her shears out--
When she passes on the other side, he is cut.
But Ayame is in very rough shape.
AS: Persona! Ayame Watanabe has used the Earth skill Severed Fate on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Ruin: Ayame Watanabe gains 1 Limit! AS: Ayame Watanabe: Blast and Prophecy removed! Prophecy: 150 healing! AS: Take! Katsuya Suou takes 58 Dark damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Everything is wild. Critical Hit! AS: Charm (Attacker or Ally takes Damage!) added! AS: Block Worst! Katsuya Suou takes 57 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. Resist! AS: Block Worst! Katsuya Suou takes 81 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. Critical Hit! Resist! AS: Avoid Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 175 Earth damage from Ayame Watanabe's Severed Fate. Critical Hit! AS: Blast (Magic and Block Penalized!) and Poison (Damage on end of turn!) added! Paralyze and Sick removed! Explosion! 152 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Eikichi Mishina has posed.
Eikichi looks over at Akari, fired up. The Death Boss nods and gives a thumbs up. "Sure thing! Lets kick this guys ass"
He isn't sure about the magical knight with the giant sword but to be fair, he is on a blimp above the city. Things are not exactly normal right now.
Eikichi feels the soothing light from Tamaki's spell, feeling like he could rip Sudou's grin off of his face.
But it is Eikichi who loses his cool. He clicks his tongue as Sudou weathers his attack and strikes him back with Dark magic.
Eikichi coughs and finds his stance slipping. He forces himself to keep standing, not wanting to give Sudou the satisfaction.
"Tch...You still haven't killed me, Sudou. You're slipping" Eikichi raises his guitar case and opens fire on the Joker Killer. "If you're gonna do it, do it!" He feels the adrenaline surging through his veins, taking any sort of fear right out of the equation.
AS: Weapon! Eikichi Mishina has used the Pierce skill Open Fire on Tatsuya Sudou! 2 Hits! AS: Aggression: Eikichi Mishina gains 1 Limit! AS: Eikichi Mishina: Prophecy removed! Prophecy: 150 healing! AS: Eikichi Mishina regains 8 HP from Regenerate! AS: Block Neutral! Tatsuya Sudou takes 45 Pierce damage from Eikichi Mishina's Open Fire. AS: Block Neutral! Tatsuya Sudou takes 67 Pierce damage from Eikichi Mishina's Open Fire. Critical Hit! <Pose Tracker> Penguin Sniper has posed.
'I can heal you!'
It's just like Jun to offer, Tatsuya thinks grimly, but he knows, nothing in this world could heal that. His Persona is fire itself, crafted in his own image. If he's burned, it's because Nyarlathotep wants him to be.
'What in this world even needs fixing?'
Me, Jun
Jun still offers to help anyway, and Tatsuya grimaces. Of all of them, he's probably the most safe from Sudou in a fight, but Jun also has so much to lose. So much more.
"Then stay behind me."
'I'll fight with you! Let me help!'
Ixquic. She's - Ixquic? He can't really tell. It's the same name, but not the same person, right? Still, the idea of someone nearly falling into the flames, persists. 'but this guy's picked a fight with all of us, and to that I say...' He's so much like the other Masao. 'Fuck THAT!' Phoenix shouts. Whereas Shinobu tells him, "Tell that to him."
I'm responsible for whatever happens to any of you.
And yet, it doesn't matter. They remain themselves. They don't know why he should be the one putting his life on the line, rather than him. And he can't tell them. "Fine. I won't pretend I can tell any of you what to do." He grunts at all of them not in acquiescence, but resignation.
It's almost like Tatsuya didn't even respond to his threat for Katsuya. Does he really not care about his brother's life so much? No, it's different, even if he won't say. He knows his brother's person on 'This Side' is at least tough enough that this guy won't kill him so easily.
Sudou of course, rejects this. 'The voices say you are wrong, that destiny and fate will still prove me right'
"And what makes you think he cares about you at all!?" He shouts at him in frustration, knowing that he didn't really care about even Jun in the end. "Why listen to him?"
However, the power of Nyarlathotep cannot be denied. As Sudou makes an offering, "Stop! You don't know what you're doing!" Some part of him worries that soon enough, he'll see a figure once like the Angelic Joker that he transformed Jun into.
The lure of the Joker enters his mind. He feels it, he can't resist it so well. It bears his face, grimacing, images of it swing down. The first one slashes across his leathers. The second one however he deflects with his own blade in one upward swing.
'The voice Jun, you could reach out to it.'
On that, his brows contract with a rage he's only known a few times, "I won't ALLOW it! PERSONA!"
And Apollo erupts from him again, descending, except this time, the deific ringmaster draws a hand back, as a black pulsing sphere forms in his hand.
"You think I don't understand what you're doing?" Tatsuya rushes at Sudou, through the field of images, sword flashing as Apollo gains his power. Because you're told it's destiny, you don't have to take responsibility!"
As he tries to get up into Sudou's face with a vicious slash of his blade, "But it doesn't matter if destiny tells you to do what you did to Miyashiro-san's little brother-! It doesn't absolve you!"
That's the moment Apollo rushes forward, swinging that spherical mass of force at Sudou, swinging up to brutally slam into him. "You didn't have to listen! You never did!"
AS: Persona! Penguin Sniper has used the Strike skill Solar Eclipse on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Charm results in party damage! Penguin Sniper takes 90 damage! AS: Pressure: Penguin Sniper gains 1 Limit! AS: Penguin Sniper: Bind removed! AS: Penguin Sniper regains 30 HP from Regenerate!
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
When Hyousuke passes by Jun, Jun's eyes soften, and he gives him a nod of greeting. He might be in costume, but his identity isn't protected by a Will of Rebellion; Jun can recognize his friend behind the mask and outfit. That may backfire later when Hyousuke roars at Sudou in murderous fury; it is unnerving, for all that Jun can agree with the overall sentiment other than outright death.
Tatsuya bids Jun stay behind him. He smiles fondly at his doppelganger, in spirit if not in appearance, and steps in place to do precisely that. "Then I'll watch your back," he promises, raising his flower to his school-uniformed chest.
He nearly laughs at Eikichi's smack-talk; he does grin at the sheer nerve of it. It's just like the Death Boss to declare he'll dedicate his next show to Sudou as his biggest hater. "Agreed. We should be beyond feeling bad for this madman," he says, confidence bolstered. He'll shoot that grin towards Umie as she looks his way in approval.
Ixquic rushes over, asking to be allowed to join the fight. "We all have to help each other now," he tells her with a nod of assent. Katsuya may be on Jun's wavelength in calling to Sudou for surrender, and Shinjiro too might be pulling his punches to avoid murder, but they all know by now--whatever happens next, it'll be because they've beaten Sudou into submission first. When Phoenix reveals that Sudou also once tried to kill Tsubasa, Jun's heart hardens further against him.
It's only because he cares about Tatsuya that he tells Sudou coldly, "And if the Voice is lying?" A beat. He remembers well the conversation he had with Tamaki and Umie about the nature of whatever whispers poison in the Old Maid's ear. "Sudou-san. In all this world, Tatsuya is the one person who understands what you're talking about--and he's told you over and over you're being deceived. I trust him far more than I trust this thing that drives you to carnage."
That thing--Nyarlathotep. Jun's blood runs cold when at last Sudou names him explicitly. As Tatsuya erupts into rage, Jun slips into a defensive stance as that aura of darkness whooshes out from Sudou to spread out those negative emotions, but who can guard against a malady of the heart? Jun clutches his chest and nearly doubles over. "T--Tatsuya..."
For a moment, his vision blurs. The JOKER Persona has Tatsuya's face, and it mocks him with laughter as it hurls those cards forth. Jun screams as a double swings a flaming sword at him; Argeiphontes takes the brunt of the damage, but it resonates psychically back into Jun, and he clutches his head with both hands, wild-eyed for a moment.
"I... I mustn't... Tatsuya--" He clutches his stomach with both arms, eyes squeezing shut. "P--Persona! Lighten our steps!" Jun calls, sweat beading down his face. Argeiphontes whirls into existence, and as he twirls, green winds whirl around him. With a sweep of his caduceus, he sends those winds forth towards Tatsuya, Katsuya, Eikichi, and Ixquic to speed them up. He raises up that staff, and at the tail end of the Masukukaja spell, starlight twinkles in the shape of Aquarius around Tatsuya for a brief extra boost to make him fast enough to get another attack in.
...As if Tatsuya really needed it.
AS: Persona! Jun Kashihara has used the Almighty skill Masukukaja on Penguin Sniper, Katsuya Suou, Eikichi Mishina, and Akari Hoshi! AS: Charm results in party damage! Jun Kashihara takes 90 damage! AS: Support: Jun Kashihara gains 1 Limit! AS: Jun Kashihara: Fast Heal! Charm and Prophecy removed! Prophecy: 150 healing! AS: Take! Akari Hoshi takes 0 Almighty damage from Jun Kashihara's Masukukaja. AS: Spd_Up (Avoid Improved!) added! AS: Jun Kashihara spends Limit on Shift! Penguin Sniper can use another Weak skill this round! Hyper (Next Attack Boosted/Incoming Damage Down!) appllied to Penguin Sniper! They both receive 8 SP and 30 HP! AS: Block Neutral! Tatsuya Sudou takes 230 Strike damage from Penguin Sniper's Solar Eclipse. Critical Hit! AS: Take! Penguin Sniper takes 0 Almighty damage from Jun Kashihara's Masukukaja. AS: Spd_Up (Avoid Improved!) added! AS: Take! Katsuya Suou takes 0 Almighty damage from Jun Kashihara's Masukukaja. AS: Spd_Up (Avoid Improved!) added! AS: Take! Eikichi Mishina takes 0 Almighty damage from Jun Kashihara's Masukukaja. AS: Spd_Up (Avoid Improved!) added!
<Pose Tracker> Masao Inaba has posed.
Arianrhod shares her power upon a number of them, including a fellow St. Hermelin alumni in Masao "Mark" Inaba who is over there. He waves a free hand in acknowledgement. They're all scattered about, because all the flames and Tatsuya Sudou's movement makes it hard to do so freely.
"Are you even listening to yourself?" Masao asks, incredulous, but this man's convictions have not been shaken even in the face of his apparent handlers deciding he was too much trouble to be worth. This man truly believes, and not even mounting injury seems to slow him...
'Nyarlathotep, I give you half my world, give me your strength. As for them, let them see the monster everywhere.'
Masao visibly reacts, taking several steps forward. "You're saying that..."
SOME YEARS AGO
Masao, alongside his classmates, watch in horror as Takahisa Kandori is overtaken by his Persona - a name that Eriko gave upon her virtually encyclopedic knowledge of the occult.
Nyarlathotep.
The most terrifying foe they fought, short of one far more personal to all of them that they would go on to save.
RIGHT NOW
This is a name that maybe only has any meaning to the (seemingly) unassuming street artist, teeth clenching. "You're for real..."
He had no reason to doubt that after Eriko spoke with him about what they both saw in Sudou's cell. The name taken, and invoked, as a 'friend.' A Persona so powerful that it overtook the will of someone who accomplished everything they wanted to... and found themselves unsatisfied, empty, defeated, roused to battle largely by insult.
There's something intoxicatingly inviting by the sight of these Joker Killers. Masao raises his axe to meet their blows, the first one violently deflected and overturned. The other, less so but not unskillfully, in a deadlock against something that feels both real, and not, looking at them in the 'face.'
"We're really doing this again..." Masao murmurs aloud, cryptically - but he can't hide that he's saying it. It speaks to who he is, who he fought against, and who he fought for those years ago... and to what their Guide, Philemon, asserted at the end of all this.
With inner strength enchanted by Tamaki's Persona, and a drive dangerously invited by the enticing, enchanting visage of another of those one thousand faces, Masao holds that axe up as the blue light surrounds him.
"You're not takin' anyone else!" He calls not just to the serial killer, but to a figure beyond. Both individuals were hardly good people to begin with, unworthy of forgiveness for what they've done.
Ogun appears, spear raised in the same angle Masao's holding his axe before they both swing it down towards the (assumed) Tatsuya Sudou, maybe cutting it a little too dangerously close with someone.
"Flurry Stab!!" (Despite the name, it's more of a slicing swing, but that particular Ordeal and its heroes had its fair share of quirks in how things transpired.)
AS: Tandem! Masao Inaba has used the Slash skill Flurry Stab on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Charm results in party damage! Masao Inaba takes 90 damage! AS: Aggression: Masao Inaba gains 1 Limit! AS: Masao Inaba: Prophecy removed! Prophecy: 150 healing!
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
Hyousuke's war cry cuts through the din of battle, and Phoenix bellows, affirmatively: "HRAAARRRRHHH!!"
Sudou meets their massive greatsword with a blade of his own, and the two sing -- or perhaps the word is scream -- as they meet. "You bastard!" Phoenix swears at him, as he parts.
"You think I don't see it?" Phoenix asks, breathing a touch heavily, as Sudou assaults the others. "Th' whole joint they was keepin' you in? Fuck, man, I get it! Whitecoats," doctors, they mean, "they monsters, dead set! But all this shit -- torchin' th' whole museum -- lightin' up KIDS -- that's on YOU!"
The Joker Killer is everywhere, but Phoenix has never been cowed by their opponent being omnipresent. They scream as they launch forward, that sound growing pained as the fire burns them -- burns into their weakness, despite their fiery visage -- but they carve through the flames, regardless.
"Yeah, man, ya life fuckin' SUCKS! But listen, you still had ya own choices to make! You wanna say you all tied up in that Rumour?! You coulda changed it! Rumours can change, asshole! It didn't gotta be like this!" It takes a whole for Phoenix to find their way through all those Joker Killers to sight Sudou again -- and in the end, they follow Masao's lead, who really sounds like he's done this shit before.
(Just like Tatsuya. Who was Miyashiro's little brother...?)
"Rrrraaahhhh--!!" They howl, as they charge him, again -- this time, hefting their massive greatsword up to swing downwards in a massive vertical slice.
AS: Weapon! Tsubasa Seki has used the Slash skill Greatest Sword on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Charm results in party damage! Tsubasa Seki takes 90 damage! AS: Aggression: Tsubasa Seki gains 1 Limit! AS: Tsubasa Seki: Charm and Prophecy removed! Prophecy: 150 healing! AS: Tsubasa Seki regains 8 HP from Regenerate! AS: Counter Neutral! Tatsuya Sudou takes 236 Slash damage from Masao Inaba's Flurry Stab. Critical Hit! AS: COUNTER! Masao Inaba takes 25 Slash damage in return for his attack! AS: Counter Neutral! Tatsuya Sudou takes 171 Slash damage from Tsubasa Seki's Greatest Sword. AS: COUNTER! Tsubasa Seki takes 18 Slash damage in return for their attack! AS: Eikichi Mishina spends Limit on Exploit! Eikichi Mishina can use another Weak skill this round!
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
Flames and cards spill in, as Shinjiro takes the hits head on, avoiding the charming effect but getting burned and flickered backwards. However, Sudou is saying all sorts of awful things, and Shinjiro hears that name he mentions. Nyarlathotep... is he the source of Sudou's dark power?
"I'm not going to let you die," he suddenly says, in response to both Sudou and to Hitomi's comment.
"But like hell I won't make you face consequences for everyone you've killed!"
He charges in, waving a hand at Ririka and Hitomi to hint he's looking to team up for an attack, trying to still the rage that's coming over him regardless
"Do you remember her? Miki Sanada! Ten years ago! If I sent you to Hell, it wouldn't be enough! No, you have to live with what you've done, for the rest of your long and pathetic life!"
Shinjiro summons Castor, who steps forth, roaring loudly. He's preparing energy towards Hitomi and Ririka, preferably to create a powerful bane wave that can hit *all* the clones at once.
"And when you finally get to Hell in the end, I'll be there waiting for you to kick your ass all over again!"
<Pose Tracker> Akari Hoshi has posed.
Ixquic is, to all appearances, a kind of lanky teenager - she's tall (especially for her age, though she looks older in her helmet, with her face covered - maybe sixteen instead of her actual fourteen) but kind of skinny, the rangy build of someone who's had growth spurts but hasn't really filled out to match.
She does *not* look like someone strong enough to swing that giant golden sword around like she is, nor to catch Sudou's blade on it and actually manage to hold him off her for a few critical moments until she can break away, using his own strength against him to let herself be pushed back more or less safely. It helps that it is such a massive blade; it's not like she's using something likely to bend or break... like, say, Tamaki's saber, which worries her slightly.
"Warrior of fate..." Is that what Sudou is? Is that what *she* is today?
What else are we...
She inhales. "We're heroes," she says, quietly, before: "We're heroes! Defending the innocent! Protecting the children! Saving Sumaru from someone like you...!"
My family and classes... There's nothing good about being alive.
King Leo... Why'd you set that fire? What about me, did you want to kill me too?
Two memories, clashing, and Ixquic can't hold onto the details of either one. Her head hurts. She can't focus, and it gets worse when there's all the Sudous to keep track of at once. Ixquic raises her own sword, bellowing: "I won't let you! I'll support all of you - come forth! Quixote!"
Quixote reappears, but this time she's already gunning her engine, rocketing forward across the battlefield. The Persona lashes out at not one but multiple figures as they attack Tatsuya, and Jun, and Tamaki, and others, sword trailing ribbons of rainbow light behind it.
"This time I'll protect you!"
AS: Persona! Akari Hoshi has used the Slash skill Mind Slice on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Akari Hoshi: Loses 8 SP and TP from Sick! Prophecy removed! Prophecy: 150 healing! AS: Shinjiro Aragaki has initiated a fusion spell! The spell still requires 2 Weak attacks and Water/Fire! Anyone can join! AS: Avoid Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 189 Slash damage from Akari Hoshi's Mind Slice. AS: Panic (Damage when using Persona/Tandem!) added!
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
Hyousuke wanted to reassure Ririka. To tell her that it would be alright. That they'd finish the fight here and now, and they'd all go home and never have to worry about him again. He wanted to tell Jun that tomorrow would be brighter - that their friendship would last beyond this, and for a while to come. He wanted to say so many things, to so many people. But when that murderous *thing* heaved itself back into reality, Hyousuke was a hound at the ready, teeth bared and ready to tear the throat from those that would hurt its pack.
--
A storm of cards flurried around them, and Hyousuke backed up, trying to make some distance between himself and the maelstrom. He peered into it, trying to make out something - anything - that could give him an advantage. A momentary flicker of that ever-familiar figure was all he needed to unleash the might of the invincible general, or a storm of lead unleashed with a thunderous crack of gunpowder. His eyes darted around behind the mask, flickering to and fro, and finally settled when they caught Sudou... and the clones of him that all advanced upon the party, swords raised to attack.
Hyousuke surged forth to meet the blow, and thrust Achilles' shield into the cleaving blade. A welter of sparks exploded into the air, blinding bright with every hit that collided against that sheer wall of god-forged bronze. The first blow barely shook Achilles, the flames doing little more than licking at Hyousuke's costume with impotent heat. The second, however, forced even that mighty warrior to stagger back from the strength of it. Hyousuke could feel the shock in his mind - it was like a blow to his temple, rattling his mind in place. But he stood firm, and he remained defiant.
"You think I give a shit?!"
Hyousuke was an inferno to match the blaze below. Even as Sudou's magicks seeped into his mind, warping and twisting every facet of reality around him, Hyousuke's rage cut a clear path through towards the target. There was a focus to him. A dogged, unfaltering, determination to see things through. "I don't care if this ends with you in a cell or a fucking grave! YOU DON'T GET TO HURT ANYONE ELSE!" Sudou manifested a monster from the dark, but Hyousuke manifested his own from the strength of his fury - from the all-consume fires that tore through every mote of his being.
A monster stood against Sudou, and he was a storm of bronze and gold.
He restrained himself at first. He restrained himself enough to call to Tamaki for her attention, and hurl an item to her - something to relieve the pain, and clear the fog from her mind. He clung to himself just long enough to tear an item from a pouch at his side, and throw it to Hitomi, vaguely aware of her hurts - but not enough to truly face her. Then, he loosened his grip, and became something worse. Hyousuke bellowed his defiance into the clamour of battle, and it warred with the heaving creaks and groans of strained armour surging forward like a cannonball. That spear - that keen and heavy thing - glinted through the air as Achilles charged alongside his wielder, and with a mighty shriek of protesting metal, he struck forth into Sudou.
AS: Persona! Hyousuke Suzuki has used the Pierce skill Rending Rush on Tatsuya Sudou! 3 Hits! AS: Charm results in party damage! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 90 damage! AS: Pressure: Hyousuke Suzuki gains 1 Limit! AS: Hyousuke Suzuki: Prophecy removed! Prophecy: 150 healing!
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
The Joker Killer is talking to those other people, Hitomi thinks. Why do I find him so familiar now? Ugh! I hate this stupid situation. (And so on and so forth...) The others are moving, and Sudou is speaking, and he's even addressing Ririka, and Hitomi's eyes slowly narrow.
He's bleeding, Hitomi thinks.
Her lip trembles for a moment.
That smell in the air isn't pleasant to consider, given how much like roasting meat it is.
And he's... he's...
Hitomi's face is contorting somehow when all the jokers go wild, spreading out around them. The flaming swords smash down on her, and she is buried among them, raising up her arms as if to guard her face from the incoming smash of --
--
The aftermath feels like a cut, yes. There was a burst of flame. But her hands are still there. Hitomi lowers them, looking down as her fingers flex and unflex once, and then she looks up towards Sudou.
Now she starts yelling. It comes out of her throat, raw and startled and honestly not-really-like-her: "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU EXPECT US TO DO??? You're setting this entire building on fire!! With children in it!! Did you want us to give you a big hug?! Do we look like buddhas to you?? Don't complain when the expedient means is MEAN to your FEELINGS because you're a terrorist!!"
Hitomi sucks in a deep breath -- just as Shinjiro speaks.
Then she falters.
The spell seems to break and she relaxes, looking briefly baffled, her lips forming a pursing for a moment. Then Shinjiro speaks -- he speaks of someone else. Someone Sudou knew ten years ago? Hitomi looks towards Shinjiro. Was Sudou involved --
Then Hitomi lets out a laugh. It's more of a sharp, accenting "Ha!" than a real cackle of laugh. "Sempai... I think once they've gotten like this..."
"There's nothing really to say any more," and she shrugs one shoulder, "but I guess that doesn't mean we're done-- Tyche!" Hitomi sweeps her hand out as if she's flicking a palmed card or one up the sleeve she doesn't have on: there's a sparkle of blue, and the statue appears in a distinct pose, but as it appears, Hitomi pivots up one foot and -
Spins?!
After all, those Jokers are coming from everywhere, and now the billowing wave of flames is more of a *disk*. Helpfully, one that only warms those armed shadows...
"I'm starting to think sempai's got bad luck with outings, Ririkaaa," Hitomi almost-sings, even as she cuts her eyes towards her. Hitomi can't burn through these things too hard, but under heat, water can burst and spread.
AS: Hitomi Mandai has joined Shinjiro Aragaki's fusion spell! The spell still requires 1 Weak attacks and Water! Anyone can join! AS: Block Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 25 Pierce damage from Hyousuke Suzuki's Rending Rush. AS: Block Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 25 Pierce damage from Hyousuke Suzuki's Rending Rush. AS: Block Neutral! Tatsuya Sudou takes 18 Pierce damage from Hyousuke Suzuki's Rending Rush. AS: Hyousuke Suzuki spends Limit on Help Up! Charm removed from Tamaki Uchida! Hyper (Next Attack Boosted/Incoming Damage Down!) appllied to Tamaki Uchida! They both receive 8 SP and 30 HP! AS: Hyousuke Suzuki spends Limit on Help Up! Pain removed from Hitomi Mandai! Hyper (Next Attack Boosted/Incoming Damage Down!) appllied to Hitomi Mandai! They both receive 8 SP and 30 HP!
<Pose Tracker> Katsuya Suou has posed.
All he can do is shake his head at Tamaki. "It's the only thing I can think of," he explains.
Katsuya can tell the children everything is under control, but it's clear, as Ayame surmises, that it's anything but. Still, it's important in these moments to do anything but fall apart, to act as if everything were going just as planned--
Of course, given current circumstances, that could be very hard, indeed...
Later, maybe, Katsuya will realize his brother didn't even seem to react to Sudou's threats. In the moment, he's too caught up in everything that's happening to dwell on it: he can't die here. He needs to subdue Sudou.
Even by lethal force. No, at this point, he's realized, it almost certainly will have to be lethal. Sudou won't stop. There are other people here, there are young children here. Of course he wants to bring Sudou to justice, but--
Sudou mentions to Hyousuke that the cop here might want to stop him from doing what he's trying to do, and Hyousuke claims it doesn't matter. Katsuya, for his part, shakes his head and points at Sudou. "Enough! Drop your weapon, or I'll use lethal force!" he calls out, because even someone like Sudou deserves one final warning.
It's entirely possible it's wasted breath. Once again, Sudou turns his attentions on Jun. "Leave Kashihara-kun alone! Was what you did before not enough!?" he yells at Sudou. "Or will you add stalking to your list of crimes!" For now, his gun remains trained at the floor and Katsuya's finger off the trigger, but in a moment, that could change.
"Miyashiro's--?"
He knows a Miyashiro. Shiori Miyashiro, though they've hardly ever spoken more than a few pleasantries. She's in the juvenile crimes division, so they don't have much reason to talk in general. Homicides are a rare occurance for a child in this country, fortunately, but...
He thinks back in the moment, remembering what he'd been able to divulge from old police reports and news articles. Ten years ago, a child had--
In this moment, there's no time to put two and two together. A dark aura flares.
Right before him is a Joker Killer. "You--!" he barks out, striking out with a fist. Alas, it proves to be mere illusion, a distortion born from Sudou's Persona's magic, or perhaps by the effects of that dark force upon his mind. He had might have been better off minding the Joker Killer to his right, who Katsuya sees far too late as he turns in that direction. The blade strikes Helios, who intrudes faster than Katsuya himself is able, but it isn't stopped by the Persona: it keeps on cutting, cleaving through the feline Persona as it shatters into blue light. Stunned by such a strike, he's only able to square up before a second sweaping swing of that blade cuts into him and sends him crashing back along the floor of this compartment of the zeppelin.
He's quick to return to his feet. Taking but a moment to first go for his gun, which had escaped his grip when he'd hit the floor hard, a sudden bolstering gust whirls about him. It doesn't take much to realize from whom it must have come. "Thank you!" he tells Jun, and touching his left hand to his sunglasses, calls forth again Helios. "Helios-- we'll do this together!"
No worst the wear for its shattering, Helios conjures in both hands a flame. Yet, this flame, as it is cast forth to break into four smaller fires, is not one that will burn. Like a firebreak constructed in the face of an inferno, it helps to ensure that the coming flame may well find less purchase ahead.
AS: Persona! Katsuya Suou has used the Almighty skill Inferno Wall on Umie Akabane, Ayame Watanabe, Tsubasa Seki, and Jun Kashihara! AS: Charm results in party damage! Katsuya Suou takes 90 damage! AS: Defense: Katsuya Suou gains 1 Limit! AS: Katsuya Suou: Prophecy removed! Prophecy: 150 healing! AS: Take! Ayame Watanabe takes 0 Almighty damage from Katsuya Suou's Inferno Wall. AS: Fire_Wall (Fire Affinity Up!) added! AS: Take! Umie Akabane takes 0 Almighty damage from Katsuya Suou's Inferno Wall. AS: Fire_Break removed!
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
Ririka has analyzed Sudou before--but with the stakes so dire, she doesn't want to take anything for granted. If he brings down the zeppelin... No, she can't allow that to happen.
She hears everything come through, and she announces to the room: "He's got defenses against Fire and Dark attacks--and he's especially powerful with them, too. Beware his sword--and be ready for any extra tricks he might have... but you can hurt him with ice!"
"You call any of this fixing!?" Ririka retorts, a moment later. "People have died!" She doesn't even know the half of it. "How is tormenting people going to make anything better?" They see him as the monster. "You're not exactly doing anything to endear yourself!"
Ririka gasps and tries to block the firey cards as they whirl around her, slashing at them to dry and destroy them though she's still knocked around by a few.
But when all the images appear, Ririka is looking around. "Everyone-- I'll see if I can locate the real one, but stay on your guard!" For her fellow SEES members--and for one mother, she can at least help with the guarding part.
She calls for "Marakukaja!" and the power of the earth flows--somehow--up through herself, Shinjiro, Hitomi, and Ayame to help bolster their defends. "We'll make sure you and your daughter get out safe," she calls to Ayama. "Along with everyone else! Hold strong!"
Shinjiro signals, and Ririka nods. "Got it!" She looks to Hitomi. "We'll get through this, Mandai-chan! Just hang on, I've got your back!"
She gestures towards Shinjiro and Castor. "Amphion, Bufu, now!" Amphion plays, tinkly, crystaline notes springing out as a wave of ice energy joins the spell that Shinjiro is preparing.
AS: Persona! Ririka Kawase has used the Almighty skill Marakukaja on Ririka Kawase, Hitomi Mandai, Shinjiro Aragaki, and Ayame Watanabe! AS: Charm results in party damage! Ririka Kawase takes 90 damage! AS: Ririka Kawase: Fast Heal! Prophecy removed! Prophecy: 150 healing! AS: Take! Ayame Watanabe takes 0 Almighty damage from Ririka Kawase's Marakukaja. AS: Def_Up (Block Improved!) added! AS: Ririka Kawase spends Limit on Exploit! Ririka Kawase can use another Weak skill this round! AS: Ririka Kawase has joined Shinjiro Aragaki's fusion spell! The spell is ready! AS: Take! Shinjiro Aragaki takes 0 Almighty damage from Ririka Kawase's Marakukaja. AS: Def_Up (Block Improved!) added! AS: Persona! Shinjiro Aragaki, Hitomi Mandai, and Ririka Kawase has used the Water skill Bane Splash on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Pressure: Shinjiro Aragaki gains 1 Limit! AS: Shinjiro Aragaki: Prophecy removed! Prophecy: 150 healing! AS: Shinjiro Aragaki regains 15 HP from Regenerate! AS: Hitomi Mandai: Hyper and Prophecy removed! Prophecy: 150 healing!
<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
This is not an opponent one could effort to hold back against, Julian knows that much. And yet, able to keep a cool head in spite of everything, he worries about the ferocity displayed by some (far be it from him to name names). Especially given where they are. It may be a struggle at best to raise one's voice over the chaos of battle, but Vesper does make an effort to do so.
"Everyone, do remember where we are! We cannot afford too much damage to the vessel!" Not to mention, this one must be quite old already. It's possible that the Joker Killer would be alright with going down with the ship, but surely everyone else wouldn't be.
Those voices... that doesn't answer much for Julian, unable to fathom what that might be like. "Seems rather ill-adviced to listen to voices driving you to act against your own well-being. You would be better served taking counsel from kinder voices."
Easy for him to say, perhaps. Though, all things considered, it was surprising to hear any kind voices at all. And yet... "Even Kashihara-kun, one you have hounded so relentlessly, wants better for you. If he would offer you another path, would it not be worth considering?" He couldn't personally claim to approve of forgiving a man so vile, but, any means that might help put a stop to this.
The moment to talk may already be past however, with the invocation of that name. Vesper begins to say, "Nyarl--" only to stop cold, feeling a shiver run across his spine. Maybe it's paranoia, but somehow... this feels like a name that holds power. That's the sort of thing he's quickly learned to take seriously, and he does believe in 'better safe than sorry'.
Case in point, when multiple Joker Killers appear, he takes notice of the simultaneous 'disappearance' of some of his allies. He refuses to be baited into attacking while unsure of the real targets, but also cannot be prepared for where the eventual real attack comes from, blasted back by more fire. Once he finds out the hard way though...
"Raffles!"
Dark tendrils come up through the floor, trying to keep that instance of the Joker Killer literally pinned down.
AS: Persona! Julian Marlowe has used the Dark skill Blackroot Curse on Tatsuya Sudou! 2 Hits! AS: Defense: Julian Marlowe gains 1 Limit! AS: Block Best! Tatsuya Sudou takes 136 Water damage from Shinjiro Aragaki's Bane Splash. Weak! AS: Avoid Best! Tatsuya Sudou takes 21 Dark damage from Julian Marlowe's Blackroot Curse. AS: Paralyze (Physical and Avoid Penalized!) added! Blast removed! Explosion! 76 damage! AS: Avoid Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 93 Dark damage from Julian Marlowe's Blackroot Curse. Critical Hit! AS: Take! Ririka Kawase takes 0 Almighty damage from Ririka Kawase's Marakukaja. AS: Def_Up (Block Improved!) added! AS: Take! Tsubasa Seki takes 0 Almighty damage from Katsuya Suou's Inferno Wall. AS: Fire_Wall (Fire Affinity Up!) added!
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
Ayame assures her that she's alright, and Shinobu nods back.
"...Yeah. We've got a lot on the line here... We can't let him through." She replies with a nod. If they go down, there'll be nothing stopping him. She steps up next to her. "Yeah. We'll make sure of that."
Tatsuya won't pretend he can tell them what to do.
"Got that right." Shinobu replies. "...But I get the sentiment. Thanks."
She attacks - Sudou remembers her.
"Sure am. And you're still swinging that lump of metal around." Shinobu replies.
He says they think he's the bad guy - they see him as a monster.
"And just how many times have people asked you to stop, and you kept doing it anyway?" Shinobu asks. "You've had chance after chance, but you keep doing shit like this. You keep piling up the bodies, no wonder everyone thinks you're a monster."
She listens to Phoenix, hearing their take. She remembers what they said before. There's sympathy there, but they agree - his actions are his own.
A dark aura emerges from Sudou, and that shadow laughs. Half of his world... What does he mean by that? And, Nyarlathotep... Who or what does that mean?
The power he draws from it, though, is all too visible. Shinobu braces herself as she's buffeted by a whirlwind of cards. When it clears...
Her vision is blurry. It's hard to see straight - it's like she's suddenly surrounded.
"Damn it... Which one?" Shinobu hisses. She squeezes her eyes shut, trying to focus. She feels movement - "That one?"
Shinobu braces herself. A sword collides her staff once - and then on the second time, she pushes it away. But the fire leaves its mark. She backpedals, exhaling.
Her vision still isn't clear. Everywhere she looks, it's like she sees his shadow...
"...Watch out. I'm not seein' straight." Shinobu warns. She tries to focus on the one she thinks is him.
"C'mon, then. Let's put you in that hole you've dug for yourself." Shinobu says. Behind her, Lachesis appears once more. She rests her measuring rod across her hands, framing Sudou between them. There's a pulse as she tries to stoke the fires of anger - to conceal that, at the same time, that pulse drains away his physical strength.
Shinobu rushes forward, then, her staff spinning out in a flurry of strikes.
AS: Shinobu Shimizu spends Limit on Exploit! Shinobu Shimizu can use another Weak skill this round! AS: Persona! Shinobu Shimizu has used the Almighty skill Goading Break on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Charm results in party damage! Shinobu Shimizu takes 90 damage! AS: Weapon! Shinobu Shimizu has used the Strike skill Spinning Staff on Tatsuya Sudou! 3 Hits! AS: Aggression: Shinobu Shimizu gains 1 Limit! AS: Shinobu Shimizu: Fast Heal! Prophecy removed! Prophecy: 150 healing! AS: Take! Tatsuya Sudou takes 0 Almighty damage from Shinobu Shimizu's Goading Break. AS: Phy_DN (Physical Attack/Defense Down!) added! AS: Block Neutral! Tatsuya Sudou takes 36 Strike damage from Shinobu Shimizu's Spinning Staff. AS: Block Best! Tatsuya Sudou takes 25 Strike damage from Shinobu Shimizu's Spinning Staff. AS: Block Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 84 Strike damage from Shinobu Shimizu's Spinning Staff. Critical Hit! AS: Take! Hitomi Mandai takes 0 Almighty damage from Ririka Kawase's Marakukaja. AS: Def_Up (Block Improved!) added!
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
Tamaki smiles back up at Vesper. "Better than being down below still. Though I did mean in general ..."
'A pawn,' Sudou claims. Tamaki lowers her eyelids in response and recounts a passage from one of her favorite author's books. "'The memory of having sat at someone's feet will later make you want to trample him underfoot.'"
He claims that they all see him as a monster, that they can't see him as anything else. The accusation causes a change in Tamaki's demeanor and she slows down. "You have been forced to sit at someone's feet. Wanting to change your lot is understandable."
"You could have chosen a different manner to go about it." Case in point, Phoenix brings up that rumors can change. Months ago, Umie had requested of the agency that the Seven Sisters Emblem rumor be expanded to include any sort of representation of the number seven.
It is a gambit that Tamaki has been silently working towards utilizing. Seven colors flashed in Arianrhod's sword moments ago, as she shone her light on several of those gathered.
Tamaki lowers her own sword and stares at Sudou somberly. "... You still can. Please listen to Kashihara-kun."
As Sudou invokes Nyarlathotep's name and as Mark reacts in what seems to be recognition, Tamaki glances over at her fellow St. Hermelin alum. She still isn't privy to all of the details, but her other experiences have given her enough reason to believe that there are larger forces at play. That's what he meant by 'the king isn't even on the field', it seems.
One moment she feels like she can take on existence itself, empowered by her own narrative that she had nudged Ixquic with, and Arianrhod steps in to fend off an oncoming wave of 'monsters everywhere' brandishing flaming swords with her own broadsword.
The next, she feels the crushing burden of knowledge, realizing she can never comprehend everything that everyone's gone through, shaken by the notion that she is a tiny speck in the uncaring void of the universe. Her focus breaks, Arianrhod dissipates, and she is left defenseless against a subsequent strike. "Augh -- !"
Caught between the pavement and the stars, so to speak, she's left reeling, but it's Hyousuke who snaps her out of her daze. "Ugh -- I owe you one, Suzuki-kun."
Arianrhod's blade flashes in its multicolored palette again, another rainbow, another representation of the number seven in her mind. If Hazuki was the hero of light, Umie the hero of dark, Ixquic the hero of destiny, then ... that makes Tamaki a hero of balance. "We just can't let you proceed the way you are right now. That's all. Otherwise, we'll be at your feet, and the cycle will only begin anew."
Tamaki clutches tightly at the six coins on her choker, and her silver-armored Persona advances, her blade shimmering in a dazzling array of different hues. "Arianrhod, strike true."
Seven. Seven. The third reel yet still spins wildly ...
AS: Persona! Tamaki Uchida has used the Slash skill Glittering Blade on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Ruin: Tamaki Uchida gains 1 Limit! AS: Tamaki Uchida: Hyper and Prophecy removed! Prophecy: 150 healing! AS: Counter Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 74 Slash damage from Tamaki Uchida's Glittering Blade. AS: COUNTER! Tamaki Uchida takes 14 Slash damage in return for her attack!
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
Nyarlathotep.
There's a brief glimpse of fear on Umie's face as Sudou willingly offers 'half his world' to the named entity.
Miyashiro's little brother... She had a little brother...? She looks to Tatsuya, and then, Katsuya, as if, by proxy of being his older brother and part of the police force, he'd somehow know.
.... Now, the world is just all the Joker Killer, coming in for her.
Ah, keep calm, Umie tells herself. Just think this through. You're smarter than this trick.
It's not like Umie is partially under the sway of the same force.
Giggling whispers curl under Umie's wall of concentration, threatening to pull those tightly controlled barriers apart and let all those tepid, angry, cowardly thoughts leak out of their prison.
Yeah, that isn't going to happen today. Umie's in full control. She knows the best way to deal with situation. She'll just attack them all.
What's a Badb to do here but enable the fog of war?
"Look at all the sympathy they're giving you, in spite of everything you did." She says this, as she points towards Joker Killer-- no, that's not Sudou.
The finger moves, pointing now to Hyousuke instead.
"Not me, though." Red brown eyes wild, she points to another: Ayame, who she helped fight back the Joker Killer when he tried to attack her husband. "I've been dealing with this just as long as you, and *I've* never given in and done all the shit you've done."
She laughs, wheeling around to gleefully point towards Akari, Badb floating overhead.
And then, to Sudou, she points, in mute abandon.
"I'll never fall!"
There is no thought to anyone outside of the realm of Umie Akabane, right at this second, until she feels Katsuya's magic break over her in that moment. "....?!"
The fog is still there, but the concept of there being someone else lingers.
AS: Persona! Umie Akabane has used the Dark skill Ill Omen on Hyousuke Suzuki, Ayame Watanabe, Akari Hoshi, and Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Charm results in party damage! Umie Akabane takes 90 damage! AS: Umie Akabane: Fast Heal! Prophecy removed! Prophecy: 150 healing! AS: Umie Akabane regains 3 SP from Invigorate! AS: Take! Ayame Watanabe takes 0 Dark damage from Umie Akabane's Ill Omen. Resist! AS: Def_Up removed! AS: Take! Akari Hoshi takes 50 Dark damage from Umie Akabane's Ill Omen. Critical Hit! AS: Atk_Up removed! AS: Take! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 56 Dark damage from Umie Akabane's Ill Omen. Critical Hit! AS: Atk_Up removed! AS: Take! Tatsuya Sudou takes 0 Dark damage from Umie Akabane's Ill Omen. AS: Spd_Dn (Avoid Penalized!) added!
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Sudou has posed.
The Old Maid moves everywhere and slashes down, but the confusion works both way as Ayame slashes through him. The call of being on the back foot, he looks at Ayame, "Do you though? I've been on the back foot before, I've been worse. I have seen worse, and none of you are ready for it." The slash hurts, he can feel it, as he tries to stay standing, feeling dizzy. " The mother, the lover, ever so protective. Yet no one to protect them. "
Eikichi asks him a question and Sudou forces himself to his feet as he stares at the rocker, "So eager to die, such a coward. Choosing suicide by sudou to abandon all your friends. " Then the rocker opens fire with the guitar case, he wasn't expecting that as he uses the giant claymore to act as a shield, but he still gets a few more holes in him.
Sudou looks at Jun, "What if Tatsuya is the liar? What has he told you Jun? Do you know the truth? " Sudou asks before looking at Tatsuya, "Do you want to tell him or should..." Sudou doesn't get to finish as Apollo smashes him and he falls to feet. That was a lot of mass and even his body can't stay standing as he is knocked prone for a moment. Slowly standing, he addressed Tatsuya, "I have no illusion on who has done what Tatsuya, we all bear our cross. I have had the gift of perspective lately. Promises were made, and I keep my promises. "
5t Masao's reaction though distracts him from engaging with Tatsuya, "You have no power to tell me what I can or can't do, you definitely lack the power to tell him what to do. You all severely lack that power." Raising the sword he charges in slashes at Masao, but barely returns the damage dealt. His arm cut deeply.
Sudou moves straight on though to the next sword strike , this from the Phoenix as he looks at them, " I know what I did, I am thankful to the voice. I embrace who I am. I am the man who will be king!." The sword is swung but it is slow and phoenix's is much faster drawing a downward slash across the burnt eye, good thing it doesn't work at the moment.
Quixote's blade charges Sudou and he can not move away, can't even see it coming in fact cause he has this sorta blind side on his right side of his face. Sudou looks at Quixote's owner, and simply asks, "Is that what you really want? Is that what fate wants? To protect, or does it crave something else? "
Shinjiro, Ririka and Hitomi catch his attention as he watches them and hears their words, "Is that what you think? You think anything on this planet can stop me? The cop figured it out, the cop figured out how to stop me. Police brutality in the most effective way." His head turns to Hitomi and stares at her with his good eye, "Would you quit at this point? Do you want to quit now?"
His eyes pivot to Ririka, "The healer talking about fixing things, you fix'em and send them back to the fight to be hurt again, are you fixing things?" The trio's spell is cast as he tries to stand against the water, but is swept off his feet. Coughing and gagging from the water he stands slowly.
Standing back up for only to realize he was washed to Tamaki's feet and looks at her, "A pawn moves as a pawn moves. I hold no regret for what I have done. It is all for the better." The blade from Arianrhod comes at him and he tries to respond but feels that blade in his right shoulder. He can't help but think that half his body is all but dead given how little he is feeling any of it.
The dark tentacles of vesper causes Sudou to dance across the floor, badly. The mention of the ship though just causes Sudou to laugh, " So many people trying to save me, so many people trying to kill me. Only two people in this room trying to save others, such heroes you all are. Sudou glances at Umie for a moment as she declares she won't fall, "Good, don't . However I have to warn you, you need to get stronger. Dad does indeed lift." Sudou gives advice to Umie before he turns and looks at the others. "That goes for all of you, you think I am the end, but soon you will be begging for my help."
The Joker's arm reaches out and stretches as it sweeps out, working to infect those that it touches with the corruption of it's owner. The clawed like hand strikes across the room, trying to touch Ixquic, Phoenix, Jun, and Shinobu. This is done while Sudou charges at Eikichi, "Come here coward!" The sword rises and falls towards Eikichi as he resumes his conversation. Sudou charges masao with his sword covered in black flames, moving on from Eikichi towards the one who seems to recognize the name, trying to strike him down.
Sudou then turns and points to Hyousuke and Shinjiro.The Joker persona nods at Sudou's gesture, drawing two joker cards from its back pocket as it throws the cards and they explode upon Shinjiro and Hyousuke, trying to crack open the muscles of the group. Meanwhile Sudou has made his way toward Ayame, " Don't worry protector, I am going to show your daughter just how big of a heart you have." He lunges forward trying to impale Ayame.
Joker Persona spells are cast as fire erupts across the field of battle, trying to catch Hitomi, Ririka and Umie. Sudou meanwhiles moves toward Katsuya, "Go ahead copper, pull that trigger. Lets not split hairs, the only way this ends is if one of us doesn't leave." The right hand comes out, as the mark on Sudou's arm turns the arm completely black, as he tries to corrupt Katsuya.
Sudou and the Joker Persona regroup as they turn towards Tamaki and Julian as the Joker sprays forth that black cloud of noxious fumes towards the duo, before Sudou summons forth fireballs and launches them at the cloud. Hopefully it's not explosive.
Sudou then stares at Tatsuya,the skull hilt of his sword glowing as the black flames around it thin. "Tatsuya, you and I should have been friends. Instead I think, regrettably, there can only be one Tatsuya in this timeline. " Charging forward he raises the sword and then brings it crashing down towards Tatsuya. As he closes in he speaks softly to Tatsuya, " If only you were as strong as before. Sadly you loss so much and what did it get you."
AS: Tatsuya Sudou spends Limit on Psych! AS: Tatsuya Sudou spends Limit on Reach! AS: Tatsuya Sudou spends Limit on Psych! AS: Tatsuya Sudou spends Limit on Broad! AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Dark skill A Nyarly Touch on Tsubasa Seki, Akari Hoshi, Jun Kashihara, and Shinobu Shimizu! AS: Tatsuya Sudou takes 90 damage from Panic! AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Dark skill Black Dragon Breath on Tamaki Uchida and Julian Marlowe! AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Fire skill Fireballs for everyone on Julian Marlowe and Tamaki Uchida! 3 Hits! AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Dark skill A Nyarly Touch on Katsuya Suou! AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Fire skill Inferno on Hitomi Mandai! 2 Hits! AS: Aggression: Tatsuya Sudou gains 1 Limit! AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Almighty skill Joker Wild on Shinjiro Aragaki! AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Almighty skill Joker Wild on Hyousuke Suzuki! AS: Tandem! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Fire skill Dark Fiery Fury on Eikichi Mishina! 2 Hits! AS: Tatsuya Sudou takes 90 damage from Exhaust! AS: Weapon! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Pierce skill Stab at Thee on Ayame Watanabe! AS: Tatsuya Sudou spends Limit on Exploit! Tatsuya Sudou can use another Weak skill this round! AS: Tandem! Theurgy! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Dark skill Blade of Nyarlathotep on Penguin Sniper! AS: Avoid Neutral! Eikichi Mishina takes 30 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. AS: Avoid Best! Eikichi Mishina takes 18 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. Critical Hit! AS: Block Worst! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 200 Almighty damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Joker Wild. AS: Block Best! Penguin Sniper takes 109 Dark damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Blade of Nyarlathotep. Critical Hit! AS: Block Best! Shinobu Shimizu takes 128 Dark damage from Tatsuya Sudou's A Nyarly Touch. Critical Hit! Weak! AS: Mind Up! Tsubasa Seki's SP +8! AS: Counter Worst! Tsubasa Seki takes 209 Dark damage from Tatsuya Sudou's A Nyarly Touch. Critical Hit! AS: Pain (Attacker takes damage on healing and PL 0 attacks!) added! AS: COUNTER! Tatsuya Sudou takes 90 Slash damage in return for his attack! AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Fire skill Inferno on Ririka Kawase! 2 Hits! AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Fire skill Inferno on Umie Akabane! 2 Hits! AS: Block Worst! Akari Hoshi takes 127 Dark damage from Tatsuya Sudou's A Nyarly Touch. AS: Block Worst! Hitomi Mandai takes 59 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Inferno. Resist! AS: Block Best! Hitomi Mandai takes 22 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Inferno. Critical Hit! Resist! AS: Take! Jun Kashihara takes 0 Almighty damage from Katsuya Suou's Inferno Wall. AS: Fire_Wall (Fire Affinity Up!) added! AS: You have 1 more attack in queue! AS: Counter Best! Tamaki Uchida takes 85 Dark damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Black Dragon Breath. AS: COUNTER! Tatsuya Sudou takes 46 Dark damage in return for his attack! AS: Tandem! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Fire skill Dark Fiery Fury on Masao Inaba! 2 Hits! AS: Avoid Worst! Ayame Watanabe takes 133 Pierce damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Stab at Thee. Critical Hit! AS: Avoid Best! Tamaki Uchida takes 30 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Fireballs for everyone. Critical Hit! AS: Avoid Neutral! Tamaki Uchida takes 53 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Fireballs for everyone. Critical Hit! AS: Avoid Worst! Tamaki Uchida takes 41 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Fireballs for everyone. AS: Block Best! Shinjiro Aragaki takes 109 Almighty damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Joker Wild. AS: Tatsuya Sudou: Loses 73 HP from Poison! Fast Heal! Broad, Haze, Omen, Psych, and Reach removed! Omen: 150 damage! AS: Mind Up! Jun Kashihara's SP +8! AS: Avoid Best! Jun Kashihara takes 74 Dark damage from Tatsuya Sudou's A Nyarly Touch. Critical Hit!
<Pose Tracker> Eikichi Mishina has posed.
Suddenly, the Death Boss is feeling a second wind. He stands up taller, grinning devilishly at the Joker Killer as he tilts his head back. The delinquent looks down on the serial killer, narrowing and bugging out his eyes.
Eikichi nods over at Jun, noting the -second- prettiest boy in school's grin. "Yeah. I'm done with this jerk's sad life. I liked him better when he was in the hole...." Eikichi suddenly has a sense deju vu, recalling some reason why this particular moment feels right. He winces despite the pain but the thought makes him grin through it.
"Nah, Sudou, you're gonna go down this time. Even if I have to keep falling down to do it!" Eikichi keeps firing before suddenly stopping his gun fire. As Sudou charges in, the Death Boss swerves with the attacker, narrowing avoiding the flames. The delinquent is burned but seems to be avoiding the brunt of it.
"You know....Sudou...You haven't even heard me sing. Your voices haven't either....why don't I give you a demo."
The Death Boss begins scales. At first, it's very confusing. Why would he just do scales in the middle of a fight. But it gets higher. And higher...and ever so higher. It's beginning to get intense. Then Eikichi hits it....a very very high note that busts glass and just stings as if empowered by something.
AS: Persona! Theurgy! Eikichi Mishina has used the Light skill Insanely High Note on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Aggression: Eikichi Mishina gains 1 Limit! AS: Eikichi Mishina regains 8 HP from Regenerate! AS: Block Best! Julian Marlowe takes 25 Dark damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Black Dragon Breath. Resist! AS: Sick (SP Damage on end of turn!) added! AS: Avoid Neutral! Julian Marlowe takes 48 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Fireballs for everyone. Critical Hit! AS: Blast (Magic and Block Penalized!) added! AS: Avoid Neutral! Julian Marlowe takes 24 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Fireballs for everyone. AS: Avoid Neutral! Julian Marlowe takes 48 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Fireballs for everyone. Critical Hit! AS: Block Neutral! Masao Inaba takes 49 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. AS: Avoid Worst! Katsuya Suou takes 134 Dark damage from Tatsuya Sudou's A Nyarly Touch. AS: Block Neutral! Masao Inaba takes 49 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. AS: Block Worst! Ririka Kawase takes 123 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Inferno. Critical Hit! AS: Block Best! Ririka Kawase takes 55 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Inferno. Critical Hit! AS: Avoid Worst! Umie Akabane takes 142 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Inferno. Critical Hit! Avoid Fire! AS: Umie Akabane spends Limit on Brace! AS: Avoid Best! Umie Akabane takes 21 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Inferno. Critical Hit! Avoid Fire! <Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
Sudou.... None of them are ready? "What do you mean--?" Pause. "That's not it," she says of no one to protect her. "I'm the one who will do the protecting this time!"
"Thank you, Suou-san1" Ayame says, relieved as she feels the awful heat she still feels abate, in favor of a gentle warmth from the officer's Persona. And--And Vesper's right. They don't want to go down with the ship. "Right!" she calls out. Some of even the young people are talking like he needs to die--and that brings a pang of worry to Ayame. Sure, she's thinking the same as Katsuya--lethal force might be all that stops him--but to think of one of these teenagers doing it...
She looks to Katsuya. "Suou-san!" she calls. "We have to end this!"
They do. Not the kids. ...Not even his powerful brother.
So Ayame nods again to Shinobu. "Together, we'll protect the children."
"Hang in there," Ayame says a few moments later, when Shinobu says she's not seeing straight. "I've got your back, Shinobu-chan."
The sympathy, in spite of...?
"What are you talking about?" Ayame wonders of Umie, as she laughs and points around. "Have you gone mad? Hang in there!"
Joker sweeps out--and rushes her. Across the field of battle, he comes, and then speaks to her. "STAY AWAY FROM HER!" Ayame calls back, and tries to move--
She manages, barely. The sword does not impale her. Instead, it tears against her side, her Persona emerging to protect her at the last moment from a grisly wound. "Gh---"
It hurts like she was impaled, though.
Once more she stumbles, backward away from Sudou. "I-I won't..."
Back with the children, there is Koume. Koume, who is trying to be brave with the others, with the Persona-users there.
"They'll protect us," she says. "...Those people... and my Mom. She promised!"
Out here, Ayame feels a faint glow. She doesn't need an 'object' this time. "...I'll show you..."
"What it means to have something real to fight for!"
Ayame rises, hefting her shortsword. "PERSONA!"
Light dims. Around Sudou at a distance, six spectral torches light up, one at a time, with faint red flames. Ayame brings back her sword, which begins to swell with unlight.
"Here goes..."
She rushes, and disappears into the darkness. The torches wink out all at once to coneal her-
There is a sensation of cutting, as the world itself tilts as if struck. On the other side, Ayame lowers her sword.
"...This ends here."
AS: Ayame Watanabe spends Limit on Exploit! Ayame Watanabe can use another Weak skill this round! AS: Persona! Theurgy! Ayame Watanabe has used the Dark skill Empty Motion on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Ruin: Ayame Watanabe gains 1 Limit!
<Pose Tracker> Penguin Sniper has posed.
'Then I'll watch your back,'
He almost lets himself smile, almost. It's nostalgic - it's so like his Jun, even if it's not his Jun. Despite it all though, he does feel bad for Sudou.
Because he remembers the way 'he' shaped Jun into the Joker. He may be a lost cause, but he can't help but try. Even if... he may not try as hard.
'I trust him far more than I trust this thing that drives you to carnage.'
God, he can't even say how happy it makes him that this Jun trusts him over him, after he raised him, shaped him.
'What if Tatsuya is the liar?'
'Do you want to tell him or should...'
The malady of that heart affects Jun so severely, 'T--Tatsuya...' And he turns to look at him in his own haze of battle-fury, "Jun?" -and his brows contract with greater rage at the amount of distress he's in. "BACK OFF!" He shouts at Sudou, even as Jun's magic quickens his steps, he moves even quicker to try and prevent the truth from coming out. Right now, he's in a race to stop him, before he can cause more harm. If Eikichi remembers - or Maya - or Jun then...
Everything is lost.
'We're really doing this again...' Masao murmurs, and Tatsuya flinches subtly, because he understands the realization he's having.
'Miyashiro's--?'
There's a reason why she never reported when she figured out who the Joker Killer is, but now, thanks to him, Katsuya has put two and two together. "... That's right." He confirms, dully. Another sin that must not exist, but does, thanks to him.
It's not only Sudou's sin, in this moment. It would have never happened had he not...
'Tatsuya, you and I should have been friends.'
He remembers Alaya Shrine. Remembers it burning. Remembers Maya-nee's frantic screams and cries behind him.
He remembers...
He remembers Jun, and how hard the guilt weighed down upon him, after he broke free of being the Joker. He knows the person in front of him, isn't feeling any. Or if he is, he hasn't shown a single iota of remorse.
"... A man who can't take responsibility for the things he's done could never be my friend."
He says, as the Sword of Black Flames comes down upon him, his Katana clashes, then behind him so too does Apollo, a field of fire pushing back against it painfully before deflecting the unholy flame as he bellows out.
"You really want to see how strong I am right now...? NOVA KAISER!"
Apollo ascends and raises his arms. The world freezes. Time Stops. To everyone it looks as if his Persona simply teleported behind the Old Maid. The Persona's arms weave as if it were a Tokusatsu hero. Then raise up- and thrust them down.
Power, pure power descends, erupting in a crackling explosion throughout the Old Maid's form, racking him with a barrage of something that burns even that which cannot feel the the flames' hungry kiss. Shockwaves detonating out from the epicenter of ground zero.
AS: Penguin Sniper spends Limit on Exploit! Penguin Sniper can use another Weak skill this round! AS: Persona! Theurgy! Penguin Sniper has used the Almighty skill Nova Kaiser on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Charm results in party damage! Penguin Sniper takes 90 damage! AS: Pressure: Penguin Sniper gains 1 Limit!
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
Katsuya's Inferno Wall is a welcome salve across Phoenix's feathers, mitigating the burning impact. It gives them a moment to yell: "Yeah, man -- uh -- Shimizu-san's right!" Don't call her Big Sis, man, you're in your mask... "You had your chances!" ... even though he's burned all his chances, though, Katsuya's still giving him a warning before using lethal force. Phoenix has gotta respect that... even if he is a cop.
Cops might be the natural enemy of the Phantom Thief, but ain't nothin' sayin' they ain't respect when one's actually decent.
Tamaki's talking about a 'cycle', though... it's weird. A lot of these adults seem to know this song and dance, huh? Even Tatsuya... well, Tatsuya's always been weird, thugh.
"Yeah, yeah!" They add, voice still hot, to Vesper. "I get it, I got it! No rocket launcher, we're in a bigass balloon, whatever!" It's... probably a good idea that the man who Phoenix doesn't know is their friendly counsellor Julian reminded them about structural splash damage to the vessel, though.
Umie, though -- Umie insists she's been dealing with 'this' as long as Sudou has, insists she's never given in, even as she assaults Auntie, and Ixquic, and Hyousuke. Phoenix doesn't know how Nyarlathotep is whispering to her, though. They just know -- "Get ya head in th' game!" They snap, as they grab her by the shoulder and roughly rub some Relax Gel onto her cheeks. They're not quite slapping her, but it's absolutely not a gentle caress.
But their own violence -- it slashes Sudou across the face, and Phoenix feels a moment of being taken aback, of wondering whether they're going too far. "You're fuckin' cooked," they realise, as they take in the fact that he's grateful to his violent voices. "Like... ain't no one don't wanna be king, but... but how ya get there matters?!"
That sinister claw reaches out, though, and Phoenix screams as their sword tears through it. Strangely, this only seems to make the way Nyarlathotep's touch reaches into their soul even worse -- sick, and wrong, but not even just wrong. It's -- it doesn't fit, it's the incorrect -- it's BAD.
Their psyche rejects it. It is an intrusion not without cost, as Phoenix falls to the ground.
"Fuck," they gasp, as they force themself up, on arms which tremble. "Yeah... wish I was at a concert right now... this is th' worst. But we ain't... givin' up that easy! Oi!" They toss a soda, to Hyousuke. "Give 'em hell!"
With that moment to get their bearings, they grab their mask, and tear it from their face. Don't worry, Vesper -- they promised no rocket launchers, and they meant it. Instead, "IZBUSHKA NA KUR'IH NOZHKAH!", they finally summon their massive Persona onto the field -- a hut on chicken's legs, each as large as a man, which charges Sudou to veritably stampede him as Phoenix tears after to finish up with a diagonal swing.
It's no Nova Kaiser, though -- and Phoenix takes a minute to just behold Tatsuya's works, because, damn.
AS: Tsubasa Seki spends Limit on Help Up! Charm removed from Umie Akabane! AS: Tandem! Tsubasa Seki has used the Strike skill Stampeding Wrath on Tatsuya Sudou! 2 Hits! AS: Aggression: Tsubasa Seki gains 1 Limit! AS: Tsubasa Seki: Fast Heal! Dark_Break removed! AS: Tsubasa Seki regains 8 HP from Regenerate! AS: Tsubasa Seki spends Limit on Shift! Hyousuke Suzuki can use another Weak skill this round!
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
"'Again'?" Jun echoes, overhearing Masao's words. There's little more to say to that in the moment, but he might have to reach out to the veteran later to ask what he meant.
"Y-you're welcome, Suou-san," he calls back to Katsuya, receiving defense against fire in return for his speed boost. Jun doesn't know who this Miyashiro is, but it seems Katsuya does... He appreciates the police officer telling Sudou to leave him alone, but there's something about the way he asks that that's a little... missing the forest for the trees, perhaps.
Or maybe it's easier to appreciate Tatsuya's version of telling Sudou to leave him alone, less for the form it takes and more for from whom it comes. Jun smiles despite everything, and the equilibrium that Argeiphontes' mental protections give him restore his calm. "Tatsuya, it's okay... I'm all right," he reassures him, standing on his own two feet again.
Vesper and Tamaki encourage Sudou to surrender too--though Jun would hesitate to say he wants better for Sudou, as Vesper interprets his words. He holds his tongue on that matter, even as he glances at the masked Persona User. 'Incarceration' is still surely better than 'death'; after all, Jun didn't see the inside of the sanitarium.
"How magnanimous of you, Eikichi-kun. I can't say I ever liked him at all," Jun thus jokes at his friend. The nerve of Sudou to reinterpret him as a coward... He really never does listen to anyone else.
But just as he thinks that, Sudou asks him what Tatsuya has actually told him, if he's told him the truth. Tatsuya might have a minor heart attack when Jun hesitates; after all, he has explicitly told him nothing at all, let alone any truth. But then Jun shakes his head. "He doesn't need to. Even without remembering, I can tell enough," he says firmly. "Jun Kurosu, the version of me that you're so obsessed with, Sudou-san... He doesn't exist. I like myself and my life the way we are now. I have true friends and a loving family, and I would never give them up for anything. I have no desire to be the 'Master Joker' you seek so desperately!"
Perhaps it's this emotional rally that protects Jun from the JOKER Persona as it rakes its claws towards his soul. Argeiphontes bursts forward to intercept the touch, and though the resonance of the attack back into Jun is excruciating, it's only a moment of pain compared to what it could have been. He grits his teeth as he endures the suffering, huffing a ragged breath before lifting his head. He glances across the battlefield from his vantage point behind Tatsuya. He doesn't remember, but part of him feels like Tatsuya is thinking of him... Even if he's forgotten, he does have some responsibility for this predicament, and he will step up for it. He WILL be worthy of Tatsuya's friendship.
A lot of the others are hurt badly, from Ayame to Phoenix... Vesper and Masao are also doing poorly, as far as Jun can tell. They're not the only ones, but... they seem to be the worst ones off.
"Argeiphontes! Heal their wounds!" he calls to his alter ego. Shimmering waves of healing energy emanate from the black-and-white-and-gold-all-over Persona, to restore the health of Ayame, Phoenix, Vesper, and Masao.
A moment later, Tatsuya brings down his (seemingly) teleporting Persona's Nova Kaiser on Sudou as Jun looks on in awe, knees bending to keep from falling in the wake of the explosion and shockwaves. He truly is powerful... He can't help but smile with pride.
AS: Persona! Jun Kashihara has used the Recovery skill Media on Ayame Watanabe, Tsubasa Seki, Masao Inaba, and Julian Marlowe! AS: Support: Jun Kashihara gains 1 Limit! AS: Take! Ayame Watanabe takes 79 Recovery healing from Jun Kashihara's Media. AS: Take! Masao Inaba takes 84 Recovery healing from Jun Kashihara's Media. AS: Take! Julian Marlowe takes 79 Recovery healing from Jun Kashihara's Media. AS: Jun Kashihara spends Limit on Shift! Masao Inaba can use another Weak skill this round! Hyper (Next Attack Boosted/Incoming Damage Down!) appllied to Masao Inaba! They both receive 8 SP and 30 HP! AS: Take! Tsubasa Seki takes 79 Recovery healing from Jun Kashihara's Media. AS: Tatsuya Sudou spends Limit on Shift! Ririka Kawase can use another Weak skill this round! AS: Tatsuya Sudou spends Limit on Shift! Akari Hoshi can use another Weak skill this round! AS: Jun Kashihara spends Limit on Shift! Tamaki Uchida can use another Weak skill this round! Hyper (Next Attack Boosted/Incoming Damage Down!) appllied to Tamaki Uchida! They both receive 8 SP and 30 HP! AS: Avoid Neutral! Tatsuya Sudou takes 174 Light damage from Eikichi Mishina's Insanely High Note. AS: Charm (Attacker or Ally takes Damage!) added! Panic removed! Explosion! 75 damage! AS: Block Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 150 Dark damage from Ayame Watanabe's Empty Motion. AS: Block Best! Tatsuya Sudou takes 222 Almighty damage from Penguin Sniper's Nova Kaiser. AS: Avoid Neutral! Tatsuya Sudou takes 120 Strike damage from Tsubasa Seki's Stampeding Wrath. Critical Hit! AS: Avoid Neutral! Tatsuya Sudou takes 83 Strike damage from Tsubasa Seki's Stampeding Wrath.
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
Hitomi and Ririka join him, though as Hitomi seems to think he's spent and Sudou says it will only end if he dies...
"Don't make me a liar, Sudou. No else here is a killer!"
Sudou comes in with the cards again, blasting Shinjiro backwards, but he manages to block the worst of it, even as his skin is starting to cut and bleed.
"You make me so fucking angry... take it! Take all of my hate! I've got a whole ton stored up for you!"
He reached for the theurgy cartridge shakily, slamming it into his Evoker. He points it at his temple. He swallows.
"Castor. For old times sake... FUCK HIM UP!"
Castor bursts forward, stepping forth, and then charging. The airship buckles as he does so, but it does not crack. He's not moving to move Sudou off the zeppelin, but to strike as hard as he ever could.
But even so, parts of the airship may shatter beneath him. It'll manage. Shinjiro's controlling it the best he can. Even if the world may still be cardboard to Castor right now.
AS: Shinjiro Aragaki spends Limit on Exploit! Shinjiro Aragaki can use another Weak skill this round! AS: Persona! Theurgy! Shinjiro Aragaki has used the Strike skill World of Cardboard on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Pressure: Shinjiro Aragaki gains 1 Limit! AS: Shinjiro Aragaki: Recovery_Wall removed! AS: Shinjiro Aragaki regains 15 HP from Regenerate! AS: Block Neutral! Tatsuya Sudou takes 320 Strike damage from Shinjiro Aragaki's World of Cardboard. Critical Hit! AS: Katsuya Suou spends Limit on Shift! Jun Kashihara can use another Weak skill this round! Hyper (Next Attack Boosted/Incoming Damage Down!) appllied to Jun Kashihara! They both receive 8 SP and 30 HP!
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
Tsubasa's own warcry was met with quick and quiet approval from Hyousuke - a simple nod back, and grin beneath his mask. There was no time for extended displays of camaraderie now, though. There was work yet to do, and he couldn't let himself be distracted from it. So focussed was he that he did not notice Katsuya's own disapproval of his bloodstained intent - or perhaps it was wilful ignorance, lest he begin to fear another fall. Another room of uniformed men and women, another betrayal after he had worked so hard to make something of himself another-
Tamaki's voice cut through the haze, and despite something clawing at his brain and demanding that it be bared for him, Hyousuke managed to scrape together enough of his sanity and restraint to offer a spoken response.
"You can pay it back for me now - kick his ass!" It was a debt he wagered Tamaki would not be averse to repaying, but he couldn't stop to linger on the thought for long. Umie's wrath fell upon him, and the Badb's power sapped the strength from his body as surely as it did his life. He staggered away from her, more from shock than hurt, and cast a sharp gaze over towards that tentative ally.
"You!" Hyousuke called out, whipping his head around to her, in spite of all that surrounded them. "Goddamnit, get a hold of yourself! We're not the ones you need to be fighting, so SNAP OUT OF IT!" Someone else might have known what to say. Someone else might have been able to reassure her, or drag her from the grasp of whatever had ensnared her mind. But such things required someone with a light touch, and a sharp mind. Hyousuke was the sledgehammer - the blunt instrument brought to bear against the enemy's shield. And so it was that he used that same imprecision against Umie, hoping against hope that it would help.
Before he could think to continue, Sudou's voice rang out again, and something in his words stung deep. It cut into him, like a knife to his gut, and Hyousuke could only bare a snarling grin at Sudou in mocking, angered, response.
"King?! You? You're nothing! You're not even a pawn! You're a fucking ANIMAL, and when your owner's got no more use for you, they're gonna put you down like the sick fucking THING you are!" It wasn't a threat. It wasn't a promise. It was a statement of fact - but who it was for by the end, even he could not say with any certainty.
Hyousuke had reduced himself to a growling, snarling, grinning, hateful, monstrous *thing.* He lunged forward, trying to savage his foe, and rip them limb from limb. But in his haste - his bloodlusted, fury-driven haste - something surged towards him. He had no time to dodge it. He did not even notice it was there until it was too late to bring Achilles' shield to it. All he could do was bring his arms in, and brace against the explosion that ripped into him in some violent, elemental, expression of unbridled force.
Hyousuke cried out in pain. Had something broken? Fractured? Splintered? He couldn't tell. Shock and adrenaline raced through him, numbing whatever pain thought to ravage his body. Even as he was tossed backwards like a ragdoll, too fast and too hard to break his own fall, Hyousuke grit his teeth through the burning and the aching, only stopping for a moment to gather his bearings before heaving himself to his feet. His costume was singed. A hot runnel - blood, he thought - carved its way down a spot on his head. Some dull pain wracked a spot in his torso. But even so, he forced himself to his feet, propped up by hatred and will.
He was not so injured that he could not take the drink from Tsubasa, however, nor was he so out of it that he could not shout his thanks back at his friend after downing it.
"Thanks! And stand back... I'm gonna make this hurt."
The bellowing rage dimmed, but not to calm. There was stillness to his voice, eerie and foreboding. To hear it was to be caught in the eye of the storm, or to exist within that heartbeat between a timer running down and a bomb sending forth shrapnel and fire.
His fury had not dimmed. It had been focussed.
Strands of sanguine red snaked through the air, winding out from nowhere and coiling about the spear in Achilles vice-tight grip. That energy - red as blood and suffused with rage enough to defy fate itself - sunk into the grain of the spear's haft, and set the speartip aglow as if superheated. Raw, honed, fury turned the spear from an instrument of godly power into a weapon of mortal wrath, and the very air around him seemed to warp with the sheer, unbound, strength that only rage - pure and unfettered - could grant.
One moment, Achilles stood on guard, shield and spear raised to block any attack levelled against him and his wielder. The next, he was a blinding-fast streak of scarred bronze, so fast that the air itself collapsed in on itself in his wake. A gash of red light followed him, blinking out of existence the moment he reached his target, metres above Sudou with the blood spear held aloft in his armoured hand. Hyousuke stood beneath him, his mask cracked open from the force of the explosion, just enough to expose a single eye. Green as gemstones, marked by a canyon of scarred flesh from brow to cheek, and ablaze with immolating fury, it focussed solely upon Sudou, and lent weight to what he growled.
"This. Ends. NOW."
Achilles struck down, and reality *shrieked.* Empowered by rage enough to defy the will of the gods themselves, Achilles rent the spear through the air, and struck at Sudou's chest. The shockwave detonated like a wall of sheer force, distorting the air and sending furniture clattering backwards from the gale, but Hyousuke stood firm. He would see this through, and he would see its end, no matter the cost.
AS: Persona! Theurgy! Hyousuke Suzuki has used the Pierce skill Princeslayer on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Charm results in party damage! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 90 damage! AS: Pressure: Hyousuke Suzuki gains 1 Limit! AS: Hyousuke Suzuki: Recovery_Wall removed! AS: Persona! Jun Kashihara has used the Recovery skill Media on Tsubasa Seki, Katsuya Suou, Shinobu Shimizu, and Tamaki Uchida! AS: Support: Jun Kashihara gains 1 Limit! AS: Take! Tamaki Uchida takes 82 Recovery healing from Jun Kashihara's Media. AS: Block Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 240 Pierce damage from Hyousuke Suzuki's Princeslayer. AS: Take! Shinobu Shimizu takes 101 Recovery healing from Jun Kashihara's Media.
<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
Vesper doesn't much care for Sudou's mockery, and even less for the laughable attempt at claiming any sort of high ground. He'd have more words, if it wasn't clear by now they would only fall on deaf ears. Will they wish they'd have begged for his help? "...I believe that the general consensus here is that we will cross that bridge when we get to it."
When Sudou and his Persona turn to where Vesper and Tamaki are, it's fully a case of his body moving on his own, the way Vesper leaps out in front, and... opens his umbrella, which somehow diverts the gas on impact. Unfortunately not preventing it from flowing onward to either side of him, and he does inhale some still, prompting a series of coughs. But, the effort was there. He calls behind him, "Are you alright, Uchida-san?" A bit too early, perhaps, as that was before the fireballs start flying. "Incoming!"
He wasn't feeling so confident about blocking fireballs that way, instead diving to the floor as they begin to rain down. Maybe no direct explosion happened, but that isn't the one Julian is most worried about. This is a lot of fire to be going around in an actual zeppelin, one would hope it doesn't take a teacher to point out how bad that could be. Others may be taking the well-intentioned advice, but clearly the Joker Killer isn't about to listen.
He is worse for wear, after that barrage, struggling to get back to his feet. Timely assistance from Jun helps to assist him in this, prompting an "Appreciated" from the masked gentleman. Followed by a calm, yet decisive, "You've made your position clear, and this cannot be allowed to continue any longer. Therefore..."
With a wave of his hand, his Persona extends a diamond-tipped cane forward, launching a quick wave of darkness in Sudou's direction. That was only the setup, quickly followed with, "Raffles! Time to end this game!"
Now it's the cluster of tendrils that make up the Persona's other hand that comes into action, rearing back before launching a perfectly spherical ball of darkness, exploding on impact in what is, in more ways than one, a foul ball.
AS: Julian Marlowe spends Limit on Exploit! Julian Marlowe can use another Weak skill this round! AS: Persona! Julian Marlowe has used the Dark skill Eiha on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Defense: Julian Marlowe gains 1 Limit! AS: Persona! Julian Marlowe has used the Dark skill Black Pitch on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Julian Marlowe: Loses 8 SP and TP from Sick! Fast Heal! Blast removed! AS: Take! Katsuya Suou takes 103 Recovery healing from Jun Kashihara's Media. AS: Persona! Jun Kashihara has used the Almighty skill Tetrakarn on Hyousuke Suzuki! AS: Jun Kashihara: Hyper removed! AS: Avoid Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 71 Dark damage from Julian Marlowe's Eiha. AS: Blast (Magic and Block Penalized!) added! Paralyze removed! Explosion! 76 damage! AS: Akari Hoshi spends Limit on Psych! AS: Block Best! Tatsuya Sudou takes 51 Dark damage from Julian Marlowe's Black Pitch.
<Pose Tracker> Akari Hoshi has posed.
If there's any single person Ixquic is doing this for, right now, it's Tamaki. She hid behind Tamaki when King Leo tried to kill her -
When did that happen?
And didn't she save you then? Just like this?
Caught between reality and memory, Ixquic... hesitates. Just for a moment, but it's enough to be noticeable from someone who normally caroms at full speed from one thing to another. For just one moment she doesn't know what to do, again - even with Tamaki pushing her.
And it's then that Sudou strikes - physically and verbally both. Is it what she really wants? She wants - she wants -
to be free
"To be free," Ixquic mouths to herself, before two things happen at once. One, Sudou's strike, or his Persona's; a lashing clawed hand that she's too slow to get away from, striking at her leg.
And two, from behind, where she never even sees it coming: Umie's curse. It sinks in deep under Badb's influence.
Ixquic turns, slightly, to look at Umie. Her expression is hard to make out with the mask, usually, but it's absolutely clear: she feels pained. Betrayed, even. She likes Umie! She's gone out of her way to help Umie; she thought they'd come to an agreement. Maybe even a friendship. "You...?"
The only way to be free is to free yourself!
A different memory, then. This one Ixquic knows where it came from. The first time she summoned Quixote, and the only time Quixote spoke to her directly. When she was too afraid to go on, and just wanted the world to pass her by, Quixote gave her the strength to stand up. Or, perhaps, showed her the strength she had, when she hadn't on the Other Side.
Ixquic has to do this herself. She has to stand up to Leo - Sudou. She doesn't even know why, entirely, he does. But... He wants to put chains on her. To bind her like she was bound once before - or the Voice behind him does. And that's the one thing she'll never do.
"I'm the reincarnated warrior maiden, Ixquic! Demons that threaten human lives, and villains as bad as demons... I, Ixquic, shall whoop your ass!" Ixquic hefts the sword - and points it directly at Sudou. "A light in the darkness...! But I'll never come to you. Never ever!"
"Come! Quixote! I'll do it myself - me and my other self!"
Ixquic grips her helmet. It's built like a tokusatsu mask, with visor and faceplate - and she pulls the front off, burning blue light beneath, wisping up and around the helmet and its feathers. It settles around her eyes like the visor she pulled away, but subtly different in shape, leaving her mouth free.
And Quixote reappears - brighter, more vivid than before. Ixquic tenses for one moment and leaps - onto Quixote. She's shaped like a motorcycle-centauride, so Ixquic lands in a seat, leaning forward and to one side while Quixote's upper body leans the other way.
"FORWARD!"
With a squeal of wheels that leave burning white flame behind, Ixquic rockets across the inside of the zeppelin, aiming directly at Sudou. Quixote lowers her lance, the banner flapping in the wind, while Ixquic wields her sword, swinging downward at a sharp angle.
AS: Tandem! Theurgy! Akari Hoshi has used the Slash skill Rocinante on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Aggression: Akari Hoshi gains 1 Limit! AS: Akari Hoshi: Loses 8 SP and TP from Sick! Sick and Psych removed! AS: Block Neutral! Tatsuya Sudou takes 212 Slash damage from Akari Hoshi's Rocinante. AS: Take! Tsubasa Seki takes 96 Recovery healing from Jun Kashihara's Media.
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
The Joker Killer looks directly at Hitomi as he speaks of healing. Speaks of police brutality. Speaks of how they really ought to kill him. Meets her eye. Asks her if she would quit.
Hitomi stares. For a fleeting moment she feels two simultaneous impulses, at loggerheads.
One of them is simple, pure, clean. Comes from the heart. 'I'll never quit,' but somehow it didn't come out right the way she -- had said it?
The other is an interfering wave. A pain in her mouth. A pang in several other places. Her arm and her sides. It is a sense of finality.
It's what she says next, and it's what she says last. Hitomi's mouth opens slightly -
And then Hitomi suddenly smiles at the Joker Killer. It's not a friendly smile with the lips, either. It's a full grin, and a momentary one.
There's a jitter in time for a moment, Hitomi can see Apollo moving behind Sudou - she shakes her head once. Exhaling once sharply, she glances at Shinjiro and pushes her glasses back up the bridge of her nose. The Airship creaks and groans under Castor's assault.
"I don't know if I can do a lot, you know," she says to Ririka, with that sidewise look she always seems to do when she's pleased, "but I guess," and she snaps up her hand, "I might get lucky." Crooked in the hollow of the hand, held tight by some tension in the thumb, are her glossy red ballistic-plastic dice.
Her hand twists around then and she languidly rattles the dice in her hand as she crouches. The fury of Castor is unleashed, but is at least dimming... which means as Hitomi sinks downwards... she can see an opening. Past Shinjiro's right leg, forwards. There's that open low path, though there is the glowing radiance of the legendary heroine. Ixquic gets a brief glance, even as she declares herself again.
And as Ixquic issues that challenge, Hitomi hurls the dice forwards. Low and fast; they hit the ground and bounce upwards, three of them, towards Sudou's lower body. Did he ever see this happen? Does he know what will happen when they hit in this cognitively-saturated area? (Well, the suspense won't last: they explode, like large firecrackers.) (Or, perhaps, something a bit stronger.)
AS: Hitomi Mandai spends Limit on Psych! AS: Weapon! Hitomi Mandai has used the Strike skill Exploding Sixes on Tatsuya Sudou! 3 Hits! AS: Charm results in party damage! Hitomi Mandai takes 90 damage! AS: Aggression: Hitomi Mandai gains 1 Limit! AS: Hitomi Mandai: Fast Heal! Psych removed! AS: Take! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 0 Almighty damage from Jun Kashihara's Tetrakarn. AS: Reflect_Phys (Phys Counter Improved!) added!
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
Ririka scowls at the Joker Killer. "Hey-- I'm just trying to suport the people trying to help others from jackasses like you! It's better letting you kill people!"
Flames erupt, and Ririka cries out as the first gout catches her unprepared, scorching heat washing over her body as that protective layer of earth energy starts to burn away. She's much better prepared for the second one, raising her blade just in time to deflect the worst of it as the rest split around it to scorch her sides.
There's too much at stake--she's been doing her best to support everyone, with information, with defensive buffs, combining her strength with her fellow SEES members. But she needs to give them more--
Her hand fumbles around in her pocket, going for the catridge she hasn't used yet. She slides the Theurgy cartridge into the Evoker.
"See, that's the thing about me. I love to get help people--to get them amped up, to put on a good show. And I've got a hell of a show for you!"
Despite the bravado, her hand is trembling as she lifts the Evoker to her head.
She closes her eyes, and pulls the trigger. "Amphion! Power Chord!"
BGM: Mass Destruction (Reload) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6q6pDC6Mas
Power surges through her, and into her Persona, Amphion, who--almost literally--hums with power. She opens her eyes as she lowers the Evoker. Amphion strums, the loud vibrations ringing through the air as a charged up melody swells--and with the swelling comes a surging of resonance flowing into Mark, Katsuya, SHinobu, and Tamaki.
AS: Persona! Theurgy! Ririka Kawase has used the Almighty skill Power Chord on Masao Inaba, Katsuya Suou, Shinobu Shimizu, and Tamaki Uchida! AS: Charm results in party damage! Ririka Kawase takes 90 damage! AS: Insight: Ririka Kawase gains 1 Limit! AS: Take! Tamaki Uchida takes 0 Almighty damage from Ririka Kawase's Power Chord. AS: Inner_Strength (Affinity Damage Up!) added! AS: Take! Shinobu Shimizu takes 0 Almighty damage from Ririka Kawase's Power Chord. AS: Inner_Strength (Affinity Damage Up!) added!
<Pose Tracker> Katsuya Suou has posed.
He had barely woven those threads together. But even when he echoes that name, that could have been anyone's name, Tatsuya confirms it. That's right. "Miyashiro? But how in the world do you--" There's only one logical explanation for it, is there? He didn't just become a police officer because of his dogged determination and dedication to justice. "--Impossible, you're saying that you've been--?"
Is that who has been looking after Tatsuya? Is that why the missing persons report was rescinded, and why their father, with a subdued sad expression, had demurred to speak of it with Katsuya further? Did she...
The way the teenaged Persona-users here are talking... he can accept that they are allies even in spite of the gap in years and societal role, but this? This makes him feel sick to his stomach. He locks eyes with Ayame, for just a moment. She's having the same sort of thoughts that he is. They have to end this.
"...Yes," he answers here. "I cannot let anyone else do this! This-- this is my duty as a civil servant--!"
Of course, he's no sooner said that than Sudou himself appears to cotton onto that sentiment. The only way out of this is with one of them dying. Ayame had just said--
If he falls here, what will happen to his brother? The children? ...Amano?
"Stop, I warned you--"
Sudou lunges towards him, seemingly barehanded.
Reflexively, Katsuya jerks away from Sudou's attempt to grab him, but he's not fast enough: no sooner does the man's palm impact his arm than he feels it. It's painful, the force that surges into his body, that floods all his senses with the feeling of vile corruption. He yells. He staggers back, half-slumped towards that side that had received the brunt of the force. Even now he can feel the after-echoes of it, like that blast is still working its way further and further into his body. Of course he knows about the general concept of 'kegare', of contamination. It's just old superstition, but for a moment, he could almost believe it. "That... what was that?" he gasps, trying to right himself.
Focus. Focus, he has to stay focused. If it's not him, or Watanabe, or possibly one of the other adults in this group (Shinobu, and a masked man he recognizes but doesn't know the name of), then it will be one of the children here who does it. But if it has to be one of them, perhaps it should be him-- better that than a part-timer, or a housewife, or even that masked man (aka Vesper).
But even worse than all of that would be for Sudou to kill someone. To threaten the children here. To break past Baofu and Ulala back in the cockpit and hurt... Amano.
Healing winds circle about him, echoed by the strum of a musician's string. He feels more energized, more focused."No more warnings."
He aims that handgun squarely at Sudou. "You've been given your chance! Now! Tatsuya Sudou!"
He fires only one shot.
AS: Katsuya Suou spends Limit on Psych! AS: Take! Katsuya Suou takes 0 Almighty damage from Ririka Kawase's Power Chord. AS: Inner_Strength (Affinity Damage Up!) added! AS: Weapon! Katsuya Suou has used the Pierce skill Tactical Rebuke on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Charm results in party damage! Katsuya Suou takes 90 damage! AS: Defense: Katsuya Suou gains 1 Limit! AS: Katsuya Suou: Charm and Psych removed! AS: Block Neutral! Tatsuya Sudou takes 66 Strike damage from Hitomi Mandai's Exploding Sixes. Critical Hit! AS: Block Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 86 Strike damage from Hitomi Mandai's Exploding Sixes. Critical Hit! AS: Block Best! Tatsuya Sudou takes 52 Strike damage from Hitomi Mandai's Exploding Sixes. Critical Hit! AS: Block Neutral! Tatsuya Sudou takes 208 Pierce damage from Katsuya Suou's Tactical Rebuke. Critical Hit! AS: Ririka Kawase spends Limit on Help Up! Charm removed from Masao Inaba! Hyper (Next Attack Boosted/Incoming Damage Down!) appllied to Masao Inaba! They both receive 8 SP and 30 HP! AS: Take! Masao Inaba takes 0 Almighty damage from Ririka Kawase's Power Chord. AS: Inner_Strength (Affinity Damage Up!) added!
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
"We will." Shinobu agrees with a nod. Her mindset is the same as Ayame's. Better it's one of them than one of the teenagers.
Her vision is still unclear - but she hears Ayame's voice, and her encouragement.
"Thanks, Nee-san." Shinobu replies with a nod. It helps her focus, at least a little. She knows which direction she needs to keep herself pointed.
Phoenix agrees with her, and Shinobu nods back to them approvingly.
Sudou speaks, and Shinobu frowns. His help.
"Yeah, like that's gonna come without a catch. We're just going to have to figure out something without you, somehow." She replies.
Sudou extends his hand, and it stretches out like a shadow. It claws across her and Shinobu hisses. It cuts deep - there's no physical wound, but it cuts all the same.
Healing energy, however, washes over her. Some of her strength returns - enough to keep fighting. And that's just the prelude - Amphion hums with power, and melody reverberates through the air. Shinobu can feel it throughout her body, like she were suddenly in the crowd of a packed concert. It's bracing, but in a good way.
"Thanks, you two." Shinobu says, offering Jun and Ririka a grateful nod. "...You've got a good sound."
She looks back to Sudou and rolls her shoulders.
And then, she breaks into a run. She jams her staff into one of the restaurant tiles and uses it to propel herself upward above Sudou.
"'The man who would be king'... You aren't fit to rule anything. Anything you built would just crumble." Shinobu declares. Lachesis appears behind her. Shinobu readies her staff - and Lachesis brandishes her own. The staff glows with light, as Lachesis casts Hama onto it.
"So let me do the honors." Shinobu drives a foot downward toward Sudou in a kick as she lands before jabbing the Hama-infused staff forward to deliver to spell point blank, finishing it off with a spinning strike.
AS: Shinobu Shimizu spends Limit on Psych! AS: Tandem! Shinobu Shimizu has used the Light skill Comet Drop on Tatsuya Sudou! 3 Hits! AS: Charm results in party damage! Shinobu Shimizu takes 90 damage! AS: Aggression: Shinobu Shimizu gains 1 Limit! AS: Shinobu Shimizu: Fast Heal! Psych removed! AS: Block Best! Tatsuya Sudou takes 56 Light damage from Shinobu Shimizu's Comet Drop. AS: Block Best! Tatsuya Sudou takes 56 Light damage from Shinobu Shimizu's Comet Drop. AS: Block Neutral! Tatsuya Sudou takes 101 Light damage from Shinobu Shimizu's Comet Drop. Critical Hit!
<Pose Tracker> Masao Inaba has posed.
'You have no power to tell me whatI can or can't do, you definitely lack the power to tell him what to do. You all severely lack that power.' Masao's face sours at Old Maid's retort. No, we won before, he knows this. He's not so vainglorious to think this is a call-out to him, or the others who went through Mikage-cho's darkest hour.
It's that he knows how it's going to end up, kept from snapping back as he's grazed by the blade. He swings back at the burning blade with that gaudy axe he got from that wedding hall Palace, never quite having the strength to break through it - but preventing it from cleaving through him, even as dark plumes of flame scald and burn through the impact.
The Nova Kaiser is invoked. Masao does not know what that is, but he only needs to know it's 'powerful, yes.' Time stops. He has to firmly place a hand on his head to keep the shockwave from flinging that beanie right off his head. There's a power to that young man's Persona that cannot be denied.
Maybe he's not the only one here who has an idea of what they're up against, even if - unknown to either(?) - his actual frame of reference is vastly different.
He coughs as he finds himself lowering to a kneel. He hasn't fallen that far behind compared to the others, right? Even if he has that sense that he missed out on a lot of this, that he couldn't have been there... before? Before what?
'Argeiphontes! Heal their wounds!' Jun calls to their alter ego, as waves of healing reach out. Masao feels that refreshing energy course through him, but not just that - an odd sense of entrusting, that he can't quantify.
The young man there has already asserted who he is in the face of a powerful enemy demanding he be someone, something else. You know, he thinks, there's something to be said for that. There's another young woman here, another with that unsettling gun-shaped channeling method, who has decided her power at her purest is to help others as he is given a share of that.
"Hey... Sudou," Masao says, in a moment of clarity and confidence as he steps forward and intrudes in a story that really isn't his, "at some point, you gotta Be Your True Mind..." Cryptically, but confidently, Masao states that as he stands up. There's no elaboration or reasoning, because he can tell Sudou is beyond it. Tatsuya Sudou is a man possessed by 'the Voices,' of the name Nyarlathotep, emotionally and mentally overrun as a conduit of terrible power (and Masao gets the sense Old Maid here isn't the only one like that).
From his person, he pulls out a beautiful flask of purified water of seemingly ceremonial purpose, its contents crystal clear. A spray of water leaves it, a fine mist as the faint ghostly image of a butterfly passes by - through, then past - Ogun. There is a sense of a greater presence behind the Persona (a feeling of the sea and storms, something that slew a great serpent), in an instant, a channeled power of a great need before as the street artist known as Masao "Mark" Inaba poses anew with his axe with that wide smile of his - overflowing with mischief and ambition that shakes off the dangerous fixation, emotionally barreling forward to the future he desires.
"And you aren't gonna stand for anything... or stay in the way of anyone like you are!" The axe is swung, twice, cleaving through the air that leaves a powerful vacuum that feels like it could cleave eight heads of a terrible beast at once towards Old Maid.
"Hannya gave me the chance to be the artist I always wanted to be," by accident and not at all his intention, the whole of it was very funny contrivance that got him the international scholarship, "and like hell I'll go tell him I let that to waste!"
This one's for a man who had no love for Masao, and the feeling mutual, but sometimes you just got to pay that singular respect forward and make sure Old Maid - and Nyarlathotep - doesn't take away anyone else's lives or dreams.
AS: Tandem! Theurgy! Masao Inaba has used the Slash skill Purified Water on Tatsuya Sudou! 2 Hits! AS: Aggression: Masao Inaba gains 1 Limit!
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
While Tamaki's eyes show compassion as Sudou finds his way downstream to her feet, Arianrhod's gaze is as stern as ever. Because he declined the offer, her true self does not falter in her strike. "So be it, then."
The 'cycle' which Tamaki speaks of is the continual revolution of those below to those above. The Deity Emperor's ascension from bullied and neglected schoolchild with a poor excuse of a father is one such cycle, followed by Tamaki's own 'victory' against him -- if it can be called that. Tamaki ascribes Sudou's rise to a similar pattern: Tatsuzou's neglect of his son and his poor treatment at the sanitarium resulted in the Joker Killer's ascension. And now ...
Tamaki coughs as the noxious smoke surrounds her, but she has enough presence of mind to cover her mouth and nostrils and squint through the haze. As before, her initial defenses are strong, but she can't sustain them -- she ducks out of the way of the first fireball launched her way, but she doesn't realize that the Joker was leading her movements and lands a pair of solid hits on her, which stagger her.
It's only through Jun's assistance that she quickly regains her balance. "Thank you, Kashihara-kun." She nods to the masked gentleman who asked about her. "I'm alright, Vesper-san. Thanks for your concern. And yourself?"
She might be a little averse to Hyousuke's call to kick his ass. Only a little. That said, she did say that she owes Hyousuke one just now ... and it's not like Sudou will relent. Incarceration may not be in the cards.
Her eyes briefly flicker an ominous telltale red as she asks with all sincerity, "If a pawn moves as a pawn moves, then ... should it come to it, what would comfort you in your final moments?"
It didn't come as much of a surprise to her that Mark recognized something in Sudou.
Channeling these feelings into supernatural power, Tamaki focuses her will into her necklace again. Arianrhod points her blade at the ground beneath Sudou's feet -- not striking, only indicating. For a brief moment, an illusory pool of water forms at the spot, and it reflects the moon which looms large above. This moon -- the ever-turning Silver Wheel, rotating from one lunar cycle to the next -- exposes him to the light of the heavens.
(BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyfjtw7K6j8 Void Stranger OST - ILTATÄHTI)
Something she had lost wells up in her once more. Empowered by Ririka's chord, in tandem with Ixquic's cry of 'FORWARD!' and Quixote's charge, Tamaki and Arianrhod begin the motions for what they hope is the end of this particular cycle.
Not Heaven in the divine sense, but merely the sky and stars. The image of the constellation Pleaides, comprised of seven stars, forms in the 'sky' shown by the reflecting pool. Their number matches the seven sins and seven virtues represented by the trials she and one other underwent so long ago. Arianrhod motions with her hand, moving the stars out of the pool and onto Tamaki's own blade. From a distance, she slices the air with her sabre seven times, and waves of iridescent light launch from her blade and travel through the air towards the Joker Killer.
AS: Tamaki Uchida spends Limit on Exploit! Tamaki Uchida can use another Weak skill this round! AS: Persona! Tamaki Uchida has used the Almighty skill Light Break on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Ruin: Tamaki Uchida gains 1 Limit! AS: Persona! Theurgy! Tamaki Uchida has used the Light skill Ad Astra on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Tamaki Uchida takes 60 damage from Stress! AS: Tamaki Uchida: Hyper removed! AS: Avoid Neutral! Tatsuya Sudou takes 157 Slash damage from Masao Inaba's Purified Water. AS: Tatsuya Sudou is unable to continue fighting! AS: Avoid Best! Tatsuya Sudou takes 112 Slash damage from Masao Inaba's Purified Water. AS: Tatsuya Sudou is unable to continue fighting! AS: Take! Tatsuya Sudou takes 0 Almighty damage from Tamaki Uchida's Light Break. AS: Light_Break (Light Affinity Down!) added! AS: Tatsuya Sudou is unable to continue fighting! AS: Block Best! Tatsuya Sudou takes 216 Light damage from Tamaki Uchida's Ad Astra. Critical Hit! AS: Tatsuya Sudou is unable to continue fighting!
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
Sudou's words draw a cackle from the maskless Umie Akabane. "I'll deal with that dad of yours eventually for everything they did to me. He'll pay, and so will everyone else!" It was never *her* fault. She was the victim in all of this!
Her pain. Her revenge. Her delight. That's the only thing that matters, in this world. No one else was coming to save her.
(And why should the--)
'Get ya head in th' game!'
"...." Drip, drip. Relax gel slowly drips down from Umie's face as she slowly opens her eyes, lips opening slightly to say something that is quickly forgotten as her mind settles into that cold, dark shroud of guilt.
'What are you talking about? Have you gone mad? Hang in there!'
'Goddamnit, get a hold of yourself! We're not the ones you need to be fighting, so SNAP OUT OF IT!'
'You...?'
Doll-like lips spilt in a grin in the mind's eye, as Umie tries to keep herself from throwing up right on Phoenix for their trouble.
"... R-right." She grimaces, breathes in, and nods. "I'm good now. Thank you."
.... Umie's gaze turns back towards Tatsuya Suou, briefly. Is he doing badly too?
'NOVA KAISER!'
No, not at all, at least in this moment. Umie reflects on the way Apollo seemingly blinks into existence behind Sudou. "... Look at you, Takkun. Putting your tutor to shame... if only you could have applied to algebra back then," she says, below her breath, making the quip with a soft smile. .... All for the people he cares about.
"Phoenix-san." Sharply declaring out their name as Phoenix gets up, Umie relaxes the concern in her voice a touch, instead covering it with a wry grin. "Ah, so no relax gel for you then..."
Then, to: "Kashihara-kun." Jun's name is said less like staccato bark, as he weathers it, drawing on his own strength.
Forward, cries Ixquic.
At some point, you gotta be your true mind, says Masao.
Should it come to it, what would comfort you in your final moments? asked Tamaki.
(https://youtu.be/cGy_mrWI3rQ?si=LdQYmVvGrnotLEaf ELFENSJóN AGASTYA)
"... You had less than any of us did," Umie recognizes, quietly. "So he was able to get in your head the most... before I even told my first lie."
Her eyes harden. "... For everyone whose lives you've ruined..." She raises a finger, and points. No prophecies, no lies, no forbidden words scrawled in red at the back of her mind. Everyone else did the work here; her job, as the Badb, is to call the end.
... With the quiet, disembodied shriek of the Badb, preying on all the cracks well established in the Joker Killer's armor.
AS: Umie Akabane spends Limit on Exploit! Umie Akabane can use another Weak skill this round! AS: Persona! Umie Akabane has used the Dark skill Warrior's Bell on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Ruin: Umie Akabane gains 1 Limit! AS: Persona! Umie Akabane has used the Dark skill Pale Shriek on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Umie Akabane regains 3 SP from Invigorate! AS: Take! Tatsuya Sudou takes 57 Dark damage from Umie Akabane's Warrior's Bell. Critical Hit! AS: Rage (Weapon Attack and Incoming Damage Up!) added! Exhaust removed! Explosion! 114 damage! AS: Tatsuya Sudou is unable to continue fighting! AS: Block Best! Tatsuya Sudou takes 103 Dark damage from Umie Akabane's Pale Shriek. Critical Hit! AS: Tatsuya Sudou is unable to continue fighting!
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Sudou has posed.
Sudou is assaulted and barraged by all sides, the problem with these pesky do gooders is that they may be slow starters but they damn well hit hard once they get going. Eikichi provides the opening number, and the only way he can try to avoid the song, by covering his ears. That doesn't work as his ears begin to bleed. It's fine though Eikichi, Sudou probably loved it.
Ayame shows the love of a mother as she fights to protect her daughter and all the others to. Despite Sudou's goading she doesn't break, if anything she takes a few more levels of cool, the darkness cuts through Sudou and he feels a large chunk of body removed.
Sudou is about to turn on her but Tatsuya speaks up about responsibility, "Then lets take responsibility together. " Sudou says stepping forward as he raises up his sword to strike at Tatsuya again before , well Sudou isn't even aware of what happens. A power erupts through him suddenly as Tatsuya's persona is suddenly behind him. All he can do is rely on his internal bodies resistance.
Standing there extra crispy from inside out Sudou sighs heavily as he looks at the giant fire chicken that has appeared and he does what anyone would do, he runs. Runs as fast as he can, but even the Old Maid can't outrun a stampeding phoenix.
Clinging to his failing stamina he stands and looks at Jun, the look he gives is something of confusion and pity. It's not just Sudou who has an interest in Jun, and even if he left the country right now Jun would never be free of the fate that is intended for him. Still he doesn't have a chance to voice it as Shinjiro's fist interrupts all thought and Sudou goes flying across the battlefield and bounces a few times. It is fortunate that the supernatural makes the room bigger then normal.
It's on that last bounce that Hyousuke comes forth with Achilles and his spear and thrust it forward and supernaturally impales Sudou for a moment, before Sudou drops to the ground. Vesper's orb of darkness gives Sudou reason to stand and move but he can't escape everything. Still he is standing when Ixquic makes her declaration. Some part of him, some part that is perhaps the closest to the Sudou in the other timeline stares at Ixquic , and feels proud of her. He raises his sword, feeling as if he should meet the lance, but can't move. Instead he works to deflect it, managing to redirect it to taking the lance in the left shoulder.
Standing steady Sudou watches them as he does his best to keep moving, the dice coming at them he tries to sweep the dice with the sword but as they impact the shockwave from the dice crack the sword. That's a bad sign. The next bad sign is the sound of the gunshot, his hearing is messed up from Eikichi's singing but he can hear the gunshot. It hits center mass.
Stumbling back Sudou's running on full adrenaline as he tries to make his body survive. Shinobu comes in with that staff wreaking of holy energy and he does his best to avoid but when your body is in this state, avoiding is hard to do. This puts him in a spot where Tamaki can use the power of seven against him. The body reacting and wanting to flee, but instead he can't move. It just hurts seven times more.
That's when Masao appears, Sudou tries to lift the sword but at this point anyone would know this guy has no fight left. The purification water being poured upon him and it burns and hurts as if driving out some of the voices. A moment of clarity settling in. The look he gives Umie as she makes her declaration is that of pain, Sudou is in pain. Umie's attack pierces his body and he takes a deep breath.
Sudou collapses and sits on his knees for the moment. The sword of Nyarlathotep has turned into a rusted piece of metal. Sudou sitting there seems beaten, and he cries out to the world, "WWWWWWWHHHHHHHYYYYYYY! Where are my friends ?! Where are my teammates?! Where is my family?!?!?!?!" Tears run down his face as Tatsuya Sudou feels defeat and abandoned. The look on his face as he accepts defeat. Though somewhere deep down within him for those who have seen it before know that just because Tatsuya Sudou is down, he is not out, he just sits now staring at the floor catatonic, but breathing, listening, ...
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
Jun smiles in response to Vesper, Tamaki, and Shinobu's words of gratitude. Umie calls his name, and he glances at her.
He squints at the vision of--a butterfly? passing through that spray of purified water--but it's gone as soon as it comes. He gives Masao a thoughtful look. Yes, the two of them will definitely need to talk later.
But then Sudou gives him that wordless look of confusion and... pity? It's an unexpected emotion to see on the serial killer's face, and Jun stares at him with his own confusion.
That, too, gives way to pity as Sudou finally falls to the barrage of everyone's attacks. As he cries and wails, Jun shakes his head slowly. He looks over at Tatsuya for a moment, lips parted as if to speak; then he looks past him at Katsuya.
"Suou-san, this is your chance," he says, soft but firm. "Bring him to justice."
Anyone who wants to take justice into their own hands in a more permanent fashion will see Jun block their way with arms outstretched and eyes steely--assuming, of course, that he notices their approach.
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
As Sudou goes down, hit, Shinjiro sees him collapse to his knees. He approaches, stopping in front of Jun and calming from the sight. Sudou's pathetic. Absolutely pathetic.
"...you're just another victim of fate," Shinjiro says, exhaling. The crying has gotten to him. This is a man who never had parents or family or friends who loved him. This is a man who suffered.
And yet, this is a man who has taken from him. And he can't reconcile that. But...
"You shattered yourself with every life you took, over and over. And now there's nothing left. I hope you rot. I might even check up on how you do. But if there's an afterlife, there's only one that'll take you in the end. Maybe it'll be something to look forward to, an escape from this life."
An exhale, as he vents his feelings. And then, he turns on his heel and moves to look for Hitomi and Ririka to check on them, with only four more words for Sudou spoken quietly.
"I'll see you there."
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
Ayame's shoulders sag when Sudou finally falls down. What Mark says lingers in her ears. His True Mind... What does it mean?
"Shinobu-chan," Ayame says, and reaches out to put a hand on her arm. "I think..."
But Jun speaks up. At Katsuya...
"He's right," Ayame speaks up, looking to Katsuya too. "If there's no other way to stop him..."
"It shouldn't be one of you. The adults here have to take responsibility."
"...We won't be able to have the police hold him, will we, Suou-san?" she asks. His duty, as a civil servant...
"Then..."
She nods. She wonders, too, as Tamaki says.... What would comfort him?
And then her jaw sets. "Your friends, your family... They're in that 'other world'. You could've made those friends here, instead. You could've done any number of things. But that's not what you chose."
"...I can't feel sorry for you... Tatsuya Sudou."
"I'd like to. But I just can't."
"...Do what you feel is right, Suou-san. It's up to you, now."
<Pose Tracker> Penguin Sniper has posed.
Jun says he's alright. And it's not like Tatsuya doesn't believe him, but he knows that 'he' will keep coming for him. Again and again. He will try to wear him down, like the waves against the rocks of the shore.
And yet, Jun speaks up-
'Jun Kurosu, the version of me that you're so obsessed with, Sudou-san... He doesn't exist.'
It's like Jun threw a bucket of cold water in his face. A reminder. This isn't his Jun. And the sacrifice for Jun Kurosu to exist in this world... is too big a price to pay.
It's what he's fighting to prevent. It's what he's fighting to protect. This Jun- this Eikichi - this Lisa - and this Maya's happiness.
If he can't, then what was it all FOR?
'Then lets take responsibility together.'
"..." Tatsuya doesn't say anything to that one. He takes a lot of punishment, but it's over quickly, rather than being eternal.
His wailing cry, Tatsuya doesn't look away from, as Jun tells him to bring him to Justice. He nods his way. Then Tatsuya strides up, and with his other hand, takes a metallic object out of his hand, making a noise of of it clicking open, then shutting it.
It's not his lighter. It's a replacement he picked up. But old habits die hard. He needs something of a reminder.
He turns to look at Shinjiro and what he says, then takes a breath, and begins addressing Sudou.
"You could have had those things." He tells him, "But you decided that it was easier to march to the beat of someone else's drum- and pretend the horrible shit you did was destiny. That it was heroism. You want to try again? Then be a man. Take responsibility for the lives you've taken and turn yourself in."
The lighter's lid clicks, and unclicks again.
"Then we'll see what comes next."
It's obvious though, the way his hand bears his Katana. If Sudou refuses to take responsibility, then he'll make him. But for the moment, apparently, he's left the ball in Sudou's court. If he's sincere... if he can find a different path through life. He can give himself up to Katsuya and show it.
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"Cool," Phoenix nods, sternly, when Umie seems to come around. Is she really good...? They look concerned, behind that mask, but they don't push her.
No Relax Gel for Phoenix, though. Phoenix isn't brainwashed! This time. They have enough sense to step back, when Hyousuke warns them.
And thanks to Jun, they're actually able to straighten up, after their assault. "Thanks," they call out, to him. "Looks like ya saved my ass."
Ixquic really has a cool way of rebuking him, though, doesn't she...?
Phoenix might have met him with stampeding wrath, though, but as he pleads for any kind of connection and collapses...
"... ya family forsook ya," they say, and their rough, smash-and-grab way of speaking really chafes against the way they know the specific declension for forsaken in that specific sentence configuration. "Ya friends... I dunno. I..." They look over, to Katsuya. "... I'll, uh... let Niko-chan know ya got taken in if I see her again. Yeah?"
They shake their head, with a glance to Ayame, as she talks about taking Sudou's life. "... don't even worry 'bout it, Auntie. I can't hit this guy when he's down. He's already defeated, man... fucker's hurt me a bunch, an' people I give a shit about, too..." He hurt Jun, but Jun doesn't know why Phoenix would be so hung up about that. "... but... I never let him turn me into a killer. Ain't 'bout to start now. ... ain't gon' get in Sergeant Suou's way on this one, neither."
<Pose Tracker> Eikichi Mishina has posed.
Eikichi watches Sudou react to his wonderful voice. The blood from the ears is very concerning but Eikichi is pretty happy with the result.
The Death Boss watches everything happening to Sudou before the man falls and starts to cry?
Eikichi clicks his tongue and slouches as he relaxes his stance. "Really? REALLY?! This is how the big bad Joker is gonna...Damnit" Eikichi kicks a rock in frustration as he tries to calm down.
This guy tried to kill him...Was it up to Eikichi to finish Sudou off? Was he capable of that? No. Not at all. He looks back to the broken man and sighs, letting his shoulders hang as he tries to fish through his mind for the right thing to say to the asshole who has trashed him and tried to fucking kill him multiple times.
Eikichi sighs again. "Look...you want friends...I'm not saying I'm gonna be open to it but I'm sure you can turn...things...around? Like from jail or something." Eikichi looks to Jun as if the other Kasu student has better things to say.
"Damnit...At least fucking cackle again so I can go back to hating you! GAH!!!" Eikichi kicks another rock as he tries to find somewhere to go calm down. As he does so, he finally looks over at the mysterious Tatsuya Suou. He feels that same sharp headache from staring too long. It was if his mind had something but couldn't bring the idea to the surface. Instead, the memory just sank back down to obscurity. The Death Boss finally just goes back to being mad at Sudou for having a moment.
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
It's like Tamaki had thought, or it at least seems that way. Bereft of anyone else who cared for him, tired of being trod underfoot, he took his own chance to be the person wearing the stomping boots.
Same as it was with Hazama. It's a recurring leitmotif which Tamaki is finding easier and easier to discern.
She stretches out a hand and begins to offer, "I ..." Her gaze drifts between Sudou, Jun, and Katsuya.
Tamaki is sorely tempted to imitate what Hazama's sister had done -- to make up for what the world hadn't given him, herself included, and promise to be at his side from then on.
She can't bring herself to do so. She and Sudou lack the same familial bonds which Akanezawa had with Hazama.
She kneels down and pulls him into a hug. "This is all I can offer, I'm afraid. I can't promise to be that for you."
Disappointed in herself and the lengths to which she's still not willing to go to, she stands. "It isn't right that you didn't have anyone, though."
<Pose Tracker> Masao Inaba has posed.
Masao draws back his axe in the comedown of that glimpse into a presence - a role - in a story that has since ended, and Ogun's power fades to its norm, as his alter ego fades back into the ether. The adrenaline starts to fade, and with it, a lot of his capacity to just keep going. Jun and Ririka both gave him a lot of extra 'push,' in their own ways, but that's subsiding.
The immense melancholy that Sudou collapses into is familiar, somewhat, to a time before all of this. Masao takes in the breath as he sees Jun speak to that detective guy here - that's him, all right, who questioned him at his family's dry cleaning business that day. He's going to have a lot more questions soon, huh. Who won't...?
He makes a sideglance as the surly Shinjiro speaks from a place of hurt. The street artist's head lowers. How can he put this, to a man now faced with a reality he can't deny? To someone who is beyond helping? ...The only peace maybe being to tell him what he can say for sure.
He doesn't speak up over the others who step forth. He just thinks of that man who looked so defeated, despite having 'won' all he could have ever wanted out of that terrible scheme. How little joy that man had, when they braved Deva Yuga to meet him face to face.
"I don't... think you would've been happy, with that stuff you were told about," is all Masao can offer, without tipping his hand any further. Sudou is a very different case from the other guy, in how they got here.
He stands up a little straighter. Maybe this'll be the end of that. All right, Hannya, paid you back, he decides, stepping aside as Tamaki shows immense compassion on some level that... he doesn't quite know the source of. Tamaki's always held her cards close to her chest as to just how familiar she was the supernatural.
He doesn't interrupt her.
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
Ririka is panting a little with the exertion of anazlying and moving so much Resonance around during the fight, but she's got her gaze locked directly on Sudou. She lowers her katana where she'd been using it for emphasis to direct Amphion, but she doesn't put it away yet. Nor does she let go of her Evoker. She wipes some sweat away from her forehead with her forearm.
It's... hard, not to feel at least a little sorry for Sudou as he cries out in anguish. But she has to remind herself that this is also a guy who's caused so much harm...
She doesn't feel like she has anything to say to him. But while she isn't saying much, she is still listeening, just in case.
'I'll see you there.'
She gives Shinjiro a concrned look--but it might just be the concern of a teammate for another after a battle. "Hey, Aragaki. You okay?"
She looks over to Hitomi. "... about you, Mandai-chan?"
Ayame says it shouldn't be up to children--that adults should take responsibility. Ririka... feels mixed about that. How many times has she faced Sudou, now? Or at least been present when he attacked somewheree? It's not like she can just... set this down so easily.
... that said, she doesn't want the responsibility of what comes net, either.
<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
It's not until all's said and done that Vesper turns back to Tamaki, to respond to the earlier query of whether he was alright. "Right as rain," is his response, twirling his umbrella before tossing it up, then catching it on his arm, before shaking his head. "All this talk of pawns and kings... I may be soured on chess for a time." It's bravado, but, it is at least true that he feels a lot better, with the Joker Killer's rampage brought to a halt.
...He'd be lying if he claimed not to feel anything, seeing Sudou cry out in despair. If it wasn't for everything the man had done, he might feel more than a small measure of sympathy. Regardless, no one in this world should feel as lost as that man appears to right now. It's not as if he doesn't know how cruel and unfair the world can be.
'Just another victim of fate,' is it? That may be true. But perhaps there might have been a way for even this case to not end in a series of tragedies. In whichever way he may be able, he'll do what he can to prevent fate from claiming its victims.
It is good to see that others, too, are not of a mind to strike the final blow. Tamaki even going so far as to console the man that directly. He doesn't speak for some time. When he finally does, it is only to say, "You have much to atone for... but everyone deserves a chance to do so."
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
They all bring everything they have onto Sudou. All the power they possess is enough to force him to his knees. Shinobu watches, her staff pointed at him and at the ready. And he cries.
Shinobu frowns. ...The sentiment hurts - it would hurt to feel so lonely and abandoned... but at the same time, the fact that it does hurt, the fact that she can understand, only makes her angrier at him.
Not now. She can't be feeling sympathy now...
"Don't you dare. The people you killed had families, friends, and teammates. It sucks that you lost yours, but that doesn't take away from what you've done." Shinobu says. "If you're going to cry, cry for the lives you took."
She seethes... but Ayame puts a hand on her arm.
Hearing her name, Shinobu closes her eyes. She breathes in, and out... and lowers her staff, returning it to a neutral position at her side.
"...You're right, Nee-san." Shinobu says. It's grounding - helps her cool her head.
She looks away. She'll leave it to Katsuya. She can trust him to do what needs to be done.
<Pose Tracker> Akari Hoshi has posed.
Quixote roars across the battlefield before finally coming to a halt, raising the lance up, banner billowing in wind that isn't there just like Ixquic's cloak occasionally does in supernatural space.
Ixquic hops off just as her Persona vanishes. She's breathing hard, and the blue flames have died down a little but still conceal her upper face, trailing occasional wisps. This isn't something she can sustain forever.
Leo - Sudou - has fallen. She's free from something she didn't even know she was bound to; on This Side she's never heard Nyarlathotep's voice, so why should she expect to be connected to someone like Sudou? A killer, a madman...
What else has she forgotten? What else does she need to find her freedom over?
But you can do it. You're stronger than you were.
She raises her eyes to look at Umie, gaze bright behind the burning mask of Rebellion - of Akari's freedom. We'll talk, she thinks to herself. But later.
Ixquic doesn't know why she feels so strongly about Sudou, now that she's actually met him. But she's done what she wanted to. There's just one thing wrong about it...
"The adults," Ixquic informs Ayame, "are *wrong*. They want things to be the way they want them. They think they know best about everything! They don't let people decide for themselves - they try to control, to grasp and - " She's run out of good synonyms.
Ixquic plants her sword, point-first, into the flooring. It squeals a little as it digs in - not much, perhaps a centimeter, it'll leave a groove but not pierce through.
"You're going to say you're not like that, and maybe you think so, but everything about what you said says differently! I, Ixquic, won't let people tell me what to do because they think it's right for me." She looks, then, at Sudou, just for a moment. She doesn't want to kill him, either. But...
She points at Jun. At Eikichi. At Tamaki, at Shinjiro, at Phoenix. "It's everybody's decision! Everybody he's hurt. You don't get to make it for them." Which means Ayame gets what she wants, anyway; Jun is clearly protecting him, to say nothing of the rest. But Ixquic has found her voice - and she won't let people tell her what she should feel.
"It's our world too. ...That's all," she finishes, feeling a little lame about the ending. Shouldn't she be more impressive? She's the great warrior, after all...
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
He collapses. It's the right word, Hitomi thinks, because his blade is broken and he is drowning and his falling. In a sense, he is collapsing in on himself; calling out to friends, to teammates, even to family. Some part of Hitomi waits for him to call for his mother, but there isn't that.
Hitomi doesn't think for a moment. It is a feeling like a leaf flying in the breeze. A strange quiet.
When Shinjiro turns to look back towards them, Hitomi has walked most of the way over. She doesn't look at Shinjiro as she comes up more or less alongside him, but facing the other way. Her eyes turn down to Sudou without moving her face, which is tilted slightly upwards.
The others are crestfallen. Hitomi is standing stock straight.
"That's all you had?"
The sensation in Hitomi's heart rises.
"Huh."
It feels like wind over a wildfire, she thinks. I hope it's not the zeppelin being on fire.
Hitomi stands there for a couple more seconds, watching Tatsuya Sudou in silence. Watching for something. She herself is not certain as to what.
After that, her head turns to look towards Tatsuya Suou.
"Take care of him," Hitomi says. "I guess."
She then looks at the older people (marginally older; Hitomi's frazzled hair and towering-ish stature probably makes the gap less apparent). "... Thank you," she says. "... I hope we can hang out sometime." Hitomi scratches the back of her neck. Her eyes turn back to Sudou for a moment...
Then she turns away, to Ririka. "Oh... Thanks for worrying. I don't know. I feel strange... I can keep moving, though." Hitomi forces a small smile as if to say: see, I'm fine!.
But then her head snaps around to look at Ixquic as she speaks. She doesn't say anything, she just watches the warrior maiden. After a few moments, Hitomi smiles at her. Then she walks away, finally turning her head to look at Shinjiro. She may be mentally replaying what she just heard from him.
"So... where are we by now, anyway?"
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
Hyousuke could feel his body failing. His muscles screamed at him, demanding air his heaving breaths could not provide, threatening to fall out from beneath him or fall uselessly to his sides. Blood carved jagged lines across his skin, seeping from wounds carved and seared open, until they stained the burnt fabric of his damaged armour. His mask was a battered mass of plastic, burnt in some places, melting in others. The only exception was the broken portion that stood as a window to his eye, still roiling with rampant, unrelenting, hatred.
Yet still, he staggered forwards.
Step after shambling, staggering, step, Hyousuke continued on towards Sudou, practically dragging himself across the floor. Achilles had retreated, not to somewhere he was out of reach, but somewhere that would allow his user to rest. There was no hulking titan behind him, no mighty general, no heavens-shaking rage. All that was left was a bloodied, battered, man, heaving himself back into a fight his shock-riddled mind did not even seem to recognise was over. Only when he came upon Jun, and the fire in his eyes met the steel in Jun's, did he pause, and truly look at Sudou.
And it was only when he came to that stop, and blinked back into consciousness, that he realised his hand had coiled around the grip of his shotgun. He looked down at it, blinking again, feeling the weight of cold metal and dense wood in his palm. He felt the trigger shudder beneath his finger, as if to silently beg him to pull - to aim the barrel up, and end things. It would have been so easy. A single, sweeping gesture, and a twitch of his finger, and the nightmare would end.
His heart pounded. His breath caught. His mind screamed at him to embrace that role, to be the monster, to fight and hurt and rage until his soul was ashes. But Hyousuke stopped, and willed his hand from the grip, wrenching it away before he had a chance to fight back against himself.
"I want to hurt you." Was all he said at first, before shaking his head, and looking wearily at Sudou. "I want to make you feel what all those people you killed felt. What my friends felt like when you hurt them. But that... that wouldn't be right. That wouldn't be justice, would it?"
Hyousuke moved away, distancing himself before he had a chance to change his mind. Perhaps one day he would need to be a monster.
But not today.
<Pose Tracker> Katsuya Suou has posed.
He was prepared to take responsibility for it, himself. To ensure no one else had to do it.
But, in the end...
So he's still alive. There's relief with that, but... shouldn't he feel more relieved? Perhaps it would be an easier emotion to conjure if, alas, it were possible to build a cell that would hold Tatsuya Sudou. He knows this after all, in some part of his mind. He's not as foolish as that. Yet, to do otherwise... Katsuya can, after all, still feel it. The lingering touch of that spell of Sudou's, that fading sense of bone-deep corruption. What he wants to do and what he should do are foreign countries to one another. And so he regards Sudou here at the end, as the man, wounded, pleads and cries for something that cannot be.
There's... almost something pathetic about about it, he considers. Perhaps he would be capable of more sympathy if the man hadn't disrupted to many lives with his actions. Killed so many people. But now here comes the other part. When one errs, society must see that amends are made.
He glances once each at Jun and his brother. He can hear what Phoenix and others are saying, but really, there's only one thing for him to say at all.
He looks at Ayame, and he nods. Holstering his gun, he takes one step toward to the wreck of a man.
"Tatsuya Sudou... or should I say, #501, the suspect for the Joker Killer murders. You're under arrest. Once we've landed, I am taking you to the station."
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
Umie gives Masao a look from the corner of her eye, reflecting on what he said earlier.
An apologetic look is cast Ixquic's way as Umie feels the weight of those eyes on her. She's as bright as ever....
As for Umie, she doesn't get close; she doesn't quite trust herself, right now.
(She won't let herself be the reason it all goes wrong.)
"...." Umie's eyelids lower as she kneels down, not bothering to get any closer as she watches Shinjiro come close, and say the words that have been weighing on him all this while.
Tatsuya Suou's actions, however, surprise her, given just how bright and hot the drive to end Sudou's life had been. "Takkun..."
Ixquic, however, nearly draws Umie to stand to her feet, afraid that the young girl would possibly make a move. Instead, Umie breaths a sigh. "... We can be just as terrible, yeah. But who better to make sure you guys don't turn out like us, eh?"
Is this the end?
"I think I remember, now. The 'revelation' I made..." she starts, softly, to Sudou. "It had to have been about you. So that's why your dad..."
There was no way to tell just what Tatsuzou Sudou was thinking, that day, when a little girl in a party dress looked up at him with suddenly glazed eyes, and spoke in vague words. Did he think they related to the son (sun) he put (buried) in the sanitarium (hill)?
Does Umie even realize? Did Tatsuzou Sudou act because of her words?
She can't even come to a realization here, at the end.
"... It doesn't matter. It's just all a part of the same delusion."
She smiles, hearing Katsuya Suou declare the Joker Killer under arrest.
And she says nothing more.
<Pose Tracker> The One in the Black Mask has posed.
A moment of decision. There is so much potential for a different future. It all depends on what Tatsuya Sudou chooses in the face of his defeat. It all relies on how the Persona Users who faced him will react to those choices.
Possibility.
Possibility in a hug...
... as Tamaki Uchida briefly obscures a hidden individual's view of what is going on in front of them.
Sudou's whole life could be ahead of him, who might he be? That possibility is...
...
...
...
...annihilated by a noise, that's nearly inaudible beneath the sounds of the airship's engine in flight.
Thwip
Lights glint off of something in flight, in glowing cyan hues. It hurtles on it's inevitable course right towards it's destination. Just below Tatsuya Sudou's heart.
And the moment it makes contact with him, the voices do not merely go dead silent. They leave him entirely. His Persona. His power. The force of the Rumor that allowed him to fulfill his roles as substitute Joker.
All gone. As if it were banished forcefully from him on contact with this peculiar bullet.
A gout of blood leaves his chest with something half-severed. Some few can survive a shot to the heart. No one can survive what he struck. However, it will take a little time for him to die.
That is by design.
Fragments fly out of his torso, cyan bits and pieces, that look like they're made of crystal. They land upon the ground, what blood lays there slides right off of the strange remains of the projectile.
"Daddy sends his regards." Comes a voice that's like a sneer of outright contempt, far behind Tatsuya Sudou in the shadows, "Choke on your own blood, and know in your final moments..." He sniggers as he delivers a truth he finds funny, "...the Voices betrayed you-! Haha....ahahahaHAHAHA!"
No one can fail to see him now. A man in the Black Mask, laughing, behind a thinning haze of gunsmoke. Crimson lenses opaque in the lighting of the Zeppelin, surround his grim outfit.
The One in the Black Mask has condemned Tatsuya Sudou to die in agony, at the behest of his father.
TO BE CONTINUED