2026-07-31: Maria, Where Did You Go?

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Alas, no.

No matter how spirited someone might be, one can't run from fate. During a rehearsal at Suamru TV for MUSES which Lisa Silverman has invited a few classmates and friends, it happens. And then things get worse. 


<Pose Tracker> Maria Sakurai has posed.

    One of the perks of being a young upcoming idol is that you can invite your friends to rehearsal, if you want.

    Today's rehearsal uses one of the internal sound stages at Sumaru TV: television song performances are usually conducted here, but today, the bulk of the recording equipment is silenced. Today isn't the real thing, so they're recording only to see where any improvements or adjustments might be needed.

    Rehearsal for the MUSES is usually done in an open room with pretty good acoustics in the form of shells put up around the practice area. The room is pretty big though, so it's easy to sit in the audience; indeed, Ginji Sasaki is there, smiling as he listens.

    Lisa, Miipo, and Sheba--Lisa, Miho, and Mami--have been up on stage practicing both song and dance, with Lisa the most prominent--she's the lead singer, after all. But Sheba's moves are especially impressive these days; maybe the solo coaching she's been getting is paying off?

    "Your lyrics are working out well, Ogishima-san," Ginji compliments Miipo. "I think we really can use some of these songs."

    The stage is raised, with those white shells; the seats in the audience are plush and in rows. It's a large enough room to accommodate a lot of people, and Lisa's been happy to show everyone what things are like and gave a little tour of the studio before rehearsal begins.

    Ginji seems in good spirits today, too.

    The only request has been that the audience remain quiet during the sets: it's rehearsal, but it's still practice for the real thing.

    Lisa had invited more than a few students from her school, and she might be able to spot most of them in the audience now that she's finished her set.

    Most of them, because someone's missing.

                                      -----------

    Maria, one hand clutching at her face as she limps down the hallway leading to the stage studio. Her face, her face... it feels cold and strange.

    It hasn't been a good week for her. The stress leading up to finals aside, she'd gone to finally ask about getting her club set up only for the request to be outright denied. It wasn't right to have a club where the burden of the equipment fell on the student.

    Then she'd had a bad time on the subway coming back from cram school where it had stopped suddenly -- but it turned out to be a bad signal and not another accident.

    Then she met her grandmother's latest boyfriend. It had been bad and weird (by Maria's standards) and she'd been reminded she's still single.

    And then the conbini she had gone to the other day had been out of her favorite chips.

    It's been a few months since Tatsuya Sudou died and the alteration of the rumor had spread, taking over the former version. Not once has Maria changed.

    By now, she had decided, maybe she's just immune? Maybe it's her secret blessing from ending up a victim of that strange Kingdom in which she had been trapped. Maybe she's just a favorite of the gods (or dragons), after all.

    She's not becoming a Joker. She's just not.

    So why is it... that Maria can't stop grinning?

    One hand supports her against the wall as she slowly makes her way down the hall. She needs to find someone, fast.

    She'd seen him just after she'd come out of the washroom. That man, with a woman. No, not her ex-boyfriend. The face was different. The laugh was different. But that haircut, that reminded her of him. The way he'd looked at the woman he'd been with, as if they were in their own little world.

    Alone. Together.

    She's... no other boy is ever going to...

    Why does the thought of it make her want to laugh?

    Her hand plants against the closed door and she trembles there for a long moment.

    She's not becoming a Joker. She's just not. Right? So why is her heart afraid?

    "Help," she whispers, a strange sound from a mouth that cannot stop smiling. Her heart is full of--

    No, she's not afraid.

    No, she wants blood.

    What slams through the door to the recording studio isn't really Maria anymore. Her face a stark white opaque enough to obscure any details and her mouth pulled into a rictus grin, she might wear the Sevens uniform and she might have Maria's hair color and style, but...

    But there's no way that a normal person has an aura like that. A tarry sensation that yet plucks at the heart, a sense of foreboding that cannot, will not be ignored. This isn't a person anymore.

    "Hehe, it's such a long, long way to Shujin High," announces the thing that was Maria, "but I just can't wait to have my fun! How about I start with all of you~?"

    Red light lights around her as she draws out her Persona, the parasite known as Joker. It still resembles the thing that Sudou had conjured, but... is the shape starting to change a little bit? Is it possibly a little bigger than the last time?

    "Here, Joker! Let's go~"

    BGM: Revo - Ba'al
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMnUxfpH41M

    Pressure ricochets about the room. On its heels comes the bright flash of a psychic barrage. 

AS: Persona! Maria Sakurai has used the Earth skill Magry on Umie Akabane and Hyousuke Suzuki!
  | Pressure: Maria Sakurai gains 1 Limit!

AS: Persona! Maria Sakurai has used the Elec skill Psio on Misato Fushihara!

<Pose Tracker> Yua Ijuuin has posed.

    The Muses have trained well.

    Unfortunately --

    PREVIOUSLY
    IN STUDIO CHURA

    A woman with an empty eye meets the hollow eyes of a rising star, and needs no transgression to take her truth into herself.

    A woman with a cheerful smile encourages a background singer to support her team even more.

    A woman with infectious intensity takes the lead aside, when the dance has concluded.

    "... I wonder if you feel it?" Yua asked Lisa, then. "A rhythm only you can hear... oh, don't mind me. Only... I think there must be something only you can do, Silverman-kun."

    AS WE COME TO TODAY

    A woman in a grey dress evocative of a wedding, carrying a large bag with her, asks what a man is looking for.

    When she hears that he's looking for his friend, she helpfully suggests she saw her heading to the stage studio --

    -- and when she meets the woman he described, she helpfully points her that way, too.

    Yua uses the material she's given; the resemblance isn't perfect, but it's the culmination of a dozen little insults. Buying her daughter a bicycle to encourage her friend, even knowing the club wasn't yet incorporated... sending said daughter off to wreak a little havoc on a signal station...

    And then, of course, there are the things she hasn't influenced. Elder romance and chips are beyond even her power; even so, they're a dozen insults, adding up, dripping poison.

    The girl will turn. One way or another, the girl will turn.

    If she can place her here... if she can connect 'that girl' with her legacy... two birds, one stone.

    And so, Yua will...

    ... tear out another child's heart to save her own?

    Do not ask after her regrets.

    The girl WILL turn.

    AND NOW

    Tyrrha is in the crowd, watching proceedings. She's even being quiet, just like Lisa said! Her legs kick in the chair, though, as she watches them perform. They're doing so good...!

    If her bag wriggles, occasionally, it must just be a consequence of Tyrrha wriggling with delight.

    Rumour has it the Sevens sigil protects you from harm. That must be why, when Tyrrha's showered with debris as that door tears open, she isn't hurt even one bit. "W--whoa!" She gasps, as she jumps up, out of her chair. "I -- I'll go get help, guys! Keep an eye on her!!"

    She practiced her lines like ten times... it was even harder, since they couldn't predict what would happen if Maria really turned now.

    Tyrrha runs outside, and ducks into the restroom -- the wrong one, again, she's not really used to water closets, it's caused so many issues -- as she lets Welwetes out of her purse, and remembers to take off her sailor's dress, this time, before she engages her shrouding functions. A hood folds out from her neck, over her head; from the same join, mesh-fabric spools out, controlled by that spiderweb machinery, flowing over her body like a black cloak as a black dress unfurls over her core chassis. She disengages her loafers, tucking those in her bag, too. "Ahhh, bare feets~" she warbles, happily, as she wriggles the beastlike claws which her legs really end in and plants them on the tile.

    "Rah," Welwetes growls. The size of a chicken, he's shaped like a velociraptor -- aside from the lion's mane around his neck, and the pangolin-like prehensile tail behind him.

    ... and, now, the automatic weapons which unsheathe from his back to rest at either side of his artificial spine.

    who gave tyrrha's pet a gun

    who gave him TWO GUNS

    Tyrrha -- Scion, when she's wearing this hood -- grins down to him, her eyes obscured by her dark hood, as she tucks her bag away beneath her cloak. "You said it, little buddy. Okay, let's see... is mama camped out yet?" Antenna extend out from slits in the side of that hood, approximately where her ears ought to be, each tipped with a beautiful pearl. Those pearls swirl with rainbow colours, for a moment, before...

    "Scion," Yumi's voice calls out. "Here vine grows on lattice." She means she's here to help her! Scion figures out, feeling quite proud of herself for getting better at it. "Recall, identify, underline. What's special about this mission?"

    "I gotta fight the folks what are tryin' to help Sakurai-senpai before I bring her back?" Scion asks the empty air, tilting her head.

    "So mote it be." Yumi's voice hesitates, a moment. "This coming adversity..."

    Scion snaps her metallic fingers. "It's an exam! Like the ones we got at school right now, right?"

    "... yes. An exam. Her blood, eagerly sought. So too will it serve our purposes... but we will have only this one chance. We are what claims it. Her fate, now, with us. I have set another's foreign blood to sing... her Awakening a success, just the same. If she cannot protect her... we will use this failure to stoke the agony in her heart."

    "I don't really get it," Scion admits, rubbing at the back of her head. "Anyway, I'm off!"

    And so, no more than a minute or two after Tyrrha leaves to get help...

    ... things get remarkably worse, when a hooded girl enters the studio.

    "Heyyy!" She calls, cheerfully, as she bends her legs -- and /leaps,/ powerfully, to land on the stage, claws digging into the ground as she rises up, a strange dinosaur-robot bounding after her. "I heard we were doin' violence! That's my favourite thing, so now I'm here~! o/` So here's the deal! I wanna slam this Joker into my knee until she stops tryin' to rip my guts out, which doesn't even work 'cuz I don't got any! And once she stops fightin', I take this thing," she pulls a needle out from under her hood, waving it around helpfully, "jab it in her neck, and take her back to the adults so she can go someplace that makes people cry whenever they come back from goin' there for some reason! Except Sakurai-senpai isn't comin' back," she adds, helpfully. "I wonder if humans cry when they're /there/ if they get stuck there long enough? Hey, do you think they'd let me go see how she's goin' if I asked? I'm really curious if she acts the same as..."

    "Sh-sh-sh," Yumi's voice hushes her, transmitted to everyone present, despite the Bride not being anywhere on the stage, through those pearls as they swirl with pink energy. "Focus, Scion."

    "Right, right. So if you don't want that happenin', you better fight me first!" She looks back to Maria, tilting her head. "But I don't reckon Sakurai-senpai's gonna let you just ignore her, either... hey, I don't want you to beat her up before we even get to fight! Summoning!"

    A strange Persona rises up behind her -- distinctly leonine, but bound in metal, plates and artifice drilled into its form. Guardian roars, as defensive protection settles over Scion and the Joker Maria both.

    But someone else's Persona is reflected in the sheen of those pearls -- Yumi's Persona, Gretchen. "I will protect you," the Bride promises Scion for all to hear, as strange energy is relayed through Scion's body out into the studio. It pours out, addling those people who it flows over, and warps at the edges of the studio, making escape more difficult as those who move to run away can't be entirely sure where the exit is any more. The background is warping strangely... you're pinned in with your assailants!

AS: Persona! Yua Ijuuin has used the Almighty skill Disrupting Wave - Gretchen's Calling on Eikichi Mishina, Jun
Kashihara, and Lisa Silverman!
  | Defense: Yua Ijuuin gains 1 Limit!

AS: Persona! Yua Ijuuin has used the Almighty skill Disrupting Wave - Gretchen's Calling on Ririka Kawase, Suzume
Fukura, and Yukari Takeba!
AS: Avoid Best! Umie Akabane takes 23 Earth damage from Maria Sakurai's Magry.
  | Paralyze (Physical and Avoid Penalized!) added!

AS: Persona! Yua Ijuuin has used the Recovery skill Marakukaja on Maria Sakurai and Yua Ijuuin!
AS: Take! Yua Ijuuin takes 0 Recovery healing from Yua Ijuuin's Marakukaja.
  | Def_Up (Block Improved!) added!

AS: Take! Lisa Silverman takes 0 Almighty damage from Yua Ijuuin's Disrupting Wave - Gretchen's Calling.
  | Crt_Dn (Critical down!) added!

AS: Take! Maria Sakurai takes 0 Recovery healing from Yua Ijuuin's Marakukaja.
  | Def_Up (Block Improved!) added!

AS: Take! Eikichi Mishina takes 0 Almighty damage from Yua Ijuuin's Disrupting Wave - Gretchen's Calling.
  | Spd_Dn (Avoid Penalized!) added!

AS: Take! Suzume Fukura takes 0 Almighty damage from Yua Ijuuin's Disrupting Wave - Gretchen's Calling.
  | Crt_Dn (Critical down!) added!

AS: Block Best! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 33 Earth damage from Maria Sakurai's Magry.
  | Paralyze (Physical and Avoid Penalized!) added!

AS: Avoid Neutral! Misato Fushihara takes 98 Elec damage from Maria Sakurai's Psio.
  | Bind (Magic and Avoid Penalized!) added!

AS: Take! Yukari Takeba takes 0 Almighty damage from Yua Ijuuin's Disrupting Wave - Gretchen's Calling.
  | Atk_Dn (Damage down!) added!

AS: Avoid Neutral! Jun Kashihara takes 0 Almighty damage from Yua Ijuuin's Disrupting Wave - Gretchen's Calling.
  | Atk_Dn (Damage down!) added!

<Pose Tracker> Lisa Silverman has posed.

BACK THEN

"You really think so?" Lisa had asked her teacher Yua back then. "...I'll work hard, then. I want to find it! That something only 'I' can do!"

NOW

Lisa Silverman is happy to see her friends and classmates show up for her, doing her best to show off for them in turn. After all... Isn't there something only 'she' can do?

"Yeah!" Lisa cheers to Ginji when he says they're doing well. "Miipo's lyrics are great!"

But it goes wrong. It goes so, so wrong. "M-Maria...?"

Red light lights up all around her, but Lisa can't see the Joker Persona. Nevertheless...

She screams, not in terror, but in pain.

"Someone, help!" Ginji Sasaki is as surprised as anyone--to look at him--when things go wrong. Sheba immediately hesitates, looking between Ginji and the screaming Lisa--and Miipo tries to help her best friend. But Ginji storms up. "We have to get away!" he says.

But he looks to Scion, and he does not fear.

Dragging Sheba and Miipo away, Ginji says, "Someone--get Silverman-kun!"

But he only has two hands... right?

While Lisa...

P2 Sound Effect - Distress: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RARotEaobh0

"Aaaah!" Lisa suddenly grips her head, doubling over further in pain. "What?" she cries. "What is it!? Why can't I remember...!?" 

<Pose Tracker> Eikichi Mishina has posed.

This is a Seven Sisters event. So why is the Death Boss here?

 Simple. He is escorting his girlfriend as she gets the scoop for the school paper.

The blue haired punk yawns as he looks at his phone, mostly ignoring the idol stuff as he really wasn't into that scene at all. It was all commercialized schlock in his opinion. Not like his beloved rock music.

Then there is a feeling that brings a sick feeling to his stomach. Eikichi winces ,looking up to see the Joker girl.

 Great...

 He reaches to his guitar case in the seat next to him, feeling a weird sting as he touches it. Thats right, he uses Sudou's sword to modify his weapon...He is practically surrounded by that weird power now.

 He turns his head to Miyabi, who is watching the scene horrified. "Don't worry. I got this."

 The Death Boss gets to his feet, slinging the guitar case over his shoulder.

 Before his girlfriend can argue, Eikichi moves onto the stage just as the strange person and the robot dinosaur show up. He blinks, trying to make sense of what he is seeing as he unslings his guitar case and reveals the barrel from within.

 "Alright. Something tells me the chick with the...robot dinosaur is the bad guy." 

AS: Block Worst! Ririka Kawase takes 0 Almighty damage from Yua Ijuuin's Disrupting Wave - Gretchen's Calling.
  | Atk_Dn (Damage down!) added!

<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.

    'During finals' is not really the ideal time to go on a trip, but honestly, Jun has been breezing through them and he comes here often enough to visit his mother anyway that when Lisa invited him, he thought--why not? Friends are the most precious thing there is, anyway.
    
    He listens in appreciation from his seat, legs folded, as the MUSES practice. It's a very pleasant time, up until the instant it isn't. The door smashes open, and Maria (?) barges through, eyes so sunken they're not visible, mouth peeled wide in an eerie grin. Jun rears back from his seat so quickly he knocks it over, eyes going wide. This presence--this sickening presence--
    
    Even before she summons the JOKER Persona, he knows what he's looking at. This is what Ririka confirmed for him, what the voice that wasn't Tatsuya's crowed the day Sudou perished... The Joker won't die.
    
    "Lisa-san!" he calls, looking over at her and her manager and friends as she screams and the rest run for it. Clearly not intending to abandon her--Ginji has the other two in hand, and is calling for someone to get to Lisa--but that's the net effect all the same. "Lisa-san, you've got to run away!" he urges her, because this is about to get violent and she needs to not be here.
    
    Jun turns back to the JOKER Maria in time for Scion to arrive. Confusion rules his fair face as she babbles on about--taking her away? And there's a second voice transmitting with her... His eyes narrow when Scion makes it simple: if they don't want her to do anything to Maria, they're going to have to fight her.
    
    Especially since those strange reverberations from Scion ensure that Lisa won't be able to run away. In that case, Jun's got to do everything he can to keep Maria JOKER and Scion away from her.
    
    "Very well," he states, imperiously drawing himself up to his full height. Eikichi's also moving towards Scion, so-- "Suzuki-kun! We ought to be able to help Sakurai-san if we can get her to calm down. We'll keep this stranger back, so go to her, please!"
    
    Not that Jun thinks of himself as Hyousuke's or anyone's Boss, but Hyousuke seems to work best when he's got a direction, and he excels most at defense. Hyousuke should be able to both keep Maria safe and keep others safe from her.
    
    Jun nods to Eikichi, a Briar Rose in his hand. "Argeiphontes!" he calls, and summons his Persona to enhance his, Eikichi's, and Hyousuke's offensive power with a dance that somehow enhances the shine of Argeiphontes' golden armor--because the best defense is a good offense, after all. And if some of that power is absorbed into Lisa unintentionally... what harm could it do?

AS: Persona! Jun Kashihara has used the Recovery skill Bright Revel on Jun Kashihara, Lisa Silverman, Hyousuke Suzuki,
and Eikichi Mishina!
  | Support: Jun Kashihara gains 1 Limit!

AS: Take! Eikichi Mishina takes 0 Recovery healing from Jun Kashihara's Bright Revel.
  | Atk_Up (Damage Up!) and Crt_Up (Critical Up!) added!

AS: Take! Lisa Silverman takes 0 Recovery healing from Jun Kashihara's Bright Revel.
  | Atk_Up (Damage Up!) added! Crt_Dn removed!

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.

It's an incredible experience for Yukari Takeba to even be here, the stress from the day of finals melting away from moment to moment.
 
It's amazing to think she's one of the first people in the entire world to hear this music- live, but in a setting that feels more 'raw' more 'candid'.
 
You can watch them fine tune it. You can listen to the praise they receive, comment on what needs work...
 
Maybe some part of her said she should be studying for finals tonight, and there's gonna be a long train ride back...
 
But, worth it!
 
"You'll find it yet." Yukari Takeba says to herself, quietly in the audience, because- it's something Lisa and her had discussed recently.
 
And then she spies Maria slamming through the door.
 
"Wait, is that Maria-chan? Hey- you need to sit down or they might kick us all-" That's when she sees how she looks, hears how she sounds, "-out?"
 
Yukari hasn't yet noticed that someone she knows as Scion is in the crowd of course, why would she? They're not wearing their characteristic hood! But as they call out.
 
"Wait-!"
 
She was going to tell her not to call the cops or security because- this is obviously supernatural, but it's already too late.
 
"Why this!? What happened to you, Maria-chan!?" She says, like she's still trying to comprehend it. When they worked together, she was a bright ray of sunshine, maybe not the sharpest tool in the shed, but still a great person to be around!
 
Now saying aloud such threatening words.
 
"Uh- also did you maybe... change your skin care regimen? I realllyyyy don't think it was an improvement..." She says, nervously, still not realizing quite the changes that occur with a Joker.
 
Fortunately by now, Yukari Takeba has learned one lesson about Sumaru City...
 
... and that's to never come unarmed as evidenced by how she pulls the draw string of her Yumibukuro, and draws out her leg holster for her Evoker from a sewn in secret pouch in her bag, strapping it to her thigh, before she grasps her bow, and strings it with several adroit turns of the compound bow's pulleys.
 
'What?' The way Lisa is crying out, gripping her head. "Lisa! Hold on!" As she starts to jog towards the stage, still putting a quiver over her shoulders.
 
It's fine if Lisa thinks her weird for having 'a gun' and wielding a bow. It's fine if she knows she fights. So long as she's okay.
 
When a hooded figure lands on the stage and explains what they're here for.
 
"No offense but-" And that's when Gretchen sends out that wave of energy, warping the edges of the studio. By reflex, as it strikes her there's the pull of a trigger at her forehead, "-Io-" As suddenly her Persona appears, gesturing at her and a wave of energy rushes out, sapping the agility from Scion.
 
It's only now that she continues.
 
"-if you're trying to sell to us that sticking a girl in the neck with a tranquilizer and letting you take her with you is the way to go- you're just going to come off as some enormous creep?"
 
Maria- what's going on here with her? She's not quite sure, even if she's heard some rumors. But Lisa is also in danger, despite Jun trying to urge her to run- and so too is Maria despite her threats, and if Scion gets her way...
 
"Kashihara-san... I'll lend a hand too. There's no way I'm letting them lay a hand on her!"

AS: Persona! Yukari Takeba has used the Almighty skill Masukunda on Yua Ijuuin!

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.

Suzume doesn't actually know a whole lot about MUSES. They exist and she's probably heard their music without thinking about it very much, but she's not really paid a whole lot of attention to them. She is aware Ririka likes them, though...

...and, as of the festival, she's actually met some of them! She hadn't actually realized it immediately, but by now she knows perfectly well who she'd spoken to.

But more importantly, Suzume is always extremely stressed around exam time. She crammed all of last week; this week she's taking the exams, and if she tries to study much more during that time period she has declared she will go insane. So after school, she does a bit of reading and then goes to do something - anything - else.

Today the reading took place on the train and now she gets to listen to a rehearsal. So, that's neat.

Suzume can take or leave a lot of the music - she likes it well enough, but her brain doesn't really engage with it beyond that, as she does not sing herself and the only instrument she has any idea of how to play is the drums - but she's always been interested in learning why things work, and how. The mechanics of how it's done, the technology used to make it happen - all the things that need to be done backstage to make something like this operate. Though, most of them aren't really operating for a rehearsal... it still counts!

The last time she was in Sumaru TV, Suzume had snuck off to take a look in the backstage area when she wasn't supposed to and see how their cameras were controlled. This time she's actually behaving herself, though, her schoolbag stuffed under her seat. She's not the only student from Gekkoukan here either, and she's sitting with Ririka (and possibly Yukari, though Suzume hadn't deliberately aimed for her like she had for Ririka).

And that's where she is when, one, someone (who she doesn't recognize, but never mind that) possessed by JOKER shows up, and two, whatever Scion counts as shows up. With a robot dinosaur.

Suzume was fast enough when it was just a JOKER. "HEY," she says, raising her voice. "Run! Get out of there!" She yanks up her backpack and cradles it against herself with her left hand while she reaches in with her right, digging through it as fast as she can. She yanks out some of her math notes as she goes for the little case down the bottom, which she opens while it's still in her backpack.

This is about the time that Scion arrives. Scion, who has a second voice, and *that* one Suzume has heard before. Here, in fact. In Sumaru TV. Her eyes narrow as she looks at the claw-legged girl (???) and then to the robotic dinosaur (?) with guns (!), and then the weirdly mechanical Persona.

Well, shit, Suzume thinks to herself, but she's still moving, now without thinking about it. She stands up on one of the seats for added height, finally finding what she wants in the backpack. A pencil case goes flying as she yanks out -

- a gun, which she points at herself -

"ATALANTA!"

The form of Atalanta rises up above Suzume, the lionskin-cloaked woman raising her arm with the bowgun and firing down toward the mechanical lion. Her arrow gleams, and trails a line of purple light as it flies through the air. When it hits - either the lion or the floor - it splatters in a geyser of violet half-energy, half-liquid, which fades.

"How about no?" Suzume calls back. More quietly, to the nearby members of SEES: "C'mon, back me up! Do you recognize that voice too...?" Not Scion's, as she's never heard her before. Yumi's.

Plus, it's not like she could run away if she wanted to. Her eyes refuse to focus on the exits; the whole area smears unpleasantly. It makes Suzume dizzy when she tries.

"I'll cover you," she promises Yukari, though how she's going to do that she's not quite sure. Suzume brought her Evoker, but she couldn't figure out how to get her tonfa in her backpack and so she's a little... limited. Her eyes flick around the room as she looks for something -

Oh, she thinks to herself with a mental grin. That'll do. 

AS: Persona! Suzume Fukura has used the Pierce skill Poison Arrow on Yua Ijuuin! 2 Hits!
  | Pressure: Suzume Fukura gains 1 Limit!

AS: Take! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 0 Recovery healing from Jun Kashihara's Bright Revel.
  | Atk_Up (Damage Up!) and Crt_Up (Critical Up!) added!

<Pose Tracker> Misato Fushihara has posed.

Misato wonders if she'd have a bigger reaction to MUSES if they hadn't been her classmates before they made it big. It's still really cool to share a class with Lisa, of course... but it's the, 'your classmate is doing well for herself' kind of cool rather than the, 'wow, there's a celebrity in my class!' kind of cool. Maybe it's just her.

...Well, be that as it may, she does want to support her, so she's glad to accept an invitation when Lisa invites her classmates to group's rehearsal. It's supposed to be kept quiet so she can't cheer, but she can at least offer Lisa an encouraging wave from the audience.

Things are, however, about to get louder. There's an ominous pulse, and things feel wrong. She feels that foreboding that tears at the heart.

And something, someone, slams through the door to the recording studio.

Is that... Maria Sakurai? Was, or is... With a cry, Misato dives under the chairs for safety. She hears, idly, Tyrrha Ijuuin say she's going to go get help, but right now she has to worry about what's right here.

It might be easy for her to get lost amidst the chaos. The next time someone looks, she isn't there - but someone else is here, instead.

Magus, her form concealed by a dark purple hooded cloak and a white porcelain half-mask, is here.

And she isn't the only new arrival - Scion is here, announcing their attentions. So once more, they're attempting to whisk away those who've fallen to the Joker Curse...

She's alone this time(well, 'alone', it seems that Yumi is still offering her support through her), but that's only a small blessing. Last time, Noriko had been rendered unconscious before she could turn on everyone... Maria, though, is wide awake and out for blood.

"We won't allow that." Magus says - but Maria unleashes the Joker's power. A wave of psychic force strikes her, rattling her and sending her recoiling back. "...Alright. Then we do it this way."

Magus draws her saber and parrying dagger from her cloak.

"Maria Sakurai! What madness has taken you?" Magus demands. She shouldn't, logically, know her name - but right now, that's the last thing she's thinking about. She sees that two of MUSES are being dragged away, but Lisa...

Magus grimaces. She remembers, distinctly, from the attack on Sevens by the Jackstreet Boys that Lisa does not have a Persona. And here, she's being drawn into another pitched battle...

"Lisa Silverman!" Magus shouts. "Get out of here! You are not safe!"

With that Magus races forward toward Maria, swords sweeping out toward her legs. It's a distraction, more than a direct attack - attempting to force her to keep moving, rather than giving her a chance to focus on the defenseless girl caught out in the open. ...It's a far more selfless gambit than she usually likes taking. She must be hanging around Yuuki Hoshizora too much...

"Sorry - I'm not a very 'fun' person. But I'm far kinder than what that Scion intends for you." Magus says. "I don't suppose I can suggest a more entertaining target for you?"

It would be far easier if she could convince the monsters to fight each other... but she doubts anyone with a grin like that is about to listen to reason. 

AS: Weapon! Misato Fushihara has used the Slash skill Pressure Footwork on Maria Sakurai! 3 Hits!
  | Pressure: Misato Fushihara gains 1 Limit!

AS: Avoid Best! Maria Sakurai takes 12 Slash damage from Misato Fushihara's Pressure Footwork.
AS: Block Neutral! Maria Sakurai takes 10 Slash damage from Misato Fushihara's Pressure Footwork.
AS: Avoid Best! Maria Sakurai takes 12 Slash damage from Misato Fushihara's Pressure Footwork.

<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.

Hyousuke enjoyed Lisa's work well enough. While it might normally not have been his cup of tea, hers was an exception for a reason he couldn't quite place. Perhaps, on that day in particular, he needed something to distract himself from the encroaching dread that graduation and the days beyond it brought. Perhaps there was so much going on that he just needed a break, and the Muses were as good a place to catch a distraction as any. Whatever the case was, while he enjoyed her work well enough, she wasn't the primary reason he was there.

Between the spate of Joka curses that had plagued Sumaru in recent weeks, the rumours warping everything from innocent animals to the weather itself, and assorted other supernatural troubles, Hyousuke had made a point of keeping an eye out for any suspicious activity. Maria Sakurai was no exception, given her past association with Sudou, so even the vaguest suspicion that she would turn had him pricking his ears up like a guard dog catching the scent of an intruder. He did not hesitate to make a move when it became apparent he was needed, though at least made sure to grab his weapons before he bolted out. The armour, he had to leave behind - thin though it was, it was an awkward thing to conceal at the best of times.

Perhaps a visit to Peacock Silk was in order later.

The tension never truly faded from him when he listened to Lisa and her cohorts perform. He enjoyed listening to them, and their routine had obviously been practised to a stunning degree, but there was no shaking the ever-present sense of danger that he held in the back of his mind. It was nothing supernatural, even if that had been where it stemmed from, but was instead born of some primal, animalistic, instinct. The kind that flinched shapes in the dark, and noises sounding deep in the recesses of the night.

He hated that he was proven right when Maria made her entrance. It was no comfort that his preparedness had paid off - the fact that she had even been taken over by that parasitic *thing* was an affront in the first place. But it was something he could dwell upon later. Hyousuke was needed then and there, and he had no intention of leaving Maria to her fate. But an obstacle stood in his way, and of all others that had come to Maria's aid - that girl and her pet. Hyousuke did not quite remember her name, but he remembered her role.

"Hey, kid, outta the way. Or you're gonna end up hurt twice as bad as last time." Hyousuke said, The threat was quick, and blunt as a sledgehammer to the chest, but he hadn't time for cleverness and quips. There was a job to do - something he was very quickly reminded of when a wave of bone-crushing gravity bore down on him. Achilles took the brunt of the damage, appearing in a great and grinding flash of bronze, but it was not stone or steel or a gout of flame. It was force, and there was only so much that could be prevented before Hyousuke felt his own body dragged down towards the floor.

Strong though the force was, he was stronger, and Achilles many times that. Hyousuke stood tall under the weight, guard up and his Persona's wargear brandished.
"Got it in one!" He shouted to Eikichi. "Dunno what her or the dog's deals are, but they're with those weirdoes that attacked the school! Kick their asses!" So distracted was he by that, that he didn't notice what had happened to Lisa. Not at first, at least, and certainly not while Jun's bolstering spell lent him the strength he needed to fight off the worst of gravity's shackles. "Kashihara-san! Thanks! I'll take the-"

Before he could act, someone else caught his eye. Someone screaming for help, and in a pain he could not recognise nor comprehend. But Hyousuke recognised her, and just how little distance - all things considered - were between her and Maria.
"Silverman-san! Goddamn it, someone get her out of here! I'll keep Sakurai-san busy!" He didn't wait for confirmation before charging in like a raging bull, but not to attack in a blind rage this time. He was to be a bastion for now. A shield against all that would threaten to harm him and his friends.

"Achilles! Shields up!" Hyousuke bellowed out, and his Persona obeyed. The general raised his shield to the sky, and with a mighty rallying cry, lent strength to those within its range. 

AS: Persona! Hyousuke Suzuki has used the Recovery skill Invincible General on Hyousuke Suzuki, Misato Fushihara, and
Umie Akabane!
  | Defense: Hyousuke Suzuki gains 1 Limit!

AS: Take! Misato Fushihara takes 0 Recovery healing from Hyousuke Suzuki's Invincible General.
  | Def_Up (Block Improved!) and Spd_Up (Avoid Improved!) added!

AS: Take! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 0 Recovery healing from Hyousuke Suzuki's Invincible General.
  | Def_Up (Block Improved!) and Spd_Up (Avoid Improved!) added!

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.

Ririka's been to Sumaru TV before!

But, uh... the last time was far more eventful than she would've liked. She still has some rather strong feelings tied to the place. It's where she Awakened, after all.

Hopefully today will be a lot more low key, right?

But for the moment she's relaxed. Finals are rough, but she got to hang out with Suzume last night, and that was nice. And she was interested in seeing MUSES at work, eager to see how another musical group's process. Quietly, of course.

'Help.'

Ririka blinks, frowning as she cranes her head moments before Maria enters. Under her breath, to Suzume (and maybe also Yukari, if she's near) she says, "Guys, I think something's wrong."

And then suddenly it is very wrong as Joka Maria makes her entrance. "Shit--" She instantly reaches out with her senses to those she can identify. "Okay, all we need to do is subdue Sakurai-san and keep everyone else safe." She's digging in her bag for her Evoker. "Amph--"

And then Scion enters, and Ririka blinks. "Wha-- Who're--" But Scion gleefully announces her intentions and Ririka scowls. "If that's what you're planning, we'll stop you!" A battle on two fronts isn't ideal, but--

But disrupting waves emenate from those antennae, and Ririka clutches her head as they wash over her, the world swimming for a moment. "Ugh... that voice... that Resonance... I know that distortion..."

"... You're working with that bride, aren't you! Where is she?!"

"Amphion!" Her hand trembles for a moment before she pulls the trigger, and a giant stone man holding a golden lyre rises from the blue fire and shattering glass. Once formed, Amphion places a pair of headphones on Ririka's head.. "Silverman-san, please get out of here--I'll guide you as best I can but you need to get moving now."

She did warn Jun, and maybe the silver lining is here that he's not caught entirely unawares because of the warning. "Kashihara-san, Mishina-san, I'll support you guys!" She'll support SEES, too, but that goes without saying.

Yukari asks why Maria is doing this. "She called the Joker hotline," Ririka tells her. "On some guy from Shujin who dumped her. This is what happens to everyone who called the Joker Killer..." After a beat she adds, "... she did show up to try and stop him though."

"Let's find out what makes you tick." Ririka gestures to Scion, and maybe Yumi might be pelased Ririka is still using that lesson from their first encounter."Analysis!" Amphion strums, sending waves of Resonance at Scion, and Ririka listens as she tries to discern what she can. 

AS: Persona! Ririka Kawase has used the Almighty skill Full Analysis on Yua Ijuuin!
  | Insight: Ririka Kawase gains 1 Limit!

AS: Take! Yua Ijuuin takes 0 Almighty damage from Yukari Takeba's Masukunda.
  | Spd_Dn (Avoid Penalized!) added!

AS: Block Neutral! Yua Ijuuin takes 22 Pierce damage from Suzume Fukura's Poison Arrow.
  | Poison (Damage on end of turn!) added!

AS: Block Best! Yua Ijuuin takes 11 Pierce damage from Suzume Fukura's Poison Arrow. Critical Hit!
AS: Take! Yua Ijuuin takes 0 Almighty damage from Ririka Kawase's Full Analysis.
AS: Ririka Kawase's Strength Scan! Yua Ijuuin resists Elec!
AS: Ririka Kawase's Weakness Scan! Yua Ijuuin is weak against Fire!
AS: Ririka Kawase's Support Scan! Yua Ijuuin has passive skills Ailment Boost, Avoid Magical, Block Physical, Defender,
Elec Boost, Jamming, Null Rage, and Slash Boost!

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.

    Several of the things Maria has dealt with are things Umie could understand. It really isn't that hard to have a bad day; the universe is full of bad coincidences. You could call it bad luck, or...

    Somedays, it's just your Day of Joka.

    The trail of kegare coming from Maria lures Umie in; while she had been trying to keep an eye on the young woman from afar, she couldn't be *too* close. With her black(!) hair(of her wig) drawn back into a ponytail threaded through a sporty baseball cap (marked P for Aoba Penguins), Umie wears her usual nondescript white winter jacket, now over a over a baseball tee, and denim jeans. Added to that are a pair of glasses with thick, chic clear pink plastic frames and earrings, to throw off the shape of her face from being immediately noticable.

    How do you know when someone's about to transform? Wouldn't telling them about it just make things worse?

    None of these questions have answers, in Umie's mind. As for the third question(???)--

    "Heeeyy there. You into baseball?" This is the third question.

    The disguised Umie turns to the young man shooting his shot with her... a young man, dressed in a Sevens school uniform. First year, Umie recongizes, as she sees the color of the tie.

    Holding back a sigh, Umie tries to keep her expression neutral for the young man's sake. "Sorry, but--"

    ====NOW, AFTER UMIE LETS A BOY DOWN AS GENTLY AS SHE CAN====

    It turns out, the amount of time it takes someone about to fall to their curse is the length of time it takes for everything to go wrong despite a person's best efforts.

    'What is it!? Why can't I remember...!?' Confusion and chaos erupt; explanations are given, and people rise to the occasion.

    It's a perfect day to see a Badb, seemingly coming out of nowhere, the shriek erupting from the wan pale thing.

    It'd be a great entrance, but it also invites Maria to include the short young woman that comes with the Badb in her pursuit of violence.

    The short girl in the zipped up jacket holds a halfcovered hand to her head, keeping her hood on, as well as keeping that red half-mask from being knocked off prematurely.

    WELP, Umie'll just try *again*, pointing a red nail towards Maria.

    "Badb!"

    They both know what they're here for, after all. Time to get down to basics. 

AS: Take! Umie Akabane takes 0 Recovery healing from Hyousuke Suzuki's Invincible General.
  | Def_Up (Block Improved!) and Spd_Up (Avoid Improved!) added!

AS: Persona! Umie Akabane has used the Dark skill Final Warning on Maria Sakurai!
  | Ruin: Umie Akabane gains 1 Limit!

AS: Block Neutral! Maria Sakurai takes 49 Dark damage from Umie Akabane's Final Warning. Weak!
  | Panic (Damage when using Persona/Tandem!) added!

<Pose Tracker> Maria Sakurai has posed.

    Heeeere's Maria, but... she's not alone, even as the pulse of the kegare that's finally taken her over reverbates in time with the beating of one's own heart.

    Light shimmers around the thing that was Maria and ever so slightly, she turns her head towards Scion.

    "Ehhh? Are you here to help me? Thank you~" she chirps, going so far as to curtsy in the way that she might just have learned through her dance class. It's as if she's not even really parsing what Scion says they'll do with her if they win, or perhaps, she doesn't even care about it at all. "There's a lot of them, and I have such a long, long way to go before I can go and take him!" She laughs, gaily, the sound only cutting out once she spots a single person clutching at her head, abandoned on the stage.

    "Oh?"

    "What's this?"

    "Lisa-chan~ are you sad~?" she calls out, sing-song. "Did you forget something im~por~tant~?"

    But what's happened to her, Yukari asks.

    "You're here, too, Takeba-chan? Oh, that's right!" Even becoming a Joker, it seems, doesn't necessarily mean that Maria's any faster on the draw than before. "Don't you worry about me. This is the real me! Look at me! I'm free now~"

    If this is freedom, it hardly seems worth the cost.

    As Jun directs, Hyousuke is on the case, moving to keep Scion and her operative away from Maria, while keeping Maria away from someone like Lisa, who can no longer flee and certainly can't fight back as she is.

    "Guarding her, huh?" Maria sighs, an overdramatic sound. "What a good boy you are! What a lucky girl she is!" Maria cackles in clear wild delight. "If you're offering yourself up, then... you can be my trial run! Joker, come here!" The twisted parasite-Persona surges for Hyousuke, baring claws from its long fingers that hadn't been there before. "I'll only get to kill him once, so I've got to get it right!"

    She did call the Joker on her ex-boyfriend, as Ririka explains. And she did show up to try to stop the Joker, even without a Persona. A rumor once spread, though, doesn't much care for what those it affects, or what they would have wanted to do.

    Maria is a Joker. Her only goal is to take her ex-boyfriend's heart.

    But she's just as fine with starting with them before she gets to Tokyo. It's probably a bad idea to let her get to Tokyo or to let Scion take her.

    Maria giggles when Magus calls out to her, a high-pitched mad sound. "Madness? Hehe, wrong, dummy! I'm finally free! You're 'Magus', right? I remember you!" From where, though? "You'll play with me, right?"

    Magus says that she's not a very fun person.

    "Well, that's no fun at all--"

    She twirls out of the way of the first part of Magus' flurry, the blow scoring a glancing cut against Maria's skirt. Seemingly from nowhere at all, Maria manifests a long bladed polearm, twirling artfully as she brings to to bear against Magus' second blow before she again dances back out of the third, receiving another tear for her troubles.

    "Do you like to dance?" Maria asks, incongruently. "I was taking a dance class, you know! What I really like to do, is run! But I'll never run again--"

    Like a feral creature, she swings her blade for Magus, pirouetting in a way that is almost parody.

    "Is it okay? If I take off your legs?"

    A shriek cuts through the air, and for a single hopeful moment, Maria collapses to a knee under Badb's assault.

    "That wasn't~ very~ nice~" Maria chirps as she bounces handily up on her feet again. "Do you really think you can stop me, though?" she says to the masked Umie, her head turning to face her with that blank white-mask-face and wide red grin. "I'm only getting started, you know~"

    She snaps a finger, and her Joker Persona answers, a shimmering and dingy downpour of light cascading upon Umie. Does she feel... a little slower, perhaps?

    "Oh, Joker~" Maria calls out, and once more a terrible cone of weight and pressure cascades across the area before her. 

AS: Persona! Maria Sakurai has used the Slash skill Feral Claw on Hyousuke Suzuki!
  | Maria Sakurai takes 90 damage from Panic!
  | Pressure: Maria Sakurai gains 1 Limit!

AS: Weapon! Maria Sakurai has used the Slash skill Cleaving Arcs - Polearm on Misato Fushihara! 2 Hits!
AS: Persona! Maria Sakurai has used the Almighty skill Grav Break on Umie Akabane!
AS: Persona! Maria Sakurai has used the Earth skill Magry on Umie Akabane, Hyousuke Suzuki, and Misato Fushihara!
AS: Avoid Best! Umie Akabane takes 0 Almighty damage from Maria Sakurai's Grav Break.
  | Earth_Break (Earth Affinity Down!) added!

AS: Avoid Worst! Umie Akabane takes 131 Earth damage from Maria Sakurai's Magry. Critical Hit!

<Pose Tracker> Yua Ijuuin has posed.

    Lisa's talents on the stage are not singular, as Eikichi may hope to demonstrate, one day. No -- the thing which only she can do...

    Ginji will not find it difficult to escape, despite the warping surrounds. Perhaps they are not meant to trap the Unawakened, in the same way -- Miyabi, too, will find it possible to flee. Those people are fine, except...

    Scion turns to Lisa, pinpricks of red light beneath her hood focusing on her in a way which may leave her ill at ease. "Oh, cool!" She chirps, cheerfully. "You can't remember, either? Hey, we're bu~dd~ies!"

    The voice which emanates from those pink-swirling pearls does not sound like Yua's voice; much like Scion's own cheerful tone, this, too, has been shrouded in veils and confusion through Gretchen's power. "Think quickly, pheasant child. As sand through the hourglass is your friend's life spent."

    But there are challengers, here, to stop them -- such as the boy who came alongside Miyabi. Tatsuya Sudou's power dwells in his guitar case... and strangely, that power isn't tangible on Scion. Whoever this girl is... she's not Marked, like he was.

    No, the woman with the Mark is safely tucked away in a storage closet, Gretchen clipping through the shelves as she sits on a footstool as she works her dark magics. Luckily, she hasn't Invoked her Mark today... there's no blood, splattered on the inside of those veils.

    "Aww, c'mon!" Scion says, to Eikichi, and her pout is audible. "I might be a bad guy, but I'm not a bad guy! Don't you think this kinda thing is fun? You gotta! You're fightin' me with a guitar! Hey, hey, if you shred out a rockin' tune, is that thing gonna zap me? Show me! Show me!!!"

    Jun cries for Lisa to run away -- but Scion jumps in front of her, blocking her path. "Nope!" She chirps, cheerfully. "You're stayin', Silverman-senpai!" And Jun may feel a terrifying similarity between her carefree insistence and the sick attention of Sudou himself, some time ago.

    Is Lisa being targeted... for some reason, too...?

    "Creep, creep, creep... yeah, I do a lot of that!" Scion decides, cheerfully, missing the point of Yukari's words entirely. "Sneaky, sneaky Scion! Sneakin' into the signal box to wreck the subway for an afternoon! Just to give Sakurai-senpai a bad day, we held up everyone's day... it's super not efficient, but Joker candidates are special, y'know? Only folks what rang themselves and named a guy for death turn into those dolls! And we need them, for --"

    "For --"

    "Hey, Yumi, what do we need these guys for again?" Scion asks, head cocking to the side.

    "Sh-sh-sh-sh-sh," the Bride hushes her. "A thing unspoken to their ears, what shelters beneath rock and crevasse cannot see light of day, this thing, this..."

    "Ohhhh," Scion snaps her fingers. "Another one of them secrets. Got it!"

    She adds, pouting, "but you really didn't have to take the bounce outta my step, man..." Sukunda... more like suckyunda!!!

    Suzume, though -- Yumi has imperilled her and Ririka and Yukari here before, yes. Yumi's voice may be indistinguishable as Yua's -- but it's still perfectly identifiable as the Bride's. "History repeats," the Bride's voice transmits, grave. "Once more, with intention."

    Atalanta's arrows hail down, and Scion crosses her arms in front of her, as she receives them. "Aw, man!" She whines, "don't tell me I'm gonna be glitchin' more with an attack like that--!" How she perceives human ailments like being 'poisoned'...

    "Have fun fightin' the Joker, Magus-san!" Scion calls, across the way, and the worst part is it sounds like it's entirely genuine well-wishing. And to Hyousuke, she calls out, cheerfully: "Don't worry, be happy! I don't feel 'hurts' like you humans do! Sure, I had a weird glitch last time... but we sorted it out! Time for a nice fun fight! Yeah, that girl's got it!!" Oh no, Scion thinks Umie In A Hoodie is a kid, too...

    Her grin is audible, beneath her shrouding hood, as she turns to Ririka and salutes. "Yup yup! I'm a 'K-Series', so I have bonded relay functionality! So long as I'm up and fightin', the Bride can use me to do all sorts of stuff! But she's got a baby, so she's hidin' out somewhere safe to do it!"

    Ririka's Analysis pours over Scion, and as a tuning fork hums, she will find her music reverberating along the metal chassis and reporting back gears and electrodes rather than flesh and blood. She can sense that connection, relaying through Scion's antenna; the reason why she protected them from Yukari's shots, last time, is because they give her purchase in Scion's body. It is Gretchen's influence, then, which gives a slight thrum of discordance to the beats of fire weakness and shock resistance -- the Jamming Gretchen engages in so readily.

    "Okay, little buddy! Bang, bang!!" Scion chirps, as that little robot dinosaur's guns unfold to either side of his back and fire automatic rounds at Eikichi and Jun... and as things are right now, those bullets will do a lot more damage hitting Lisa. "YEAH!! Slash, bang! Come out, come out...!"

    Guardian rises, as lightning bolts slash towards Yukari, Suzume, and Ririka -- and rather than shocking, these ones are SHARP!

    "Hey, hey, Yumi," Scion wonders, looking up to the ceiling. "Can we go take Sakurai-senpai to kill a guy before we bring her back?"

    "We will see," Yumi promises, in that vague manner of a parent not willing to crush the hope of a WcDonalds run.

AS: Weapon! Yua Ijuuin has used the Pierce skill Gun Order on Jun Kashihara! 3 Hits!
  | Defense: Yua Ijuuin gains 1 Limit!

AS: Weapon! Yua Ijuuin has used the Pierce skill Gun Order on Eikichi Mishina! 3 Hits!
AS: Avoid Worst! Eikichi Mishina takes 76 Pierce damage from Yua Ijuuin's Gun Order.
AS: Avoid Best! Eikichi Mishina takes 24 Pierce damage from Yua Ijuuin's Gun Order.
AS: Persona! Yua Ijuuin has used the Slash skill Mind Slice on Yukari Takeba, Suzume Fukura, and Ririka Kawase!
AS: Counter Best! Eikichi Mishina takes 61 Pierce damage from Yua Ijuuin's Gun Order. Critical Hit!
  | COUNTER! Yua Ijuuin takes 65 Pierce damage in return for her attack! 

AS: Avoid Worst! Misato Fushihara takes 95 Slash damage from Maria Sakurai's Cleaving Arcs - Polearm. Critical Hit!
AS: Avoid Worst! Misato Fushihara takes 69 Slash damage from Maria Sakurai's Cleaving Arcs - Polearm.
AS: Block Worst! Misato Fushihara takes 74 Earth damage from Maria Sakurai's Magry.
  | Paralyze (Physical and Avoid Penalized!) added!

AS: Block Worst! Ririka Kawase takes 142 Slash damage from Yua Ijuuin's Mind Slice.
  | Panic (Damage when using Persona/Tandem!) added!

AS: Weapon! Yua Ijuuin has used the Pierce skill Gun Order on Lisa Silverman! 3 Hits!
AS: Avoid Best! Suzume Fukura takes 29 Slash damage from Yua Ijuuin's Mind Slice.
AS: Block Best! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 16 Slash damage from Maria Sakurai's Feral Claw.
AS: Block Worst! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 125 Earth damage from Maria Sakurai's Magry. Critical Hit!
AS: Avoid Worst! Yukari Takeba takes 153 Slash damage from Yua Ijuuin's Mind Slice.
  | Panic (Damage when using Persona/Tandem!) added!
Ruin has arrived from Historia: The White Chronicle.

<Pose Tracker> Ruin has posed.

There certainly is a storage closet. And within, there's a woman, sitting with her thoughts all alone.

"Boo."

Or is she? As a single whispered word tickles her right ear, upon her seat.

"Hahaha... did I startle you? Well, don't mind me, I'm only passing through. I was just looking for the restroom. I see you're staying off your feet..." The one in the Black Mask grins viciously. "... just as the Doctor ordered, hm? I'm so glad you're not doing anything that might risk your health, or that of your unborn child."

Then, saluting with a clawed hand, in a mocking fashion, "Well, I'll leave you to it. I'm rather certain I just took a wrong turn one chaos dimension over. Tata~now~

And then, without a word, he backs up into racks of clothes stored in the closet, and melts into them, seemingly vanishing without a trace.

AS: Take! Jun Kashihara takes 0 Recovery healing from Jun Kashihara's Bright Revel.
  | Crt_Up (Critical Up!) added! Atk_Dn removed!

AS: Avoid Best! Jun Kashihara takes 9 Pierce damage from Yua Ijuuin's Gun Order. Critical Hit!
AS: Avoid Best! Jun Kashihara takes 7 Pierce damage from Yua Ijuuin's Gun Order.
AS: You have 1 more attack in queue!
AS: Avoid Best! Jun Kashihara takes 9 Pierce damage from Yua Ijuuin's Gun Order. Critical Hit!

<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.

    "Thank you, Takeba-san, Kawase-san. I'll leave the support to you two for now," Jun says firmly to Yukari and Ririka. Yukari in particular seems much more adrift with what's going on, if her reaction to Maria JOKER is any indication. To be fair, he really doesn't know at all what's up with Scion, so it's not like he's that much more informed--something Ririka makes apparent when, alongside explaining context to Yukari, she names the Bride.
    
    The Bride... Jun's only encountered her once, at the Morimoto Sanitarium, but hearing that puts a lot into context. "Then you're..." he utters, staring wide-eyed at Scion and Welwetes. With the New World Order, he doesn't finish, because Hyousuke calls to Eikichi that they're with those who attacked Kasugayama recently. Jun whips a shocked stare at him. "You're serious?!"
    
    When he turns back to Scion and her raptor 'weapon,' his eyes have narrowed. That's harrowing news, and all the more reason to not back down here. Having a second healer and a Navigator around is thus a big relief--especially considering it's not just Lisa and Maria in danger, it's also Miyabi, Eikichi's girlfriend.
    
    Hopefully neither of Lisa or Miyabi will be too traumatized by the sign of people aiming what look like guns to their heads and pulling the trigger.
    
    Magus arrives--and if Jun didn't notice Misato's 'departure' with all the chaos and Tyrrha's much louder departure, so much the better for her. "Magus! I've been looking for you," he calls to her. He didn't come here looking for her, but how fortuitous that they ran into each other here all the same. "I'm glad for your support. Let's talk later!"
    
    He doesn't immediately recognize Umie--but when she summons her Persona, that's another story. Jun pretends not to know her; wearing a mask means you don't want to be identified, and Magus at least has a codename. He can trust her to help, and that's enough.
    
    He thus focuses in on Scion as she jumps in front of Lisa--whom she names as Silverman-senpai. His skin crawls for a number of reasons, not least of which is that similarity between her attentions and Sudou's. Jun closes his hand tight around his Briar Rose's stem as his stomach turns at the memory.
    
    He won't let anyone end up in a hell like that too. Especially not a friend.
    
    Especially when the NWO is apparently cultivating Jokers for some reason Scion's minder keeps her from sharing. That doesn't keep her from sharing other things, though--that she isn't human, that she's a 'K-Series' (whatever that is), that the Bride has a baby and that's why she's fighting on relay for her... Jun's eyes track up to Scion's antenna, then back to her. A relay, is it.
    
    "If she's taking orders remotely, then we may be able to impede her by taking out that antenna," he calls to the others. "Everyone, let's try to aim for that!"
    
    Scion directs Welwetes to open fire at that moment, and the raptor robot pulls a pair of guns and shoots at him and Eikichi. Thanks to the dance lessons Jun's been getting from Yua-sensei, he manages to weave and twirl out of the way of any direct hits--but even with lessons, he's still an unathletic person who dislikes heavy exertion. This particular one leaves him panting by the end.
    
    "Argeiphontes! Let's keep her at a remove from Lisa-san!" Jun directs his Persona. The grill-faced entity raises his spaceship caduceus, and two blasts of energy WHOOSHES towards Scion, one rapidly after the other, aimed to slam with invisible force into her and make her get away from her apparent secondary target. 

AS: Persona! Jun Kashihara has used the Wind skill Duo Zan on Yua Ijuuin! 2 Hits!

<Pose Tracker> Gozaburou Gessou has posed.

A stage door opens and a bespectacled short king looks into the stage where a literal Joker is in play. He takes a long sip from a beverage that probably took an intern 3 variations to get right. He watches the festivities for a moment, where a literal Joka was in play. Also there seems to be some familiar faces in the crowd...He was sure he remembered that cardigan girl and he knew of Umie for sure. Zabu considers for a moment. Does he help out his colleagues in their task of rounding up a Joker case?

 Nah.

 Zabu was busy painting miniatures and reading Cheddar the blind item gossip columns.

 No, the Bride and hers could handle this one. For now, Zabu would be painting dark elves and their conquest for sensation.

 So the stage door shuts and Zabu is off to yell at an intern. 

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.

As soon as Suzume speaks to Ririka and Yukari, she's off like a shot. She actually vaults one of the rows of chairs toward the stage and runs across several seats, sending the folding chairs skittering as she picks up speed. It's a miracle she doesn't stumble when she does it -

Oh, wait, she actually did, but not so badly that she entirely lost control when she did. She turns it into a hopping step off the chair as it shifts under her and ends up going into a roll, but a controlled one. It rolls her into another line of seats and half-under one of them.

It has the added advantage of dodging the worst of the razor lightning, which blasts into some of the chairs, including the one Suzume is using as cover. It's loud, and one of them blasts apart; a chunk of a folding chair's crossbar thumps into Suzume's back, hard enough to drive her belly-first to the ground instead of on hands and knees. She's still able to pick herself up, though she'll feel the bruise later.

Suzume pops up again, and now - very suddenly - she's armed.

Absent her tonfa, Suzume has picked up the horizontal struts from the blasted-apart folding chair and is holding them like a pair of combat batons. It's not quite the same, but it's *close enough* that she doesn't feel incredibly awkward holding them, like she did the one time she picked up one of Aragaki's bigger weights. The shorter batons are more her style.

She scrambles the rest of the way toward the stage, leaping up and planting herself in front of Lisa. "Get back!" she repeats. "I'll keep you safe, just start moving!" She scowls at Scion and Guardian over her crossed chair-bit batons, held like an X before her.

All of a sudden, she lunges forward. Suzume comes in fast, spinning one of the batons in her hand while lashing out with the other, a fast one-two flurry that she finishes with a more powerful double-thrust. She's more trying to push the other girl over with that one, but - are those talons going to stop her from stumbling??

"What the heck is a K-series?" Suzume hesitates for a moment, looks down at the metal talons, and something clicks: "You're a machine!" A machine with a Persona - Suzume would never have guessed it if she didn't already know Aigis. Also the robot dinosaur is a giveaway. Maybe it's its Persona? Well, no - dinosaurs don't have Personas.

DO THEY? They've got guns, after all... apparently... It's enough to make Suzume actually think about it for a moment. "How come I don't have a robot dinosaur?" she murmurs, more to herself than meant for anyone else.

But she has more important things to worry about: "Not gonna let you take off with *anyone*, actually. HEY, IF YOU CAN HEAR ME," Suzume raises her voice, perhaps assuming that Yumi cannot if she doesn't, "buzz off! Wasn't once enough?" Suzume drops back into a defense position, giving Lisa the opportunity to run - if she chooses to take it! 

AS: Weapon! Suzume Fukura has used the Strike skill Flurry Strike on Yua Ijuuin! 3 Hits!
  | Pressure: Suzume Fukura gains 1 Limit!

AS: Suzume Fukura spends Limit on Shift! Lisa Silverman can use another Weak skill this round!
AS: Avoid Worst! Lisa Silverman takes 85 Pierce damage from Yua Ijuuin's Gun Order. Critical Hit!
AS: Avoid Worst! Lisa Silverman takes 68 Pierce damage from Yua Ijuuin's Gun Order.
AS: Avoid Best! Lisa Silverman takes 13 Pierce damage from Yua Ijuuin's Gun Order.

<Pose Tracker> Lisa Silverman has posed.

Sheba clings perhaps a little too tightly to her manager, her fear causing her to stare at Lisa as she screams. "Lisa-chan!" she calls. "What's wrong!? Why won't you come with us!?"

Miipo tries to run back to Lisa, but Ginji's hand snaps out to find her wrist. "No!" he says. "Do you want them to have to save both of you!?"

Lisa doesn't even look up at Eikichi, but his presence makes the world stutter-stop for her; everything turns inverted colors for a bare instant in a flash of resonance. Blood rushes in her ears. She doesn't hear Yukari promising to protect her; she doesn't hear Magus or Ririka insisting that she get out, or Hyousuke calling for someone to get her.

She couldn't anyway, with Scion in the way.

Scion, who's.. her buddy? "Aaah!" Lisa calls again, because it's worse being reminded. She doesn't even seem to realize the sheer danger she's in. But...

'Lisa-chan, are you sad~? Did you forget something im~por~tant?'

And though she doesn't know why, Lisa's eyes fill with tears. It was important. It was so, so important...

In the next moment, Lisa realizes it--she is on the precipice of something. On the precpice of something terrible, of...

"I won't..."

She stays doubled over, fingers splayed beside her ears, and screams.

"I won't break my..."

Break what? It's almost on the edge of her memory. Yua will be able to feel it--the imposition of something Other, something that should never be again. But Lisa feels it, too. She feels it. There is something only she can do...

And Lisa Silverman rejects that path with all her heart, that horrid moment that could cost her almost everything she loves.

"No." Lisa rises to her feet, and while she's unsteady, she still stands. "'My' world... the one I'll fight for. That's all I need. 'My' feelings, today--not this thing I don't even know!"

Lisa brings up a hand and curls it into a fist in front of her chest, as blue light surges in a column all around her.

The voice echoes in her mind: "I am Eros. You, who have so much to live for... Take up my arrows, and kindle the love you desire. I shall be your strength, my other self..."

With that, a Persona manifests: a shadowy figure in white and red, with snowy fur and red hearts; a sash of red hearts, bracelets, a thigh band, and a small bow held in her left hand that also resembles a heart. Red sunglaasses and tiny pink wings complete the look.

"Kehhei!" Whatever it means, Lisa sounds angry when she says it. But that's about the moment that she realizes that Suzume just saved her--that her friends are in danger. Jun is helping her--but he could be hurt, too. ...She can help them.

"Come forth, Persona!" It's easy; it's like she's done it before. It's hard; it's like it's never been. But Eros rises all the same, the blue light shimmering all around Lisa.

BGM: Persona 2 EP Boss Theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXNVreNk9lk

Eros fires her bow into the sky--and light shines down in front of others, in front of Yukari, Lisa, Jun, and... Eikcihi!? The barrier shimmers for a few moments in front of them all as spectral plates rise fromt he ground.

"Hey!" Lisa calls. "I'm not done yet!"

She rushes Scion--and swings in with a too-quick right hook--and a second, right after. "Hah!"

Ginji drags Sheba and Miipo both out of the way...

But he looks back, when Lisa's Persona awakens. Just for a moment. If he smiles, then no one can see it. 

AS: Persona! Lisa Silverman has used the Recovery skill Line Guard on Lisa Silverman, Jun Kashihara, Eikichi Mishina,
and Yukari Takeba!

AS: Take! Lisa Silverman takes 0 Recovery healing from Lisa Silverman's Line Guard.
  | Phys_Safety applied!

AS: Take! Jun Kashihara takes 0 Recovery healing from Lisa Silverman's Line Guard.
  | Phys_Safety applied!

AS: Weapon! Lisa Silverman has used the Strike skill Whip Punch on Yua Ijuuin! 2 Hits!
  | Aggression: Lisa Silverman gains 1 Limit!

AS: Avoid Neutral! Yua Ijuuin takes 64 Wind damage from Jun Kashihara's Duo Zan. Critical Hit!
AS: Avoid Worst! Yua Ijuuin takes 96 Wind damage from Jun Kashihara's Duo Zan. Critical Hit!
AS: Take! Yua Ijuuin takes 64 Strike damage from Suzume Fukura's Flurry Strike.
AS: Block Neutral! Yua Ijuuin takes 13 Strike damage from Suzume Fukura's Flurry Strike. Critical Hit!
AS: Block Worst! Yua Ijuuin takes 27 Strike damage from Suzume Fukura's Flurry Strike. Critical Hit!
AS: Take! Yukari Takeba takes 0 Recovery healing from Lisa Silverman's Line Guard.
  | Phys_Safety applied!

AS: Take! Eikichi Mishina takes 0 Recovery healing from Lisa Silverman's Line Guard.
  | Phys_Safety applied!

<Pose Tracker> Eikichi Mishina has posed.

Eikichi nods when Jun hits him with the Persona magic, grinning widely. "Thanks Kashihara!" He gives the very pretty man a thumbs up and turns back to the NWO stooge and her...dog? "That's a robot Dinosaur, dude. -but- these are the assholes messing with my school?! Then I gotta get serious." He cracks his neck, giving a devilish grin.

 "Thanks Kawase!" Eikichi nods as he bounces on the heels of his feet, getting ready to fight a goddamn dinosaur. Dreams really do come true.

 But Scion's pout makes Eikichi's enthusiasm drop slightly as confusion sets in. "I mean...the case is the gun. My guitar is primed to rock faces clean off!" He tilts his head as he grins bizarrely at his opponent.

 The little robot dinosaur opens fire, prompting Eikichi to dive to the side, taking a round in the leg. He winces as he moves to return fire, taking another round to his side before he opens fire with his machine gun guitar case.

 After a moment, Eikichi moves to get back to his feet, still smiling despite the sharp pain running through him. "Nah....you're gonna have to pay to hear my song. I ain't gonna sing for someone who shot me!"

 "Rhadamanthus!" Eikichi calls out as he snaps his fingers with his free hand, grinning as the motorcycle humanoid appears next to him with an audible crash. The Persona begins to summon a sphere of crystal clear water, pulsating as it grows in size. Finally, the sphere rockets away with Eikichi and his Persona, aiming to soak the tiny robot dinosaur and hopefully short circuit it. 

AS: Persona! Eikichi Mishina has used the Water skill Aqua on Yua Ijuuin!

<Pose Tracker> Misato Fushihara has posed.

Hyousuke calls upon his Persona. Magus feels Achilles's strength reinforcing her defenses, making her that much tougher. She might need it - though she won't admit that.

"...My thanks." She offers a nod his way.

And Scion responds to her statement of defiance with... well wishes?? Is she... not taking this seriously?

"I suppose this would be fun for you." Magus replies. "...I might as well try to get some entertainment out of this."

And Maria... recognizes her? She giggles with an awful, high-pitched sound. Where has she seen her? ...Was she still around any of those times at Sevens, perhaps...?

"'Freedom', is it? From where I'm standing, you're more bound than I am." Magus replies. "Dancing to the tune of the curse piloting your body."

She responds poorly to the insistence that she isn't any fun. She dances out of the way of her strike, before drawing a polearm out of nowhere.

Magus is, of course, no strange to impossibly concealed weapons - but in these close quarters, that doesn't make it any easier to defend against them. Her blades are fended off - and then she swings the polearm out. Magus tries to leap back out of the way, but the long weapon still catches her, carving across her cloak to plumes of blue flame. She seethes, stumbling back as she lands.

She does dance. They share the same dance class, in fact... but she can't tell her that much. More pressingly... She'll never run again, hm...? ...That strikes a chord with her. But she can't let that show on her face... or let sympathy stay her blade.

"Is that what this is about? I get it, so I can sympathise... but you aren't the only one who's suffered." Magus replies. "Sorry. I can't let you do that. I still rather need them."

A crushing pressure falls upon her, and Magus braces herself. She can only mitigate the landing, as the force slams her into the ground roughly, leaving a light crater. With a grunt of effort, she forces herself to her feet.

...Maria truly is dangerous, in this form. She'll need to adjust her tactics appropriately.

As she picks herself up, she looks toward Jun as he calls out to her. He's been looking for her? Did he learn something, then?

"Very well, Jun Kashihara." She acknowledges. "Yes, later - for now, focus on survival."

And to that end, she reaches for her mask.

"Nitocris!" Magus calls out. A woman of regal bearing in Egyptian royal garb materializes behind her. The effect may not be evident right away - but outwardly, as she draws upon her power, she appears more injured than Maria's attacks truly left her. It's not traditional healing - but it may make the difference by causing her opponent to misjudge how much effort is needed to take her down.

"Crush her, Nitocris!" Magus demands. The woman extends her hand and arrows of water begin to materialize in the air around Maria - and then with a snap of her fingers, they all fly toward her at once. 

AS: Misato Fushihara spends Limit on Life Mend!  +75 HP to Misato Fushihara!
AS: Persona! Misato Fushihara has used the Water skill Aqua Crush on Maria Sakurai!
  | Pressure: Misato Fushihara gains 1 Limit!

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.

It's true that while Yukari knows Maria, has been friendly with her, worked together... that she's quite adrift on why she might be in this state.

"Free from what!?" Yukari exclaims at Maria's assertation that she's free. "This isn't like you at all! Nothing about how you're acting makes sense!"
 
Ririka tries to explain to her though that she called the- "What do you mean she called the JOKER KILLER? HER? Over some guy?" Then a moment later as it all sinks in, "You can't be serious!"
 
...
...
...
 
There's a long-suffering sigh, cut with immense frustration over the idea that someone would try to murder someone else over being dumped.
 
"Right. Okay. I'm still not letting some creep stick her in the neck with a TRANQUILIZER!"
 
And speaking of creeping-!
 
'Creep, creep, creep... yeah, I do a lot of that!'
 
"You know that's not something to brag abo- you did WHAT?" As she seems taken aback, "Are you kidding me, you set her up for this to happen!?"
 
Then she invokes the bride and- "Is it really healthy for her to even be doing that right now?" She grimaces, because, come on- then- a Robot Dinosaur suddenly has guns!?
 
"Wait- don't fire those! You'll hit-" As she looks towards Lisa in alarm, before they just start going off-
 
"Io! Help us!" And so the Persona tries to intercept several of the fired bullet streams, right as sharp lightning cuts into her pink cardigan.
 
But a few bullets dealt with, isn't going to save Lisa. What is- is going to be Suzume taking off with the speed of her Persona.
 
"You got her! ... Great work." But she definitely doesn't expect what comes next, as Lisa speaks of the world she'll fight for rather than- something she doesn't remember. There's a blink of her eyes, "But-" She knows Lisa does Kung Fu, but- this isn't a kind of fight for that! And yet, with a flash of resonance, she sees.
 
"... No way. Lisa has a Persona!?" There's no Evoker either... "Does that mean she played that old kid's game?"
 
Somewhere... out there... Katsuya Suou likely feels like he's withered a full decade.
 
And as Eros manifests to protect her with Spectral Plates- "Thanks! But just so you know-"
 
Yukari places the Evoker to her forehead again and suddenly hopes Lisa doesn't think she's trying to kill herself, as she pulls the trigger, Io manifesting to send out a wave of healing energy.
 
"-I'm definitely going to return the favor."
 
Lisa a Persona User, Maria- someone who called the Joker Killer on an Ex.
 
Scion a...
...
...
...
...
 
Robot Stalker?
 
This is a really weird day for her.

<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.

Hyousuke wasn't sure whether it was Maria or the parasite talking at that point. He wanted, in his heart of hearts, for everything she said to simply be a fabrication, or innocuous feelings dialled up to their very extremes. But Tamaki had warned him against such thoughts, and he knew they had to be born of something. So when he ordered Achilles to block the blow, he could not decide whether to look at her with abject scorn, with pity and understanding, or with some expression that lay between the two.

"You're not getting to kill him at all!" Hyousuke called out, shouting over the screeching of claws on sheer bronze. Each razor tip dragged forth a welter of orange sparks, their glow fading into nothingness as the supernatural shards of metal disintegrated into the ether. Achilles and Hyousuke both stood firm, barely even moved from the attack, much less damaged. "So go ahead and do your worst! We're taking Maria back, and we're sending that curse back where it belongs!" Hyousuke, an infinitely lucky man that had never had anything bad happen to him ever, had just jinxed himself.

Umie and Magus joined the fight - neither of which he knew particularly well, and neither of which he trusted fully, but they at least appeared to be on his side for this fight in particular. He made to surge forth and join them, attacking Maria with all he had in the hopes of driving back the thing that had infested and puppeteer her body, but another wave of gravitational force heaved into him like the weight of thousand fathoms of water. He cried out in pain, feeling the very fibres of his flesh straining like taut rope beneath the force, while his bones creaked and bent until they verged on cracking.

Achilles could not block sheer force. Shot and sword, perhaps, but a fundamental law of the universe? That could only be mitigated so much. Hyousuke collapsed to one knee, hissing out "Son of a bitch!" through clenched teeth, though even those felt like they would be ripped from his gums. Assuming he did not grind them to dust against each other before that. Even so, he staggered to his feet, no matter how his body screamed at him that he had not the strength nor the stamina to do so.

"Not... going down that easy. But now it's my turn." Hyousuke snarled, speaking through clenched teeth, bared as he twisted his lips into a grimace that verged on a grin. But before he had a chance to launch a counterrattack, there was something else. There was *someone* else. Lisa was behind him, still in danger from Maria and Scion both, screaming and in looked to be great pain. "SILVERMAN-SAN! What the hell are you waiting for?! Get out of he-" He didn't finish the thought. He couldn't. Not when he saw that manifestation of her power.

Red and pink and white, an archers weapon and decorated with hearts... There was no mistaking that Lisa had awakened. He knew not how, nor what powers she had Awakened to, but there was little doubting that she was on their side and ready to fight. The knuckles cracking over her enemy's face only served as proof of that. Though he had questions aplenty, Maria took precedence over it all. And now that he didn't have to worry about protecting someone without the strength to defend themselves, there was little that could stand in his way.

"Achilles!" Hyousuke shouted, once more calling on his Persona's power, his own limbs weighed down as if clung to by the very air around him. "Rip 'em apart!" There was a great creaking of metal as the general strained against the fetters of gravity, but even then, his phenomenal strength won out. There was a flash of bronze as he heaved his sword down, and cut at Maria's arm, striking with force and precision in equal measure. 

AS: Persona! Hyousuke Suzuki has used the Slash skill Limbsever on Maria Sakurai!
  | Defense: Hyousuke Suzuki gains 1 Limit!

AS: Persona! Yukari Takeba has used the Recovery skill Naiad Mediarama on Yukari Takeba, Lisa Silverman, Ririka Kawase,
and Hyousuke Suzuki!
  | Yukari Takeba takes 90 damage from Panic!
  | Support: Yukari Takeba gains 1 Limit!

AS: Yukari Takeba spends Limit on Shift! Lisa Silverman can use another Weak skill this round! Hyper (Next Attack
Boosted/Incoming Damage Down!) applied to Lisa Silverman! They both receive 8 SP and 30 HP!
AS: Take! Lisa Silverman takes 143 Recovery healing from Yukari Takeba's Naiad Mediarama.
AS: Take! Yukari Takeba takes 118 Recovery healing from Yukari Takeba's Naiad Mediarama.
AS: Take! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 144 Recovery healing from Yukari Takeba's Naiad Mediarama.
AS: Block Worst! Maria Sakurai takes 35 Water damage from Misato Fushihara's Aqua Crush.
  | Atk_Dn (Damage down!) added!

AS: Block Neutral! Maria Sakurai takes 34 Slash damage from Hyousuke Suzuki's Limbsever.
  | Atk_Dn (Damage down!) added!

AS: Hyousuke Suzuki spends Limit on Help Up! Panic removed from Yukari Takeba!
AS: Take! Ririka Kawase takes 118 Recovery healing from Yukari Takeba's Naiad Mediarama.

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.

    'Did you forget something im~por~tant~?'

    Maria zeroes in on Lisa verbally, along with Scion, though her attention is physical.

    It lends itself to suspicious little thoughts that there may be more at play here, like a cold finger trailing against one's back. Seeing Eikichi and Jun there, Umie is reminded of the conspiracy that connects them to Sudou's own delusions.

    ... And there, Umie regains her momentum. If there is something here, they're here to stop it.

    It'll be fine, or her codename (the one Umie only uses with Tamaki) isn't Mitsuhide!

    'I won't break my...'
    'That wasn't~ very~ nice~'

    Umie feels it: a vow, the first summoning of a new Persona, possibly a new resonance, and Maria, *still there*, and even more up close and dangerous.

    Whether Umie was distracted or not, the power of someone cursed by Joker is not to be safely ignored.
    
    Light slows Umie's steps, followed by pressure.

    "Ngh!" Umie presses a hand to her hood and mask as she falls back on one foot, then two, pacing back. "It's not Sakurai-san speaking, not directly," Umie adds quickly for Magus's sake, through gritted teeth. "It's making a mockery of her..."

    This is, after all, a person who ran to her ex's defense to warn him, even if she was the one who called the Joker on him... and then herself, by accident.
    'Can we go take Sakurai-senpai to kill a guy before we bring her back?'

    "... And what she went through!" Umie hisses.

    A finger is pointed towards Maria now, even if it almost pointed at Scion.

    In an echo of feathers, Badb suspends herself in the air, lips coy, delighted--

    ---as an ill moon of omen draws down, and the girl in the white jacket tenses. 

AS: Umie Akabane spends Limit on Exploit! Umie Akabane can use another Weak skill this round!
AS: Persona! Umie Akabane has used the Almighty skill Hooded Smile on Maria Sakurai!
  | Ruin: Umie Akabane gains 1 Limit!

AS: Persona! Umie Akabane has used the Dark skill Bad Moon Rising  on Maria Sakurai!
  | Umie Akabane takes 45 damage from Stress!

AS: Umie Akabane spends Limit on Medicine!  +75 HP to Umie Akabane!
AS: Avoid Neutral! Maria Sakurai takes 0 Almighty damage from Umie Akabane's Hooded Smile.
  | Charm (Attacker or Ally takes Damage!) added! Panic removed! Explosion! 74.25 damage!

AS: Block Worst! Maria Sakurai takes 0 Dark damage from Umie Akabane's Bad Moon Rising . Weak!
  | Omen (Damage in 2 rounds!) added!

AS: Block Worst! Yua Ijuuin takes 65 Strike damage from Lisa Silverman's Whip Punch. Critical Hit!
AS: Block Worst! Yua Ijuuin takes 48 Strike damage from Lisa Silverman's Whip Punch.
AS: Avoid Neutral! Yua Ijuuin takes 102 Water damage from Eikichi Mishina's Aqua. Critical Hit!

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.

Maria is... thanking Scion. "Hey, you know you don't get to walk out of this if they win, right? And there's no way we're letting you kill that guy, even if he was a jerk to you. Do you remember?" she urges. "You tried to stop the Joker Killer. You took a swing at the guy!" Without a Persona, even. "That's who you really are! You have to remember!"

But Scion calls out to Yumi to ask what they want toe Jokas for. "You attacked a Subway? How did you know Sakurai-san was one of those people?" Was Scion or Yumi there at the attack? She doesn't remember seeing either of them... is there another way to tell?

Questions for later.

But she scowls as Yumi announces that history repeats. Once more, with intention. "Sorry, but we're shutting your show down! You're not getting your hands on Sakurai-san."

She blinks a moment later. "A 'K-series'...? So you're keeping her and her baby out of danger..." Well, relatively out of danger. She can't account for a sudden appearance of the Black Mask in a closet.

But she listens, eyes closed, as the sound boucnes back. "Weak to fire, but strong against electricity..." She frowns. "But-- you sound like..." Her eyes fly open. "Wait are you a robot?! Or-- or a cyborg? No, it's definitely robot, right?" Look, she's never scanned Aigis to compare.

But she's too distracted by 'Holy crap is that a second robot?!' to get out of the way of the blades that are summoned forth. She takes a solid hit against her middle and staggers backwards, clutching her stomach and almost dropping to her knees. Panic grips her, but she shakes her head and tries to force her thoughts to organize. "Get a grip..."

"Welcome, Kashihara-san..." if she can provide context, well--information is what Navigators deal with, right? Right. "Yeah, they're bad news," is all she has to add about them being with the NWO. Jun has a good suggestion, though. "... right."

Ririka actually admires Suzume's leap over the row of chairs--but lets out a worried "Fukura-chan!" when she sees the stumble, and is relieved to see her recover.

Lisa is struggling with something--Ririka doesn't ahve any way of knowing what. But she can feel the surge of Resonance as Lisa Awakens. Ririka gasps. "Lisa-san? You--" Well, she's in it, now. "Then I'll be supporting you, too, Lisa-san."

Ririka wishes she didn't have to feel the part of the Joker Killer's sword Eikichi took, but she pushes past that as best she can.

She winces as Yukari has a very... emphatic reaction to the information supplied. "Apparently the asshole dumped her while she was still in the hospital, so, you know. I don't approve but I get it? And she tried to stop him." But she feels the ache from the cut she took earl8ier ease with Yukari's magic. "Thanks, Takeba-san."

It's a little easier to stnd upright now.

There's a lot going on. And a very complicated situation. Ririka gestures for her Persona. "Amphion! Give us a rousing melody to keep our energy up!"

Amphion plays a fast, lively melody on his Lyre, and an the strains of an energetic tune settle in around Lisa, Yukari, Eikichi, and herself to help keep their energy up for the long fight ahead. 

AS: Persona! Ririka Kawase has used the Recovery skill Energizing Song on Ririka Kawase, Lisa Silverman, Yukari Takeba,
and Eikichi Mishina!
  | Ririka Kawase takes 90 damage from Panic!
  | Insight: Ririka Kawase gains 1 Limit!

AS: Take! Eikichi Mishina takes 0 Recovery healing from Ririka Kawase's Energizing Song.
  | Vigor (SP restored on end of turn!) added!

AS: Take! Ririka Kawase takes 0 Recovery healing from Ririka Kawase's Energizing Song.
  | Vigor (SP restored on end of turn!) added!

AS: Take! Lisa Silverman takes 0 Recovery healing from Ririka Kawase's Energizing Song.
  | Vigor (SP restored on end of turn!) added!

AS: Ririka Kawase spends Limit on Shift! Suzume Fukura can use another Weak skill this round! Hyper (Next Attack
Boosted/Incoming Damage Down!) applied to Suzume Fukura! They both receive 8 SP and 30 HP!
AS: Jun Kashihara spends Limit on Help Up! Panic removed from Ririka Kawase! Hyper (Next Attack Boosted/Incoming Damage
Down!) applied to Ririka Kawase! They both receive 8 SP and 30 HP!
AS: Take! Yukari Takeba takes 0 Recovery healing from Ririka Kawase's Energizing Song.
  | Vigor (SP restored on end of turn!) added!

<Pose Tracker> Maria Sakurai has posed.

    "Is that so?" she tells Ririka, and then shrugs. "Does it even matter? If I can't get to him first, I'll just kill all of you, instead!"

    Is there anything like self-preservation left here, at all?

    Maria emits a high-pitched giggle at Yukari's apparent shock. "Hehe, are you suprised? He dumped me, so I got back at him~" she says cheerily. "Don't you think that's fitting for a boy who plays with a girl's heart? He'll be mine, forever, when I'm done~"

    Her ex-boyfriend had broken up with her while she was in a hospital bed, in traction, as a matter of fact. But do the whys of it really matter when it's still an attempted murder?

    What Maria's doing right now is also, technically, an attempted murder.

    She won't get to kill him at all, Hyousuke tells her. "Really~? You'd protect someone even like that? Hehe, aren't you noble~" she chirps half-mocking at him. "The world's better off without boys who hurt an innocent girl's heart!"

    Innocent girls who, apparently, attempt to commit murder by rumor.

    Lisa, making her determination known, declares that she won't remember.

    "Won't you? Isn't it sad, not knowing what you've lost?" Maria calls out, still in the thick of her own engagement.

    Lisa caps off her declaration with vow: she'll fight for this world, she'll ensure nothing ever happens to this world, her reality, her now. And through that, she awakens.

    Maria's painted-on smile never falters but she laughs, delighted, at Lisa as she summons her Persona.

    "You've done it, Lisa-chan! There's no going back now~" she sing-songs, spreading her arms wide in her own fit of apparent joy.

    Is that her joy? Or is she, as Magus states, dangling from the strings held by another? "Maybe, maybe not," Maria tells her, beckoning her over with a few flutters of her fingers. "Why don't you see for yourself? Magus-chan? Or... do you want to stay where you are? That's fine, too," she tells her.

    But she can't have Magus' legs.

    "Really? That's a shame! Oh well~" She taps at her white-mask face with her fingertips. "You know--"

    Whatever she'd been about to say is silenced with the sudden rush of aquatic arrows, flying all at once to smash into her at once. Maria is simply knocked backwards, sprawling on the floor of the recording studio.

    "That's not very nice," she complains, on her knees as she tries to get back up on her feet again. Before she's done more than rise halfway, Achilles hacks into her, evoking a sound from Maria that's both shriek and manic laughter as she draws away from his Achilles, her arm tucked against her stomach.

    "I see you're just like the rest of them," she declares, positively ecstatic. "Boys are all the same! But don't worry, I'll fight you to your heart's content! Isn't that what you want to do?"

    It's not Maria, Umie says. It's something else that's making a mockery of her, and everything that happened to her.

    "Ooh! Clever! I'm only a silly, dumb girl, you know. I can't hold a candle to the rest of you! Whatever I do, I can't, ever, keep up--"

    A shadow falls upon her: a bad moon rises. The die has been cast. Will they survive long enough to see the omen bear bitter fruit.?

    "But that's okay, you know! I'll tear all of you apart myself!"

    Cards cascade across the field. They're mere phantoms: touch one, and your hand will go through it. A good eye might catch that each of the major arcana are visible in turn as the cards flip over face up and vanish. Something happens. Something's happened. Perhaps they even know the game by now.

    But which one of them is the lucky winner? Do they care to find out?

    It happens when Umie next calls upon Badb. The thing that answers the call isn't Badb at all, but the Joker Persona itself, erupting from Umie in a wild upward surge. Kegare swirls about it, a chaotic nebula of purple black force that erupts outwards like a dying star upon Hyousuke, Magus, and of course Umie herself. The Persona, grinning madly, vanishes. 

AS: Persona! Maria Sakurai has used the Almighty skill JOKER on Hyousuke Suzuki, Misato Fushihara, and Umie Akabane!
AS: Charm results in party damage! Maria Sakurai takes 90 damage!
  | Pressure: Maria Sakurai gains 1 Limit!

AS: Avoid Neutral! Umie Akabane takes 56 Almighty damage from Maria Sakurai's JOKER.
AS: Block Neutral! Misato Fushihara takes 93 Almighty damage from Maria Sakurai's JOKER.

AS: Block Best! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 28 Almighty damage from Maria Sakurai's JOKER.

<Pose Tracker> Yua Ijuuin has posed.

    'Boo.'

    Yumi's terror, as her eyes -- all four of them, if one counts from the pupils -- glance behind her, beneath her veils, transmits clearly along the empathic link between the assets. "Ah--!" She gasps, as her head turns, too.

    Her shock transmits, though the Black Mask's words do not. Hurriedly, she muffles the link, as she bows her head.

    "... we will grasp success and lash it to the back of progess," she promises, and there is something meek, to her voice, as she reassures the Enforcer's Enforcer. "Please think of us no more. The plan continues apace."

    With a dry swallowing, "... be well."

    He sinks into the rack of clothes, and she feels unsettled, as she realises she can no longer place him in space -- just as, for all her vast power, she couldn't detect his arrival.

    (Her arrival, of course, is something she let Zabu know about already... one must observe the niceities of territory, after all, and when Yumi strikes at Sumaru TV she of course first alerts him.)

    Scion, looking up, asks, anxiety in her own voice: "Yo, Yumi? Yumi? Heeeeyyyy???"

    "-- Scion," the Bride's voice transmits, and she is trying to be reassuring. "All is well. We fight to win."

    "Well, yeah?" Scion asks, head canting. "Who fights to lose? You're weird, Yumi."

    "... I know this," that voice transmits, a touch faint.

    "-- wait wait a sec hang on," Scion interrupts her psychic phone call (how considerate it's on 'speaker phone'!) to double-take to Jun. "Did you just say you were gonna screw up my ear antenna?! C'mon! Don't mess with the ears! I only get to stretch them out when we're on a mission!" So the antenna are connected to her ears...

    (The Bride, in her observational position, nods with grim satisfaction as she sees the moves Jun busts out. These are truly his 'Dancing Days'... because, you see, day comes before night.)

    But then -- Zan! Zan again! Two Zans! Argeiphontes uses forceful energy to force Scion to hop back... only for the second hit to strike her while she's still in the air, knocking her down!!

    Being Downed leaves Suzume with a key opening -- the first strike from her makeshift 'tonfa' bonks the claw-footed girl across the noggin soundly. The second two she manages to block more effectively, though they crash loudly against the metal of her arms. "That's easy," she starts to say --

    'You're a machine!'

    "Oh, yeah," Scion's grin is audible. "Gettin' down to nuts and bolts, I'm all nuts and bolts! But you like my little buddy? He's great, isn't he? Hey, little buddy! Chomp chomp!"

    Welwetes growls, "rah!", as he ambles up to Suzume to bless her with the gift of... biting her with those horrible little needle fangs! He looks a little like those remote-controlled toys which were all the rage a few years back, but... he's way too advanced to be one of those?! He doesn't have any kind of Persona Ririka can sense, though... he's just bristling with weapons.

    "I bet we could get you a robot dinosaur," Scion adds, cheerfully. "You wanna come with? I like the way you're attackin' me with a chair! I bet you could do it!"

    "No." The Bride's voice interrupts. "She does not suit our purposes."

    "Aww," Scion pouts. "Too bad..."

    "I hear you," Yumi confirms, for Suzume, then. "And it is not. We require much more from you than what you have thus given. This, we will take. Stand and deliver!" 'Hand over your valuables', in an old-timey sense...

    ... but their valuables, today, are Maria and Lisa.

    "There," the Bride's voice cuts in, her spectral attention intent on Lisa. "I taste it. You, who are chosen--! It must be you! LISA SILVERMAN!"

    The transmission builds, in its desperation: "Your world! Your world, my world, they're one in the same! Our world needs us, and I am yet deficient! Your feelings will tell you--!!"

    Scion, meanwhile, pauses as she's picking herself up to say, "... whoa."

    "I see it," the Bride urges Lisa, and there is a terrible hunger, to her voice. "Your power... your Persona. You know, Lisa Silverman. A power you must grasp. A role you now inherit. Bring your anger to us. Break your rage upon us! Through your retribution, our salvation!"

    "Yeah! Yumi's gettin' pumped!" Scion pumps her fist in the air, right as -- BLAM!

    RIGHT IN THE KISSER!

    Lisa punches a robot square in the jaw and she staggers; she follows up with a punch arching up from below which would strike her square in the solar plexus if she had one, but which on Scion simply provides an ample platform for Lisa to send her crashing into the wall of the studio.

    "Sooooooooooooo cool," Scion says, as she pries herself out of the hole she leaves there.

    "... oh wow, there's a gun in the guitar case?!" She zeroes in on, as her attention coems back to Eikichi. "Cool! I have guns hidden in my little buddy, too!" Welwetes, we note, had to do a power scurry to avoid getting riddled with holes back there. There are still a couple of bullet holes in his own chassis... he's gonna need some repairs too, huh?

    "That's fair," she adds, thoughtfully, hearing that Eikichi's song comes at a cost. "How much is it?" That's -- is she taking that as a literal --

    "Rah?" Welwetes looks up, his ocular sensors zeroing in on the sphere of water above him. "Araaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!" Cue the little velociraptor running away from the giant sphere of water like one of those giant boulders in those archeology action movies.

    Tragically... even though Welwetes power skids under a folding chair...

    ... Aqua crashes down, collapsing the chair and assaulting the very cute weapons platform in the process.

    "Your power is great," the Bride admits, of Eikichi, her spiritual pressure falling upon him for a moment. "You may yet aid our salvation, just as Lisa Silverman shall... though I regret that Jun Kashihara has rejected all hope of bridging hope to our present despair."

    "Sure did!" Scion flashes a 'V for victory' to Yukari, inappropriately, as she realises that she sabotaged the subway to ruin Maria's day. "But... is it healthy? I dunno, man. Like, when she uses that weird extra power of hers she starts coughin' up blood and stuff, and I'm pretty sure that's bad, but how she is normally she's just... kinda weird? Is bein' weird bad for your health?"

    "I am not in the business of sending children to fight my battles alone," is what the Bride transmits, much more seriously. "In this way, I grieve your present condition. Nevertheless, we fight."

    Yukari's healing wraps around everyone, and Scion says: "Whoa! You're real good at fixin' people!"

    Scion does not, perhaps, realise that it sounds like she's mocking poor Maria.

    "Why shouldn't she get to kill him?" Scion wonders, tilting her head as she considers Ririka. "He hurt her, right? Besides! If you let her kill him, that's good for you guys! She's gonna kill you if she can't kill him, did you hear that part?"

    She adds, to Maria: "You're right, y'know? Guys are so mean. Like, even my --"

    "Sh-sh-sh-sh," the Bride cuts her off.

    "Oh, right, secret," Scion's grin is audible. "Good luck, Sakurai-senpai! Tear them up!"

    Of the subway, she clarifies: "Yeah, the signal box! Apparently it's how the subways communicate with each other... when it broke, they all stopped moving! Everyone got held up for aaaages! And like, knowin' when Sakurai-senpai was goin' home was easy? Yumi's got this --" binder, she was about to say, before the Bride cuts in:

    "-- dossier," the Bride's voice corrects her. "In this business, it is her dossier. Her schedule, her habits... we are aware of them."

    'Cyborg', as it happens, is a startlingly apt description -- though Ririka felt no flesh and blood in there to confirm it, there is a strange sensation that all this metal and artifice is built upon something. It's a sense which is only supported by the strange vision of what must be her Persona: a living beast with so much metal plated upon it, binding and barding both.

    "Hey, nice song!" Scion adds, hearing Amphion's tune (though receiving n 

AS: Weapon! Yua Ijuuin has used the Pierce skill Bite Order on Suzume Fukura! 2 Hits!
  | Defense: Yua Ijuuin gains 1 Limit!

AS: Persona! Yua Ijuuin has used the Almighty skill Balzac on Lisa Silverman!
AS: Persona! Yua Ijuuin has used the Almighty skill Balzac on Eikichi Mishina!
AS: Persona! Yua Ijuuin has used the Slash skill Gale Slash on Yukari Takeba, Ririka Kawase, and Jun Kashihara!

<Pose Tracker> Yua Ijuuin has posed.

    "Hey, nice song!" Scion adds, hearing Amphion's tune (though receiving no benefit from it beyond the ability to tap her claw-foot to the beat). "How much do I owe you for that one?" Does -- does she think Ririka's charging, too?

    "Focus, Scion," Yumi urges her. "Eikichi Mishina, Lisa Silverman... drive them to rage. Deal with the others as you see fit."

    "You got it!" Scion salutes to the empty air. "Summonin'...!"

    Guardian rises again -- and all Scion's cheer and easygoingness seems to polarise, above Eikichi and Lisa, as they're painted with the rage of Balzac. His claws lash out, at the others -- spectral slices echoing through the studio!

    Except for Suzume, who, as we previously established, got nibbled on.

    Don't worry about Welwetes, he's fine.

AS: Avoid Best! Suzume Fukura takes 7 Pierce damage from Yua Ijuuin's Bite Order.
AS: Avoid Best! Suzume Fukura takes 7 Pierce damage from Yua Ijuuin's Bite Order.
AS: Avoid Best! Lisa Silverman takes 0 Almighty damage from Yua Ijuuin's Balzac.
AS: Block Best! Yukari Takeba takes 13 Slash damage from Yua Ijuuin's Gale Slash. Safety! Physical damage reduced!
AS: Block Neutral! Ririka Kawase takes 56 Slash damage from Yua Ijuuin's Gale Slash.
AS: Take! Eikichi Mishina takes 0 Almighty damage from Yua Ijuuin's Balzac.
  | Rage (Weapon Attack and Incoming Damage Up!) added!

<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.

    Suzume goes to Lisa's defense, capitalizing on Jun's Duo Zan at the same time, and so manages to keep Lisa safe--which is a relief, considering she seems beyond terrified. In fact, that reaction... there's something... extremely familiar about it...
    
    It's something Jun suddenly realizes he's experienced himself.
    
    It hadn't struck him when Scion had said it--he'd finally managed to put it out of mind--but when Lisa reacts like there's something she must not remember... that there's something she will not break...
    
    He pales. "Lisa-san--" he utters. He doesn't feel any kind of déjà vu around her--but he wouldn't, would he? He only met her after he awoke to Argeiphontes. After his Persona formed a shield between him and his self on the Other Side. He's barely felt any kind of déjà vu in ages thanks to that.
    
    So when Lisa declares she'll live for her world, not something that's beyond her memory and knowledge--when her Persona arises in a coruscation of light--he swallows hard. If Scion was actively targeting her... if she's taking orders from the Bride... was this her real goal all along? The Order's goal?
    
    The Bride confirms it. For all that the NWO tried to kill Sudou, they apparently share the same madness.
    
    Is this how Tatsuya always feels? This sick, rising horror at what should be a moment of triumph, because he can see a greater context that makes it anything but?
    
    ...There's no turning back now. Jun raises a metaphorical mask along with his flower to his chest as Lisa's defense-empowering magic washes up and over him. "Thank you, Lisa-san. Eikichi-kun--as her senpais in Personas, let's give her a demonstration on what to do!"
    
    Technically they're all her senpais in Personas, but it only felt appropriate to address Eikichi in particular. He says he's got to get serious, and however much he grins, Jun can only nod grimly in agreement.
    
    He made a promise with Tatsuya. He'll protect it... and them.
    
    That's why, when the Bride shrieks at them to be her salvation, then orders Scion to drive them to rage, he tells Eikichi and Lisa urgently, "Don't pay any attention to her--she's talking the same sort of nonsense the Joker Killer did." And who would ever listen to that man? "Keep your wits bout you and stay strong!"
    
    In the same way, when the Bride tries to rope him into this by mentioning how he won't fulfill that role, Jun straight-up ignores it. He must ignore it. Fortunately, Magus acknowledges his desire to talk. Jun takes that moment to give her a quick nod back. As she says, they've all got to focus on their own fights right now, and he won't distract her further until that's handled.
    
    That's especially important when Jun sees how Yukari reacts to being struck by lightning. He winces--but he gets it. This enemy's a dangerous one for both of them. Ririka provides some more context--Maria had regretted calling the Joker Killer, had tried to stop the killing--and that's a relief to hear on many levels, even if he can't focus on it right now.
    
    Ririka and Suzume, and then Scion herself, confirm what he'd figured: Scion is a machine. Scion then tells Jun not to target her antenna ears before Guardian lashes claws to send tearing force at gale speed around the room. Once again, Jun manages to dance out of the way (dancing all /day/), Lisa's protective magic easing the physical strain of doing so.

    "Miss, I must say, I appreciate your honesty," he tells her sincerely, right before raising his rose. "Argeiphontes! Disrupt her ears!"
    
    The golden-armored Persona raises his caduceus in a mirror of Jun. Slowly at first, until it hits a critical threshold and then rips and tears with speed, a massive gale surges around and into Scion. 

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.

Calling back to Yukari and Ririka over her shoulder, Suzume calls, "Don't worry, I'm fine! But I told you I'd cover you - and her. Leave it to me and we'll get this weirdo out of here!"

Suzume has to do her best to handle both Scion *and* Welwetes (and Guardian too, but it's a Persona... Suzume thinks... and comes included) while still protecting someone who she thinks can't fight back and protect herself. She's interposed herself, so now she just has to keep them off balance while handling unexpected issues.

And of all the things she was expecting, it was *not* Lisa to discover a Persona. "I told you to run!" Suzume isn't sure she can keep her safe if she's sticking around. But...

She can't really tell Lisa not to. She's already made her choice. And if she's anything like Suzume herself... Suzume wouldn't have been able to turn away. She hadn't, in fact. She'd stayed to protect Jiro, even when it looked like it would kill her to do it. How can she tell Lisa otherwise?

Suzume's grin returns, fiercer. "...but if you won't, at least stick with me!"

She wasn't expecting Scion's response to be what it is either - she's been surprised a second time. "I don't need one from you," she snaps, before: "Wait, why am I not good enough but *she* is?" Suzume's getting tired of being told she can't do things, or she isn't as good, or isn't up to the challenge; her tone gets legitimately angry. "She's just - she's not even involved! Get your robot hands off her!"

Suzume, maybe don't tell the NWO agent that they should capture you...

Welwetes snaps pointy teeth at her, and Suzume's reaction is completely instinctive; she jerks backwards just like she would if a dog snapped at her, and she jabs one of the 'batons' forward. Welwetes' teeth squeal against it, metal-on-metal, and Suzume's wrist twists painfully as he chomps down. She lets go of that particular length of metal because she doesn't know if Welwetes can bite through it or not and she doesn't want to find out the hard way!

Half-disarmed because now Welwetes has a new chew toy, Suzume pulls out her Evoker again. Sorry, Lisa, you have to watch her use it, but at least it's mostly obscured because she fires from the front, and Atalanta reappears above her.

Wind builds up on Suzume's remaining baton, swirling visibly green. She sweeps it, a shearing lash of air snapping back and forth as she swings forward and back - and then, raising the baton, the wind breaks up, scattering to - well, the four winds - as it swirls around herself, Lisa, Ririka and Yukari to speed their feet and ease their movements! 

AS: Persona! Suzume Fukura has used the Almighty skill Masukukaja on Ririka Kawase, Suzume Fukura, Lisa Silverman, and
Yukari Takeba!
  | Pressure: Suzume Fukura gains 1 Limit!

AS: Take! Suzume Fukura takes 0 Almighty damage from Suzume Fukura's Masukukaja.
  | Spd_Up (Avoid Improved!) added!

AS: Tandem! Suzume Fukura has used the Wind skill Wind Cutter on Yua Ijuuin! 2 Hits!
AS: Avoid Best! Jun Kashihara takes 16 Slash damage from Yua Ijuuin's Gale Slash. Critical Hit! Safety! Physical damage
reduced!
AS: Take! Lisa Silverman takes 0 Almighty damage from Suzume Fukura's Masukukaja.
  | Spd_Up (Avoid Improved!) added!

AS: Persona! Jun Kashihara has used the Wind skill Dangerous Garula on Yua Ijuuin!

<Pose Tracker> Lisa Silverman has posed.

'Isn't it sad, not knowing what you've lost?'

"I know what I have," Lisa says resolutely, though a part of her feels--her heart is breaking, and she can't remember why. But this is what she chose. This, not... whatever that other way would be.

A door closes. ...But it is not locked.

"Ugh, that guy has one of these!?" Lisa remarks as she looks at Eikichi's 'Death God'. She can suddenly see all of them--all these... Personas.

It's not past life memories that tell her that--it's the instinctive knowledge of a Persona-user. But Yukari has one, too. And--

"OK! Then we'll work together, Yukari-chan!" Lisa's glad to do that much. Except--Double take. "Is that a gun!?"

Pause. Look at Eikichi's 'guitar case'. "Is THAT a gun!?"

She'll get back to work in a moment--and that means, "We're protecting Maria, right?" Lisa confirms with the group who works strangely well together.

Ririka will support her, so that's good. There's more things to unpack later--for now, the calming (Lisa is this what you find calming??) music helps.

It helps her PUNCH a ROBOT!

...Because what comes from Yumi, from that transmission? It is anything but calming. It's painful, continues to remind her of that 'something' at the ends of her awareness. "My feelings tell me--"

POW.

"Ng Hai!" Lisa insists, in the tone of a no. "This' is my world! This world, where my friends are! Sheba, and Miipo, and Jun-san and Yukari-chan and Minako-chan! And my dance teacher! And all my friends fighting with me! Even that guy!" Eikichi??

"I don't understand what you want from me!" she cries. "But if you want me to turn my back on those things... I won't!"

'You've done it, Lisa-chan! There's no going back now~' Something disturbs Lisa deeply about the way this is said--but it's true. She made her choice. So, "What she didn't isn't as important as saving her now!" Lisa insists of Maria.

But Guardian and Scion both look to her, and Lisa feels a sudden rage nearly overcome her--but she shakes her head firmly, manages to throw it off. "Stop..." Lisa grunts, putting her hands to her ears, "MESSING WITH MY HEAD!"

She channels that anger into something productive--into rushing Eikichi. "And YOU! Brain-dyed Boss! Snap out of it!" She sees him getting just as messed up as she almost was--so she slaps him one across the face. At least it isn't a punch???

She turns back to Scion. "Whatever you're doing that pairs me with him... No, thanks! We're on totally different labels!"

Jun offers to show her what's waht--and advises her not to pay attention to the Bride's words. "You got it," she says. "Whatever she wants... I don't think I want it!"

Suzume says she told her to run, and Lisa shrugs almost helplessly--until Suzume follows up, and then Lisa grins. "That I can do! I won't fall behind!"

"EROS!" she calls, and Eros reappears, pulling back her bow-arm--as a sudden slamming FORCE comes down on Scion, a hammerblow of nothingness.

But with Yukari's opening, she can throw out another attack, as stones tumble down from the air onto Scion, too! 

AS: Lisa Silverman spends Limit on Help Up! Rage removed from Eikichi Mishina! Hyper (Next Attack Boosted/Incoming
Damage Down!) applied to Eikichi Mishina! They both receive 8 SP and 30 HP!
AS: Persona! Lisa Silverman has used the Strike skill Black Spot on Yua Ijuuin!
  | Aggression: Lisa Silverman gains 1 Limit!

AS: Persona! Lisa Silverman has used the Earth skill Magna on Yua Ijuuin!

<Pose Tracker> Misato Fushihara has posed.

The story is told. Magus may have heard some of this before, being in the same class... but there's a side of it she didn't know.

She called the Joker Killer...

...She's the last person who can judge her for that. She's felt the temptation before - but it wasn't any sense of right that stayed her hand.

If things were different, their positions might be switched right now.

But nearby... there's the summoning of another Persona. Magus turns her head abruptly and watches as Lisa Awakens.

"...So, you take a step into this world now, too." Magus acknowledges.

Hyousuke doesn't trust her fully, and the feeling is mutual. Magus doesn't trust easily - but she can recognize an ally of convenience. Indeed - right now, they're on the same side. She has no quarrel with him.

'Maybe, maybe not', Maria says, beckoning her over.

"A tempting offer." Magus replies. Maria is spent sprawling by Nitocris's Aqua Crush, and Maria complains. "...I never claimed to be nice, either."

Umie, meanwhile, explains that this isn't her speaking. It's making a mockery of her.

"...I see. So even her words aren't her own." Magus considers.

But Maria takes offense to that - and Maria says she'll tear all of them apart herself.

Cards scatter across the field and Magus braces herself. She sees the signs of the Arcana, but the cards vanished... but what just happened?

In her mind, a trap must have just been set... but what, and for who? She'll have to proceed carefully.

"Nitocris... Take vengeance!" Magus demands. She draws upon her pain, all the hits she's taken up to this point, gathering them into a spell - and unleashing it toward Maria in a wave of destructive force.

"You wanted me to get closer - so here I am, Maria Sakurai!" Magus herself follows in the wake of that burst of force, sword and parrying dagger at the ready, sweeping them out in arcs toward Maria.

But, as her blades flash... a chaotic force overtakes her, erupting out toward her and staggering her. She whirls, keeping her saber pointed at Maria while the parrying dagger is trained on Umie.

She has enough presence of mind to not retaliate immediately - but she isn't the kind of person who weathers betrayal well.

"Explain yourself." She demands. 

AS: Misato Fushihara spends Limit on Exploit! Misato Fushihara can use another Weak skill this round!
AS: Persona! Misato Fushihara has used the Wind skill Vengeful Zanma on Maria Sakurai!
  | Pressure: Misato Fushihara gains 1 Limit!

AS: Weapon! Misato Fushihara has used the Slash skill Press the Advantage on Maria Sakurai! 3 Hits!

<Pose Tracker> Eikichi Mishina has posed.

Eikichi feels the magical buffs from Ririka and....Ginko?! The blue haired punk blinks as he sees the new Persona, whistling in appreciation. "Nice! Welcome to the club, Ginko!"

 This horrible trauma filled club.

 Eikichi blinks as Scion asks how much to hear his song. "Uhhh...3000 yen?" He says this with little confidence that he's about to be paid. 3000 yen would be about how much a CD costs.

 Eikichi blinks as the Bride addresses him with her scary aura. He coughs, smiling nervously. "Errr...So you're saying I'm the main character? Heh. Out of sight! Hell yeah I am!" He laughs before holding up a finger distressingly close to the direction of the Bride. He is seriously wagging his finger as he states," But Kashihara is not slouch! He's just as useful as anyone else. If he rejects your bullshit, that's gonna be a "no" from me too."

 Balzac's attack somehow sends bad vibes into Eikichi, angering him for reasons beyond his comprehension. He points his guitar case gun at Scion and opens fire with a decisive spray as he tries to find his way out of this Rage.

 And then Lisa Silverman smacks the anger right out of him. The Death Boss winces as his face stings from the slap. Even a slap from this girl hurt like hell!

"Thanks, Ginko! Glad to be back to my ~Beautiful~ senses ohoho!"

 "Wait, so this Bride woman is talking like the fuckin Joker Killer?!" Eikichi responds to Jun now he's out of his rage. 

AS: Weapon! Eikichi Mishina has used the Pierce skill Open Fire on Yua Ijuuin! 2 Hits!
  | Aggression: Eikichi Mishina gains 1 Limit!

AS: Avoid Worst! Maria Sakurai takes 215 Wind damage from Misato Fushihara's Vengeful Zanma. Weak!
AS: Block Best! Maria Sakurai takes 1 Slash damage from Misato Fushihara's Press the Advantage.
AS: Avoid Best! Maria Sakurai takes 1 Slash damage from Misato Fushihara's Press the Advantage.
AS: Avoid Worst! Maria Sakurai takes 9 Slash damage from Misato Fushihara's Press the Advantage.
AS: Take! Ririka Kawase takes 0 Almighty damage from Suzume Fukura's Masukukaja.
  | Spd_Up (Avoid Improved!) added!

AS: Hyousuke Suzuki spends Limit on Exploit! Hyousuke Suzuki can use another Weak skill this round!

<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.

"I'm protecting YOU, you idiot! You really want his blood on your hands? You put yourself out there to protect him! That ain't someone that wants a man dead, no matter what he did!" Hyousuke spoke only from the accounts he'd gathered from other sources, of course. He had not been involved with Maria's trials and tribulations at all up until that point. But from what he could tell, she was no murderer - certainly not one of such sadism or hatred, no matter how much the man in question deserved it.

"Sakurai-san! You're not going to kill him, or us, or anyone else! We're ripping that thing out of you and bringing you back, no matter what! And as for that *thing* using you-" Hyousuke snarled, baring his fangs like some grinning predator looking to rend its prey into bloody morsels. "We're gonna break it in half!" Gravity's chains were slipped, the weight was lifted from his shoulders, and Hyousuke drew to his full and terrible height. Guard tight and eyes sharp, he spared glance towards Lisa and everyone else gathered there.

"Silverman-san! Kick their asses!" He shouted, smiling sharply. He couldn't let her go unacknowledged, but there would be time for lengthy discussions later. For now, Maria had to take priority. If she did not, he was fairly certain that she would end up making good on her word, possessed or not.

Then, the cards. Hyousuke was there for Ulala - he knew exactly what those things represented, and what was printed upon them. But Magus, he surmised, did not. If Umie had had to explain what the deal with Maria was, perhaps she was not familiar with the cards either.
"Magus! Focus!" He shouted, calling Achilles to the fore to shield him, all while glancing between her and Umie. "That thing's trying to control us! It'll turn us against each other if it can, so watch your back!" He'd seen it happen before, and he had no intention of seeing it again - much less becoming the one controlled.

Hyousuke focussed his eyes forward and whipped the short-barrelled shotgun from seemingly nowhere, brandishing it while Achilles raised his shield in defiance of whatever attacks were levelled against the pair. Burst after burst of shrapnel ripped through the air and towards Maria, the thunderclap of a shell detonating accompanying each storm of lead. Only when they were close enough did that absolute defence relent, but only so that Achilles could strike forth into Maria with a keen-tipped spear. With his Persona (hopefully) keeping her busy, he glanced quickly between Umie and Magus, waiting for something - anything - to happen. 

AS: Persona! Hyousuke Suzuki has used the Pierce skill Counterthrust on Maria Sakurai!
  | Defense: Hyousuke Suzuki gains 1 Limit!

AS: Tandem! Hyousuke Suzuki has used the Pierce skill Shot and Shield on Maria Sakurai! 3 Hits!

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.

"Alright! I'll be counting on you!" She calls back to Suzume, grateful that she got Lisa away just in time.

"I admit I'm pretty surprised?" Yukari Takeba says to Maria in a cautious tone, "I mean. Sure? If you were putting thumb tacks in his shoes or something, I'd definitely be behind you."
 
A beat.
 
"Or even just, embarrassing him in front of his new girlfriend? Or having all the girls in school give him the silent treatment? You know... something that isn't trying to kill him?"
 
Death is- something too harsh for anyone, Yukari Takeba would say. It's not even because it ends your life. It's because of how it hurts the people around you.
 
'dumped her while she was still in the hospital'
 
"... ... Okay I'm beginning to think it's not as over the top as I thought it was..." She says, still not advocating for murder, but definitely thinking 'Wow that's beyond the pale'.
 
'ear antenna'
 
"Wow. Why an Antenna? Aigis just has ears..."
 
Then she remembers she has that hairband that looks like headphones over her ears AT ALL TIMES!
 
"... doesn't she?"
 
Now she's doubting it. Do all Robots just not have normal ears!?
 
"Mean!? Who cares about that when you're committing crimes? Like you just confessed to one right now!"
 
Pause.
 
"Wow... stuck on a subway car for hours. Unless she was in the women's-only car I almost can't blame her..."
 
For you know, going Joker today, as one does.
 
'Is that a gun!?'
 
"Not really? It just looks like one! It helps me summon my Persona."
 
She looks at the Guitar Gun though, "That very much is a gun though." Lisa, is determined to fight, and well- she smiles at that, "That's just like you. You did say you were a fighter."
 
As Lisa slaps him out of it, and Eikichi thanks her by calling her Ginko... again. "... ... ... Should I shoot him in the foot?" She asks, not really serious, but sounding like she might be.
 
The Guardian arises, and this time the Gale Slash comes- but it's not Yukari that intercepts it, but the defensive plate that Eros formed in front of her, slashing at it with an audible screech.
 
And in response, she puts her Evoker to her head, and pulls the trigger, "Anyhow, I wasn't really being mean before but hey, if you want to see my mean?"
 
And Io reappears, in a shattering of glass, as a horn like projectile forms, then spinning around, begins to soar towards the Scion at high speed.
 
"... I think you're proving the old saying of ignorance being bliss without any help."

AS: Take! Yukari Takeba takes 0 Almighty damage from Suzume Fukura's Masukukaja.
  | Spd_Up (Avoid Improved!) added!

AS: Persona! Yukari Takeba has used the Pierce skill Cruel Attack on Yua Ijuuin!
AS: Block Neutral! Yua Ijuuin takes 48 Wind damage from Suzume Fukura's Wind Cutter.
  | Blast (Magic and Block Penalized!) added!

AS: Block Neutral! Yua Ijuuin takes 74 Wind damage from Suzume Fukura's Wind Cutter. Critical Hit!
AS: Avoid Worst! Yua Ijuuin takes 164 Wind damage from Jun Kashihara's Dangerous Garula.

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.

    'He dumped me, so I got back at him~'
    'You'd protect someone even like that? Hehe, aren't you noble~'

    "Typical. You left out the best part," Umie rudely interjects, pointing a finger at Maria's smooth, white face. "... She took it on herself to warn him. Out of everyone who called the Joker, she tried to take it on herself to fix it!" It's okay, Hyousuke. Umie knows, and she'll back up your words with proof.

    "... Something that stinks of kegare like you do..." With a clench and relax of her arms, that finger is replaced by the bladed end of her kyoketsu shoge, sliding out of one sleeve. "... would hate that!"

    Would it, Umie? How would you know? At least Magus (or Misato, behind that mask) would know that she could have been in Maria's shoes easily. At least Hyousuke admits to his anger.

    What aren't you admitting to, Umie Akabane?
    
    'Whatever I do, I can't, ever, keep up--'

    "How about you shut up?!" Umie snaps back, her expression livid.

    Whatever sins this little blonde refuses to admit, the bone white cards will show, rolling around the three of them as Umie refuses to tear her angry gaze from that twisted smile on Maria's face.

    The restless battle crow reacts, but that moment of release is corrupted, once again, by the corrupted form of the Joker.

    ".... shit," she whispers at the moment of her hubris, feeling the violation of that bond between self and self.

    She rubs her face with her freed left hand, fingers feeling under the edges of her mask for the sweat that's uncomfortably collected there.

    When Misato points that parrying dagger towards Umie, the blonde doesn't seem at all surprised.

    "No, no, by all means, attack me," the masked blonde grumbles. "*Real* used to it by now. Just be glad it wasn't you that got hit." She motions with her chin --albeit a little sheepishly-- towards Hyousuke, who actually explains what she means. "... What he said."

     All one can do is move forward.

    "Let's try that again." This time, the ragged garments of the Badb manifest, leaving Umie to breath a thankful sigh as she attempts to further weaken the possessed Sevens student.

    "We just have to tire her out, and then, we'll get her to the Blue Room." A pause. "Velvet room," she corrects herself. 

AS: Persona! Umie Akabane has used the Almighty skill Soul Break on Maria Sakurai!
  | Ruin: Umie Akabane gains 1 Limit!

AS: Block Best! Maria Sakurai takes 0 Almighty damage from Umie Akabane's Soul Break.
  | Exhaust (Damage when using Weapon/Tandem!) added!

AS: Avoid Best! Maria Sakurai takes 15 Pierce damage from Hyousuke Suzuki's Counterthrust.
AS: Block Worst! Maria Sakurai takes 54 Pierce damage from Hyousuke Suzuki's Shot and Shield.
AS: Block Best! Maria Sakurai takes 17 Pierce damage from Hyousuke Suzuki's Shot and Shield.
AS: Avoid Best! Maria Sakurai takes 13 Pierce damage from Hyousuke Suzuki's Shot and Shield.

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.

"It does matter!" Ririka insists to Maria. "I don't know what you were feeling then, but I remember how you stood up to the Joker Killer! I won't let one mistake ruin your entire life--and I won't let--" She glances at the robed figure. "--Scion? Take you away to a lab or whatever it is they're planning."

But Yumi wants Lisa for--something? But Ririka can't make heads or tails of it. "Yeah, we're not letting yuou take Lisa-san, either." But Eikichi and Jun are both mentioned-- and Jun is no longer suitable. Ririka casts both of them a concerned look.

She never really asked Jun about that whole experience with Sudou--it didn't really seem appropriate to dwell on it, considering the emphatic refusal. But could this tie back to that somehow?

Ririka stares at Scion. "Uh... because killing people is kind of a bad thing to do? And because she tried to stop it because I'm pretty sure she regretted it. If we let her do it in this state she'll never be able to live with herself."

Assuming she gets to live past this experience, but that's what they're trying to do.

"And yeah, that guy is kind of an asshole, but retaliating with murder is like, way too far! Heartbreak really sucks, and whie you're going through it it feels like the worst thing in the world, but... you can come back from it." Why does that sound like she's speaking from experience? Don't worry about it.

"... You have a dossier. You're spying on people?!"

She frowns as that sense of Scion's construction comes to her. A machine, but built on top of... something else. Like the Persona. She peers at Scion, muttering under her breath. "... what are you..." She doesn't have time for another scan, but she might have to compare notes with Fuuka later.

But Scion wants to know how much the song costs. "Uh... the price for the song is... you have to take Yumi and leave right now?" she says hopefully. It's worth a shot.

But Welwetes comes for her, and Ririka braces herself and tries to take the attack, but still gets knocked back. "Ugh--what is that thing?! How many weapons does it have?"

"Alright--then I'll leave it to you, Fukura-chan," Ririka calls back. But she breathes a sigh of relief as Suzume summons those winds, and gladly takes them in. "Thanks!" Maybe if her guard isn't doing it today, she can just evade the attacks now.

Lisa asks about Maria. "Yes. If we can subdue her, get her calmed down, there's a place we can take her to remove the curse. So we just need to hang in there long enough for that to happen." More details can come later.

Yukari, at least, has more of the picture. "Yeaaah..." She was definitely horrified at first until she got the full picture.

Is that a gun? Yukari answers, and Ririka still has her own Evoker in hand. "Yeah, this isn't a gun either, so... don't freak out, alright?" But the longer this goes on the worse it'll be for everyone.

Through her own Navigator link, she transmits to her group, "I'm going for my backpack! Cover me!" And she scrambles back into the rows of seating to get her backpack, pulling out a small cartridge. "Got it!"

"Okay, Amphion, let's give 'em a show!" In goes the cartridge, and up goes the Evoker. Amphion surges with power, as Ririka reaches out to link more strongly with uzume, Yukari, Jun, and Lisa. "Power Chord!"

BGM: It's Going Down Now - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6PDPMQVGDM

Amphion strums a powerful melody on the lyre, as Resonance flows around the four to bolster and enhance their innate abilities--it's like each of them is on a tage with crowds cheering them onwards.

"Let's show her what we're about!" 

AS: Ririka Kawase spends Limit on Exploit! Ririka Kawase can use another Weak skill this round!
AS: Persona! Theurgy! Ririka Kawase has used the Almighty skill Power Chord on Yukari Takeba, Suzume Fukura, Jun
Kashihara, and Lisa Silverman!
  | Insight: Ririka Kawase gains 1 Limit!

AS: Take! Jun Kashihara takes 0 Almighty damage from Ririka Kawase's Power Chord.
  | Inner_Strength (Affinity Damage Up!) added!

AS: Take! Lisa Silverman takes 0 Almighty damage from Ririka Kawase's Power Chord.
  | Inner_Strength (Affinity Damage Up!) added!

AS: Take! Suzume Fukura takes 0 Almighty damage from Ririka Kawase's Power Chord.
  | Inner_Strength (Affinity Damage Up!) added!

AS: Take! Yukari Takeba takes 0 Almighty damage from Ririka Kawase's Power Chord.
  | Inner_Strength (Affinity Damage Up!) added!

AS: Block Best! Yua Ijuuin takes 147 Strike damage from Lisa Silverman's Black Spot. Critical Hit!
AS: Block Worst! Yua Ijuuin takes 101 Earth damage from Lisa Silverman's Magna.
AS: Avoid Neutral! Yua Ijuuin takes 71 Pierce damage from Eikichi Mishina's Open Fire.
AS: Avoid Worst! Yua Ijuuin takes 130 Pierce damage from Eikichi Mishina's Open Fire. Critical Hit!
AS: Block Neutral! Yua Ijuuin takes 26 Pierce damage from Yukari Takeba's Cruel Attack.

<Pose Tracker> Maria Sakurai has posed.

    "Hm~" Maria hums at Lisa when she says she knows what she has. If there is anything other than amusement behind that plastered-on smile, it's hard to know what it might be in this moment.

    "How rude," she sighs at Magus, but even this bit of pique doesn't last. "Joker, Joker, come here~" Maria calls out sing-song as she twirls about in her ecstasy; her parasite Persona descends to swoop past her and the air as it passes rustles, as if some invisible load were lightened. This benediction doesn't extend to the mad Maria, though: it cascades upon Scion as well.

    "Eh? Why not? He'll get what he deserves, hurting me and all those other girls!" Maria insists as Hyousuke argues with her. "It's divine justice! Just like a heroine on a TV show, righting wrongs wherever she goes!" she declares boldly, her polearm vanishing from her grasp as she faces Hyousuke straight on and makes a little heart with her hands. "Hehe, except, I'm not divine or a heroine, am I~?" she giggles. "That's O-K!"

    Even if the last time, she'd stood up to the Joker Killer, as others point out.

    She's going to kill them if she can't get to her ex-boyfriend first, says Scion.

    "Wrong!" Maria declares joyously. "I'll practice on them, first~ It'd be a shame if I messed up with him, right? I don't want him to die too fast~"

    That's not true, Hyousuke insists, and at that, Maria... doesn't scowl, probably because she can't. "Isn't it? How do you know," she tells him, pointing at herself with both index fingers, "that this isn't the real me?"

    He'll have to make his case in another way. The first shot catches her off-guard; she staggers, but rallies for the ones that follow, her use of a Persona and her curse alike allowing her to withstand something no normal girl could sustain.

    The spear rips into her last.

    "I can do that, too, you know," she tells him, still stabbed through her shoulder by that spear.

    "Oh, Joker!"

    That dark shape swoops down for Hyousuke, its long fingers suddenly very long, very sharp. It will put its hand through him -- or his Persona -- if it can.

    She giggles. But there, in the middle of her fun, Umie speaks up.

    "What? How dare you!" spits Maria at the older girl. "How dare you! You-- you lie! Look at me! I'm the one who tried to kill him! And, I'll do it again!" she declares, her laughter becoming hysterical even as Umie tells her to shut up.

    What she did isn't as important as saving her life, Lisa insists.
    "Is it?" says Maria.

    Her attention in this moment is fixed on Lisa and Lisa alone once those phantom cards finally fade, and it's upon this crux that Magus strikes, slamming into the cursed Maria with a wave of force. It throws Maria a good distance back: she collides with some of the undamaged seating and collapses to the floor. It would be a mistake to assume she's downed, and into that critical moment as she rises, here is Magus again, sword and blade bared.

    "That-- hurt!" complains Maria, shoving Magus back roughly. Pink light erupts in waves around Magus, as if to underscore Maria's own turbulent emotions.

    "You're right, you're not much fun at all, Magus-chan!"

    Of course, that's when the trap detonates.

    "But you're a lot more fun like this!" she declares, clapping her hands as Magus turns on Umie, her own enjoyment ruined but by the ennervating magic of Badb's that douses her. "And you, big sister--" Maria snaps.

    The world around Umie may grow heavier, as if the very air were trying to crush her to the ground. "You're a pain, you know? So go and die!"

    Scion, though, clarifies something that Maria, lost in her own love of violence, only parses the second time around. "Eh? What? The signal box?? For the subway???" She pauses, and for all that her grin remains plastered on her face, she doesn't sound happy with the next explosion of words: "You caused that to happen? To hurt me? But why? You--"
    For just a moment, it sounds like Maria and not the mockery that cavorts in her flesh.

    "I'll tear you limb from limb!" shrieks Maria, now out for... not so much blood as circuitry, technically speaking. The Joker Persona dives for Scion and its entire face splits in half the long way, exposing an array of jagged edges and the kegare within. It'll attempt to rip her apart like that, or as close as it can get for someone like Scion.

    But in so doing that, in her wrath, Maria has left herself wide open for a retaliatory strike.

    Or two, or three, or more than that. 

AS: Maria Sakurai spends Limit on Blood! 
AS: Maria Sakurai spends Limit on Exploit! Maria Sakurai can use another Weak skill this round!
AS: Maria Sakurai spends Limit on Break! 
AS: Persona! Maria Sakurai has used the Recovery skill Dekunda on Maria Sakurai and Yua Ijuuin!
AS: Charm results in party damage! Maria Sakurai takes 90 damage!
  | Pressure: Maria Sakurai gains 1 Limit!

AS: Take! Maria Sakurai takes 0 Recovery healing from Maria Sakurai's Dekunda.
AS: Nemesis! Maria Sakurai can take another Weak action this round!
AS: Persona! Maria Sakurai has used the Pierce skill Cruel Attack on Hyousuke Suzuki!
AS: Persona! Maria Sakurai has used the Elec skill Outburst on Misato Fushihara! 2 Hits!
AS: Persona! Maria Sakurai has used the Earth skill 30 Gs on Umie Akabane!
AS: Persona! Maria Sakurai has used the Strike skill Feral Bite on Yua Ijuuin!
AS: Maria Sakurai's turn has ended. It's time for an All-Out Attack!
  | Maria Sakurai: Charm, Break, Def_Up, and Omen removed! Omen: 150 damage!

AS: Take! Yua Ijuuin takes 0 Recovery healing from Maria Sakurai's Dekunda.
  | Spd_Dn removed!

AS: Nemesis! Yua Ijuuin can take another Weak action this round!
AS: Block Worst! Yua Ijuuin takes 99 Strike damage from Maria Sakurai's Feral Bite. Critical Hit!
AS: Avoid Worst! Umie Akabane takes 151 Earth damage from Maria Sakurai's 30 Gs.
  | Panic (Damage when using Persona/Tandem!) added!

AS: Nemesis! Umie Akabane can take another Weak action this round!
AS: Avoid Best! Misato Fushihara takes 11 Elec damage from Maria Sakurai's Outburst. Critical Hit!
AS: Nemesis! Misato Fushihara can take another Weak action this round!
AS: Avoid Best! Misato Fushihara takes 11 Elec damage from Maria Sakurai's Outburst. Critical Hit!
AS: Block Neutral! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 39 Pierce damage from Maria Sakurai's Cruel Attack.
AS: Nemesis! Hyousuke Suzuki can take another Weak action this round!

<Pose Tracker> Yua Ijuuin has posed.

    There is a context which threatens to consume them.

    "Sudou-san would pave his path in blood," the Bride transmits, hearing Jun compare them. "We know now we cannot reach the True World so directly. Indeed, few amongst our number see the value in what was lost, seeking to build a new paradise, the 'World Without Sin'... I cannot pray for this salvation. Even Gretchen knows I am a sinner... but to invoke strength now lost to us, we are given grace to continue."

    Her voice is soft, as she insists: "... what we once had was better than what we now have. If only I could grasp it... the truth lost to me. Is it not sad irony? I feel the seams of the veil, where it meets, crosses, where belief becomes power... yet I have never glimpsed the real truth, though I cry for it. No, it is my Groom... she Sees it all. In faith I grasp what is unseen, and pull."

    ... she doesn't know what she's invoking.

    Even so... she thinks it's better than this.

    "Uhhh... I dunno!" Scion adds, cheerfully, when Suzume gets heated about not being worth kidnapping! "Yumi, why don't we want her?"

    "She is yet unproven," Yumi says (makes up on the spot).

    "So that's why --" Scion tries to explain, helpfully, only to eat Wind Cutter to the face. ("warblgarbl," she vocalises, into the wind tunnel. "bwaaaaaaaaaaaa")

    Welwetes takes the stick Suzume has given her and runs off with it (and gets Aqua-flattened, somewhere in there). The camera pans over him, showing the way he's gnawing on that chair leg... though he's really trying to get his teeth unstuck, it sure looks like he's worrying a bone.

    Lisa, though, denies the Bride.

    ... and that woman speaks nothing of the dampness, staining the lashes of one eye, as she hears Lisa speak of the virtues of this world and unknowingly list her tormentor amongst them.

    "You're just like her," she says, softly. "Letting good be the enemy of perfection... my heart cries out, yet I cannot deny the beauty to it. But all your hope... all your desires to build anew from these flawed foundations... they deny a simple truth. 'This world' rejects us... and do you think there is space for you, in the future our hands create?"

    There is something sad yet resolute, in her words. "You and I... are bathed in Sin."

    'Stop messing with my head', she says, and Scion laughs, rubbing at the back of her head. "Hey! What can I say? All I gotta do is hit the opposite of what I'm about, and people go 'rarrrrrgh!!!' It's a neat trick... but I'm nowhere near Yumi's level on this stuff! If she got to messin' with your head, you'd be so messed up!"

    Lisa insists that she won't be paired with Eikichi, but the Bride's voice answers her: "You cannot hope to defeat us alone."

    Force slams Scion back into the wall, creating another hole in it, as if the Black Spot were the spot where she impacted. "Whoa! No wonder Yumi wants you... you're so strong!" Her grin is audible, as she pulls herself out.

    "The thread of fate weaves tight about you, yes," the Bride transmits, to Eikichi. (Internally, she has a moment of -- does he know where she's hiding??? But of course he can't know.) "Though it is not you alone... your potential is staggering." Still, he'll trust Jun...

    There's a part of Yumi who is proud of him, hearing that.

    Jun is one of her best students... there are few other boys at Kasugayama who could steer him better.

    "... you stand together, then. I will accept this much, in accordance with her vision... though still it stifles my aims."

    But BANG BANG BANG, Scion gets a few pock-marks in her chassis from Eikichi's Rage-fueled gun guitar case, the last of which collapses her legparts for a moment while the damage reroutes. (It doesn't hurt. She doesn't feel pain, that way -- she's just aware of the various damage reports coming from her systems.) "Uhhh," Scion says, as she wriggles her little claw feet, "Yumi? I'm just now realisin' somethin'?"

    "What troubles you?" Yumi asks, with concern.

    "I'm pretty sure you told me to cast Rage on the two guys with the nastiest physical attacks in here," Scion points out, even though Suzume is STANDING RIGHT THERE!

    (Welwetes trots over to drop the chair leg in front of Suzume, now he's gotten his teeth free, as if he just fetched the stick.)

    "Oh," Yumi says. "... I see. I did do that. Forgive me, child. Is it too much for you?"

    "No man, this is awesome!" Scion enthuses, as she finally gets her leg working again. "They're so cool!!"

    "... so long as you are having fun," Yumi supposes, a touch haplessly.

    "Crimes are fun, too!" Scion insists, to Yukari. "We only get to fight people like this when we're doin' crimes, so I love crime!"

    Yukari shows her mean, though, and cruelly strikes her with that projectile before she can get up. "Awww, c'mon! Don't hit a girl while she's down! Mama said that's dishonourable!!"

    She pauses, though, as she's picking herself up. "... but I mean, yeah, I don't know stuff and I'm happy? I don't get it. Is that supposed to be, like..."

    "Her invocation shaped to wound," Yumi 'explains'. "She cites incorrect action."

    "Oh," Scion says. "Huh. I mean... kinda, yeah?" She asks, rubbing at the back of her head. "Like I was sayin' about the cryin'..."

    "Speak not for their ears," Yumi interrupts her. "In our sanctuary shall I receive you."

    "Sure, sure, let's talk later!" Scion agrees, still quite happy.

    Scion tilts her head, as Ririka says killing is bad. "I don't really get the rules," she admits. "Sometimes it's like, 'don't kill that critter, city animals are pets!', and sometimes it's like, 'we can fish here', and sometimes it's like, 'we need her alive', and sometimes it's like, 'do what you want'... is this some kinda weird human thing? Though... if it's somethin' she'd regret most of the time... does that mean you're protectin' her?" YES! OBVIOUSLY THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE DOING! HOW DOES SCION NOT GET THAT?! "Ooooooh. Right, I get it. That's 'for your own good'! I know that one!!"

    She adds: "Uh, yeah? How did you reckon we know stuff? We can't like... read minds. Except -- hey Yumi, you don't read minds, right?"

    "No," Yumi replies. "I am consumed by the whole of another."

    "Yeah, so we don't read minds," Scion explains, helpfully. "But I said what I am already! I'm a 'K-Series!'" She's so helpful.

    "Aww, man," she kicks the stage with those claw feet, hearing Ririka's price. "I can't pay up that! We gotta bring Sakurai-senpai back with us! Guess this is another crime time, huh?"

    "Crime time," Yumi agrees, gravely.

    Scion brightens, as she adds: "He's got so many weapons! He's my weapons platform, y'know?! There's all these problems givin' me a weapon direct-like... so they gave me a little buddy!!"

    But then --

    DANGEROUS GARULA!

    Yes, we responded to Jun way up there, but let's presume his attack strikes precisely... now. Now, when Scion is distracted with talk of her little buddy -- as those stripping-winds buffet her head, and finally crack those antenna, sending them tumbling to the torn floor. "Huh?!" Scion yelps, looking back and forth, alarmed. "Yumi? Hey, Yumi?! Come in, Yumi!!"

    The warping of the background fades, as Yumi's power dims...

    And Scion doesn't get much time to worry about it.

    Maria's just processed what she's saying.

    "Well, yeah --" She answers, quite honestly, and gets all that honesty rewards her. "Whoa!" Scion yelps, as the Joker Persona chomps down -- and Scion can't resist her anger.

    Sparks fly --

    -- as her arm is fully taken off by the force of Maria's Joker Persona, and the fact that it isn't her head is a mere comment on the way Scion took the blow. Half her chest is exposed, and it would be too horrific to witness if she were a person. As it is, it's wires which spark -- and a core shielded unit, inside her chest, now, partially exposed, which seems made of much stronger material.

    (There, unseen, a language tag is bound...)

    Luckily, Personas fade when not attacking -- so that arm thuds to the f 

<Pose Tracker> Yua Ijuuin has posed.

    Luckily, Personas fade when not attacking -- so that arm thuds to the floor.

    "Uhhhh," Scion says, looking from her arm to the crowd.

    "Looks like I've been disarmed. Gotta go! Summonin'!"

    Guardian rises to crackle electricity across the crowd, as Scion grabs her arm and bolts out the far door, Welwetes trotting behind her.

    Meanwhile, in the storage closet --

    There is a knock on the door.

    Yumi, shocked by the disruption of her connection, can only say: "... come in?"

    The door opens, and the boy in motorcycle leathers is there. The Bride looks up at Tatsuya Suou, mouth parting behind her veils. "You..."

    "I finally found you," he scowls. "I won't allow you to force her to Awaken."

    "This, I have already done," Yumi scowls, as she grasps a shelf to stand, Gretchen flickering around her. "Away from me! I must find Scion!"

    "I'll make you pay --" Tatsuya starts, before his gaze flicks down to her belly, protected by a maternity combat vest.

    "... you're pregnant?" He asks, with surprise. "But --"

    "For no other reason would I leave her to face them directly alone," Yumi snaps.

    "... regardless, if you keep pushing them, I'll have to stop you," Tatsuya says, his expression darkening. "Do we have a problem?"

    "I will not face you this day," Yumi insists. "To other places, we go."

    "Good. Great. Get out of here," Tatsuya says.

    Yumi looks at him, behind her veils.

    Tatsuya looks back.

    ...

    A few moments later, Tatsuya realises he's trapping her inside the closet, and steps aside so that she can escape.

    If only Yumi could escape the closet that's really binding her...

    ... Tatsuya will see the way Yumi meets with Scion and transports them both into Mementos, before he leaves, satisfied that there is at least no more threat today.

    He'll protect Jun from afar... and Lisa and Eikichi, too.

AS: Yua Ijuuin spends Limit on Break! 
AS: Yua Ijuuin spends Limit on Reach! 
AS: Persona! Yua Ijuuin has used the Elec skill Mazio on Yukari Takeba, Jun Kashihara, Eikichi Mishina, Lisa Silverman,
Suzume Fukura, and Ririka Kawase!
  | Defense: Yua Ijuuin gains 1 Limit!

AS: Yua Ijuuin's turn has ended. It's time for an All-Out Attack!
  | Yua Ijuuin: Loses 69 HP from Poison! Blast, Break, Def_Up, and Reach removed!

AS: Avoid Best! Lisa Silverman takes 10 Elec damage from Yua Ijuuin's Mazio.
AS: Nemesis! Lisa Silverman can take another Weak action this round!
AS: Nerve Up! Jun Kashihara's SP +8!
AS: Avoid Neutral! Jun Kashihara takes 57 Elec damage from Yua Ijuuin's Mazio. Weak!
  | Paralyze (Physical and Avoid Penalized!) added!

AS: Nemesis! Jun Kashihara can take another Weak action this round!
AS: Avoid Neutral! Suzume Fukura takes 44 Elec damage from Yua Ijuuin's Mazio. Critical Hit!
  | Paralyze (Physical and Avoid Penalized!) added!

AS: Nemesis! Suzume Fukura can take another Weak action this round!
AS: Avoid Worst! Ririka Kawase takes 87 Elec damage from Yua Ijuuin's Mazio. Weak!
  | Paralyze (Physical and Avoid Penalized!) added!

AS: Nemesis! Ririka Kawase can take another Weak action this round!
AS: Avoid Neutral! Eikichi Mishina takes 119 Elec damage from Yua Ijuuin's Mazio. Critical Hit! Weak!
AS: Nemesis! Eikichi Mishina can take another Weak action this round!

AS: Avoid Neutral! Yukari Takeba takes 49 Elec damage from Yua Ijuuin's Mazio. Weak!
  | Paralyze (Physical and Avoid Penalized!) added!

AS: Nemesis! Yukari Takeba can take another Weak action this round!

<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.

"I know it's not you because you've shown us all who the real Maria is."
She'd not shown him, of course. This was, as far as Hyousuke could tell, the first time they had met. But he knew of her. He knew of what she'd done, and all that had led up to the events surrounding her - as much as could be gleaned from friends and rumourmongers, at least. "I know that piece of shit hurt you! I know you probably wanted to make sure he got what was coming to him, and that he deserved to hurt for what he did! But you-"

A great clanging ripped through the air like a shockwave as those claws descended upon Achilles' shield. The great general began to waver beneath the sheer force behind the blow, sparks were carved off in thick showers of orange, and a cacophonous screeching threatened to burst his eardrums with the volume alone. But even so, neither Hyousuke nor Achilles faltered, and his Persona threw the blow aside with a final groan of straining metal.
"-But you didn't let that take you over. You didn't then, and you won't now! So fight back, goddamn it, and come back to us!"

Hyousuke was focussed on Maria, but he was not blinded to the rest of the fight. It wasn't him caught under the Joka's influence, of that he could be certain. But it wasn't Umie either. Magus, for all her skill and savagery, was the one to become enthralled. Part of him wanted to try and knock some sense into Magus before she could do any real damage, but there was no time for it. He had to trust that Umie was able to hold her own while he went after the target. Maybe, just maybe, beating that thing out of her would dispel the magic as well.

If nothing else, it would free him up to lend his assistance elsewhere.

"I'll take Sakurai-san!" Hyousuke called out to Umie, not waiting to hear her response, and hoping that him leaving Magus to her was implicit. It was now or never, after all - he couldn't let her get away, even if the utter scum she hunted deserved to have *some* kind of punishment heaped upon him. But what surged towards Maria, streaking across the floor like a lightning bolt, was not the colossal form of Achilles. Nor was it his spear, thrown like a bolt from the blue, or a hail of scattershot. It was the man himself.

"You're not going anywhere!" Was all Hyousuke said to her, shouting it loud before practically throwing himself at her. With Maria left vulnerable and distracted by Scion's actions, Hyouke launched into a brutal kick down at her leg - not hard enough to break anything but certainly enough to cause no shortage of pain. With the forward momentum from that smashing blow, Hyousuke surged upwards into a savage blow, driving his knuckles into her gut before heaving the other fist into her jaw. Then, with a brutal and guttural cry, Hyousuke burst in with explosive force, hammering his right fist into her jaw again.

His combo complete, Hyousuke stepped back into a tight guard and defensive stance, awaiting whatever came next. 

AS: Weapon! Hyousuke Suzuki has used the Strike skill Smash Kick on Maria Sakurai! 2 Hits!
  | Defense: Hyousuke Suzuki gains 1 Limit!

AS: Weapon! Hyousuke Suzuki has used the Strike skill KO Combo on Maria Sakurai! 3 Hits!
AS: Lisa Silverman spends Limit on Help Up! Paralyze removed from Suzume Fukura! Hyper (Next Attack Boosted/Incoming
Damage Down!) applied to Suzume Fukura! They both receive 8 SP and 30 HP!
AS: Hyousuke Suzuki spends Limit on Shift! Lisa Silverman can use another Weak skill this round!

<Pose Tracker> Misato Fushihara has posed.

Maria calls her 'rude', but that doesn't bother her much. Neither does talk of divine justice. But Umie... she says that Maria tried to warn the person she called the Joker Killer. She made a mistake, and tried to fix it. So, it's like her ideals have been turned on their head - tilted toward revenge, even if she had tried to prevent it originally...

...That, she supposes, is one way their situations differ.

If she had pulled the trigger like she considered, she wouldn't have had it in herself to try and take it back. In that way, Maria might be stronger than she herself thinks.

...Not that she can realise it right now, as she is.

Magus's Vengeful Zanma strikes true, and a satisfied smirk crosses Magus's face as Maria complains - though it vanishes a moment later, as she proves not as destabilized as she thought. Maria shoves her back as she's distracted by the Joker Persona's attack, and light waves erupt around her. Magus is forced to leap back to avoid them.

She keeps her parrying dagger trained on Umie - and her response causes a frown to cross her face. The weapon doesn't move. Her arm tenses, as if she's about to act - but Maria reacts with joy to her threat, Hyousuke explains. It controls people, and turns them against each other...

So that's the trap that was laid. And she walked into it - not that she'll admit that out loud.

"...Very well. I'll accept that explanation." Magus decides. She relaxes her arm and flips the dagger, turning to face Maria once more.

Tire her out, and then to the Velvet Room, is it? She nods.

"I see. Just as with Noriko Katayama, then." Magus states.

Maria, though, has become furious... and why shouldn't she? Scion admits that what happened, the thing that drove her to the breaking point... was her fault. The Joker Persona goes after Scion... while Maria herself is left open.

"For the record... If this had been your choice, then there's nothing I could say... But vengeance is something you should seek with your own two hands, of your own volition. It isn't something that should be forced upon you." Magus says. "That's why I can't abide any force that would puppet you into deciding it for you. So I demand - sleep, Maria Sakurai! And let us cut your strings!"

Nitocris materializes behind her. She pushes her hand forward and another wave of force lashes out - this one weaker than before.

Magus raises her blades above her head, then. Water gathers around them as Nitocris imbues them with the strength of the tides... and then she rushes forward. The saber and parrying dagger lash out in unison with the flurry of the tides, before finally bringing them down in a single power strike - and where the blades strike the ground, Nitocris gestures upward and a geyser erupts. 

AS: Misato Fushihara spends Limit on Psych! 
AS: Persona! Misato Fushihara has used the Wind skill Zan on Maria Sakurai!
  | Pressure: Misato Fushihara gains 1 Limit!

AS: Tandem! Misato Fushihara has used the Water skill Tidal Blade on Maria Sakurai! 3 Hits!
AS: Block Worst! Maria Sakurai takes 60 Strike damage from Hyousuke Suzuki's Smash Kick.
AS: Block Best! Maria Sakurai takes 43 Strike damage from Hyousuke Suzuki's Smash Kick. Critical Hit!
AS: Avoid Worst! Maria Sakurai takes 96 Strike damage from Hyousuke Suzuki's KO Combo. Critical Hit!
  | Blast (Magic and Block Penalized!) added!

AS: Block Worst! Maria Sakurai takes 85 Strike damage from Hyousuke Suzuki's KO Combo.
AS: Avoid Worst! Maria Sakurai takes 171 Wind damage from Misato Fushihara's Zan. Weak!
AS: Block Best! Maria Sakurai takes 74 Water damage from Misato Fushihara's Tidal Blade.
AS: Block Worst! Maria Sakurai takes 123 Water damage from Misato Fushihara's Tidal Blade.
AS: Block Neutral! Maria Sakurai takes 96 Water damage from Misato Fushihara's Tidal Blade.
AS: Block Best! Maria Sakurai takes 60 Strike damage from Hyousuke Suzuki's KO Combo. Critical Hit!
  | Maria Sakurai is unable to continue fighting!

<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.

    Jun smiles in relief, pride, and happiness when--not unlike Jun himself with Tatsuya--Eikichi takes it on faith that whatever the Bride is on about, if Jun didn't want anything to do with it, neither does he. He does wince when Lisa slaps the rage right out of him... but it does the trick, and Eikichi isn't even upset about it. All's well that ends well.
    
    "Yes. Everything she says is the same kind of nonsense, so don't take any of it seriously," he tells him firmly. He feels a little guilty deceiving him and Lisa like this, especially after Lisa named him as one of the friends who make this world valuable to her... but it's better than letting him and Lisa get confused in the worst possible way.
    
    Despite what he tells his friends, though, when the Bride clarifies how she's different from Sudou and that her and the Groom's goals are not the same as the NWO's, he does listen. Hearing her lay it out, she seems far more rational than Sudou was... but at the end of it, he finds himself saddened. Whoever the Bride is, she's acting on faith that the one she loves is right about the Other Side, that it's better than This Side. In the same way, he's taking it on faith in Tatsuya that the opposite is true. Maybe both are true at the same time. Things can be simultaneously good for one person and bad for another.
    
    Still, he doesn't want to set a bad example. He doesn't--can't--engage. He only shakes his head in mute refutation, save for a final, decisive, "We do."
    
    They will all act on faith, as they must.
    
    As he does, he sees Ririka give him that concerned look, but he doesn't meet her eyes either. In that moment, Scion responds to her interruption in communications and Maria Joker attacking her by summoning her Persona to cover her retreat, and it calls down several lightning bolts, striking Jun in his weakness. He cries out in pain as he's knocked down, paralyzed and numbed, but it pales in comparison to the psychological damage he's taking. This is so stressful. Jun really thinks he can understand how Tatsuya feels a little better now...
    
    (If only he knew Tatsuya was only a short distance away, just outside the closet--but naturally, he can't know. That's the whole point.)
    
    However, that's when Ririka dives for her backpack, and what she summons thereafter is like being on center stage, being cheered on by a crowd. Jun may not play on stage like Lisa or Eikichi, but he has played piano for his parents--particularly his mother, who taught him how to play in the first place--and that feeling is much like their applause. It bolsters his spirit, and he manages to rise to his feet. In this state, he lacks his usual grace, but even so, Argeiphontes comes when he calls.
    
    "Persona!! Bring about a Heavenly Cyclone!"
    
    With Scion escaped, it's only a matter of subduing the Maria Joker, and then they can take her to the Velvet Room. Before they all do, though, Jun will make a point to approach Magus and give her his contact information so they can talk later.
    
    In the meantime, Argeiphontes arises, and so too does a divine wind that batters into Maria Joker over and over, seeking to batter her into submission. 

AS: Persona! Jun Kashihara has used the Wind skill Heavenly Cyclone on Maria Sakurai!
AS: Suzume Fukura spends Limit on Psych! 

<Pose Tracker> Eikichi Mishina has posed.

Eikichi blinks at Yukari's questioning of his Guitar Case Gun. "Eh? It seems pretty normal to me. Where would you carry a machine gun in polite Japanese society?" Eikichi says this as if it is something that makes perfect sense.

Then she wants to shoot him in the foot for using his fun nickname!?! "Mama mia! Don't shoot me! I'm an indie darling!" Eikichi sounds...completely convinced Yukari will do it.

 "Whats so bad about Ginko? It's like...uh...Blondie! Is that better?" Eikichi looks genuinely confused and shocked by all of this hostility, which is strange for the "toughest boy at Kasugayama High School". Even more perplexing is that he seems to have maintained this look despite being electrocuted by the fleeing robots.

 "Anyway...with my chance to wrestle a -real- robot dinosaur escaping me, I gotta just do whats right. An That's -Use my insane talent.-" Eikichi smirks and turns on his heel to face toward the Joker girl. He holds out his arms before throwing them out wide. His uniform jacket pops open dramatically as he begins to sing a progressively high note with a smug look on his face. The camera zeros in on him like a model pulling off their trademarked "look". It is glorious.

 Yes, you can find this extremely goofy or cool. It's extremely Eikichi though.

 The high note is pretty impressive though. A Jack Frost mourns the loss of his flute of champagne destroyed by Eikichi's voice. 

AS: Persona! Theurgy! Eikichi Mishina has used the Light skill Insanely High Note on Maria Sakurai!

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.

Suzume still has no hands free, so she can't actually turn around and give Lisa a thumbs-up - or Ririka and Yukari, for that matter, or anyone she's fighting with.

She thinks it though.

Suzume starts to object about the 'unproven' - they seem to want *Lisa*, or at least recognize her, and she is definitely less experienced than Suzume is; she is fairly sure that Jun also is, but is less sure about her knowledge - but realizes she is making a very bad argument and bites it back. She's still a little heated, but that may just be because they're trying to kill her. Or at least hurt her.

"Hands off," is what she says instead, though whether that means off of her, of Lisa, of the rest of SEES, of Maria, or of everyone in general (it's probably that one) is unclear. Welwetes has scooted off for the moment at least, so she doesn't have to worry about him; she focuses on Scion instead.

Crimes are fun? "Where do you get off, saying that trying to *kill people* is fun?" Suzume raises her voice again. "We've got a word for that, and that's insane! But you're a robot, so I don't even know if you understand this. DO you even know what you're really doing...?"

Aigis probably would have, and Scion actually sounds - when she speaks - more like a 'normal person' than Aigis does. Except for what she talks about. Maybe it's just Yumi's control. Suzume scowls again, just as Welwetes finally comes back over to her. "No, shoo," she says to the robot dinosaur.

That gives her an idea, though. She crouches, picks up the metal bar - and flings it with a snap of her wrist just like she'd practiced with those wooden practice knives, sending it spinning away into the darkness. It hits a wall, somewhere in the eye-warping 'barrier' Yumi set up, with another ringing clatter.

Do velociraptors fetch...?

When lightning radiates, Suzume is quick to try to dodge again, aided in this by Atalanta's winds. It's not so easy to dodge electricity, though, and the bolt slams down, sending her (and Atalanta, still hovering) sliding backwards.

And then Maria takes Scion's arm off.

On sheer autopilot, Suzume flinches back, recoiling. If that was a human being, Suzume would have been grossed out. She's seen arms come off in movies, once or twice (well, once, a in movie she wasn't supposed to see), and for all that she loves action movies she hadn't especially liked the gore. She's never seen it in person and never wants to. But all that's in there is wires and gears and mechanical bits. Hydraulics, she thinks. Some sort of core... it's more fascinating than gross. She always did like to know how mechanical things work...

It helps that Scion is more annoyed than pained by the whole thing, and she flees. Suzume doesn't stop her... but she does call after Welwetes, "Fetch!" because it's a joke she's not going to let go of.

She turns to Lisa, checking to make sure she's okay, nods to herself, and then turns back to Maria-JOKER. She can feel Ririka's beat energizing her, and Suzume narrows her eyes. Okay, she thinks. Okay. If they stop it, then things will have turned out at least sort of okay; she's got a *lot* of questions and she's still going to have them, but at least nobody's going to die. Probably.

"Hey! Over here!"

Suzume lets out a shrill whistle to get Maria-JOKER's attention. She doesn't have to move far because, well, Maria just tried to take off Scion's head, but Suzume closes the distance between them in almost no time at all, Atalanta running alongside her and wreathing her in churning winds.

She jabs with her single remaining baton, and the winds follow; after the first impact of metal, there's a huge gust of wind slamming outward like a piston, amplifying her blow all out of proportion to the actual strength behind it. (Which isn't that small, because Suzume is going so fast that she has a lot of momentum built up. Her fingers go numb because she's used to doing this with a tonfa, which she can hold more tightly than a baton made out of a chunk of broken chair.)

She follows it up with a sweeping strike, still with the streaming, screaming wind behind it, trying to slam Maria-JOKER straight down into the ground so she can't run off somewhere else! 

AS: Tandem! Suzume Fukura has used the Wind skill Race the Wind on Maria Sakurai! 3 Hits!
  | Pressure: Suzume Fukura gains 1 Limit!

AS: Tandem! Suzume Fukura has used the Wind skill Blastbrand on Maria Sakurai! 3 Hits!

<Pose Tracker> Lisa Silverman has posed.

"Don't call me that name!" Ginko shouts at Eikichi. "And value your music more!! If you're gonna go pro, you gotta be serious!"

Pause. It's not a gun. "Oh, okay." Double pause. The guitar case is a real gun. "...What!?" Triple pause. Shoot him in the foot?? "...Tempting," Lisa complains.

Ririka explains! Umie also explains. Velvet Room? "...Is that some kind of club??" She shakes her head. "Whatever! I'm sure we can save her!"

Why is that where her mind goes!?

She smiles at Yukari anyway, if only for a bare moment--this is stressful. "I did," she says, say she was a fighter. "But I didn't expect this..."

Whatever Ririka just did, Lisa knows the feeling of cheering crowds; it helps ground her 'here'. That's good, because Maria is still FREAKING HER OUT.

But Lisa insists, and Maria wonders... "Yeah!" Lisa insists again. "Maria should be... riding bikes! Not killing and dying!"

"...You sound so sad," Lisa finds as the Bride speaks of her other world. I'm sorry... but I can't help you."

Can't she? ...Or won't she?

'Just like her', the Bride calls her. The truth...?

Lisa thinks of her friends. Of Jun... of Minako.

"I'm not..."

Bathed in Sin? What does it mean?

But Scion is laughing, and that brings Lisa out of her contemplative mood. "You--" 'You cannot hope to defeat me alone.' "Yeah, but this guy...?"

Lisa does have pretty nasty physical attacks, though. She should do a combo with Suzume sometime.

But they... they planned this? That's what registers for Lisa now. The Bride, the Scion--they planned to make Maria snap. "That's terrible..." Also terrible, admittedly, is Maria's sheer RAGE. Lisa flinches back. "Whoa!"

"We do," Lisa agrees with Jun. She doesn't know what he's keeping from her... but she trusts him.

She gets shocked! Lisa dives to the side to get out of the way--but Scion is gone in a moment.

"...Maria," Lisa says then, looking to the Joker before her. "...So you're sure if we hit her really hard, that helps us help her?" she asks. And when it's confirmed.... "All right."

"Hup!" Lisa adopts a fighting stance, her fists up. "Eros! Set it up!" she calls, and Eros puts both hands forward as if in offering--only for a tall, narrow block of stone to appear before Lisa, like a giant version of the kind a martial artist would break. "Haaaah--!"

Lisa rears back and punches the hell out of the block--which breaks in half, the shockwave slamming towards Joker Maria along with the pieces. "Take THAT! I won't give up!" Then Lisa rushes--a shoulder-up punch with her whole body put into it first, two strikes, followed by a trio of one-inch punches rapidfire at Joker Maria's side. She works around Suzume practically like they've fought together before--though they haven't.

...She needss to get some gloves, though.

As she finishes striking though, she hears Magus's declaration. "You'd really be OK if she just meant to do it...?"

Lisa tries to stay up with Maria as long as she can--to try to get her attention the same as Suzume--but...

That troubles her. 

AS: Lisa Silverman spends Limit on Psych! 
AS: Tandem! Lisa Silverman has used the Earth skill Terra Knockout on Maria Sakurai! 3 Hits!
  | Aggression: Lisa Silverman gains 1 Limit!

AS: Weapon! Lisa Silverman has used the Strike skill Sweeping Punch on Maria Sakurai! 2 Hits!
AS: Weapon! Lisa Silverman has used the Strike skill Chain Punch on Maria Sakurai! 3 Hits!
AS: Yukari Takeba spends Limit on Exploit! Yukari Takeba can use another Weak skill this round!

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.

Maria calling her Persona like that always gives her the creeps. Her eyes dart up to that parasitic entity, before frowning at her calling it Divine Justice.
 
"What about me screams 'honorable'?" Yukari Takeba says to Scion in such a dry tone, "I couldn't care less if you're having fun or not. You think this is fun for us?"
 
The giggling of Maria about her own fun, causes her to bristle some at that moment, as if it were Scion's fault for this whole thing.
 
Even though it's only a little bit their fault.
 
Eikichi notes that he's an 'indie darling', "Then go to India." She quips. Before 'What's so bad about Ginko?'
 
Yukari Takeba is still looking at Lisa, when she draws an arrow and looses it without even looking at him. The arrow lands in the ground at a diagonal about three decimeters from the side of Eikichi's left foot, vibrating audibly at the moment of impact.
 
"How about whatever she wants?" She counters, as Lisa tells her she didn't expect this, "Yeah... me neither. Though I guess this means I no longer have to hold back talking to you about this kind of thing?"
 
She can't say she's too pleased by it, but at least there is SOME silver lining.
 
And it's in that moment, that Maria's Joker claims Scion's arm, with a sparking metallic shriek. As they declare, "There's no way we're letting you go-"
 
Which is when Guardian summons Lightning, and Yukari is struck by one of the bolts, causing her legs to go weak, as she falls to the ground, momentarily stunned.
 
With a ragged breath, she forces herself to stand back up, looking frazzled from more than just the lightning. Her hair's a mess- just like the rest of her.
 
How fitting for the moment.
 
But she does believe everyone who says they have to 'hit her' to knock her out of this. After all, she's crazy strong right now. "... Maria-chan. I believe you. That you tried to do that. That guy sounds like he was scum- but he doesn't deserve to die. What I don't believe..."
 
As she levels her gaze on her, she takes a glowing red clip, and inserts it into the bottom of her Evoker, as Ririka's Power Chord thrums throughout her, as if synchronizing her feelings with Io all the more.
 
"... is that this is the real you. That you don't feel bad about it at all. If this Joker Rumor stuff is actually real after all-"
 
Bringing her Evoker up to her forehead, she pulls the trigger with a flare of crimson power from her feet as Io appears anew, her eyes changing color from amber, to a deep vivid shade of red.
 
Drawing her bow, she pivots around, taking a knee.
 
"-then it's because you do feel guilty about it." One arrow nocks, and in the same moment it does, it's fired, as Io sends them flying on powerful currents of wind, increasing the velocity to a devastatingly high speed.
 
"And the girl I know- I'm sure she'd want to atone for it."
 
Borne aloft on a sudden updraft, she swings around in mid-air, getting a bead and sighting down the Joker Persona in mid-flight.
 
And loosing, one last arrow.
 
"Get lost!" As she addresses the Joker Persona itself.
 
That if it impacts the Persona, will cause an uproarious detonation of wind pressure, trying to consume it utterly.
 
"And this time STAY gone!"

AS: Tandem! Theurgy! Yukari Takeba has used the Wind skill Cyclone Arrow on Maria Sakurai!
AS: Persona! Yukari Takeba has used the Wind skill Magaru on Maria Sakurai!

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.

    '...Is that some kind of club??' Lisa asks. "It looks kind of like one," Umie relates. "But it's not."

    A hook gets in, as Joker Maria *objects*.
    And like that, a switch is flipped.

    "What's wrong? Am I ruining your fun~?"

    A blackbird's smile splits Umie's lips open; ruby red nails point towards Maria. "You can't hide from me. I saw it all." Her lower eyelids raise, transforming the reddish brown eyes behind those mask holes into merry slits as she repeats, "_I saw it all_."

    It may be a mystery why Umie finds so much delight in being the one to See something, rather than the other way around.

    When Maria is thrown back, Umie frowns. "She's not out for the count yet, keep going." Do Hyousuke and Magus continue to trust what Umie says?

    Should anyone trust the words the Bride says about this other world?
    .... Words that Umie has trouble hearing at all, as the air suddenly turns as dense like a dying star.

    The small woman, only a few inches taller than the Bride, becomes even smaller as she collapses like a lead balloon, her jacket unnervingly fluttering down a body that's reacting to a gravity that's heavier than it should be.

    It just tightens whatever burning knot getts squeezing inside the blonde's chest, as she keeps *talking*.

    "And... furthermore..." Umie wheezes out a demented cackle. "There's someone who wears that name far better than you, you kn--Ow." That's an 'ow' at the end, spittle flying out of her mouth as the last bit of that gravity slams *down*.

    But not enough to collapse the young woman entirely, as Maria's attention is drawn elsewhere.

    ".... That's it," Umie goads, as she gets up--
    --'I'll take Sakurai-san!' "Wait," Umie coughs, as she gets up, looking around for Scion. "I'm not seeing anyone else--"

    Oh, he meant Magus.

    Glancing with a incredulous tilt of her head (one hand pressed to her poor mask to keep it from falling off), Umie says, "Mask-san." She's addressing Magus here, giving her a cheeky grin when Magus connects the rest of the dots. "<Bingo.> We were just lucky because Katayama-san was out like a light." Her expression grows more serious. "Anyone can dial a number. All it takes is one time. She tried to take it back... and in doing so, cursed herself as well. That's what this all does."

    Umie's gaze turns back towards Maria, nodding in agreement with Magus's speech as she takes a moment to prepare that painful ritual she knows she needs.

    With a voice that grows distant, toneless like the brush of wind against dry brush, Umie raises her fingers. "In June, the spider lilies bloom blood red in the fields. A man hangs from the branch, caught between decision and action, A blackbird cries in the tree, who hears it? Who is there? Who is it, with that face?"

    The unwilling sybil says an old tale, summoning a thing with feathers and hands, pale dead skin and red lace. With an uncanny shriek, the cognitive idea of that thorny bramble of overgrown fields, filled with shades of old red and rust, flood the twisted space clawed out by the Badb.

    With a snap of Umie's fingers, the thorns cross over and intertwine in a painful rope, ripping into nonexistence.

    "The battle's over. They don't believe you at all. You can't keep her conscious for much longer, can you?" 

AS: Umie Akabane spends Limit on Psych! 
AS: Persona! Umie Akabane has used the Dark skill Warrior's Bell on Maria Sakurai!
  | Umie Akabane takes 90 damage from Panic!
  | Ruin: Umie Akabane gains 1 Limit!

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 Final Warning on Maria Sakurai!
AS: Block Worst! Maria Sakurai takes 159 Earth damage from Lisa Silverman's Terra Knockout. Critical Hit! Resist!
  | Maria Sakurai is unable to continue fighting!

AS: Block Worst! Maria Sakurai takes 124 Earth damage from Lisa Silverman's Terra Knockout. Resist!
  | Maria Sakurai is unable to continue fighting!

AS: Block Worst! Maria Sakurai takes 90 Strike damage from Lisa Silverman's Sweeping Punch.
  | Maria Sakurai is unable to continue fighting!

AS: Block Worst! Maria Sakurai takes 90 Strike damage from Lisa Silverman's Sweeping Punch.
  | Maria Sakurai is unable to continue fighting!

AS: Block Worst! Maria Sakurai takes 73 Strike damage from Lisa Silverman's Chain Punch.
  | Maria Sakurai is unable to continue fighting!

AS: Block Worst! Maria Sakurai takes 92 Strike damage from Lisa Silverman's Chain Punch. Critical Hit!
  | Maria Sakurai is unable to continue fighting!

AS: Block Worst! Maria Sakurai takes 73 Strike damage from Lisa Silverman's Chain Punch.
  | Maria Sakurai is unable to continue fighting!

AS: Umie Akabane spends Limit on Exploit! Umie Akabane can use another Weak skill this round!
AS: Block Worst! Maria Sakurai takes 162 Wind damage from Suzume Fukura's Race the Wind. Critical Hit! Weak!
  | Maria Sakurai is unable to continue fighting!

AS: Block Worst! Maria Sakurai takes 138 Wind damage from Suzume Fukura's Race the Wind. Weak!
  | Maria Sakurai is unable to continue fighting!

AS: Block Worst! Maria Sakurai takes 162 Wind damage from Suzume Fukura's Race the Wind. Critical Hit! Weak!
  | Maria Sakurai is unable to continue fighting!

AS: Block Worst! Maria Sakurai takes 98 Wind damage from Suzume Fukura's Blastbrand. Weak!
  | Maria Sakurai is unable to continue fighting!

AS: Block Worst! Maria Sakurai takes 122 Wind damage from Suzume Fukura's Blastbrand. Critical Hit! Weak!
  | Maria Sakurai is unable to continue fighting!

AS: Block Worst! Maria Sakurai takes 122 Wind damage from Suzume Fukura's Blastbrand. Critical Hit! Weak!
  | Maria Sakurai is unable to continue fighting!

AS: Tandem! Theurgy! Umie Akabane has used the Dark skill Garden of the Crow on Maria Sakurai! 3 Hits!
  | Umie Akabane takes 60 damage from Stress!

AS: Block Worst! Maria Sakurai takes 124 Earth damage from Lisa Silverman's Terra Knockout. Resist!
  | Maria Sakurai is unable to continue fighting!

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.

True World, World Withtout Sin... "What are you talking about..." The Groom. "That... Miyu person." Somehow, she hasn't crossed paths with the Bride and Groom again since her Awakening.

But the Groom sees. "... aren't you the Navigator, though...?" Ririka wonders to herself. But she frowns as something clicks into place. "... 'this world' rejects you. You and... the Groom?"

Who she remembers and the Bride has explicitly referred to with feminine pronouns. She almost starts to ask 'Is it because--' but stops herself. That's maybe more than she can worry about tonight.

But Scion is worried about the rules of humans. Sometimes killing isn't okay, and sometimes it is??? "Wha-- no! It's never okay! I mean-- I guess your handlers or whatever might think so sometimes but I'm pretty sure all of us disagree! People aren't fish!" Are they protecting Maria? "Yes!" Ririka you're starting to sound stressed. (It's because she is.)

"Okay, thaaaat's creepy," she says to Scion confirming about the dossiers.

But Scion can't pay her price. "Well, it was worth a shot."

But oh right, the other fight is happening, and Ririka recoils when Joker comes for Scion. "Wh-whoa!" Okay, that looks really bad. "Thaaat looks rally bad. Are... you gonna be okay?" But she clocks the lost connection. "You did it, Kashihara-san!"

"Okay, maybe, if I can search the area really quickly--" Ririka reaches out, keyboard keys of light springing to life beneath her fingertips as she starts--

But Scion splits, and electricity crawls along the ground. Ririka spasm and drops to her knees. "Ahh! D-- Dammit!" Nope, her concentration's broken, and she'll need a moment. "I lost her."

It's fine, Suzume. Thinking a thumbs-up works when Ririka has the Navigator Link open to help coordinate.

She forces herself to her feet, but shakes her head to Lisa. "It's not a club. It's-- look, we'll just show you after we're done. There'll probably be an entrance nearby once we're done..."

But they still have to subdue Maria so they can get her to the Velvet Room. Ririka takes a deep breath, fingers tapping on her thigh as she tries to centr herself. "Alright, Amphion! Double time! Break through and follow it up with Magnara!"

Amphion strums, a deep, low resonant sound trying to break through Maria's defenses to EArth attacks--and a moment later the continued strumming drives a rock to fall and attempt to crush Maria.

But gently. They're not trying to harm her, after all. 

AS: Persona! Ririka Kawase has used the Almighty skill Earth Break on Maria Sakurai!
AS: Persona! Ririka Kawase has used the Earth skill Magnara on Maria Sakurai!
AS: Block Worst! Maria Sakurai takes 230 Wind damage from Jun Kashihara's Heavenly Cyclone. Weak!
  | Maria Sakurai is unable to continue fighting!

AS: Block Worst! Maria Sakurai takes 289 Light damage from Eikichi Mishina's Insanely High Note. Weak!
  | Charm (Attacker or Ally takes Damage!) added!
  | Maria Sakurai is unable to continue fighting!

AS: Block Worst! Maria Sakurai takes 284 Wind damage from Yukari Takeba's Cyclone Arrow. Weak!
  | Maria Sakurai is unable to continue fighting!

AS: Block Worst! Maria Sakurai takes 159 Wind damage from Yukari Takeba's Magaru. Weak!
  | Maria Sakurai is unable to continue fighting!

AS: Block Worst! Maria Sakurai takes 0 Almighty damage from Ririka Kawase's Earth Break.
  | Earth_Break (Earth Affinity Down!) added!
  | Maria Sakurai is unable to continue fighting!

AS: Block Worst! Maria Sakurai takes 174 Earth damage from Ririka Kawase's Magnara.
  | Bind (Magic and Avoid Penalized!) added!
  | Maria Sakurai is unable to continue fighting!

AS: Block Worst! Maria Sakurai takes 0 Dark damage from Umie Akabane's Warrior's Bell. Weak!
  | Rage (Weapon Attack and Incoming Damage Up!) added! Exhaust removed! Explosion! 99 damage!
  | Maria Sakurai is unable to continue fighting!

AS: Block Worst! Maria Sakurai takes 247 Dark damage from Umie Akabane's Final Warning. Critical Hit! Weak!
  | Panic (Damage when using Persona/Tandem!) added! Charm removed! Explosion! 75 damage!
  | Maria Sakurai is unable to continue fighting!

AS: Block Worst! Maria Sakurai takes 188 Dark damage from Umie Akabane's Garden of the Crow. Critical Hit! Weak!
  | Maria Sakurai is unable to continue fighting!

AS: Block Worst! Maria Sakurai takes 120 Dark damage from Umie Akabane's Garden of the Crow. Weak!
  | Maria Sakurai is unable to continue fighting!

AS: Block Worst! Maria Sakurai takes 188 Dark damage from Umie Akabane's Garden of the Crow. Critical Hit! Weak!
  | Maria Sakurai is unable to continue fighting!

<Pose Tracker> Maria Sakurai has posed.

    He knows that her ex hurt her.

    "You do, do you? And you're still going to defend him??" Maria asks of Hyousuke. A mockery, Umie had called it. "You're all the same--" A hiss escapes her as Umie taunts her further. "Shut up! I'll tear your mask and face off!" she snaps at Umie.

    But she'll have to get through the young man she's currently fighting, first. She strikes at Hyousuke barehanded, even as he meets her blow for blow. "Just die!" she snarls, more feral than she's shown before.

    But even that's before Scion repeats quite openly the very thing that's turned Maria's fury towards her once her blow-for-blow hit-and-parry with the young man comes its conclusion.

    In her rage towards Scion for her part in turning her towards what she's now become, Maria has left herself open. Is it an accident? Or, was that the real Maria who reached up through the shock and fury to grab the reins for just a fraction of a second?

    Regardless, in one moment she has literally disarmed her ally and would-be captor. This is not a situation through which Yumi or Scion can continue. Particularly not when Maria's AWOL sempai intervenes as well in the same moment, in a slightly different location.

    In one moment, Maria's back is on the people she was just attempting to kill and/or maim, and that means that the time to strike is /now/, while her focus is directed at Scion.

    "You--!" Maria snarls, though that plastered-on grin at Scion.

    Magus strikes first. Let them cut her strings, she says, speaking of vengeance and its discontents (such as they are, for someone who is as cursed as Maria now is). "--Shut up! You don't understand!" Maria insists, recoiling as that blast of force knocks her back, staggers here. Magus is not done, however, and in that moment Maria drinks the sea.

    "I hate you!" she snarls on the recovery, her Persona coming to hover close at her side. "Joker, please kill--"

    Even a person who has been turned into a Joker can't withstand a note like that. Clapping her hands over her ears, Maria is staggered, which makes her an open target for Amphion's spell... especially when her version of the Joker Persona's defenses are so plainly carved open. "Why, you--" she utters, staggering under the force and pressure of that spell. Even here, she's still standing, though. How much can someone withstand, curse or not?

    Or possibly double-cursed, as the case may be for Maria, who indeed called the line twice. Once to make the hit, and once to try to take it back. All it had earned her was the Joker's attention towards her as well.

    So Umie remarks upon, and it's through Umie that her burgeoning attempt to again pull her Persona to her side and try to take them all on and all out is forestalled once again. She is by magic bound, by magic that once she would have better resisted had her affinities not flipped in such a lateral metaphysical way.

    "I'm not, done--" Maria gasps through a permanently grinning face.

    You're not going anywhere, Hyousuke tells her.

    She turns, still struggling with Umie's multipart hexes, just in time to see him just about catapult himself towards her. One kick finds her leg; she recoils with a shriek and tries to right herself to no avail: her balance is broken and like a storm of muscle and bone, Hyousuke is there to meet her moment for moment. She screams, she laughs. Once the last blow connects, she sinks to her knees with a sob, that dark Persona hovering over her like the mirror opposite of a guardian angel.

    And she rises. Against the odds, she rises, the Persona seeming to rally her more than the other way around. Perhaps in that moment it would not have gone particularly well for anyone if it weren't for Suzume, whistling shrilly to get her attention. Maria looks in her direction for that one moment, and that's all it takes for Suzume, joined by Lisa as she rushes her classmate, to tag-team the beleagured Sevens student with fist and tonfa alike. One might well think they've both done this together countless times.

    Suzume does her best to try to keep her down this time, slamming her to the ground, but even that might not have been enough.

    Maria's version of the Joker Persona, though, is weak to Wind.

    Speaking of divine punishment, this might just about be a divine wind, brought about by Argeiphontes, and enjoined by Yukari's own detonation of pressure, an extremely localized downburst that sees that fell Persona dissolve into red-black light and fade into dust.

    That, and Yukari is right about one thing.

    Maria does feel guilty about it. Of course she does. Whatever she thinks of herself for giving in and making that call--

    Maria sighs and goes limp on the floor, that odd coloration vanishing from her face as her parasite-Persona is broken. Her breath is shallow, but she's herself again.

    Maria lies curled up on the floor of the ravaged studio, her eyes closed. "Sorry," she utters, her voice only just above a whisper. "Sorry, everyone. I thought... maybe I wouldn't change, but..."

    She lapses into silence for several long moments. "...I guess... I was wrong about that. Mom always said, what comes around, goes around... Sorry, I think... I still hate him..." Her head rolls a few scant degrees, as if whatever cord was still tethering her was just sliced free. There's no need to worry if perhaps they went too hard, though: her chest rises and falls, and soon Maria starts to snore gently there on the floor of the studio.

    Someone mentioned the Velvet Room. That's probably a good idea, to make sure the curse is all the way gone. 

<Pose Tracker> Misato Fushihara has posed.

"You think I don't?" Magus replies, as Maria says she doesn't understand. "You think I don't know what it's like to hate? To want someone to hurt, that you think deserves it?"

Maria declares that she hates her.

"That's fine with me."

In the end - they're enough... at least for now.

She looks briefly to Lisa.

"Yes." Magus confirms. "The only thing I take issue with is the collateral damage."

Focusing on them, in other words, and using them for practice.

She looks toward Umie too, briefly.

...They might have got off on the wrong foot earlier(which was her fault, though again, she'll never admit it), but they might be able to come to an understanding after all...

Maria speaks, and Magus looks her away. She still hates him...

"...There's nothing wrong with hate. What matters is what you do with it." She says.

While the others help her to the Velvet Room, Magus departs while her disguise still holds - though not before trading contact information with Jun. 

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.

Ririka heaves a huge sigh of relief as Maria falls, and her skin tone returns to normal. "Okay... whew." She lets the hand holding her Evoker dangle by her side. She stashes it back in her backpack and walks over to kneel by Maria to check on her, listening for a moment. "... okay, you're good for now, but... We gotta get you to the Velvet Room."

Maria apologizes to all of them, and then says she's not ready to forgive her ex-boyfriend. Ririka gently places a hand on her shoulder. "... we're not asking you to forgive him. We just wanted to keep you from doing something you couldn't take back," she says softly. "Take it easy now."

She'll see Maria there to make sure the curse is removed. And hopefully being doubly cursed won't mean they have to fight her a second time later. 

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.

    'Shut up! I'll tear your mask and face off!' "_Do it_. I'll make another! As many as I want!"

    The posturing is all for show, as the voice behind it is beginning to crack from the effort.

    It's all anger and posturing, as whatever drive behind it fades from her own exhaustion and unwillingness to examine beyond it all.

    A chariot that is constantly in motion is powerful, but cannot change course without crashing.

    Maria collapses, the Joker's influence waning enough for the person within to show through. "Sakurai-san," Umie says, with a wavering thread (or threat) of emotion, "..."

    Assuring Maria that everything is okay and forgiven would be the opposite of what Maria should hear, right now, after everything she's done and been through.

    "There's probably many others who think the same, Sakurai-san." Her eyelashes lower, brushing against the painted edges of layered red paint. "None of them would have dared to have done as much as you've done. We'll take it from here."

    Maria wouldn't have to recognize the stain of death on her hands, thanks to everyone here.

    Umie nods and quietly asides to Magus. "Mask-san," meaning Magus, "whatever space this thing generated will dissipate soon. Don't get caught." She pauses a beat, and adds, "... That thing and I have... some kind of.... history? I think? I'm not sure. But I get tense. So... sorry." She gives Magus a small smile, then turns back to Maria, in order to help get the curse sealed.

     But, for every person they save, how many are being captured by the NWO?

     And for what purpose?

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