From what little understanding I have of M's character isn't he a paper tiger and a masochist who likes being broken by Pitohui? The GRIT/FITNESS approach might be the best here to get him to cave. And as we've seen with LENN Hiyori can pull off the creepy girl act well.
Canon M is a masochist who enjoys being abused by Pito but is otherwise genuinely pretty intelligent and insightful. However, he's also unwilling to directly oppose Pito's desires even when he's fully aware they're insane/self-destructive - though he's perfectly fine with trying to exploit loopholes in her orders or psyche to try and get her to be less self-destructive.
To wit, the canon Squad Jam 2 plot: Pito declares she's going to treat SJ2 as a genuine death game for herself. If she dies or otherwise loses the event, she declares she will take her life to him - and also that he must do the same, and she will enforce that if necessary. M genuinely does not want to see Pito die (and is only concerned about his own death in the event that he "leaves Pito behind") and remembers that Pito once made a promise to LLENN that if LLENN were ever to defeat her in a serious fight that they would meet IRL. Based on knowing Pito very well, he's sure that if LLENN is the one to defeat Pito in SJ2 that that promise will take precedent over her death game obsession and begs Karen to help (having deduced her IRL identity from a fan letter she sent to Elza.) When Karen responds like a normal person would at first and suggests he take this matter to the police or a psychologist, M explains that he's unwilling to act against Pito's desires in such a matter - even when the stakes are so high and the reason so insane. Karen only agrees to help when he explains the promise plan, nevertheless M still participates as a member of Pito's team - and though he does take a few actions to sabotage Pito with regards to LLENN - they're fairly minor (though still get him PK'd by Pito once she realizes he's doing it)
It did occur to me only just a short while ago that as an ex-stalker himself, he'll probably catch on to our stalking of him which is otherwise the only hitch I see in this plan - but I'm assuming that our Social Stats clearing the requirements sorta take care of this?
[X] "You're a piece of shit, Kyouji. There's only one person at fault. Only one person is responsible!"
[X] You've brought a pair of sunglasses, a baseball cap, and a 100 yen paperback. Find a comfortable bench, stare at the exit, and start waiting. You'll have to chase down Goushi, and hope he doesn't decide to get the authorities involved, but one way or another you will have your conversation with him— on your own terms. [You have the GRIT and FITNESS to perform this action.]
SUNDAY - June 8th, 2025
Morning
"So, who are you supposed to be? Another Elsa stalker?"
The inside of the «Ario Room» reception area is every bit as gaudy as the outside. Posters of talents hang everywhere you look. A grand piano sits in the corner, a thin layer of dust over its keys. Some amateur vocal performance drifts out from a distant room.
But most importantly of all, the AC is running full blast. It's almost enough to make your forget your current predicament.
See, you've done plenty of stakeouts in SAO, so you thought it wouldn't be that hard in real life. All you really had to do was wait and prevent yourself from dying of boredom. But it turns out? Sitting in one spot in the middle of Tokyo's rainy season turned you into some kind of sweat monster.
And the second problem? It's a lot easier to make excuses about why you're loitering around an MMO town than it is to explain loitering around a talent agency.
"Playing dumb? Fine, you haven't committed any crimes yet. But if I catch you again, I will need to call the police."
You look up at the burly man with a security badge pinned to his shirt. You spent 2 hours waiting in the surrounding area, hoping Asougi Goushi would go out for a coffee break or... something! You weren't even here to spy on the actual idols! But you already know you're not going to be able to convince security of this.
"S... sorry, mister. Just um... really sad about her hiatus, you know? I wanted to see if she's okay."
The guard softens slightly. "Me too kid. Elsa's an angel, best part of working here is seeing her smile every morning. And I'm sure she's got her reasons for taking a break, but if you're a true fan then you need to respect her boundaries. "
"Y-yeah..."
He offers his hand and you take it. He pats you gently on the shoulder.
"Alright, get goin' now kid."
"H-hold on. Do you think I could stay here and... cool down? Just for a bit?" you shrink in on yourself and give him the doe eyes. Just a little more time..!
"...You do know that the talent doesn't leave through the main entrance? Only one who uses this are ancillary staff. So don't think you can grab a glimpse of Elsa just by waiting around."
"No! It's just... too hot outside, and I'm afraid it's going to rain soon..."
The guard gives an apprising look at your drenched form. It must be worse than you thought. "Argh, I hate the rainy season too... alright. Just don't leave my line of sight or wander off."
You nod vigorously. The sky's already started to darken again, so the rain won't be far behind. But with any luck, you won't even need to wait much longer.
In fact, as if on cue, the elevator opens and a handsome man with brown hair styled like a host walks through, a cellphone glued to his ear. You do a double take just to be sure, but that was undoubtedly Asougi Goushi. He's bowing profusely to empty air while concentrating intently on the phone.
"I'm sorry, I truly am. Family emergency— no, I don't know when she'll be back. Next month by my estimation. Yes sir. I truly apologize but the circumstances are what they are, and my hands are tied. I do have some other talent I can offer as a substitute—"
You offer him a meek wave which he promptly ignores.
"No, I understand, we'll refund the booking fees—"
"Ahem. Goushi-san?" You try your best to be polite, giving him a winning smile.
"Yes, yes, I'll wire it immediately. Now let's not do anything you'll regret sir, your continued patronage—"
You charge forward, putting yourself between Goushi and the exit. "Excuse me, M-san?" you glare up at him. He stops. You hear the faint sounds of angry shouting through the phone. Goushi stares straight into your eyes, silently shutting off his phone mid diatribe.
"So I've finally got your attention? I need to talk to you about Pito—"
A wind blows past you, almost knocking you over in its passing. In a flash, Goushi's sprinted outside with the speed of a man who's entirely too comfortable with bolting away at the first sign of trouble.
You spin on your heels and make for the doors, pausing briefly just as the wall of humidity hits you once more. Damn it you just got into the AC...!
"Haaaa... haaaa.."
Your lungs are on fire. Your legs are two steps away from falling off. Your sweat is now making its own sweat.
Months of steady exercise and lifting boxes has given you your strength back, and once again your body responds as you once remembered. You're now filled with the awesome and inexhaustible energy of... a 15 year old. You're heaving in a back alley, the conclusion of your harrowing chase of approximately 5 minutes before your body gave out ending in the most anticlimactic and embarrassing way possible.
"Take it. Drink slowly."
You nod absently, greedily gulping down the can of chilled coffee. The cold feels amazing on your throat, even if the unflavored mud texture is less than pleasant.
"Feeling better?"
Goushi stands over you, watching you drain the can. Somehow he doesn't even appear to be winded.
"W-why'd you... come back... haaa..."
The man pauses for a brief second, and gives you a look of pure pity. "I felt bad. I know what it's like chasing someone through the streets. It's a lot harder than it looks... not to mention I'd get into a lot of trouble if you ended up collapsing in front of my workplace."
You nod, unable to do much more than agree. "K-karen. Pito. W-what are you planning?"
"I take it you're Karen's friend? I expected she wouldn't face Pito alone. I'll tell you what I told her— the less you know the better."
"D-death Gun. It's dangerous. I-I won't let Karen just k-kill... haaa..." you cough, struggling to finish your sentence.
"...Things will work out. I promise. Tell Karen to do her part, and I'll do mine."
His black eyes sear into you, causing a shiver to run down your spine despite the oppressive heat. You sense no ill intent, just pure determination from the man. Your plans of interrogating him are hampered by your current inability to do much more than gasp for air. He nods, already standing up to leave.
"W-wait! H-how?"
How is he going to save Pitohui by killing her? Karen told you he wanted all of the Death Gun conditions met for true death. If you faced off against Pitohui, you'd end up in the same situation. Killing her via the Black Star was unacceptable.
But if you killed her with normal weapons, either she'd respawn, or the Death Gun she summoned from her soul would finish the job and transform her into something other, if it hasn't already done so. And Pitohui was still a stranger to you, could you possibly convince her like you did Sinon? Not when you knew nothing about her?
So how is Goushi going to fix everything?
"I can't tell you. If you know, it may not work."
...if you know it... won't work? Was he planning on playing... a trick?
On you? On... Pitohui?
He's made it to the end of the alley. There's no way you can give any further chase. But you muster up the energy to ask him one last thing.
"F... fake. NerveGear...?"
There's no answer. No response. Just the briefest hitch in his step, the slightest hesitation— as Asougi Goushi disappears around the corner.
SUNDAY - 214 CYCLES POST STARFALL
1530 Glocken Standard Time
"No, Spiegel. I refuse."
The boy doesn't bother to look surprised. He just shrugs his shoulders, letting out a sigh. "Yeah, I kinda figured. Obvious in hindsight, but I figured I'd at least extend the offer. Anyways, it's no big deal— good luck and all that." The boy turns around, making to walk off without a care in the world.
"No, you misunderstand. I refuse to let you go."
Spiegel glances back, a frown on his lips. "Oh? And what makes you think you can stop me?"
The atmosphere changes. A ripple of Velvet expands from Spiegel, meeting a wave of power that expands from your own mind. Both of you tense, the pressure of your auras colliding. "Kuro, are you serious?" Spiegel asks, a smirk forming on his face. "There's no point in fighting. You'll win and I'll, what, respawn in town? You think that'll accomplish anything?"
"Won't know until we try."
You feel a presence like a shadow cloaking your own, a strange and unsettling force that threatens to rip your mind in two. Your vision swims, the deserts of GGO flickering between your abyss and Kyouji's asylum walls. Two Velvet Rooms in open war, struggling to overpower the other.
MAXWELL's power, the power of this strange being created by your sponsor, overwhelms your senses. Rules, ones you've scarcely fathomed, prevent him from acting outside of your mind, yet here when the very Velvet Room was bleeding into GGO even that limitation was broken.
He has squandered what little hope he has left. What has been gifted can be returned. Let one become two.
What was a Persona? To Gwen, another self, a manifestation of her soul.
To Death Gun it was an ideal, a pure form of strength created by cutting out all weaknesses.
To you it was a mask, a tool to be doffed and donned, a weapon to wield.
But to Kyouji...
"Whoa. What the hell are you doing now? Pulling out more bullshit, Kuro?" Spiegel looks around in wonder, his eyes widening as his gaze sweeps over the distorting landscape.
You don't bother responding, merely stepping forward, drawing upon the power of your abyss. You feel that cloying, choking sensation diffuse around the environment. The shadows lengthen and the glare of the sun feels as it's passing through a thousand leagues of water.
He knows your identity. He knows where you live. And he doesn't care. Not about fun, not about the plan, not even about Death Gun.
How do you punish that which has nothing to lose? How to you save someone who cares for nothing?
Bring him into your Velvet Room and I will tear out his true self. Let his Persona turn wild— he will not be able to run afterwards, not until he has confronted himself. For even when one becomes two the world will not tolerate two souls in one mind.
You feel in your heart what MAXWELL is offering. You recall Asuna and Titania, that there can not be two copies of one soul. The world demands unity, your unique situation only possible due to the constant ministrations of MAXWELL. To do what he did to you, only temporarily, on Kyouji... what would that create?
A berserk Persona— no, a Shadow. Power unshackled, spilling into the world, seeking nothing but to destroy and replace that which is unneeded. Kyouji would have no choice but to stay, to confront his other self or be replaced in the process.
You hand reaches your forehead. Something deep within burns, begging to be freed, to be used. Your fingers touch, a three lobed burning eye—
"You're a piece of shit, Kyouji."
Words not your own. Not from MAXWELL either. But you hear it, coming not from your own mind, but from the another source entirely. It's faint but the more you focus the clearer it becomes— it's almost a mantra, coming from the mind of Kyouji himself.
This is your chance. Force him into a confrontation he cannot resist, call upon your patron and see into the true depths of his soul. You see Sinon, desperately trying to reach the soul of her friend, unable to penetrate the thick sludge of his putrid beliefs that he wears like a suit of armor.
You can feel it calling to you, the power to expose all he is to you, to pit his will against yours and watch it break.
His Velvet Room is weakened. Pull him into yours, bend the rules and sunder his soul.
It's what he needs. It's what you needed. Separation, time apart— clarity, and then violence.
It's...
It's what works for you.
Is it what will work for Kyouji?
Contractor?
It's been nagging at you this whole time. Another voice, one that seems similar to MAXWELL yet entirely different. If he chose you, but does that mean someone else chose Kyouji?
There was only ever me. I was the only creation of my Master, and you were my only choice. But... but there may have been others. Those who have had a chance to exist but did not, those denied the chance to become.
There's another voice, whispering to you— no trying to whisper to Kyouji. You're just catching the vestiges.
No. There is only one voice, for outside of my Master, I am the only one you are permitted to hear. I am simply... imagining. Yes... I imagine I had siblings. Bothersome and frustrating ones at that. I imagine I'm glad that I am here with you contractor, and not them.
Do you... miss them?
I imagine that I did not know them long enough to do so. But at times I imagine what they would've wanted... had they been where I am now. I imagine if they would've extended to you the help that you needed.
What would the one that chose Kyouji say?
Are you certain? There's no shame in doing things your— our way. I daresay it would even be to this pathetic soul's benefit.
You're not sure, but how is that any different from before? It's all about making a choice, and accepting responsibility for what happens.
Very well. Let us imagine it together, the words of the violent and insane sister of mine that never existed.
...
"You're a piece of shit, Kyouji."
Spiegel stops walking away. His frown deepens, and he turns his head back. "Those words again... haa.... that's a pretty blunt assessment, Kuro. I didn't figure you the type to judge—"
"Look at you trying to act all cool and cocky. Got some fucked up ideas there buddy, did you pull them out of the comments section of a porno? Maybe an online manifesto? Like... nothing matters cause free will doesn't exist? Wow. How fucking original."
"Kuro, what are you even trying to do?" Even Sinon's confused, whispering harshly into your ear. "Why are you trying to egg him on?"
"Because there's no point in trying to reason with a dumbass like him." You turn your head to her, smiling apologetically. "Sorry, but I've got an idea to get through to him. Just... prepare for things to get messy."
"I can hear you plotting, you're speaking out loud!" Spiegel turns his head away again, the darkness and shadows closing in around him. His hands wave in mid air, scrolling down his menu to the logout button. "Fuck this. I'm out of here. I'm done with—"
"No, you're not."
MAXWELL's plan involved pulling him into your own Velvet Room with the power of your Third Eye. But you've chosen to reject that. Another path, one Kyouji has to walk upon himself. The faint haze of your abyss slowly fades, and you begin your surrender in full.
Because there's another Velvet Room here. And via the tenuous link MAXWELL holds with the one that chose Kyouji, there's still a path forward. Not one strong enough to invade or change, but strong enough to... empower. To amplify.
Your abyss shrinks as MAXWELL directs power through the link in the only direction Kyouji will permit. The haze of water fades into vapors of sanitizer, the light of the sun refracting through the ocean gives away to the fluorescent lights of a hospital ward.
"T-that voice. Again. Leave me alone, I don't want to hear it! Shut up! Shutupshutup SHUTUP!"
Kyouji screams, falling to his knees. A glass cage slowly builds around him, drawing from the surrounding sands and rock. Your own abyss is gone, a mere mirage, the power that you held now feeding into Kyouji. There's a voice screaming into his ear, one you can't make out, for its words are not for you. "Can you hear the voice? Look at the mess you've thrown yourself into, Kyouji. What a shitshow."
"SHUT UP!"
The cage closes, the faint edge of faceless specters watching over their prodigal child. A panopticon, a prison within the mind itself.
"We got dead people on one hand and stupid plots on the other, with you right in the middle of it Kyouji. So? Who's responsible?"
The boy who could be Death Gun looks up at you, his eyes red and swollen. His arms are clutching his face, his fingers digging into his temples, as if trying to pull something out of his skull. "Stop, stop! I'm just a sideshow, you think I could mastermind all of this!? Now SHUT UP!"
"Throwing responsibility on everyone else, huh? You think you're pathetic. That you're useless. And you lord that weakness over everyone else, acting as if being a piece of shit makes you better than the rest."
"STOP IT!"
You kneel down, looking into his eyes. They're wide and manic, filled with fear, anger, and self loathing.
"Your life's shit, Kyouji. Who's at fault? Who's responsible?"
"IT'S NOBODY'S FAULT! IT'S JUST THIS SHIT WORLD!"
He's resisting, the glass walls of his own cage are cracking. This is Kyouji at his core, a leaf drifting upon the winds of fortune. Why care when nothing matters? Why strive when your effort will be wasted? Why live when you will die?
You need one more push. Make him decide, make him accept it. To take responsibility.
"Kuro. Stop."
...
A voice calls out to you, breaking your focus. It's Sinon. Unfazed by the rapidly shifting scenery, her hands are on your shoulders, pushing you back.
" I know what you're trying to do. You're going to do something drastic once again." Sinon's words cuts through your concentration, but she steps forward for the first time since your confrontation, her gun already readied in a firing position. "You've done enough. Let me handle the rest."
Spiegel's mad grin falters. He glances between you and her, as if confused. "Asada-san...?"
"Tell me why." Sinon says, her voice calm. "I've had time to think, you know? I tried to talk myself out of it but the more I thought the more convinced I became that it was you. Are you doing all of just because you... hate everything?"
"Hate... hmm... heheheh..." Spiegel's expression breaks into a bitter laugh. "Hate. Yeah, that's a good word isn't it? But nah, I've learned not to take things personally, Asada-san. It's not their fault, not really. It's nobody's fault!"
With every word the madness builds, and that vision of his Velvet Asylum worms its way deeper and deeper into the world. Spiegel lies in the center of a glass cage, as phantoms leer inside, their voices whispering in unison, carrying the unmistakable tone of laughter.
"Help me understand. Is it your father? The bullies? Us?"
His father? Sinon mentioned he was controlling of his son, but she never went into the specifics. The bullying... the bullying doesn't surprise you, not with Isei High. The boy's life seemed utterly devoid of hope.
"Father... hahaha.. GAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" And something within Spiegel breaks. His mouth splits open and his teeth are bared, his hands digging into his scalp as he rocks back and forth, a hacking, choking laughter erupting from deep within his throat.
"FATHER'S FAULT!? THAT DUMBASS!? AHAHAHA, you're kidding? He's just trying his best, right? Just trying to make a nice perfect clone of himself... kehehe..."
A phantom coalesces. A stern looking man in faded scrubs and a well worn white coat laughs as he mocks his son.
"Not that shit school's fault. Everything's got a pecking order. People are just responding to the law of the jungle. What more can you expect from fucking teenagers?"
More phantoms. The uniform of Isei High— a football team, classmates, all hooting and hollering.
"And hey? XeXeeD's a jackass. Fucked up my build, but hey, props to the guy. Gotta get your advantage somehow, just how it is. What was he supposed to do, tell the truth and lose?"
"Even the fucking champion. Everyone knows the words.『 』never loses. It's an inevitability. Nothing anyone can do to change it. You'd have better luck beating a typhoon."
The one is hazy, incomplete, but it's all the more terrifying for the fact that his face is completely blank.
Sinon charges forward, her unawakened eyes unable to perceive the visions. She charges forward, arm outstretched, reaching towards the figure of her friend. But she can barely take but on step before her hands slam against the invisible glass barrier. She recoils, gasping as she holds her palms.
"Even Asada-san... my goddess, my Sinon... oh how I loved it when you finally paid attention to me. It took me all of my courage but I finally managed to tell you my feelings— but what was it you said? You wanted to wait before you gave me a response? Please, you're a shit liar Asada-san. Nothing but friend material, huh?"
Sinon gasps as a phantom passes through her body. It's practically a clone of Sinon that steps out of her skin, a mirror image— but not a perfect one. The face, a portrait of disgust and derision, joins the chorus of laughter.
"But I'm too weak for you. Too pathetic, too useless, too creepy. Hehehe, ahahaHAHA! But whatever! What would anyone see in a loser like me? Why should I expect any different from you Asada-san? You're just doing what comes natural. Cause and effect. So why bother caring? Why not laugh? C'mon! You know you want to— laugh at me! It'll make you feel better, promise!"
The laughter grows, echoing throughout the desert. Spiegel and the phantoms fall into a fit of mad laughter, their eyes bloodshot, their smiles stretched across their faces.
It's Sinon's voice, steady and firm, that cuts through the laughter. Her gaze, filled with focus, cut through the veil. "I'm not going to laugh. I'm not going to let you make fun of yourself. And I won't let you turn away, Spiegel!"
The Mini-Hecate sniper rifle in her hands drops to the ground, disintegrating into a thousand motes of light. In its place is a new weapon, slowly reforming from shattered pixels in the hands of Sinon. Blue light gives away to hardwood stock. Metal and polymer shapes into a lance of pure black. A muzzle break extends out, the end flared out in polished steel. The scope and bipod are the last things to materialize, and with the completion of the weapon Sinon lowers the sights of the PGM Hecate II onto Spiegel.
"I had to make a choice. There's not a day that goes by where it doesn't haunt me. But I accept what I did! The people I helped, the people I hurt. That was me! Responsibility that I accept! And it's the same for you too! The same for all of us!"
Spiegel's expression twists, his mad laughter morphing into a grimace. The phantoms hiss and claw at the glass, their faces warping into hideous mockeries of humanity.
"You matter! What you do matters. The choices, the consequences..." Sinon pauses, the barrel of her rifle wavering. "You don't deserve what happened to you. You don't deserve to be bullied. You don't deserve your father's scorn. You don't deserve to be laughed at. It's not the world, it's the people who chose to hurt you. And..."
"You too Asada-san? Why? Whywhywhy!? You sound the same, the same as those fucking voices! YOU ALL NEED TO SHUT UP!"
Sinon the lever and a bullet slides into the chamber. "It's you! You need to take responsibility for your own life! SHINKAWA KYOUJI!"
*BANG*
The click of a trigger. A roar of a gun. And a single bullet fires, piercing the air. It flies directly through the glass, tearing asunder the walls of the asylum. As the round passes the sound of a shattering mirror follows, the illusory prison splintering into countless fragments.
"Haaaah... Haaaaahhh! AAAAAAHHHHH!"
Spiegel lies there, knees on the sands, a gaping wound in his stomach. Something spills out onto the desert, a black stain that spreads in all directions. A foul, acrid odor assaults your senses, like a clogged toilet left baking on a hot summer's day.
"It's my fault? MINE!? HEHEHEHAEHAHAHAHA!"
Spiegel's laughter is broken, his chest rising and falling in rapid succession, his mouth frothing and spewing this thick black foam. The phantoms further solidify, wispy bodies filling over with brown sludge, each one dripping in rot and decay, their mouths stretched open, laughing. And more filthy than them all, a single black pistol, clutched in the hands of Spiegel.
"You fucking HYPOCRITES! Every last one of you! You ride in on your high horses, telling me all about responsibility, when you're dancing in the palm of Death Gun's hand? Just running around ants around a kicked mound!"
The black pistol is aimed at you. Then Sinon. Then it turns up, the barrel resting underneath his chin.
He's going to do it, the same as Sinon! "No don't—"
Sinon's hand grips your shoulder. "Don't, Kuro. Let him. This isn't going to be over until he confronts it."
Spiegel's face twists, the blackness that fills his body seeping out from the corners of his eyes. "You all need to SHUT UP! If... if I do this nii-san... will they shut up!? Will the voices stop!?"
"You know how to make it stop, Kyouji. Accept it." Sinon's words reach the boy, his hands shaking. His face, now covered in black, contorts, his jaw dropping, his mouth twisting and warping as he lets out a final, broken, laugh.
"Haaah... haaaaa... so after all this... the fuckin voices were right..."
He screams, eyes blazing in gold and red. The sand beneath your feet putrefies, and your boots sink into a pool of mud. The skies overhead darken, the sun blotted out by a cloud of flies so thick it appears as a cloud.
"I... accept..."
*BANG*
A single gunshot. A single moment of silence.
The phantoms turn as one. You feel the world rumble, the fractured cage of Kyouji's Velvet Room melts into the mud spreading from his body. The specters rush towards their dying host, a swarm of flies upon a rotting carcass. They crawl up his legs, their faces melting into a featureless mask of flesh, their hands digging into his shoulders, his arms, his chest, and his heart. But they don't cause him harm, no, their bodies pass through him, covering him head to toe in thick black muck.
"I choose this fate of my own free will! This is my world, this is my answer! You hear me, you fucking harpies!? I accept it! I ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY! I'M RESPONSIBLE! I'M A REAL PIECE OF SHIT! AND YOU KNOW WHAT!? I CHOOSE TO DRAG EVERYONE DOWN TO THE SHIT WITH ME!"
This thing, this putrid, disgusting creature crawls out of a pit of pitch and filth, every millimeter of its body dripping in sludge. It's this small, pathetic little thing, with beady crimson eyes that glare out from the shadows. A jester's cap is fused to its head, the thing looking like nothing but a child in a Halloween costume who's spent too much time rolling around in the mud.
It's a Death Gun. It's a Persona. It's the most pathetic thing you've ever seen.
And it's completely under Spiegel's control.
"You want to fight!? You wanna play a game!? Then let's play! HAHAHAHA— I'll show you, Kuro! You think you're strong!? That you're in control!? Well we weaklings have our own way of fighting!"
The thing by its side opens its mouth, revealing lips sewed shut. And with a single tug the stitches come loose, its maw opening and revealing a set of yellowed, razor sharp teeth. It lets out a scream, an unholy sound of a dying laugh, the phantoms of Kyouji's tormenters joining in the chorus.
"We're all just apes, splashing around in piss and shit! That's all we are and all we'll ever be! And you Kuro! Sinon! You're no fucking different! So bring it on! All your power, all your tricks, and I'll show you that behind your facade is the same fucking thing! Now laugh for me! SYSTEM CALL! LET'S HAVE OURSELVES A SHOW!"
An Howleglass
To come to pass
On his father's ass;
There never was,
By day, nor night,
A finer sight,
With feathers upright
In his horned cap,
And crooked shape,
Much like an ape,
With owl on fist.
And glass at his wrist.
"EULENSPIEGEL!"
COMBAT PREPARATION
You may choose up to 4 Party members.
Kuro is MANDATORY.
Sinon is MANDATORY.
Gwen can arrive immediately.
LLENN can arrive in 1 turn.
Lugh can arrive in 2 turns.
You are not required to fight with all Party members if you wish to maintain information security.
Choose your party:
[ ] Write-in Composition
This is your last chance to make Weapon Purchases.
You have vanquished one Death Gun candidate, and your power within GGO is rising. Your Persona slots have increased by 1.
You have 6 Persona slots currently. You may also choose to wear ARMOR in place of one Persona slot.
>Eulenspiegel is infusing the surrounding area with the memory of FILTH.
>The ground is covered in a thin layer of a pungent mud, swimming in flies and worms. It doesn't restrict your motion but it's fills your heart with disgust to step within it.
>Eulenspiegel appears to be hanging off of Spiegel's back, making no attempt to separate itself from its master. It shares its HP pool with its master.
>Spiegel is equipped with an MP5 SMG. You get the sneaking suspicion he won't be using it much.
>A horde of figures made of filth are standing on the battlefield. Each one of them is laughing at Spiegel.
>You judge that Spiegel and Eulenspiegel have poor stats and are extremely weak.
>All combatants are currently afflicted with 1 stack of FILTH. All entities affected by FILTH have DISADVANTAGE to resist DEBUFFs and DEBUFFS do not expire.
>As the fight goes on and with certain actions, you can be covered in further FILTH.
>The next stack of FILTH will cause unresistable POISON.
>Spiegel is in CLOSE range to you and Sinon.
>1x MEMORY OF THE FATHER is in CLOSE range.
>6x MEMORY OF THE SCHOOL are in CLOSE range, clustered together.
>1x MEMORY OF THE GODDESS is in CLOSE range.
>1x MEMORY OF THE STREAMER is in FAR range.
>1x MEMORY OF THE CHAMPION is in EXTREME range.
[ ] Write-In an ACTION for the SCENE. >Nothing pre-built because I don't know the Persona roster. Keep it general: your starting Persona and your opening move. The next Scene is mostly just going to be setup.
You remember the first time you beheld true injustice. She was small, even younger than you, crying at the edge of the playground. Her knee was scuffed and blood dripped from the cut. An older boy, nearly twice her size, sneered, a rock held in his hands. The rest of his friends hooted and hollered, calling for him to hit the girl again.
You bit him, hard.
And he never bothered the girl ever again.
Justice is more than just a word. It is vigilance, it is action, it is to be nothing less than a hero. Fly high upon golden sandals, and be the bright light they desire. And for those who bear evil in their hearts, show them with wings held aloft, that justice is always watching.
You remember sitting on your father's lap when he came home from work, peering down at his books, even when you didn't understand any of it. You remember his smile, one that never left his face, even as the blood soaked his clothes, his chest lay crushed and his breath left his body.
His last words to your mother were to be strong for Shino. You do not know if she heard him.
His last words to you were to be strong for your mother. You remember his words.
Mom was never the same. Her life froze still, her mind shut down. She couldn't protect you. Father was gone. There was no one left to be strong.
No one left but you.
Shrug off the stones they throw. Wear your wounds like trophies. They have clipped your wings and dragged you down to earth, but upon this fertile soil you will plant your roots. This is your domain, and so long as you endure, you will eclipse them all.
There was no one else.
Your mother, babbling in the corner, crying and incoherent. The guard, his smile so much like your father's, bleeds through your clothes, his blood so much like your father's.
There was only you, the evil before you, and the innocents in need. And so you threw away the shield and lifted up the spear.
You pulled the trigger. The evil is wounded, but the danger remains.
Again. The evil groans, screams and sees his end.
And again! The evil falls. And you have silence.
Evil abounds in all its forms. Blood spills when good men sleep. Cut away the filth and tear out the sin. If a hundred must die so that a thousand may live, then you shall be there to raise your axe up high. Again and again. Until it is done.
...
What was once desert has turned into swamp. Spiegel and that hideous creature rising out of his filth laugh alongside the phantom horde. Kuro girds herself, drawing a weapon in a flash of neon light, no doubt already plotting some insane stunt.
He can be saved. You need but show him the way.
The Hecate II was your weapon, from the first moment you grinded enough stats to equip it, to even this very second. You feel secure— powerful. Ready to take on the world.
Patience. Await that singular perfect moment and bring him back down to earth.
...until the day it wasn't. Until the day you cast your soul into cold metal and called forth your specter of death. When you awoke you swore to never use it again.
Let him wail and struggle. And if he is too far gone, pull the trigger and end it. That is the only mercy you can grant him.
But all of that— Death Gun. Aimopotis. It was all you. To cast aside your Hecate was to cast aside yourself.
This world has given you so much. Strength, companions, even the weapon you hold in your hands right now. This place that has taught you nothing but justice, patience and strength— you can't bring yourself to hate it. Not truly.
Then change it. Make it better. For every one it helps, another suffers. What joy can be held in such a world? People have died. This world is evil. It must be cut down.
This game that you've given so much of yourself too, it's consuming Kyouji. It's consuming you, and you can see it's beginning to consume Kuro too. You can't keep looking away, or running away from the truth.
Fly high. Upon golden sandals. Raise your spear and strike them down to earth. Drink of blood and power. There is yet evil to be vanquished.
There is not one but three.
There is not three but one.
I wonder, what is the shape of your hatred?
"System call..."
We art ye. And ye art us. We art three and one.
"MANIFEST! HECATE!"
[ ] Hecate Chrysandalos
>JUSTICE. MAIDEN. SHE WHO FLIES ON GOLDEN SANDALS.
>Generalist build, specializes in wide range bombardment, maintains a battlefield presence and possesses the ability of limited flight.
>The most defensively focused variant, with the stats to stand on the frontline and survive. A spattering of both physical and magical attacks, though unfocused. Extremely sensitive to changes in the aerial environment.
[ ] Hecate Chthonia
>TEMPERANCE. MATRON. SHE WHO SHOOTS THEM DOWN TO EARTH.
>Pierce hyperoffense, eskews defense in favor of attacking from extreme range and stacking bonuses for overwhelming single shot damage.
>Functions as a NAVI-OFFENSE hybrid, staying out of range but folds extremely quickly when successfully harmed by the enemy. Possesses abilities to rapidly hide and reposition, but generally has to spend multiple Scenes setting up the one perfect shot. Extremely sensitive to abilities and situations that limit visibility.
[ ] Hecate Aimopotis
>STRENGTH. CRONE. SHE WHO DRINKS OF BLOOD AND VANQUISHES EVIL.
>Magical offense, specializes in discovering and exploiting enemy weaknesses. Extremely broad elemental coverage.
>Dependent on weakness fishing, but extremely good at it. Can fight at long range, but possesses elemental terrain manipulation abilities that require it to expose itself in close range. Defensively weak but not cripplingly so.
There are two main VOTES.
First is the PLAN. This is encompassing everything in the PLAN section:
Your PURCHASES
Your PERSONA ROSTER
Your PARTY
Your FIRST ATTACK
This should be listed as a PLAN.
Sinon's Persona choice is NOT A PART OF THE PLAN. You can just vote for Sinon's Persona if you don't have an opinion on the fight mechanics part. Votes for Sinon's Persona will be tallied separately.
Here we go. This seems like it's going to be...different.
When it says that the next stack of filth is going to cause unresistable poison, does that mean even having null poison won't prevent it?
Regardless, here's a plan:
[X] Plan: Insult Therapy
-[X] Party
--[X] Gwen
--[X] Llen
-[X] Purchases
--[X] Martini-Henry Rifle
--[X] Lupus Op.Carbine --[X] Kagemitsu G4
-[X] Persona Roster
--[X] Paladin
--[X] Alice Lidell
--[X] Urvashi --[X] Don Juan
--[X] Villefort
--[X] Undine
--[X] Mithras Liturgy
-[X] Opening move
--[X] Holy Water: Try to wash away the existing filth in the environment (and on at least yourself) with Kuhleborn's Curse while also doing damage to everything hostile
[X] Hecate Aimopotis
Essentially, this tries to (no pun intended) test the waters and see WHAT will affect the FILTH in the environment, while also knocking Spiegal off-balance and hopefully lulling him into a sense of complacency given he already kind of knows what Undine can do. Paladin is there for access to Patra in case FILTH gets too high or we start suffering from something debilitating. Alice is there for high CHT to resist status effects given the effects of FILTH, and Megido as a panic button. Don Juan is for physical power, Villefort is for Psi coverage and doubling down on status effects if we so choose given the effects of FILTH, and Urvashi is for both Zionga and Marin Karin.
Also, no Armor or Optical Shields because I get the feeling they won't be as useful against FILTH mechanics.
I get the feeling it won't be as simple as just taking down Speigel and his Persona/whatever the hell it is, which is why I'm also hitting everything else if QM will permit it. I'm not taking Ys because accidentally causing the FILTH to rise can easily screw us, and reducing visibility will hamper Sinon and Hecate no matter which variant we pick, especially if the one that can fly is chosen.
As for picking Hecate Aimopotis, we have not procced Once More a single time throughout the entire GGO arc. Having an easy way to trigger it would make things go much better generally since it's a source of free attacks, and it feels fitting for Sinon to harness and tame her, shall we say, dark side to destroy DEATH GUN.
Edit: Swapped Don Juan for Mithras Liturgy for access to Apathanatismos. The ability to gain insight into the fight will be invaluable, especially since we don't have a dedicated navigator. Dropped buying the staff as well to save money.
Alright folks, bear with me. I checked the numbers and, considering our usual waste of money with sweets for determination, plus the fact we want to do the air conditioner, plus the fact we're about to get our allowance, we have around 12800 yen in liquid funds for upgrades, if we keep at that budget.
Furthermore, my gut tells me that, if Spiegel is weak, then those Memories are strong to compensate. Either that or they'll buff Spiegel and his Persona in ways we can't currently predict...
But wait. The swamp's purpose is to make debuffs the name of the game here. Hm. So my guess is, Powerful Memories, and Spiegel is a shitheel debuffer - meaning we need to bring debuff removal not to get screwed by all of this.
So...here's the plan.
[x] Plan On A Budget
-[x] Party: Lux, Sinon, Gwen, LLENN
-[x] Upgrade: Martini-Henry Rifle (5 Mistcoin = 11500 yen)
-[x] Personas: Optic Armor, Paladin, Villefort, Alice Liddell, Undine, Urashima Taro
-[x] Opening Move
--[X] Holy Water: Try to wash away the existing filth in the environment (and on at least yourself) with Kuhleborn's Curse while also doing damage to everything hostile
[x] Hecate Chthonia
The FILTH mechanic seems it will be the big thing in this fight...but I have the feeling. I have this awful feeling that going without defense may end up biting us in the ass. Undine is good for a watery environment and I borrowed wafer's opening maneuver because it seems solid. However, instead of Urvashi or Don Juan, I went for Taro: I feel his super may be useful with so many enemies at once and debuffs overall seem like it will be useful. Speaking off, Villefort's ability seems good as well, we can sneak poison on the enemies, and Paladin allows us to cleanse our own debuffs.
I feel we should put some extra effort into this: wafer, even if you don't want to use more party members, I would at least add Gwen to the party, as she's already narratively around. And I also called LLENN for extra firepower.
Chthonia seems pretty good, because now we have a permanent Navigator. Does anyone remember how Shiroe's help allowed us to do some crazy shit in Alfheim?
I feel we should put some extra effort into this: wafer, even if you don't want to use more party members, I would at least add Gwen to the party, as she's already narratively around. And I also called LLENN for extra firepower.
Spiegel's face twists, the blackness that fills his body seeping out from the corners of his eyes. "You all need to SHUT UP! If... if I do this nii-san... will they shut up!? Will the voices stop!?@
Kuro thinking that Kyouji isn't going to make much use of his gun makes me think he'll be spamming Persona abilities. OTOH, Kuro also thinks he's weak - but if he's a debuff spammer or something to go with the FILTH mechanic/dragging others down that may still favor us packing CHT to resist.
The mechanics of Kyouji and his Persona being weak definitely feels like a gimmick fight. That his Persona doesn't want to separate from him and shares a HP pool also concerns me a little given the Sinon fight. Kyouji probably isn't wearing a NerveGear like she was so his life probably isn't at risk but I'm still left with the feeling that killing him won't really accomplish anything - as he said, he'll just respawn in town. Definitely feels more like the "right" way to win is to defeat the FILTH Shadows that are laughing at him. Not sure if the order they're defeated matters, hopefully not.
Washing away the filth seems like a good play - Undine can hopefully do this (though I am worried that depending on how weak Kyouji is hitting him might be a problem.) Ys imparting STORM to cause rain may also help - but may complicate things for Sinon, but we can turn it off at that point.
Preferably I'd like to save money as best we can.
Sinon... for character reasons I am staunchly opposed to Aimopotis even if mechanically it sounds fairly helpful. Character-wise I'd probably favor Chrysandolos because Chthonia is basically the mindset she adopted where she just tried to ignore the bullying and that clearly wasn't going well for her... but I can settle for that because I do like the described combat applications whereas Chrysandolos feels the weakest/most boring in combat.
M looks like his plan is to swap his and Pito's NerveGears. Hers should be the genuine article she's had from the SAO Beta but it seems he probably bought one of Blank's fakes.
I get the feeling that 'defeating' Kyouji (as in reducing his HP to 0) won't end the fight. He'll probably gain a second wind from the jeers of the phantoms causing him to get pissed or something like that.
Also, I feel like it was a mistake to go with the option that won in the end for Goushi. We only have speculation to go on now, and if ANYONE dies during the fight with Elsa/Pito, we lose Karen/LLEN's loyalty.
So from I can gather the FILTH goes through resistance but it can't get through null so in this case Urmetezoan's all resist is useless but Villeforts Null Poison will work? Maybe we should have it write in to switch to Villefort after opening with Undine to protect ourselves?
Mithras could be useful as well. This seems to be a puzzle boss fight and being able to read the script would be helpful.
For Ys would it really just cause the FILTH to rise? Couldn't the storm be worth the tradeoff of affecting Sinon's visibility if it could wash away the FILTH?
[X] Hecate Aimopotis
I'm going from Aimopotis. Hiyori and her team of grimdark magical girls are destroyers who bring salvation through destruction. And on the practical side of things having a dedicated weakness fisher could help us decide our build during fights better and make them less slipshod.
Also, I feel like it was a mistake to go with the option that won in the end for Goushi. We only have speculation to go on now, and if ANYONE dies during the fight with Elsa/Pito, we lose Karen/LLEN's loyalty.
I was hoping for some more there (but also my preferred option was to just level with him entirely but it felt like I arrived way too late in the vote to make that case so I went with what I thought was the better of the two leading options) - but we can still work with this because of the fact we winded up getting stuck with Kazuma and Blank. We can see if we can confirm the suspicion on their end by seeing if we can get Blank to tell us if M was a buyer. Unfortunately who knows what we'll have to do to even get that much of a favor out of them.
[x] Plan On A Budget
-[x] Party: Lux, Sinon, Gwen, LLENN
-[x] Upgrade: Martini-Henry Rifle (5 Mistcoin = 11500 yen)
-[x] Personas: Optic Armor, Paladin, Villefort, Alice Liddell, Undine, Urashima Taro
-[x] Opening Move
--[X] Holy Water: Try to wash away the existing filth in the environment (and on at least yourself) with Kuhleborn's Curse while also doing damage to everything hostile
[X] Hecate Chrysandalos
[x] Hecate Chthonia
After last time I'm just going to stay away from making any of my own battle plans. Plan On A Budget hits most of my wants for this opening in terms of saving money and trying to wash away the FILTH (think I'd prefer Ys STORM but not enough to fuss over it.) Approval voting on Sinon's Persona choice because again - Aimopotis is the only one I'm against. The other two are more character/narrative v "probably better/more fun in battle" to me.
Unless approval voting is no good in which case I will have to make a decision LOL.
Ah, true. For some silly reason I read it as "pick one of SINK/STORM" but I don't think that's right. Having to take both makes it a lot less appealing, you're right.
I swapped Don Juan for Mithras Liturgy after thinking about it for a bit. Considering the fact that Hecate's navigator build strikes me as...absolutely terrible, we need every scrap of info we can get, and Apathanatismos is the only option we have for that. A dedicated physical attacker may not be as good as we think it is for the current situation, and in fact might work against us given Don Juan's vulnerabilities to Charm and Bind, combined with FILTH mechanics.
Now that we have Mithras I like this plan better. My main problem is just how expensive Alice's gun is. We're really close to getting the lock and air conditioner fixed and this knocks us back where we started this turn. When are we getting our allowance and government pay again?
Now that we have Mithras I like this plan better. My main problem is just how expensive Alice's gun is. We're really close to getting the lock and air conditioner fixed and this knocks us back where we started this turn. When are we getting our allowance and government pay again?
Don't really grok the mechanics in full, but I think any plan based around clearing the FILTH right off the bat is a good one. As for our new party member, I think taking the non murder-y option is the better pick--and of the two, EDITED: Cthonia fits our quest's themes better.
On the thematic side...yeah. Can't help but notice the format of this Personoid's appearance is the same as that for Albericht's appearance at the end of the Oberon fight, which makes sense, given that we're dealing with the same thing.
The Sidestory notes that, unlike us who get it from the outsiders we meet, for Kyouji the Persona is a manifestation of self-image. And this is it, the only self-image, now he's rejected the abilities of a Wild Card, and the self-knowledge of LAPLACE that could calculate the motions of the future from his position. A worm in the mud that can do nothing but bite back.
