741AuthorNCS: So just a heads up for the up coming schedule. My beta is currently super busy and it will be unlikely if we made the late April update for the Fanfiction side. So the plan is trying to force a double update in May (most likely not, but miracle could happen...?) maybe? All forum version of course be delayed. Cousin draws slow unfortunately, especially for this Arc's grand final. If you are itching to read, go fanfiction for the lesser experience. Feel to free to start some conversation in this bloody ghost town of a forum. Hopes&Dream/Complain about the fic are all welcome...
Artist741: Your salt's showing Cousin. =_=
741AuthorNCS: *Grumbles*
Artist741: Anyway, I am thinking of starting a Patreon myself. I wonder how our audience thinks about that...?
So if you had a palace what do you think it would look like I honestly don't know what it would be now but back in highschool I think it would be something like a war torn city fought over by angles and demons. I am so glad those days are over
This story continues to be worth the wait, and I appreciate the care you're putting into formatting. Using runes as scene breaks, color coding, and inserting artwork into the chapters adds flair to each installment and definitely makes the forum version my preferred iteration of this fanfic.
Anyway, this new chapter moved the plot along effectively and continues to build the mystery behind the nature of Diana's distortion. You seem to be eschewing the obvious in favor of a deep examination of Diana's psyche, and, as much as I'm eager to see the story touch upon other characters and events in the series canon, the slow approach suits this Persona crossover well. The heart of Persona games are the people you meet and the relationships you forge along the way, and that definitely shouldn't be rushed.
Your choice for Sucy's Persona is inspired. I don't know if Angitia has appeared in any Shin Megami Tensei games, but she strikes me as an extremely appropriate match. Thematically, giving the young witches in this story witch personas also seems fitting. On the subject of shadows and personas, though, I'm a little worried for Amanda after this chapter. She reacted strongly to Diana's cognitive version of her and not in a good way, and that bodes poorly for when she meets her openly antagonistic Shadow. Still, it should definitely be an engaging confrontation.
You also have my thanks for the manga chapter reviews. It's interesting hearing what the additional version of the story adds to the setting and how it fleshes out certain backstories, such as Amanda's.
Your choice for Sucy's Persona is inspired. I don't know if Angitia has appeared in any Shin Megami Tensei games, but she strikes me as an extremely appropriate match.
Aurgh... anyway! I didn't alert everyone just to rant on this mess of A-1 Pictures' poor direction. I actually needed some help.
Can you guys discus the political satiation of LWA Earth? Theorize a bit about the deeper aspect of the current relationship between the Magical World and normal society? I could use the extra brain storming since politic is always the weaker part of my world building skill... Pretty please?
Aurgh... anyway! I didn't alert everyone just to rant on this mess of A-1 Pictures' poor direction. I actually needed some help.
Can you guys discus the political satiation of LWA Earth? Theorize a bit about the deeper aspect of the current relationship between the Magical World and normal society? I could use the extra brain storming since politic is always the weaker part of my world building skill... Pretty please?
It seems like duels are a normal part of upper-class English society in LWA, which is odd. America seems to exist, but for all we know it's a European colony. LWA World looks to have industrialized about as much as our world has, so I'm guessing a lot of the political upheavals that industrialization caused for us happened to them too. Labor unions are probably a familiar phenomenon, judging by the strike episode, though it's odd Akko gets involved so readily. I was under the impression that strikes aren't very common in Japan. Maybe LWA's Japan has a more militant workforce? Or Akko knows someone who is that militant. The show just doesn't talk about this sort of thing very much.
I always had the headcanon that Akko has family members in the Japanese Communist Party.
For more information: The Communist Party of Japan (The main one. Not the split off that's literally killed people) is shockingly well incorporated into Japanese political society (having effectively abandoned revolutionary doctrine for the ballot box). They only have two or three seats in the Diet (if that) but they tend to see decent success in local elections due to gaining a reputation for corruption busting and political straight shooting (both incredibly important in Japan; a country that seems to have a major corruption scandal once every five years or so).
For more information on this subject: I recommend the History of Japan Podcast. In particular its mini-seriesRed Star over Tokyo, which covers the history of Communism in Japan (skip to the last episode to hear an overview of Communism in Japan today.)
I always had the headcanon that Akko has family members in the Japanese Communist Party.
For more information: The Communist Party of Japan (The main one. Not the split off that's literally killed people) is shockingly well incorporated into Japanese political society (having effectively abandoned revolutionary doctrine for the ballot box). They only have two or three seats in the Diet (if that) but they tend to see decent success in local elections due to gaining a reputation for corruption busting and political straight shooting (both incredibly important in Japan; a country that seems to have a major corruption scandal once every five years or so).
For more information on this subject: I recommend the History of Japan Podcast. In particular its mini-seriesRed Star over Tokyo, which covers the history of Communism in Japan (skip to the last episode to hear an overview of Communism in Japan today.)
Thanks for the new headcanon. Also, is the CPJ the party that's effectively the main party for women in Japan? I think I remember reading something about that once.
My theory is that Sucy's Ultimate Persona will be Manasa, due to her association with snakes, but given that I now know of Sucy's apparent Filipino origins, I could be wrong.
Thanks for the new headcanon. Also, is the CPJ the party that's effectively the main party for women in Japan? I think I remember reading something about that once.
I don't know if it would be the main party (and by that I mean this is where my knowledge peter's out) but it wouldn't shock me if it was the most coherent party. See, since WW2 the mainstream Japanese left has been defined by moderate Socialism and had one or two (I don't quite remember) major Socialist parties.
But the early to mid 90s (a turbulent time for Japan both economically and politically) saw the Socialist scene explode into a thousand small groups that hate each other.
So while I imagine there are Socialist groups that have gender equality on their agenda it wouldn't surprise me if the JCP is the largest single party actually pursuing it.
But that's just me eyeballing the situation with the knowledge I have . I'd recommend looking into the subject yourself.
Note to the author: Tell me if this discussion is too off topic for you and I'll start fielding questions on my profile.
Can you guys discus the political satiation of LWA Earth? Theorize a bit about the deeper aspect of the current relationship between the Magical World and normal society? I could use the extra brain storming since politic is always the weaker part of my world building skill... Pretty please?
Depending on how common magical healers are I feel like there could be interesting and equally important and unimportant tweaks and changes in history. For the longest time human medical knowledge was shit. If magical ability on the subject was able to pick up some slack or otherwise advance it ahead of where it would normally be then I could see some important and not so important people surviving where they wouldn't have normally.
There might have also possibly been protections on ancient libraries and ruins leading to a large amount of knowledge being saved when, say, Rome fell.
Modern day politics might have spun a bit because of all of that, but I think Witches would have far less effect directly now. The advent of mass-production basically would spell the end for witches being critical to a community anymore, during both peace and war. Sure you'd still need one for magical illnesses and monsters (etc.), but beyond that? Nope.
"Have you found her yet?" Anne Finneran tiredly asked.
"No sign of her in this direction ma'am," the goblin worker answered.
"Thank you. Please continue looking then."
As the spirit workers resumed their search, the Professor let out a tired groan as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Just where are you, Miss Cavendish...? How could you be so irresponsible...?"
"Something must be going on," Professor Nelson comments. "There is no report of her leaving the campus yet we still cannot find her."
"First we have the worst entrance ceremony in the school's history and now Diana of all people has vanished without a trace." Professor Badcock grumbled to herself. "I'm starting to think all the positive horoscopes we've gotten so far were wrong. We might have to call the police soon..."
"We've discussed this already, Badcock. Absolutely not. I cannot imagine the kind of damage it would do to the school's reputation if word got out that a Cavendish went missing under our watch. A lawsuit from her family would absolutely destroy-"
*Rustle* *Rustle*
The sudden noise from the bushes caused Badcock to yelp while the rest of teachers present sharply turned their heads towards the noise. Wands at the ready, they stared at the bushes prepared for anything that might pop out.
The teachers shared a look before quickly backing away, leaving Badcock at the front of the group. The blue haired woman sighed and cautiously inched towards the bushes. Closer and closer she inched forward, slowly creeping towards the foliage. Upon reaching the bushes the light illuminated a tall, looming figure causing the instructor to jump back in at the sight. Its form was covered in a dark cloak, facial features hidden behind a white mask with two eye holes and a black circle centered on the forehead.
"What is that? A student in a Halloween costume?" the short professor exclaimed, putting a hand to her heart in an attempt to calm her nerve. "Hey! Stop fooling around! You almost give me a heart attack! State your name-!"
"Badcock, you may want to take a closer look..." Finneran called out, her eyes wide.
Badcock narrowed her eyes and scanned the figure once more, she steps back in shock when upon the donning realization the figure in front of them was far too tall to be one of the students.
"Who are you?!" Professor Finneran demanded. "State your identity or we will be forced to subdue yo-"
Before she could finish, the figure blurred before reappearing in front of her in an inhuman burst of speed. In one fluid motion, the figure leapt over them before dashing off in a different direction.
"It's running away! We cannot allow it to run loose on campus!" Professor Finneran yelled.
The teachers gave chase as the figure darted into the forest surrounding campus grounds, the light of their wands doing little to illuminate the dark. With its unnatural speed and dark cloak, the teachers eventually lost sight of the figure.
"Blasted!" Professor Finneran ordered. "Split up and search the area!"
The witches paired off and began searching sections of the forest while Professor Nelson's team took to the sky, providing a bird's eye view for those on the ground.
"Wonderful, just what the school needed at the moment." Professor Badcock groaned. "What on earth was that?"
"I haven't the slightest idea, a cluster of malicious spirits perhaps?" One of the teachers suggested. "Either way, we will have to catch it."
Professor Finneran threw out an arm, stopping her group. She shone her wand towards the ground, revealing a trail of footprints. "These are fresh," she muttered as she knelt down to take a closer look. "T-these are the school's standard shoes!" she gasped.
The group shares looks of worry before hastily following the prints, leading them to a moonlit clearing. The figure stood in the center, looming over an unconscious student with distinctive platinum blonde hair...
"M-Miss Cavendish! UNHAND HER, YOU FIEND!" Professor Finneran ordered as she and another teacher rushed towards the figure. The figure slithered to the edge of the clearing as they reached Diana, vanishing into the darkness. A few of the teachers gave chase, hoping to apprehend the trespasser while the rest attended to their star pupil. Upon inspecting the girl, they found that she was pale and covered in a thin layer of sweat. Her breathing was shallow and ragged and she felt very warm to the touch.
The honors student slowly reopened her eyes, hazily looking at the teachers before her. She tried to speak, only to let out a harsh, sickly cough before passing out.
"C-CALL THE MEDIC!"
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"This should be all the detail of what happened that night, Headmistress," Professor Finneran concludes the recap. "Fortunately, Miss Cavendish's condition is stable, her sickness seemingly nothing but a case of the flu. However, at the moment she is unable to speak. Hopefully it is not the work of that creature..."
Headmistress Holbrooke closes her eyes, contemplating the information while nodding her head. "This is quite troubling..."
"May I suggest that we close off sections of the forest and conduct an investigation for signs of that creature," Finneran offers. "As for what it truly was is still unknown. Some of the staff are hard at work investigating the matter, but it is obvious that school grounds are no longer secure. Until then, the student body and the public should be kept unaware of the situation... "
The Headmistress nods with a frown. "I understand, Anne. Everyone, please see to it."
As the staff vacate the office, none of them noticed a wasp escaping out from the window.
"Kehehehe…! What a scoop!"
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"Aaaaha… ahhhh… ACHOOOOOOO!"
"You okay?" Lotte asked. "That's like the third time this morning. Maybe you should go to the infirmary?"
"I'm okay Lotte, thanks," Akko said with a sniffle. "I feel fine. It's probably nothing…"
"It's most likely a byproduct of that night's escapades." Aradia replied. "As always, be careful Akko, for rumors can be both a blessing and a curse…"
"... Yeah, yeah, Aradia. But whatever happens I blame you..."
"So adding a green herb with a yellow and red herb makes that? Interesting..." Sucy muttered.
"Enjoying the new voice in your head, Sucy?" Akko asked with a smirk.
"Very much," she replied. "Angitia had many long forgotten recipes to share, kekeke!"
"I feel kind of jealous, if I'm being honest…" Lotte sighed. "When do I get my own Persona?"
"Don't worry Lotte!" Akko assured, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "It'll come eventually. I'm sure your Persona will be just as cool as either of ours."
Just then, Lilim entered with Hannah and Barbara in tow. Still impersonating Diana, the succubus huffs at her summoner's group. However, it was not Lilim that was drawing the group's attention.
Hannah and Barbra wore heavy scarves around their necks. Their makeup, especially on the lower half of their faces, was thick to the point of looking like a thick coat of skin colored paint and they seemed to be keeping their distance from one another.
"What's with all the makeup?" Sucy teased. "Acne bad enough to play connect-the-dots with?"
"C-can you just… leave us alone today…" Hannah replied while looking away, a meek tone replacing her usual aggressive one. "P-please?"
"Yeah… we aren't… really in the mood to talk…" Barbara continued just as meekly. The two shared a glance between each other before turning away, a bright red blush managing to break through their thick layers of mascara. In a hurry they made their way to their seats.
Akko sent an intense glare to her Persona, the question of "WHAT DID YOU DO!?" written across her scrutinizing gaze.
With Hannah and Barbra too lost in their own thoughts to notice, Lilim looked at her summoner, pink dusting her cheeks and a wry smile spread across her face. Akko could have sworn she saw hearts in the succubus' eyes as she lightly bit her lower lip.
"That's it. As soon as Diana's back, she's out," Akko growled in a hushed tone. "She's going to destroy everyone's innocence!"
Eyebrow raised, Sucy turned to face her. "What are you, a nun? Why do you even care?"
"Witches need their innocence to keep their magical powers right?!" Akko replied, frustrated.
"No. Where did you hear that from?" Sucy asked dumbfounded.
Aradia's whistles echoed throughout Akko's mind. "What?" the Persona shrugged, feigning innocence.
"Volume 68... Just like volume 68…" Lotte muttered in disbelieve, a blush forming across her face.
Not long after, Professor Ursula entered the room, beginning her lesson on fortune telling.
"Yes. The time for thee to utilize my teachings have come." Aradia said in excitement. "Do your best Akko!"
"Let's us begin," the young teacher said as she flicks her wand, commanding the tarot cards to spread across the table in a hexagonal pattern.
Mimicking her movements, the majority of the class spread the cards with minimal difficulty. Lilim opted to spread the cards out manually, coughing sickly all the while.
When Akko made an attempt copy the rest of the class, a burst of magical energy scattered the deck across the floor. Sighing, she got up to collect the cards. "Guess I'll just do it the old-fashioned way," she grumbled.
Upon returning to her seat, Professor Ursula continues. "Once we have positioned the cards, we then consult the crystal ball."
Ursula placed her hands upon the cool surface of the ball and channels her magic, a faint glow emanating from the orb. "Feel the magic... let the images of what could be enter your mind..."
At once, the student's balls began to glow a bright, fluorescent green. Aside from Akko's that is. But she wasn't the only one whose ball wasn't glowing.
"Ah? Diana, what's wrong?" Hannah asked in worry. "Aren't you going to start soon?"
The succubus stared at the crystal ball as a bead of sweat rolls off her brow. Turning her head slightly towards her summoner, Lilim gave Akko a desperate look, the words "what do I do!?" written all over her face.
Then the group remembered something, something that at the time didn't really seem important but was now biting them in the behind; Personas were incapable of using conventional witchcraft. Realization turned to panic as they collectively thought the same thing. "Aw crap."
"Lilim! Emergency retreat!" Akko mentally ordered. "Get out of there!"
Nodding at the mental command, she took in a deep breath.
The entire class watched as the honors student is wracked in a series of loud, violent coughs. Her face pales as her body slumps over the table, her forehead covered in a thin layer of sweat.
"Diana!" Hannah gasped.
"Hey Hannah, Barbara." Akko called. "Diana doesn't look too good. You should definitely take her to the infirmary!"
The duo shared a concerned look before Professor Ursula cut in. "Miss England, Miss Parker, Akko is right. Please escort her to the infirmary and make sure she gets some rest."
With a hurried nodded, the two girls helped their friend out of her seat and steadily guided her out of the lecture hall. As they left, the rest of the class began to gossip amongst themselves.
"Are you sure she's going to be alright?" Sucy asked quietly.
"Probably. At the worst she'll just charm any witnesses..." Akko replied.
"I think we should apologize to Hannah and Barbara after this is over... It really feels like we're just taking advantage of them..." Lotte stated.
"Oh boy... that was freakin close," Amanda sighed.
As far as the class and the school was concerned, Diana was far too ill to attend the rest of the day. Distracted by the sudden event, nobody noticed Jasminka's analytical gaze as she snacked on a box of chocolates.
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During the lunch break, a worried Professor Ursula found herself in front of the infirmary door, a small stack of notes in her hand.
"Is what Diana's going through right now due to what happened back then?" the teacher pondered, "I need to get to the bottom of this..."
As she reached for the doorknob, she heard muffled talking from behind the door. She placed her ear to the door and listens.
"What are we going to do?"
"We'll just have to keep pretending that she's sick until we get her out I guess."
"I can't believe I overlooked something so obvious-"
"Fufu~"
"You be quiet too! And get off me! You're going to blow our cover!-"
"A-Akko's voice...?" Ursula thought. Slowly, she wrapped her hand around the doorknob and tries to open it. Locked, of course it was locked.
Pulling out her wand, she muttered a short incantation before the mechanism released itself with barely an audible click. Opening the door with just a creak and making as little noise as possible, she peered into the infirmary.
On two of the beds laid Hannah and Barbara, both of which were unconscious. The school nurse and her helper fairies were in a similar state, slumps over a desk in the corner. In the center of the room stood Akko and her friends, and...
The professor had to do a double take when she saw Akko warding off the advances of a winged humanoid who looked somewhat familiar. Her eyes widened when she realized that the winged creature had Diana's face.
"For the last time, Lilim! Stop it!" Akko yelled. "I don't want to-"
Akko's words were cut short by the loud bang of the door slamming shut. Just managing to threw the Persona off of her, the brunette turned her head to the entrance.
"Busted," Sucy sighed.
Closing the door behind her, Professor Ursula slowly made her way towards the group.
"Ah... Good afternoon, Professor Ursula?" Akko greeted timidly.
"What is the meaning of this, Akko?" She calmly and warily asked. Seeing Lilim waving to her with a smirk, she asked further. "I-Is that a succubus...? Wait, so Diana-"
"I-I can explain!" the brunette interrupted, nervously waving her hands. "Diana's preoccupied at the moment, so I tried to-"
"So this isn't Diana then! And what do you mean by preoccupied!?" the teacher prodded. A silence hung in the air as no one answered. Sucy decided that there must have been something vaguely interesting on the wall to her left, as she seemed to stare into it. Lotte lowered her head, a forlorn look on her face, and Akko had trouble locking eyes with the Professor.
"A-Akko," Ursula began slowly, her voice shaking, "just what happened to Diana?"
"I don't think we can talk ourselves out of this one Akko." Sucy sighed, "How about we just cut to the chase?"
"What do you mean by-" Ursula stopped mid-sentence as a thought occurres to her, one that she hoped she was wrong about.
"Akko," she began, "you wouldn't happen to know anything about a masked figure in a dark cloak?"
At that, Lilim began to cackle. Mischievously moving to Akko's side, she reached into the belt pouch and retrieved a white mask. Placing it over her face, the Persona began to prance around the room, laughing all the while.
"... I hate you so much right now," Akko growled before dismissing Lilim in a shower of transparent shards.
"I-I can't believe this, Akko," the Professor says wide eyed, taking a step back. "Why- why would you do this? And where is Diana now?!"
Akko felt something shift within her, as if something were about to snap.
"The Hermit shifts and shudders. This has to be a first for a Wild Card..." Aradia sighed. "Choose your words wisely, Akko. Lest thy bond be ruined..."
"I-I..." sputtered before hanging her head in defeat. Taking a deep breath, she locked eyes with the Professor.
"Professor Ursula, what I'm about to tell you is going to sound crazy but please hear me out..."
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For the majority of lunch, Akko recounted everything that happened within the past two days with as much detail as possible. It was a hard pill to swallow. Honestly, an alternate reality where the manifestations of human emotion called "Shadows" roamed? A place where said manifestations could be slain for wealth and various magical items, all conveniently hidden from sight? She wouldn't have believed it if Akko hadn't shown her proof in the form of her Personas. The myriad of bizarre trinkets and mysterious items also helped to convince her.
"Alright, let me get this straight..." Ursula sighed, massaging her temples. "As it stands, Diana has somehow ended up in an alternate reality known as the Cognitive World?"
She received a nod from Akko in response.
"So you've taken it upon yourselves to go in and rescue her, correct?" she continued.
Another nod.
"So to keep the fact that the real Diana is missing, all three of you orchestrated this entire fiasco to distract everyone?" she concluded.
"Don't group us all into that one," Sucy deadpanned. "We only found out what she did just now. None of us had anything to do with that. But I have to admit though, it was funny as hell."
"It was mostly Aradia's idea. She said that a scapegoat was the quickest way to calm a crowd," Akko frowned. "I didn't agree with the idea at all, but I couldn't think of a better alternative..."
"Akko... why didn't you report this to the school?" Professor Ursula scolded. "I'm sure the teachers could've-"
"I-I couldn't," Akko meekly replied. "Going into the Cognitive World is extremely dangerous. If you're not prepared you could easily get hurt or even killed! The less people that go in, the better."
"Lotte and I can attest to that." Sucy chimed in. "The school can send as many witches in there as they want, but with how powerful the Shadows are and the fact that we don't have access to a constant supply of magic like we do on campus, anyone they send would just get murdered." With a smirk she adds, "Beside, I doubt they'd like to see Diana's perception of them anyway, kekeke~"
"Yeah… I can't imagine traversing that place without Akko and her Personas doing most of the heavy lifting." Lotte added. "Even still, some of those calls were too close for comfort. I'm surprised I haven't had any nightmares yet."
The teacher almost thought they were joking, but with the look in their eyes and how serious they were talking about this, she couldn't help but believe them.
"I still think it would be better if the school knew about it..." she reasoned.
"I'm sorry, Professor Ursula, but even if the school did know about the Cognitive World, they wouldn't be able to do much." Akko countered. "Only people with a Persona or the potential of having one can enter..."
Folding her arms under her chest, Professor Ursula shook her head and sighed. "I think I'm starting to understand the situation."
"It was my fault..." Akko solemnly said, head held low. "If I hadn't pushed Diana so far by blurting out her secret then maybe this wouldn't have happened in the first place. The best I can do now is to take responsibility for my actions and save her before it's too late. I don't want a fellow Shiny Chariot fan to suffer like this..."
Professor Ursula watched Akko with her downtrodden expression, tiny droplets falling from her face. Her knuckles were white as she clenched her fists. Letting out a deep sigh, the teacher placed her hand on Akko's shoulder, her mind made up.
"You should head back to the dining hall, lunch is almost over," she said, giving the girl's shoulder a reaffirming squeeze. Turning to leave Professor Ursula asked, "When are you going to the other world?"
"Immediately after school," the brunette answered, wiping her face. "What are you going to do, Professor Ursula?"
"I will go inform the school about Diana's supposed condition and hopefully buy you some time." the young woman said, opening the door. "Afterwards I will do as a proper teacher should, and look after my students."
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"Amanda~" Jasminka called in singsong tone, offering a potato chip to her teammate. "Want to go the restaurant in town and buy takeout with us?"
Constanze gave an affirmative nod as she set down her screwdriver.
"Huh, why?" the redhead raised her eyebrow, accepting the chip. "I thought you like the cafeteria food?"
"I do, but it's nice to change things up now and again~" the Russian replied. "Food taste better when people eat as a group. So let's go together."
Amanda tossed the chip in her mouth and shook her head. "Sorry… not this time," she said while chewing. "I've got something I gotta do. I'll probably be super busy this entire afternoon. Maybe next time, alright?"
The pink haired girl frowned as Amanda grabbed her broom and left the dorm room in a hurry. Constanze stood by her side as the door shut.
"Did you set it up?" Jasminka asked with a serious tone, looking at her shorter friend.
With a nod the German girl pulled out a thin tablet displaying a map of the entire campus, a red dot blinking as it moved across the display.
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Amanda cheerfully dismounted her broom as she arrived at the meeting spot. She ran up to greet them, but stopped when she saw Professor Ursula. The teacher sent a cautious glance her way. The redhead crossed her arms, leveling her gaze at Akko.
"You guys messed up didn't you?" she asked. Receiving no answer from the gang, she pinched the bridge of her nose before and let out a long, drawn out sigh. "God damn it."
"Haha… sorry," Akko apologize while rubbing the back of her head apologetically.
"Relax Amanda, I'm not here to punish you," Professor Ursula assured. "I'm simply here to get an understanding of the situation and ensure everyone's safety." She turned to face the supposed entrance of the Cognitive World. "The Tree of Heart huh?"
"Do you know something, Professor Ursula?" Lotte inquired.
"I faintly recall from some ancient texts that it supposedly had the power to affect people's hearts, but it was burnt down before anyone could make an accurate record of it. I suppose it makes sense that this tree is related to our current situation. You did say that the other world is essentially a representation of everyone's hearts right?" she asked. "As interesting as that topic can be though, let's focus on the task at hand. Just how do you enter the Cognitive World?"
The girls shared a look. "Hey… Professor Ursula? Can you see the entrance? It's like a red tear in space. Do you see it at all?
She turned to them with a look of confusion on her face. "What entrance?"
"Well, that was a waste of time," Sucy deadpanned.
"I'm sorry, Professor Ursula…" Akko sighs. "I don't think you can come with us... You don't have the potential..."
The young professor lowered her head and clenched her jaw, her glasses reflecting the light of the afternoon sun.
"Huh…? Aradia?" Akko asked. Crushing the Fool arcana and allowing the Persona to materialize before the Professor.
"Worry not, Young Umbrian. Thou can still be of assistance," the Persona wrote her curses."Aid us by covering our tracks as we attempt the rescue."
"Wait what!? You're an Umbra!?" Amanda exclaimed. "Aren't those guys extinct?!"
"... That's not important, Amanda," the teacher sighed. "This is unfortunate, but I shall do my best to support you all from behind the scenes. Please… return in one piece, alright?"
"Akko will be fine with my protection, this I swear as your ancestor's goddess." Aradia pledged.
"Yeah, don't worry! I promise you Professor Ursula, we'll get Diana back no matter what!" Akko beamed. "I can do anything as long as I believe! Trust me!
Walking towards the entrance, she beckoned the rest of the group to follow. "Let's go everyone!"
One by one, the girls disappeared into the ancient tree stump, earning a surprised gasp from the teacher as they vanished.
Professor Ursula stared into the Tree of Hearts for a few more seconds before making her way back to the main building. "Don't worry, Akko. I'll do my best too," she whispered as she swallowed the lump in her throat.
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"Alright, Sucy!" Akko announced. "Before we go charging in, I need you to give me a rundown on your new abilities!"
"Huh… good thinking for once," Sucy agreed.
Extending out her hand, she concentrated power into her palm as a blue light enveloped her body.
"Come Fourth, Angitia!"
With a swift strike, Sucy shattered the card with the back of her right hand. The sound of shattering glass echoed as azure flames condensed into the form of Sucy's Persona.
Angitia coiled her lengthy, boneless body and like a resting snake, the group catching a glimpse of a large purple tail underneath her annulus tunic and mycelium fibers. The many snakes that made up her hair curiously scanned the area, tasting the air with their tongue as they slithered in-between her head and mushroom hat.
Amanda whistled. "Didn't get the chance look at your Persona clearly yesterday, but man..." she frowned, "Akko's is scary, but the badass kind of scary... Yours is just plain nightmare fuel..."
"Why thank you." Sucy chuckled wickedly. "A while ago I had the idea of having a bit of fun with Aradia. Now that I have my own Persona, I can just do it myself."
"Ah... S-Sucy?" Lotte stuttered. "What are you planning?"
"Ah... anyway!" Akko interrupted. "We can talk about the fun things we can do with our Personas later. Aradia, come out!"
As Aradia materialized, she locked eyes with the other Persona.
"Ah, the creator of the art of snake charming." Aradia greeted. "What a strange turn of fate. I welcome thee to this alliance."
"If it isn't the infamous false goddess?" the snake goddess replied. "So long as my little Sucy wills it, the feeling is mutual."
"Is that what your Persona sounds like?" Sucy inquired. "So Personas can talk with one another? And why am I hearing her now?"
"Yep," the brunette answered. "It's nice that she can talk with someone without needing to write in the air."
"Remember Sucy, I am thou, thou art I. What I hear, so do you," Angitia added. "I am merely relaying her words to you."
"So if I recall correctly," Akko began, "Angitia is an Ailment user, right? So what spells can you use?"
"Mapsi, Media, Stagnant Air, Rakunda, Makajama, and Balzac," the Persona answered for her user. "Unsurprisingly, my spells are fairly weak, for my little Sucy still has long way to go.
"Thanks, now I have more spells to memorize," Sucy sighed.
"How ironic. Thou art a snake goddess yet you do not utilize poison." Aradia jabbed. "Oh the humanity..."
Angitia shrugged. "As of now I cure poison not utilize it. Besides, my input is unnecessary when my little Sucy is such a prodigy."
Sucy internally smiled at the ancient goddess's praise, quite flattered that she considered her a prodigy.
"Hey Lotte..." Amanda whispered. "Do you feel a bit… left out of this conversation?"
"Very..." Lotte frowned. "It can't be helped, we don't have a Persona yet..."
"...Damn it." Amanda grumbled. "Just where is my Persona?"
Akko hummed as she soaked in the information. "AOE Psychic spells with various ailments and defense reducing capabilities. Nice! I'm sure we can form some awesome combos together, Sucy!" she cheered. "The Shadows wouldn't stand a chance!"
As she pumped her fist into the air, blue fire erupted from her form. "Now, let's get your costume too! Lights up! hoki modo~!"
"There Sucy, Do it like this." "Glittering Starling Chariot" happily instructed. "Once you get a hang of it, we can try a duo transformation sequence! That will be sooooo awesome!"
"No." she sneered, shooting down Akko's request. "Not in a million years."
Akko dropped her head and frowned.
"Foofoo, your little summoner sure is a ball of cheerful energy," Angitia chuckled, amused. "What a surprise that you of all people became her Persona. Haven't you broken enough witches' hearts yet?"
Aradia crossed her arms. "I may be the goddess of false hope, but false hope is hope nonetheless. Unlike thee, who is quite literally a snake in the grass." She bit back. "Isn't that right… Arigitia? Or should I say, Witch of Betrayal?"
"Kyuufoofoo, what a sharp tongue you have," Angitia mused. "Perhaps I once was, false goddess. But humanity has set their own version of the truth, and that tragedy no longer represents me."
"Be careful, Akko. Thou doth not wish to become someone's Jason," the Aradia comments.
"Ah… Who's Jason?"
"Thou shalt understand once you completes thine mythological studies," Aradia replied. "Which thou should continue once thou have time."
"My little Sucy. Are you ready to become your ideal self?" Angitia said to her summoner. "Just focus my power through your mind.."
"My ideal self huh?" the muttered as she closed her eyes. "Let's see what I get then..."
Tongues of Blue fire lapped across her form, its warmth caressing her. The receding fire revealed a double layered, long sleeved, dark purple tunic dress that reached her ankles. A half-worn lab coat that left her shoulders exposed hung from her body, the sleeves of which fused to the dress beneath. Leather shoes were replaced with slightly elevated sandals with skull pins. Atop her head sat a witch hat with mushroom characteristic, like the texture and gill like frills. Many smaller mushrooms dotted her head wear and form, a few of them even glowing.
"Kekeke! Not bad!"
"Oh man…!" Akko groaned. "Why didn't you perform a transformation sequence?!"
"... I'm going to ignore you now," Sucy shook her head as she waved Akko off. With a quick twirl of her body, she marveled at herself. "Huh, not bad. This is pretty close to how I wanted to look like when I get older. It reminds me of what all the wealthy witches back home wear. The lab coat is a nice touch too, thanks Angitia."
"You're very welcome, but your thanks is unnecessary. The outfit is simply an expression of your inner self."
Lotte looked at her up down, taking her time to thoroughly examine her outfit. "Wow. That hat really brings it all together. It's a nice touch."
"Yeah. It's got this weird toxic vibe to it," Akko adds. "It fits you… even if it is a bit creepy…"
"That's not the best part." Sucy grinned. In one fluid motion she spin the hat around and centered it on her face. In response the brim of the hat latched onto her face, rapidly morphing to fit over her head like a helmet. "It's also a mask."
"Damn, that is one cool ass witch hat," Amanda whistles. "I'll definitely one-up you when I get my Persona!"
"Why the hell are you making this a contest you idiot?" Sucy snapped as she took off her plague doctor mask, returning it to its hat form. "I doubt I'll need this very often to be honest, it wouldn't be smart to use poison gas around you guys."
"But it'll definitely come in handy around Shadows that do though." Akko replied. "Yes, those exist and they are a pain to fight."
Sucy just shrugged. "Can't wait then."
"Now Sucy," Akko began with her eyes beaming, "lets come up with a stage name for y-"
"Let's get a move on," the poison user interrupted. "I want some combat experience."
"But I had a great idea-"
"I said lets go."
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The light of a Goho-M flared as the group arrived at their newest safe room.
"Alright! Let's do everything in our power to save Diana today!" Akko cheered pumping her fist. With an enthusiastic cry of, "Let's go Team Dipper!" she rushed out of the room.
"Seriously, are we really stuck with that lame ass name?" Amanda groaned.
"What's your suggestion then?" Sucy asked.
"Well I..." the red head began before pausing. "Umm... Ahh... I'll get back to you on that."
"BITCH! IT'S YOU AGAIN?!" a yell echoed from outside and the now familiar noise of Shadows exploding into their true forms followed. The gang rushed outside to find Akko confronting five familiar Goblins.
"Hey Sucy! I found you a few practice dummies!" Akko called before retreating to her side. "Have at them!"
"Alright-" Amanda said, preparing to jump in before Akko put an arm in front of her. "Let's have Sucy handle this herself. Trust me, it's the best way to get used to your Persona."
"Fineeeeee..."
"How dare you call us practice dummies!?" one of the Goblins roared in anger. "We'll tear you all apart for what you did to us!" another declared. Their muscles rippled and pulsed as red magic to envelope their forms, amplifying their physical strength.
"They're powering up," Angitia reported. "Let's slay them before they become a nuisance!"
"Got it," Sucy replied. With a flick of her wrist, her dagger flashed from her wide sleeve and into her waiting fingers.
"I may not be the most agile, but still more than enough to deal with these weaklings! Go, dissect them!"
Just like yesterday, with a simple thought her body is empowered by her belief. She dashed towards the goblins, taking great pleasure in her new found superhuman speed. While she was far slower then Akko, her speed easily exceed Amanda's peak twice over.
Singling out one of the goblins, it stood no chance as she plunged her dagger into its form and gutted it with surgical precision.
Twirling the blade in her hand, she examined the edge as a smirk spread across her face. Her body felt the same rush from that Unicorn fight. "This is really incredible! I've never fought with a knife before, yet I continue to wield one as if I've been doing it my whole life. Just how far I can go with a "believing heart" I wonder?"
Distracted by how easy it had been to slay one of the goblins, another attempted to use her laps in awareness to land a hit.
With her heightened senses (no doubt thanks to her Persona), she gracefully back stepped to evade the surprise attack. With a swift uppercut, she knocked the offending goblin down and slammed her heel into its neck, snapping it like a twig.
"I just did that… while wearing heels… and I didn't trip on my dress or something…"
Sucy's smirk widened as she continued to make quick work of the Shadows, getting a feel for her new found power and gradually forming her own fighting style. "Feels like a nonsensical action movie... I like it~"
"Aurgh!" Battered and broken, the last goblin tried to flee, dragging its injured form across the carpeted floor. As Sucy walked towards it to finish it off, it turned itself on its back to face her. "I won't… let you progress any further…!" With a harsh intake of air, it opened its mouth in an attempt to shriek.
"I remember that from yesterday. Not this time though," Sucy muttered. "Makajama!"
Angitia quickly materialized and began to play a sharp tune on her Aulos. Green magic flowed and bound the Shadow, stopping its distress call dead on its track.
Sucy stretched her back and let out a satisfied sigh. "That was a nice warm up. I think I got the hang of it." she said. With a twirl of her dagger, she slipped it back into her sleeve.
The Shadow attempted to crawl away, thinking Sucy has lost interest since she left him alone… only for Angitia to slither her way towards her prey and stabbed her tail down like a scorpion, reduced it back into liquid darkness.
Akko and Lotte cheered and clapped as Sucy made her way back to the group while Amanda pouted at the fact that she didn't get some action.
Sucy smirked at the discontent redhead. "Kekeke, Jealous~?"
"O-Of course not!" Amanda replies, almost a shout. "Once I get my Persona I'll definitely be able to pull something like that off!"
"Yeah, don't worry Amanda!" Akko beamed, putting a hand on her shoulder with a reaffirming smile. "We can fight all we want once you do! It's just that Sucy really needed the experience…. And..."
"Yeah, yeah! I get it!" Amanda grumbled, struggling out of the friendly embrace. "Let's just get moving already!"
"Alright." Akko said, "Then let's continue from where we left off!"
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The group made their way back the auditorium... only to discover that it was now locked.
"I doubt she is hosting something right now." Sucy pointed it out. "We need look for another way to go down-"
"NO! None of you are going anywhere!"
Five Shadow workers emerged from the floor, surrounding the group as they cracked their knuckles, their masks labeled with the Roman numeral VII and I. "What a pain in the ass, stupid rats without invitations running around the mansion causing trouble again!"
"And you stupid Shadows keep trying to fight us, so the feeling is mutual!" Amanda snarled, twirling her spear. "Finally! Come at us boys!"
"Hmpf! Cocky girls like you need to be disciplined!"
The Shadows burst, revealing four dogman like creatures with each wearing light bronze armor and wielding wooden cubs. Their leader was a blue, imp like creature with scythes tied to its ankles, wielding a farming pitchfork as weapon.
"I, Bilwis, shall reap your souls for the Mistress!" the leader roars. "Are we ready my Kobolds?! TODAY WE SHALL DINE ON THEIR CORPSES-"
"Mapsi."
In an instant, multi-colored orbs of energy bombard the beast-men, their armor doing little in the way of protection as their heads exploded from the impact of the spell. The blue imp was sent careening into a wall due to the sheer force of the spell.
Angitia and Sucy rushed to meet their foe, Sucy ramming into the imp and pinning it to the wall. The snake goddess snatched away the pitchfork and proceeded to snap it in two.
"Yo, what the hell!?" Amanda stomped her foot and pointed at Sucy. "That was supposed to be my fight! And what's with you ending it so quickly!? Not cool!"
"I wanted to see how strong is Angitia's spell at full power," Sucy shrugs. "And remember, we're not here to have fun you idiot. The faster we get Diana out, the better," she chided with a roll of her eyes. Angitia ripped the Shadow out of the wall and bound it with her mushroom tentacles.
"Aurgh...!" the Shadow groaned in pain, struggling futilely as tried to escape Angitia's grasp.
"So, would you mind telling me where Diana is?" Sucy begins nicely. "The real one, not her Shadow. I might let you live if you tell me."
"Aurgh...! Dream on you BITCH!" Bilwis spat. "I, as a loyal servant, shall never tell of the mansion's secret-"
Sucy sighed. "Alright then, don't say I didn't give you a choice."
From her lab coat's pocket, Sucy retrieved a syringe. Taking a vial from within her sleeve, the gloomy witch hummed to herself as she prepared a cocktail of chemicals.
"W-What are you doing!?" the Shadow rasped.
"Oh nothing, just wondering if Shadows are susceptible to a bit of truth venom is all," Sucy waved the needle before the Shadow's eyes. "It would be wonderful if they are, you know. I never get to test these babies out due these chemicals being too lethal."
"N-No! YOU WOULDN'T!"
"Oh, but I will." Sucy affirmed, a wide grin spread across her face. "Now be a good guinea pig and sacrifice yourself for science~"
"N-no…P-please… PLEASE DON'T-! ! !"
The Shadow's desperate please for mercy were cut short as Angitia wrapped a tentacle around his mouth. Lotte averted her eyes while Akko and Amanda just stood and watched the Shadow being subjected to Sucy's tender "mercies". After a brief pause, Lotte turned to look at the other two.
"Ah... I'm really glad Sucy's our friend..." she squeaked.
"T-That's a... really big needle huh...?" the brunette stuttered, a cold sweat forming on her brow.
"Akko, you don't look so well... Not a fan of needles?" Lotte inquired.
"Y-Yeah-! Something like that," she shakily replied. "I'm just glad I don't have to get a booster shot anytime soon..."
"That reminds me. Thou art due for another vaccination this year, aren't you?" Aradia snickered.
"ARADIA!"
Angitia released the Shadow and dematerialized, it slumped to the floor in a broken mess.
"Now, would you tell me where the real Diana is?" Sucy asked.
"Other than... the mistress herself… only the head butler knows other... You need to ask him... You can find him in the basement..."
"Alright," Sucy nodded. "Looks like we're going down..."
"What about him?" Lotte asked, shifting her head towards the Shadow on the floor. Her mind feeling really sorry for the poor thing.
"Oh him? He should die any minute now," Sucy nonchalantly replied, jotting a few notes in her notebook. "Shadows aren't half bad as guinea pigs. I guess now I have other options rather than just Akko, kekekeke!"
Akko shifted uncomfortably. "I think I need to be careful from now on..."
Annoyance plagued Constanze as she tapped away on her tablet. Up to this point they were tracking Amanda to wherever she was headed until she just... vanished without a trace.
"You lost her?" Jasminka questioned. "How is that possible…?"
Beside the puzzled Constanze sat a small mechanical box. Said box shifted and turned, unfolding into a tiny body with arms and legs.
Stanbot #1 shrugged at Jasminika's question, its movements sluggish and choppy due to the fact it was still a few adjustment away from completion. "Unit is unable to answer inquiry. Possibility of subject Amanda discovering tracking device is minimal," it spoke for its master with a sharp tongue.
"We'd better hurry then, where's the last place she was at?" Jasminka asked.
The duo quickly moved to the last known location of their wayward roommate, although they were delayed when they hid from Professor Ursula who was passing by the area. Eventually they reached the spot where they lost the signal, the fallen memorial tree.
German tinker scrunched her brow, her annoyance on full display. She scanned the area for any sign of Amanda or the tracker before noticing something red and black...
"Signal lost. Unit is unable to continue tracking subject Amanda," Stanbot#1 reported.
The bot's master pointed to the tree truck, asking her creation to examine the anomaly.
"Scanning… Scanning... Error– unable to detect anomaly..." Stanbot #1 said, slumping over in a display of sadness.
Unable to detect anomaly…? But that was impossible! There was tear in space right in front of them! Constanze turned to her roommate, ready to ask if she could see the tear...
She didn't expect to Jasmanika hunched over, hands on her knees and her breathing heavy. The pink haired girl clenched her jaw, her knuckles white as she attempted to right herself.
Constanze rushed to her side, rubbing circles on her back in an attempt to sooth her pain.
"What…?" Jasmanika murmured through gritted teeth. "I ate myself full didn't I…? Why is it…"
Constanze didn't understand a word that was coming from Jasmanika's mouth. She knew her teammate really liked food, but what was she talking about?
She didn't get her answer as Jasminka seemed to have gotten lost in her own thoughts.
"Другая сторона…? Вы… хочу пойти?! … Вы обещаете, что будете вести себя после…?" Jasmanika gritted through the pain, muttering in Russian.
Constanze couldn't understand a word she was saying but whatever it was it didn't sound good...
"я… я… нет…Теряя контроль..." she muttered as she shambled, a blank expression on her face.
Alarm bells began to ring in Constranze's head as she rushed to stop her roommate. Unfortunately, Jasminka under whatever influence she is under coupled with her monstrous strength, was easily able to shove her aside.
"Inquiry: Are you alright," Stanbot#1 asked.
The tinkerer recovered quickly. She picked up her bot and pressed a button on its head, shutting it off and transforming it back into box mode.
Jasminka shambled towards the opening in the tree trunk. Her behavior is down right bizarre now; crawling up the tree trunk on all four like a lizard, just moments away from throwing herself into the tear in space.
The German girl mustered as much strength as she could and leap after Jasminka, latching herself onto her long pigtail with her tiny hands as the larger of the two flung them both into the tear in reality...
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Enemy Shadows:
Kobold(Chariot)
Resist:Gun
Weakness: Psy, Curse
Skills: Bush, Resist Exhaust, Rebellion
Profile: A German fairy commonly depicted as a small creature with doglike face. They appear in mines and switch out valuable minerals for useless one, thus acting as the namesake for cobalt.
[]
Bilwis(Magician)
Resist: Fire
Null: Wind
Weakness: Electric
Skills: Poison Skewer, Rakunda, Garu
Profile: A creature said to appear in German grain fields. It comes at night and damages crops. It is tall and emaciated with an ugly face. Scythes are tied to its toes, and by walking through fields with them on, it mows down the grain.
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Sucy's Equipments:
Weapon- Sagittarius Blade: A dagger forged from the stinger of Pabilsag. Medium chance to inflict Fear or SP Poison.
Firearm- Glock 18: Replica of a type of polymer pistol that is easy to use.
Body- Zero Kosode Kai: Kosode with zero flaws. Its color is eternally white. Magic Evasion Rate UP (Med).
Accessory 1- Sucy's Treasure: A bottle of unidentified poison that Sucy treasured dearly. Increase Luck.
Artist741: Sorry this took a bit long. I got a minor ear infection and Sucy's design work took a while to polish. Not to mention Cousin was having too much fun "teaching" Newbies in Dark Souls: Remaster-
741AuthorNCS: THEY DIDN'T FIX ANYTHING! JOKES ON THEM! MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! *One shot someone with a Dark Bead*
Artist741: That was Chamber of Time's budget well spend wasn't it?
Annoyance plagued Constanze as she tapped away on her tablet. Up to this point they were tracking Amanda to wherever she was headed until she just... vanished without a trace.
"You lost her?" Jasminka questioned. "How is that possible…?"
Beside the puzzled Constanze sat a small mechanical box. Said box shifted and turned, unfolding into a tiny body with arms and legs.
Stanbot #1 shrugged at Jasminika's question, its movements sluggish and choppy due to the fact it was still a few adjustment away from completion. "Unit is unable to answer inquiry. Possibility of subject Amanda discovering tracking device is minimal," it spoke for its master with a sharp tongue.
"We'd better hurry then, where's the last place she was at?" Jasminka asked.
The duo quickly moved to the last known location of their wayward roommate, although they were delayed when they hid from Professor Ursula who was passing by the area. Eventually they reached the spot where they lost the signal, the fallen memorial tree.
German tinker scrunched her brow, her annoyance on full display. She scanned the area for any sign of Amanda or the tracker before noticing something red and black...
"Signal lost. Unit is unable to continue tracking subject Amanda," Stanbot#1 reported.
The bot's master pointed to the tree truck, asking her creation to examine the anomaly.
"Scanning… Scanning... Error– unable to detect anomaly..." Stanbot #1 said, slumping over in a display of sadness.
Unable to detect anomaly…? But that was impossible! There was tear in space right in front of them! Constanze turned to her roommate, ready to ask if she could see the tear...
She didn't expect to Jasmanika hunched over, hands on her knees and her breathing heavy. The pink haired girl clenched her jaw, her knuckles white as she attempted to right herself.
Constanze rushed to her side, rubbing circles on her back in an attempt to sooth her pain.
"What…?" Jasmanika murmured through gritted teeth. "I ate myself full didn't I…? Why is it…"
Constanze didn't understand a word that was coming from Jasmanika's mouth. She knew her teammate really liked food, but what was she talking about?
She didn't get her answer as Jasminka seemed to have gotten lost in her own thoughts.
"Другая сторона…? Вы… хочу пойти?! … Вы обещаете, что будете вести себя после…?" Jasmanika gritted through the pain, muttering in Russian.
Constanze couldn't understand a word she was saying but whatever it was it didn't sound good...
"я… я… нет…Теряя контроль..." she muttered as she shambled, a blank expression on her face.
Alarm bells began to ring in Constranze's head as she rushed to stop her roommate. Unfortunately, Jasminka under whatever influence she is under coupled with her monstrous strength, was easily able to shove her aside.
"Inquiry: Are you alright," Stanbot#1 asked.
The tinkerer recovered quickly. She picked up her bot and pressed a button on its head, shutting it off and transforming it back into box mode.
Jasminka shambled towards the opening in the tree trunk. Her behavior is down right bizarre now; crawling up the tree trunk on all four like a lizard, just moments away from throwing herself into the tear in space.
The German girl mustered as much strength as she could and leap after Jasminka, latching herself onto her long pigtail with her tiny hands as the larger of the two flung them both into the tear in reality...
Oh yeah, Jasminka's the host of a hunger demon birthed from the Holodomor, isn't she? What Yoshinari was thinking when he came up with that bit of lore I have no idea, but it's something to work with, I guess. And now Ursula is even more of a Bayonetta reference than she already was.
EDIT: I somehow mixed up Constanze and Jasminka. It's fixed now.
Bayonetta... that narrative was a bit of a mess. I liked what the guy who wrote her was trying, I just think he missed that the audience wouldn't necessarily see what he did, so it kind of feel apart a bit in the implementation.
