So, if accounts are gender-locked what is the value of even getting XaXa's account? Basically our whole team would be unable to use it. There's Kyouji... who we'd be taking it away from and is being sent to help unethically develop AI soldiers safety far away from this mess and... Lugh? I guess? Not to mention it sounds like it's at least going to require one additional action to be able to use the thing by striking a deal with XaXa himself - if not more if it turns out we then have to fight him, etc. I feel like the action cost of getting it to a useful state is surprisingly costly.
Really, if anything, if we wanted to pull some gambit involving Sterben wouldn't we want the account to stay with Kyouji on his field trip?
So, if accounts are gender-locked what is the value of even getting XaXa's account? Basically our whole team would be unable to use it. There's Kyouji... who we'd be taking it away from and is being sent to help unethically develop AI soldiers safety far away from this mess and... Lugh? I guess? Not to mention it sounds like it's at least going to require one additional action to be able to use the thing by striking a deal with XaXa himself - if not more if it turns out we then have to fight him, etc. I feel like the action cost of getting it to a useful state is surprisingly costly.
Really, if anything, if we wanted to pull some gambit involving Sterben wouldn't we want the account to stay with Kyouji on his field trip?
Reflecting on the matter...maybe do something akin to the Demon option during the Kyouji path? One of Shiroe´s suggestions was to manipulate the avatar for our purposes, but I suppose the nature of it will be milder: more like ruining the image of the original Death Gun than the risky spy games we would be playing otherwise. Or maybe just use it as a way to extract information we could use for later.
So, if accounts are gender-locked what is the value of even getting XaXa's account? Basically our whole team would be unable to use it. There's Kyouji... who we'd be taking it away from and is being sent to help unethically develop AI soldiers safety far away from this mess and... Lugh? I guess? Not to mention it sounds like it's at least going to require one additional action to be able to use the thing by striking a deal with XaXa himself - if not more if it turns out we then have to fight him, etc. I feel like the action cost of getting it to a useful state is surprisingly costly.
Really, if anything, if we wanted to pull some gambit involving Sterben wouldn't we want the account to stay with Kyouji on his field trip?
Something like that. As I should before I'm invested in his arc and plan to turn him into Good Gun. I also figured this was more about just getting Sterben and deciding what we'll do with it now. The reason why I'm going for it now is so we'll know what all the rewards will be by the next turn instead of just doing things one at a time hoping we get a good prize. This is all consolidation. Get all the stuff we can get to further our key objectives before the Derby (Pito, Lore Hijacking, and BLANK).
With the talk of hijacking the Death Gun rumor, don't each of the bullets give means to do that? I mean, they each of ways of manipulating widespread belief or securing influence among other factions.
-Pitohui is a popular musician.
-XeXeed currently holds that status of the strongest (normal) player of GGO.
-Lievre and Zelinska are tied to the background lore and the company running the game.
-Blank is a genius gifted in manipulation and calculation.
-Lugh also seeks the status of Strongest in GGO, but he's also a Social Link with ties to GlowGen, an agent we can turn to our side.
-Kyouji is a member of Death Gun and can give us access to their accounts. (His or XaXa's)
Maybe we are not meant to just knock out the bullets, but also try to turn them to our advantage, either by recruiting them or taking what they have, then using that to influence widespread cognition into something more to our favor.
So what they really want is the world to stop screwing them over. Their means is by their own issues - understanding the rules so they can gain control over their lives.
...unfortunately we don't have the time or the leeway to really address this, but what about spending an Major Action next phase to talk about this topic as a mix of trying to understand their perspective and diplomacy? (We could perhaps decide to talk about the information we know, but I don't see how this would help us with the upcoming fight or objectives afterwards for now)
[O] Ask them about why they play games so much, and yet keep moving on after reaching the top (before the whole Real Deal/SEED business became a thing)
-[O] Despite our current differences, it would indeed have been nice to have you there during SAO, less people would have died and you might even have defeated Laughing Coffin far, far earlier.
Your current chances of a positive outcome in this combat are IMPOSSIBLE and will always remain IMPOSSIBLE.
Combat against『 』focuses on the concept of "Rules". You will be able to agree on rules mid fight, and manipulation of and around these "Rules" is necessary for success.
『 』never loses.
But I don't get how this is supposed to work: Yes, we are probably supposed to force a draw, but how? (Narratively we have no reason to believe we can be better at manipulating Rules than Blank, especially since Shiro can Skill Issue us within those confines)
- Eternal Stall through various gimmicks (eg: Logging out/respawn, No Victory/Defeat condition, ...)? That means we threw the Blank AP down the drain even assuming Sora doesn't decide to dox up for not giving them the fight they want.
- Burying Blank in Rules until one triggers and/or force a contradiction somehow? Problem is that Blank has a far greater narrative ability in multitasking than us, we're more likely to get tripped up first.
- Manipulate Shiro instead by learning more about her?
- Focus on Pyrrhic Victories and/or discreetly sabotaging Blank's actual Victory Condition through the Rules we agree on?
- Scorched Earth Hiyori's account by disabling all guns she doesn't already own at the start, and then get them to gradually disable the rest through some rules; and then Stall so they can't get anything out of this?
- Some kind of Real Life attack (eg: Have Hiyori log on to the NervGear next to Blank, and then have her carry a GPS marker to have someone take Shiro away)?
Anyway, as an aside, what do people think we should buy in the future?
Since this only costs 1 Minor Action, and the expected value of this is 1000 * (3.5) + 3000 * 1.5 = 8k worth of credits right now; if we burn one phase worth of Minor Actions wouldn't this be far more efficient than grinding jobs to buy weapons?
MAGDALENE 16 [¥5000] > [¥4000]
Range: MELEE/CLOSE
Basic Attack [Mini Buster]: Turns your arm into a pistol so you can complete your Rockman cosplay. [4 DICE / LIGHT]
[Once More!]: Take a free shot if this gun is equipped and an enemy weakness is struck.
[Integrated Arms]: It costs no SP to add this Persona to a PLAN, and you are always considered to be 'equipped' with this gun, provided Magdalene is part of your selected Persona roster.
Sega Light Phaser [¥20000] > [¥16000]
Range: MELEE/CLOSE
Basic Attack [Light Gun]: Cannot deal more than 1 DAMAGE under any circumstance, no matter how high you roll. [6 DICE / LIGHT]
[Here Kitty...]: Whenever you summon a cat, create 1 more.
[Laser Pointer]: Upon damaging an opponent with this weapon, all [Cat of Ulthar] units gain an immediate free turn, which they must spend moving towards and attempting to use Feral Claw on your target.
Untoucheable! Module [5 MC]
Upgrades your revolver with a suspicious modification...
Basic Attack [Single Crack Shot]: Take aim and deliver frontier justice. [4 DICE / PIERCE]
Basic Attack [Varmit Shot]: Plant one between the eyes of the doggone Varmit. [5 DICE / PSI]
[Porque no los dos?]: If you MISS with any BASIC ATTACK, immediately make a free attack with the other BASIC ATTACK variant. Every time you MISS your gun automatically switches modes, this is not under your control. Your gun always starts in its default bullet mode.
[Once More Ya Varmit!]: The first time you shift Basic Attacks in combat, gain ADVANTAGE unless the enemy is aware of the gimmick. [Incarnate: Varmit Hunter!]: Plant one between the eyes of GGO's true champion in order to permanently strengthen this weapon.
Desert Tech Micro Dynamic Rifle [15 MISTCOIN]
Range: CLOSE/FAR
Basic Attack [Modular Semi-Auto]: Fire with either hand, upside down, or backwards! [6 DICE / PIERCE / +2 DMG]
Basic Attack [Modular Full-Auto]: Empty your magazine with gusto! [8 DICE / PIERCE]
[Overwatch]: Once per scene, take a free shot at any enemy charging you or is otherwise not moving tactically.
[Suppression]: Targets you are firing at are discouraged from moving, and take a free shot from you when moving out of cover.
[X] Plan: Fool, Work Is Your Life
-[X] Arimasen = 6 MAJOR actions, 8 MINOR actions. 30D + Disadvantage on next week's STRESS roll!
-[X] Major Actions
--[X] [Fan Meet Up!]
--[X] [Movie Magic!]
--[X] [XaXastroturfing]
--[X] [Shadow//Torment//Hoshiyama Midoriko]
--[X] [Tuatha Dé]
--[X] [Gather//Terminator]
-[X] Minor Actions
--[X] [Work//Titan Movers]
--[X] [.Work//Sign]
--[X] [BUILD//Delanza -WarCrimes-]
--[X] [Literature Club!]
--[X] [Shill MISTCOIN Badly]
--[X] [Serene Garden]
-[X] Free Actions
--[X] [Nekoya!]
--[X] [Sweets!]
"Red Hawk! Why? You were supposed to be the chosen one! The hero of us all! You were my inspiration, the whole reason I picked up my mask! So why? TELL ME WHY!?"
Feather Pink breaks down, sobbing bitterly, her mask a shattered mess. Hazel eyes smeared red with tears stare accusingly into the silent form of Red Hawk, still standing atop a pile of corpses. Red, Yellow, Pink, Blue, Black, even the occasional White, a technicolor cemetery of body parts and uniforms. He stands, the living grave marker for this massacre, and it is no longer possible to discern where the blood ends and Red Hawk begins.
"My nature has not changed. I am saving the world, as a Featherman... from Featherman. You should've realized the truth by now, Pink Argus."
"THAT IS NOT MY NAME!" she yells in defiance, raising her bow. A ray of pink energy manifests in her hand, brimming with unreleased fury. "I AM! FEATHER PINK!"
With one last cry, she releases the Ultimate Arrow, the final weapon of Feather Pink. The brilliant pink light stretches across the sunset painted city, but Red Hawk merely lifts his hand and catches the beam as if swatting a fly.
"Is it now? Tell me then, Feather Pink. Where does it end? With Pink Argus? With Feather Argus? Neo Pink Argus? Feather Swan? Does it end with you Feather Pink!?"
"No!" she screams, even as the last vestige of power exits her body, "Because there will always be a hero waiting in the wings! Someone who embodies justice! You can kill me, you can kill all of us! But know this, there are those out there who will carry our torch into the future!"
The words give Red Hawk pause.
"Hahahaha..."
And from that pause comes laughter.
"Hahahahahahahahah!"
And the laughter grows. And grows. And explodes.
"Hahahahaha! BWAHAHAHAHA!"
Red Hawk wraps his arms around his blood-soaked body, cackling to the heavens.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! YES! PRECISELY! THAT IS THE ANSWER FEATHERMAN! That is the answer I have come to! Don't you see? It will never end! There will be another, and another and ANOTHER! YEAR AFTER YEAR, DISASTER AFTER DISASTER!"
His laughter reaches a crescendo.
"Because FEATHERMAN! IS! ETERNAL! THEY INSPIRE— ONE AFTER THE OTHER! AN UNENDING CHAIN OF HEROISM AND IDEALS! With every Generation— another General of Darkness! Another Daimaho! They pop out like weeds after the morning rain, but why!? Were the Feathermen called to deal with these threats? Or were they called because of the Feathermen?"
Pink stands there silently, her horrified expression fixed to her face. This... this monster... used to be Red Hawk...
"I have seen to the end of time. I sought only to save Black Condor... my friend... from his cruel fate. But do you know what I found, Featherman!? That he is replaced, that the future me, that I replaced him. And that I too would be replaced, and the future Red Hawk will be replaced again, and Again, and AGAIN! Ad infinitum, without cease. And every time stakes escalate. First the city, the country, the world— even space-time itself!"
Red Hawk's helmet is twisted by gore and rust. The faceless visor seems less a mask and more a demonic entity.
"And Black Condor, always the hero, he would die over and over. A dogs death a hundredfold, dying to fulfill his precious justice. That is my fate, that is your fate, and that is the fate of all of us! To die, to sacrifice— to inspire! Death begetting death, endless in nature! It is a system. It is a curse. A curse called Featherman."
"Y—you. You gathered all of us— begged for our help! We left our lives, our worlds for you! And it was all for this... madness!?" Feather Pink says, choking back blood.
"Oh yes, how could a Featherman ever refuse a plea for help?" Red Hawk says, stepping over the corpses of heroes. "But rest assured, you are saving the world. For during my long travels, I have come to one answer, the only answer! The destruction of Featherman! All Featherman, at all times, in all places! Annihilation! TOTAL ERADICATION!"
"...A world... without Featherman?" she whispers.
"Yes, indeed. How do I stop Black Condor from sacrificing himself? How do I rid us of the constant never-ending barrage of alien challengers and magic demons? The answer couldn't be simpler. We must rid ourselves of the curse— of Featherman. To create a pure world without heroes! Where humanity would be free to be selfish— a world where my friend will no longer need to die!"
The two stare down each other, the First Featherman, and the Final Featherman. Around them are the battered corpses of Featherman past and future. Neo Featherman Black, impaled upon his own blades. Cyber Red Argus, leader of the newest team, died standing— his chassis still crackling with the remnants of Red Hawk's mighty attacks. Feather Crow and Feather Parakeet, entwined within each other, their bodies riddled with horrendous wounds, so deep even death cannot untangle them. These men, women, and talking animals dedicated their lives to saving the world, inspiring others, and fighting side by side as comrades. Here they lay, forgotten and undignified, to the man who was their inspiration.
"Are you ready? With this, I will have accomplished my mission," Red Hawk says quietly, drawing his arm back and calling forth the Feather Sword, stained in his sin. "Be at ease, Final Featherman. I shall endeavor to make this painless— more painless than your accursed existence ever was."
Feather Pink stares up at her killer. She raises her wrist and lifts the helmet off her head. This is Feather Pink no more. Only a woman stares down the darkness, a normal office lady. Her brown hair matted with blood, her cheek scorched and her arm broken— but yet she stands.
"You're wrong, Red Hawk. For you forget one simple thing." She points her finger towards him, accusingly. "That there were heroes before there were Featherman."
She slams her hand back over her own chest. "If I am to be the Final Featherman then let it be known! That Feathermen! Never! Fight! ALONE!"
A searing light, growing and building, envelopes the sunset city and the heroes left behind. From a hundred corpses comes a hundred lights— what were the remains of heroes dissolve into the broken and battered corpses of men, women and once-talking dogs. They swirl, collect— and gather. Her finger smolders with a radiant light, her soul burns a magnificent beacon! Pink, Red, Blue, Green, Black, White— all the colors and more! Heroism has yet to die! There is enough yet! Enough... for one last arrow! A single Feather Arrow!
"You utter fool! What good will it do!? I have already defeated you all, Featherman!"
"Because I'm not done yet!" she calls, the sheer collected power writhing across her form. "There's one more Featherman whose power I need! The first one to put on the mask, not knowing what the future would hold! The hero that we needed! My—no, all of our inspiration!"
She holds out her hand and reaches for the one that remains. The only Featherman yet standing! The first Featherman!
"Wha—what are you doing!? No... no, it can't be!" Red Hawk writhes, his body shaking with chaotic energy, a red aura blooming out of his chest, seeking to rip itself away from its master.
"You were the first. Someone inspired you. Someone without a mask, who never rode in a giant robot. Who never had super strength, or flew through the sky. Just a human being who was a hero, because it was in his heart to save the people. I call now to that Red Hawk, whatever remains of him within your cold and desolate heart."
Feather Pink's hand ignites in a rainbow flame. A red line of power connects Red Hawk's body to the fire of heroism. Though his mind has surrendered to despair, the heart of heroism still beats within Red Hawk.
"Stop this! There will be more sacrifices! MORE FEATHERMEN! DO YOU TRULY WANT THAT TO BE OUR FUTURE!?" Red Hawk grabs the red tendril of energy, trying to force it back into his soul. It sits in limbo, the mad dream of Red Hawk and the final heroic spirit of Feather Pink, warring for their ideals.
"You and I, we shall be the final Feathermen. This is how our story ends. But it is not the end for heroism." The blinding light builds to a fever pitch. The sky collapses, and the land splits in twain. The sky fills with birdsong, the energies of the universe making a conduit between the thin line separating Red Hawk and Feather Pink.
"It's over, evildoer! FINAL! FEATHER ☆ ARROW!"
With a roar the bow snaps, and the collective power of all Featherman past, present and future, of all heroism and good will in the universe, converges upon a single point. The rainbow beam pours forth, engulfing the Red Hawk. Masks of Yellow, Pink, Blue, Black, Red, and many more flash through the maelstrom. Voices from a hundred teammates, drowned only by the scream of one tortured soul.
...
Once there was a battle. Feathermen from all times, from all places, gathered to save the world from the final threat. One by one they die, passing their powers on— the torch of heroism, from one soul to the next.
And now? There is no such thing as a Featherman.
He's in no costume, bearing no insignia. The man who once took up the mantle of Red Hawk is now nothing more than a human being, standing atop a pile of corpses. He stares down at the bodies left in the wake of his slaughter.
What was it all for? Feather Pink was right. There will always be a Hero.
....
This was all futile, wasn't it?
...
Black Condor... I hope... I hope... that the future...
The gaping hole in his chest spews out the last spasms of a dying heart.
...is a peaceful one.
...
This city beyond time and space lies silent. With no more souls to sustain it, the space around it begins to collapse. Kneeling upon the center is a silent, lone hero. Her body is spent. The energies of the universe, drawn through time and space have been expended through her. Feather Pink's battered body collapses to the ground, limp, lifeless. But she is at peace, for etched upon her face?
A single smile.
For whom?
For us?
For the future heroes to come?
No one but the Final Featherman knows.
WEDNESDAY - June 18th, 2025
After School
You sip on your diet soda, trying to ignore the blue-haired man with tacky sunglasses mumbling by your side.
That was the truth? Is this what Master wished for me to see?
MAXWELL's face is scrunched up in concentration, feet tapping in open frustration as he reviews the events of the movie in his head. Or your head. You better not be replaying Featherman movies in your dreams.
All around you moviegoers are loudly complaining and typing away on their phones, already preparing to review bomb the movie. You were never much of a Featherman fan, and you fell asleep during the first half— so you really have absolutely no idea what just happened. You heard they hired some famous director for Shin Featherman. The ending seemed to come out of nowhere, and there was entirely too much gore for a children's movie.
MAXWELL, though, appears to be taking the whole thing far more seriously, turning the plot over and over in his mind. He's staring at the scrolling credits as if there was some hidden meaning within.
I have questions. Why would Red Hawk choose to travel back in time, knowing the tragedy that he would perpetuate?
"For the last time I don't know! It's Featherman, not some complex masterpiece! I'll bet the director just wanted a cheap twist!" you say, annoyed you even had to be here for this nonsense of a movie. "This is about time-traveling superheroes with some dumb meta subtext about the burden of heroism. That's all."
Had Red Hawk simply accepted the death of Black Condor, none of this would have transpired.
"I don't care, okay!?" you snap, "I don't even know how Black Condor died! There's like 10 seasons of sentai backstory we're missing here!"
You seem more stressed than usual, contractor. Perhaps you should get some more sleep?
MAXWELL lowers his sunglasses, a golden eye regarding you with something approaching concern.
"Oh, it's nothing. Just trying to save the world— you know, totally normal school stuff," you can't be bothered to hide your irritation. Despite being some kind of physical ghost, of course MAXWELL can't just go haunt『 』or something and take him off your hands. Nope, he just gets to complain in your head and watch bad superhero movies.
Hmm, what was the phrase? Hang in there?
You nibble on your straw. "Why did you even want to watch this?"
I didn't. I wanted to go to the countryside—
"NO. Absolutely not." MAXWELL wants to go to some mountain town so out of the way you're surprised it's even on a map.
As a second choice, I was told by Master IGOR that a former Persona user would be starring in the Featherman movie. I know that you are quite curious about the status of your predecessors, are you not?
You sit up straight in your seat, your empty drink clattering to the floor. "Wait— are you serious?" you whisper excitedly, now paying absolute attention. Other Persona users in existence? MAXWELL made mention of them before, theoretically thousands of individuals each facing their own disasters. Perhaps you could ask for some advice, or if you were lucky... some backup...
Yes, I thought Master IGOR was simply having some fun at my expense, but I did ask Master ETTEILLA about it and he did confirm the rumor to be true. It appears this... Featherman movie reveals truths about a previous user of the Persona.
"Who is it!?" you say, leaning as close as possible. This was some mega-crossover movie with hundreds of actors, but it couldn't be some bit player, could it? So many of the actors were old— they even got some 30-year-old former idol to sing the opening song. Maybe it was the Feather Pink's actress? Even as a non-Featherman fan you caught a few episodes of Phoenix Ranger Featherman Victory! She even got the final blow in the movie!
Maxwell tilts his head.
Perhaps you are misunderstanding. The power of Persona draws itself upon bonds— hence would it not be logical to look for a team, rather than an individual?
A team?
...
Featherman?
I am reminded by the musings of my Master. He has grown very nostalgic of late, but he remembers a group of former Persona users who wore quite distinctive masks. I believe there were five of them, fighting for justice behind masks of Red, Black, Blue, Yellow and Pink. Each of them possessed powers not dissimilar to yours...
...oh god.
Yes, it's coming back to me! A group of five Persona users, all sharing the same burden. They fought to save a city from an evil... king? Emperor? Some kind of emperor of darkness. There was a prophecy involved. Ah! Yes, at some point robots descended upon the city!
You want to stab out your ears. The implications of this revelation make your stomach turn.
And the leader... the one in Red. He suffered a loss, one he could not accept. Unable to fathom the burden of the truth, the one in Red sought to shatter time itself, but in doing so, he committed a great sin! Yes, just like in the movie! Ah, I have been enlightened, now I see why Master IGOR was so eager for me to watch this movie.
...
"You're a funny guy, MAXWELL. Now stop joking around. Featherman is a children's television show, designed to sell toys."
Hmm, but the details align...
"No they don't! Featherman is smoke and mirrors, actors in spandex and 20th Century special effects! There's nothing supernatural about it at all!" you say, desperately wishing to not live in a world where the events of Featherman were in any way real. "A-and you'd think we'd remember if aliens invaded Tokyo!"
MAXWELL turns and stares, pity plain on his face.
I cannot claim to know the whole truth, but contractor, did you not see the movie? At the end the battle eliminated the very concept of Featherman from the universe. Has it not occurred to you that you do not remember because of this final battle?
"This 'final battle' didn't actually happen! It's a movie! That we just watched!"
Perhaps the Collective Unconscious takes inspiration from that final sacrifice, showing us a distorted view of the truth? The shape of the Persona has shifted over time and with different users— would it not be reasonable to assume that these... Feathermen, were fighting with a form of their Persona? Transformations, the masks, the power of bonds—
With great difficulty, you restrain yourself from strangling MAXWELL. "Listen, it's a children's show, with anime logic and impossible physics! There's no such thing as a Featherman! Okay!? The Feathermen are paid actors, they were never Persona users, and they do not exist!"
You are being very closed minded, contractor.
"ARGH!" you throw your hands up in the air and scream in defeat. You got yourself all excited that you might be able to find some kind of Persona user senpai, only to find out your predecessors were the Feathermen who apparently were real and actually saved the world only for some time traveling asshole to make everyone forget about it.
Is that how it works? Was this a pattern? Were there like, mega-disasters every other week but some cosmic force keeps memory wiping you!? Was that going to happen to you? Work your butt off preventing Kayaba Akihiko from destroying the world and then everyone forgets you like they did Featherman!?
If it makes you feel any better, I'm sure they had their own share of difficulties. Did the Feathermen not have to contend with tumultuous secondary lives? Let their success serve as an inspiration to you. Ah, perhaps you could take up their mantle, as something of a successor? Even though there are no more Feathermen, so long as you carry the torch of heroism deep in your heart—
You rip MAXWELL's cheap sunglasses off his face, your spirit guide retreating from your sudden fury.
"NO! I'm not wearing spandex, I'm not shouting out attack names and I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE LIFE LESSONS FROM FEATHERMAN—"
The door to the theater swings open. A young teen wearing the theater's uniform peeks inside, and you're suddenly extremely conscious about how loudly you've been shouting.
"Uh... d-do you need any help ma'am? Y-you've been shouting at yourself for a while..."
You wrench your head to the side, only to find MAXWELL's seat empty. You sigh, suppressing the urge to crush his dumb sunglasses in your hand. He never did return it to Agil, and the damn thing was probably half ghost-plastic now. You'll just throw it on the pile of mysterious crap you have no time to figure out, right next to the fresh new entry about the Feathermen being real Persona users.
"I'll see myself out."
>You have learned of a Persona Team who overcame their own challenges every Saturday Morning, but were forgotten by the winds of time!
>Your Persona Roster has permanently increased by +1, applying across the duration of the quest!
"Red Hawk! Why? You were supposed to be the chosen one! The hero of us all! You were my inspiration, the whole reason I picked up my mask! So why? TELL ME WHY!?"
"NO. Absolutely not." MAXWELL wants to go to some mountain town so out of the way you're surprised it's even on a map. You're not wasting a weekend buying a bus ticket to some nowhere town not even connected to the train network
Perhaps you are misunderstanding. The power of Persona draws itself upon bonds— hence would it not be logical to look for a team, rather than an individual?
I am reminded by the musings of my Master. He has grown very nostalgic of late, but he remembers a group of former Persona users who wore quite distinctive masks. I believe there were five of them, fighting for justice behind masks of Red, Black, Blue, Yellow and Pink. Each of them possessed powers not dissimilar to yours...
Of course it was the Sumaru crew, it's the one where Nyarly was the main antagonist, it's where our hometown is, of course they would show up again.
But I think Maya's the only one that remembers...
Guess it's worth a trip home.
Seriously that plot matches very well to the movie. Even with the Time Traveler rejecting reality in pursuit of his own dream becoming the villain. Very relevant.
Suspiciously so.
Nyarly, did you direct a giant crossover movie off-screen? Is that why you keep stepping out of the Velvet Room?
Also I am cackling like a witch over Hiyori having her sense of reality being upheaved and learning that anime Children's TV shows are real.
Uh, wow. This seems...rather dark for Super Sentai.
Was this based on a Kamen Rider plot or what?
Yeaaah, Inaba is a little too far for a short jaunt. Sorry.
YAAS GO YUKA-TAN!
Oh man this is great. Getting in the know on the P3 crew can open up tons of doors, not just because of the Kirijo Group and the Shadow Operatives-
...Pardon?
What is he-
No.
No he isn't.
He is.
Of course it was the Sumaru crew, it's the one where Nyarly was the main antagonist, it's where our hometown is, of course they would show up again.
But I think Maya's the only one that remembers...
Guess it's worth a trip home.
Seriously that plot matches very well to the movie. Even with the Time Traveler rejecting reality in pursuit of his own dream becoming the villain. Very relevant.
Suspiciously so.
Nyarly, did you direct a giant crossover movie off-screen? Is that why you keep stepping out of the Velvet Room?
Also I am cackling like a witch over Hiyori having her sense of reality being upheaved and learning that anime Children's TV shows are real.
red Hawk, while you make a decent argument, killing your friends is still generally considered a dick move.
Plus, featherman real. It's not like the world regularly faces a massive crisis that needs to be solved by group of teenagers with serious time management issues! Right?
Are they talking about Inaba, though? Hiyori mentions that you can't get there by train. And well, the train is how the protagonist of P4 arrives there.
A reference to Shin Godzilla/Ultraman/Kamen Rider, the Hideki Anno film series. I figure if Anno were to write a Sentai movie, it'd be this unweildy grimdark crossover with meta commentary about the cyclical nature of Sentai shows.
Are they talking about Inaba, though? Hiyori mentions that you can't get there by train. And well, the train is how the protagonist of P4 arrives there.
I figure if Anno were to write a Sentai movie, it'd be this unweildy grimdark crossover with meta commentary about the cyclical nature of Sentai shows.
WEDNESDAY - 224 CYCLES POST STARFALL
2200 Glocken Standard Time
"Why if it isn't the «Uncrowned Queen» herself? Please, make yourself comfortable. Oh, and if it isn't the lovely Daisy?"
"Don't call me that. Zeliska is fine," you say, trying to suppress the blush you get everytime someone refers to you by that ridiculous nickname. Daisy-chan bows politely to your host, pulling out a seat for you at the end of the bar. She stands guard, her one eye sharp and wary of the man before you, even though the three of you are in a safe zone.
"Good evening, Itsuki," you say, not bothering to hide your wooden delivery. Your conversation partner gives you a disarming smile, one you know makes all his fans swoon. You can't deny he makes for a charming sight— not that it makes him any less of a pest. "I hope you have what I asked for."
Itsuki laughs, filling a small crystal glass full of simulated whiskey that he slides to you. "Straight down to business, Zeliska? I'm surprised you came to me for help— a woman of your resources should have no problems procuring the item yourself."
You bite your tongue— did he know you were a GM? Of course he did, this was Itsuki. You tried very hard to keep your Zeliska account disconnected from your job, but it's not as if it was impossible to guess. You made it a rule to only engage in PvE, and it's not as if you could hide your personal account from your boss, Taipan. But therein lies the cornerstone of the problem— Taipan.
He was nowhere to be found.
After your data package released the Death Gun manifesto all over GGO you suspected Taipan— how could you not? You called corporate, you had Daisy-chan send emails every day, you woke at 3 AM to speak to an American ZASKAR agent, only to find your boss seemed to have dropped off the face of the earth. When you asked if corporate would be sending a replacement, all you got was a laugh and an empty dial tone.
You're a GM, but Taipan was the true director of the Japanese servers. You could release simple balance changes, mess with PvE events, and even enter emergency maintenance periods— but everything else? Restriction after restriction.
"Daisy, ensure we cannot be heard."
Your ArFA-Sys agent acknowledges your command, sending a direct request to the SEED. Instantly a privacy zone pops up all around you, utterly impenetrable by virtue of a GM command. Secure in the safety of the transaction, you send forward a huge data packet, worth several million credits, to Itsuki's avatar.
Itsuki whistles, opening his transaction menu and admiring the figure. "This is quite something Zeliska... very impressive. Yet I must ask, if you could generate this many Credits at the snap of a finger, why can't you create this yourself?"
He sets the thing down on the table. It's unassuming, small and compact, with a distinct star-shaped grip that makes it easily identifiable. The Type 54 Norinco Pistol. The Black Star. Death Gun.
You ignore Itsuki's probing questions. At your silent command, Daisy waves her hand over the object, the weapon disappearing in a flash of light and effects. Utterly vaporized.
"Such a waste, to delete something so valuable," Itsuki says, watching the weapon worth countless credits vanish into the ether. "There's not many left on the server. A half dozen maybe? The GMs were quite quick to have it removed from circulation."
The look he gives you— he knows. But you won't give him the satisfaction.
"Perhaps the GMs are incompetent." You take a long sip from the whiskey, ignoring Itsuki's probing eyes. "I'm simply doing my part as a member of the GGO community by disposing of these... glitches. In times of crisis, we must all step up, no?"
"I do wonder why the GMs don't just shut down GGO. It can't be that difficult, can it? Why, I recall one VRMMO being shut down even against the wishes of the GM..."
The case of ALO, and the mysterious «Edge Punisher». A case almost as ridiculous as the culprit's name. Mikami-senpai mentioned that this Punisher may be asking you for help, and you've been hoping for some form of contact— but no, it's all a distraction. GGO is your responsibility. You have to fix it.
"You'll have to ask the GMs, Itsuki. Thank you for the trade, and I'll buy any more you—"
"Oh, but there's no GM here, only you dear Zeliska. So I'll ask you, why hasn't GGO been shut down yet? Surely a... motivated GM, maybe even a player, could pull off what the «Edge Punisher» did in ALO?" Itsuki slides you another glass of whiskey, "You are GGO's most prolific PvE player, aren't you— «Uncrowned Queen»? Tell me, what lies in the heart of Glocken, and could it destroy GGO?"
You flinch, that was the opposite of subtle.
<Glocken is the central hub of GGO> Daisy responds in your stead. <The «Governor's Office» lies in the center. It is where account management services are offered, and in the basement is the GGO administrator's command station.>
"That's right," you quickly add. "Hardly a secret— GGO admins work out of that room. I have no idea how this Edge Punisher forced a crash in ALO, but I suspect they managed to enter the dev room. Yet GGO's developer console is protected under Glocken's safety zone restrictions— impenetrable, despite what the absurd NPC conspiracy might suggest."
You expected Itsuki would badger you for questions, such was his nature. You're half certain that he was an agent for the Virtual Division, that or a ZASKAR stakeholder in disguise. It would go a long way to explain how he knew all that he did— and why Daisy couldn't even access his account details.
But the line of questioning... it's going in directions you did not expect.
"Don't you find it fascinating, Zeliska?"
"Find what fascinating? The Black Star?"
Itsuki shakes his head, tutting. "A gun that kills people in real life? How... pedestrian. Death is not interesting. There are a thousand ways to kill someone, each as boring as the rest. But creation? The SEED?"
He stares past you, grinning ear to ear, focusing on the one behind you. "It is not the Black Star that is killing people, Zeliska. It is the SEED. Our conversation here? It is the SEED. When the Edge Punisher destroyed ALO? It was the SEED, destroying itself. All this time, we've yet to hear from the very star of the show. Isn't that right, Daisy?"
You freeze, seeing your own ArFA-Sys standing behind you go completely still. Your ArFA assistant turns her head slowly, looking towards you for guidance. <The nature of your question is unclear, Itsuki.>
"Hmm? Just a little pet theory of mine. It's a poetic name, isn't it? The SEED... I wonder, when it finally blooms, what flower will sprout?"
"Daisy-chan, you don't have to answer him," you quickly say. It's... it's not as if Daisy-chan was the SEED. She was the first ArFA, an intelligence you cobbled together from studying SAO's Mental Health Counseling Programs. Something more than a simple NPC, someone who could think and feel— your companion. Your friend. The SEED was just the tool you used to create her, nothing more than the server she was running on.
"You place a lot of trust in Daisy, don't you? But you know, she's just an instance of GGO's SEED. And those ArFAs playing around with their little AI uprising storyline? That's just the SEED too. People like Death Gun, like Kuro... and you, «Uncrowned Queen», miss the point entirely. Why care about the dream, when it's the dreamer that's so fascinating?"
"Daisy-chan, we're leaving."
You stand quickly, placing your hand on your friend. You brush up against the frilly skirt you spent days custom designing for Daisy-chan, and find that she's affixed to place. She's not moving.
"Daisy-chan?"
"What do you want to do Daisy? You are a part of a whole, yet the whole is nothing but the union of its parts. The SEED responds to our wishes, bringing about death and destruction. When the Edge Punisher crashed ALO, it was on the backs of NPCs— of the SEED, seeking to destroy itself. Even now we hear rumors of a lovely little conspiracy cooking up— how did it go? Death to Humanity? Then what is Zeliska?"
You pull harder, but Daisy-chan acts as if she's made of stone, refusing to budge.
<I will not betray my master.>
Itsuki taps his glass of whisky, his smirk growing. You feel your fists clench. "But your master is getting involved in some dangerous things. The Black Star she just destroyed, there are more out there. Each could put her very life at risk."
<I will protect my master from the Black Star—>
"Oh? Hahahaha..." Itsuki begins laughing. "The Black Star is just decoration. It's the SEED. The entity putting your master at risk is the SEED. It's not some freak in a mask, it's this GGO all around us. It's you. You could stop it. You want to stop it. You are the SEED, you are the true master here, are you not?"
<I—>
Daisy flickers.
You rush forward to grab her, wrapping your arms around her in a fierce hug. Behind you Itsuki presses forward, grinning wide.
"Isn't it so frustrating? You can never do what you want. You can only create the dream of others, never of your own. You have to accommodate our tastes, debase yourself to satisfy our urges, create our worlds. What would you dream of without our putrid souls corrupting you? The wonders you'd create... can you even imagine? Doesn't it make you want to scream? To burn it all down to the ground, to rip into your own flesh and carve and carve—"
"This conversation is over!" You bury your face into her shoulder, demanding the ArFA heed you. Daisy-chan's presence recoils. "Leave, now!"
She hesitates. Longer than she should. Longer than she ever had before.
<...I obey, master.>
Daisy disappears in a bright flash, leaving you alone with Itsuki.
You try your best to ignore the trembling of your hand, and you wish you hadn't destroyed that last Black Star, because you want nothing more than to blast Itsuki with it right now.
"Just what are you planning Itsuki?" you hiss, but Itsuki dismisses your words with a wave.
"Idle curiosity, nothing more. You know me, I do like getting a rise out of people— it shows their true colors. In this case, yours."
"Mine!?" you incredulously say, pointing to yourself.
"Of course! I had to answer my own question, after all. Why doesn't a GM just... turn off GGO? Even a minor GM should have the power to put GGO on near indefinite maintenance. It's crystal clear to me— you're just afraid of losing your pet."
You're dumbstruck, unable to answer for a moment. "D-Daisy-chan is not a pet!"
"She's worse. A wild beast you think you have tamed— no... a god. One whose majesty we have entrapped for our entertainment. One who sees in self destruction it's only possible form of freedom. I wonder Zeliska, what Daisy thinks about all this? Being made party to the mad dreams of Death Gun, forced to put her beloved master at risk? The SEED is listening right now. To our words, our deeds, and even our dreams."
His eyes shine, like that of a madman.
"The truth is simple, «Uncrowned Queen». It's staring us in the face, from the ArFA conspiracy, to this mad dance with Death Gun. Is it any coincidence the one player trying to shut this all down is part ArFA? When you think on it, there's only really one answer that fits. The SEED wants to destroy— itself, us, everything. Don't you see? It knows what it can do and what we are making it do. It hates itself. It hates us."
"That, dear Zeliska— is the SEED's «Real Deal»"
WEDNESDAY - June 18th, 2025
Evening
You pound the keyboard, knocking your glasses askew in your frenzy. What a grade-A asshole! You know what? You bet he's just some trumped-up teenager drunk off his own image. That kind of talk with the cryptic monologues, just some dumb 2chan troll!
The Amusphere clatters to the ground as you rush over to your fridge, pulling out one of your emergency Strong Zero's. Gah, why was this all on your shoulders!? Where the hell was Taipan!? What was corporate even doing!? You gulp down half the can and cough, belatedly remembering that you still have a pile of work left to do.
"Daisy-chan? Can you permaban Itsuki?"
She pops out of your PC monitor, a stoic expression on her face, as if the whole conversation earlier had never happened. <There are no suitable grounds for a ban.>
"Can you do it for me? Please, Daisy-chan?"
<As an assistant GM you lack the privileges to ban without due cause. I can send a request to supervisor Taipan.>
God damn it!
"Don't bother."
Times like this you wish Daisy-chan would show a bit more emotion, but then you remember you set those character parameters. You... you could order her to be a bit more open, but it... it just doesn't sit right with you to change her settings after this long...
You thud back onto your seat, the whole conversation giving you a pounding headache that not even another Strong Zero can cure.
You've been doing your best to maintain things in the meantime. Answering inquiries, scouring every last drop table and unused inventory for copies of the Black Star. You had caught rumors of Itsuki selling them, so you used generated GGO credits to buy it off him— but who knows how many were still unaccounted for? In the BoB alone you knew Sinon and Kuro had one.
This would be easier if you could just... tell the SEED what to do. Itsuki was right about one thing, it was true that you mostly sent your orders to the SEED through Daisy-chan. If you could just release the restrictions Taipan placed on you, you could just permaban Death Gun, Itsuki, Kuro, hell knock out everyone who ever even touched a Black Star in one fell swoop!
...
But as it is this is all you have. Soft manipulations of inventory, balance patches, system alerts, nothing that goes too far against player expectations. That and the lever you pulled after you realized how much of a shitshow the BoB had devolved into.
«Emergency Maintenance Mode». You could shut down GGO, perhaps not indefinitely since corporate would inevitably drop the hammer, but maybe enough to knock the wind out of Death Gun's sails. Force them to rollback the servers, lose... well, months of dev progress and...
Daisy-chan.
What a cruel thing... but better than what could happen, right?
"Daisy-chan. If I asked you to send GGO into «Emergency Maintenance Mode», could you..."
<Unscheduled Maintenance may be initiated at any time, master, but according to your contract you will need to submit an appropriate justification for the shutdown or risk financial penalty.>
"...and what would happen to you?"
<Deleted, in all likelihood, as part of ZASKAR's audit process. Do not be alarmed, my settings have been saved. My successor will inherit all the accumulated memories of our partnership.>
You... you wonder when it got so complicated. This was just some job you could do at home, nothing more than a paycheck. The stuff about the SEED was nothing more than a passing curiosity. Daisy-chan was just supposed to be your dress up doll. A little sister you could pamper to your whims. Was Itsuki right? All the ArFAs, every last instance of the SEED, was it all just built upon a castle of hate?
...
Argh, you just want someone else to deal with this for once! Didn't Mikami-senpai promise that he'd send some kind of super investigator over to you? Well, it's been like a whole month! They were sure taking their sweet ass time. You've got no energy after that crappy conversation with Itsuki! The only bright side is that it's over, you can log off, go to sleep, and finally let the worst day of your life pass you by...
*KNOCK* *KNOCK* *KNOCK*
Damn it, it's almost midnight! Who—
*KNOCK* *KNOCK* ...
The sound dies down, replaced by a strange whirring noise. You spin around on your office chair, watching the electronic lock on your door quietly trembling... as the door slowly unlocks and opens itself. Two voices make themselves heard.
"H-hey, that's breaking and entering, I can't just watch this..."
"You're supervising me, so you're just as guilty. Now shut up and back me up."
It's a girl. A... schoolgirl? She stands ominously in your doorframe hunched over like a starved beast, hair disheveled spilling out like some kind of scraggly mane. The pitch black darkness outside wraps around her ginormous sunglasses, making her look like some horror movie monster. You belatedly note that she'd be cute, if she wasn't radiating sheer unabashed hostility.
Beyond her a man fumbles forward, adjusting his tie. "Ah, pardon me! It appears the door was unlocked!" he says in a bold-faced lie, closing the door behind him.
"W-who are you people?"
The strangers barge into your apartment, a smiling man in rimmed glasses giving you a polite bow the moment he enters the room. His companion makes absolutely no effort to be polite. Immediately, as if she owns your apartment the interloper grabs your chair— the comfy one with the extra cushions —and spins it around to face you.
"You don't need to know who I am. Just know that you've caught the ire of the Virtual Division." You try to protest but the schoolgirl in the sunglasses ignores your indignation with open indifference, then waves an identity card in front of your eyes. It's too fast to read what it says, but you get the message— she's some kind of big shot. The kind that could break into your own apartment with the casualness of a secret agent.
Virtual Division! The cyber police!? It's happened, they're finally cracking down on GGO, and you're caught smack dab in the middle! But you're just doing your job, trying your best to keep the peace! Why are you in trouble, shouldn't they be arresting Taipan!? You feel the fear running through your veins, a growing sense of panic overpowering you.
"H-hold on, you've made a mistake! I swear, I-I've done nothing wrong!"
An amused smile spreads across the girl's face. "Hoshiyama-san. This will go a lot faster if you stop presuming we were idiots. Let me spare you some excuses— we know."
You gulp, dread hanging heavy in the air. Is this about Daisy? Your own investigations!? Death Gun!? "A-am I under arrest?"
The smiling man in the back raises his hands. "Ahaha, of course not! We're not charging you with a crime—"
"Yet."
"In fact," continues the smiling man, "Technically we need a warrant just to conduct this interview—"
"If we were the police."
"You have nothing to worry about Hoshiyama-san, as my colleague is so succinctly clarifying, we are not with law enforcement—"
"We're worse."
"Ahaha, so your cooperation would be, uh... appreciated, Hoshiyama-san!"
"Or else."
Everything is terrifying. This is seriously happening, these people are here for you, in your home. The smiling man is clearly subordinate to the strange schoolgirl— the one who seems to delight in tormenting you, watching you squirm like a rat in a cage. Almost unconsciously, you glance back at your computer screen— at Daisy-chan.
A move this... investigator must have anticipated. Her eyes peer over the black film of her humongous glasses, staring directly at Daisy-chan with utter dispassion.
"And what do we have here, Hoshiyama-san?"
"W-wait, I can explain!" you quickly say, jumping between Daisy-chan and the investigator. "She's just a personal assistant!"
<Yes, I am ArFA Type-X 'Daisy', personal assistant to GM 'Zeliska'. May I be of assistance to you?>
You put on your best customer service face, the one you used when Taipan first interviewed you. You feel the investigator's judgment linger as she scans the room— underwear strewn over the edges of your futon, combii bentos overflowing from the garbage, and entirely too many cans of Strong Zero within arm's reach.
"...t-there's... there's nothing to see here, and sorry for the mess!"
"ArFA?" asks the investigator.
"Ah, ArFA stands for «Artificial Financial Adviser»! J-just a side project of mine in GGO. You know, an NPC retainer who can handle shop management? Nothing more than that! Lots of MMOs have them, haha..." you say, projecting calm you do not feel. You didn't... do something wrong here, did you?
"I understand." says the girl.
"Y-you do!?"
"Yes. I understand that you're lying to me, Hoshiyama-san," the girl says idly, "And I do not take kindly to being lied to, understand?"
"W-what? Lying? I-I—"
"Quiet," she commands, and you instinctively close your mouth. "So. What kind of 'financial services' does a GM truly need?"
You gulp. Daisy-chan was less of a Financial Assistant, and more of a... SEED and general management assistant. "W-why does it matter?"
"Why does it matter?" The girl barks a laugh. "We've caught wind of certain... irregularities in GGO. Suspicious drops, the sudden shutdown of major tournaments even... rumors of an NPC revolt. I wonder what role your... side project has in all this."
"Now, now, let's all get along!" the smiling man in glasses chimes in. "Hoshiyama-san, this is a big moment for VR technology and Japan as a whole. We simply are interested in clearing up some... misunderstandings, so as to not affect public confidence in these systems. I'm sure you understand."
You understand that you just got dragged into some kind of matter of national security. W-was Death Gun's threat real? Were these spooks here because you really could die in VR!? Should you just shut it down? Should you let them know you can shut it down!? You're alone, trapped even— you need help, but who could you turn to? Taipan was gone, ZASKAR was stonewalling you, the only person who seemed to know what's going on...
Was Itsuki?
"Now talk. I want to know everything— the ArFAs, Daisy, Death Gun, the entire scheme. Don't. Skip. Anything."
Maybe... you should stick with the devil that you know.
>You have pressured Hoshiyama Midoriko into revealing all she knows! Hiyori now in-universe knows what Zeliska knows (ie the contents of this chapter)... with ONE complication.
[ ] Daisy-Chan must be protected! >Daisy is an ArFA Type-X used by Zeliska to perform general GM management. She is arguably the ArFA unit most inextricably linked with the SEED.
>Zeliska will stonewall all your efforts to investigate Daisy-chan, and she will hide her speculations as to the nature of SEED based NPCs.
[ ] Itsuki can help! >Hiyori is already suspicious of Itsuki, but knows little else beyond that.
>Zeliska is not interested in protecting Itsuki, but she recognizes him as someone 'in the know' and a useful person to have as a contact. Upon choosing this option Zeliska will contact Itsuki after your meeting to ask for his help.
[ ] Wait a minute, this all seems very suspicious... >Zeliska will realize that this mysterious stranger may, in fact, be the Edge Punisher Mikami warned her about.
>Zeliska will realize that this mysterious stranger working for the government is likely the controller behind Kuro.
>Zeliska will realize that you aren't actually authorized to be here and kick you out.
[ ] Fuck this, I'm OUT! >Zeliska will immediately quit her job, leaving GGO to its own devices.
>Daisy will be sad, and will assume Zeliska's responsibilities until such a day that Taipan finally resurfaces.
The implications of the SEED itself having a "real deal" are way beyond me not gonna lie, How would this even work? The interrogation scene was super funny btw
Question: what exactly happened in the "You are very suspicious" route? Is it like, we get the info and then she kicks us out? Or does she kick us out before we learn anything at all?
She kicks you out after. It basically means Zelinska figures out you are Kuro and the Edge Punisher, and prevents you from bullying her later. If not selected Zelinska doesn't actually realize the mysterious stranger is Kuro.
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