Songs of the Soul: Echoes Arranged (Persona 5 Trilogy NG+ Multicross AU)

[RadiantGV]

For the past couple of years I have been working on a fanfiction once known on AO3 as Royalguard. Now, it is called Echoes, and is part of my Songs of the Soul Persona x Multicross universe. While I could share it as is, there are a number of things I could have done better in regards to the fic as it stands. So, while the majority of the text does reflect that which is written on AO3, this is an improved version that I hope to take back to AO3 as a far superior work.

With that said, I could always use feedback and engagement. And at least here, I can write background information and bake it into the thread using the threadmarks.

However, to understand Echoes Arranged, you first have to understand Echoes, so here's a few important things that you must know before continuing. Important notes are in Bold.

1. The Phantom Thieves of Hearts started their mission over on December 2017. Goro Akechi, Sumire Yoshizawa, Zenkichi Hasegawa and Sophia are all full-time members of the PTs, with Goro Akechi having survived the Engine Room thanks to a brief intervention from Lavenza. Lavenza is also more directly involved with the PTs, kinda like an in-universe Jagen or Frederick (apropos considering the next bullet point). Real Kasumi is a Ghost that can only interact with the real world for an hour every day, but is still around full-time in the Metaverse. However, they have not met Erina, Toshiro or Guernica. This is because Echoes began prior to Persona 5 Tactica's announcement. Rest assured, we will meet them, they will know, and they will be Phantom Thieves.

2. The universe in which Echoes takes place is a multi-cross assuming every world existing in the Songsverse is connected to the Amala Network, while also adapting rules from the 2017 anime Re:CREATORS. It's considered bad form for someone from the Personaverse to mention one of the crossover character's media in front of them -here referred to as Offworlders. Offworlders do not have to be canon characters, and you will be surprised to find out who is considered an Offworlder and who is not. Later chapters contain characters and events that will be expanded upon in future works in Songs of the Soul series, so be mindful of those spoilers. Offworlders will be expanded upon in an information packet later. The first Offworlder was Sayla Mass from UC Gundam, and she was also the first Offworlder to die on Earth, and ever since have been coming and going in batches, some even staying full-time. The Offworld Registry Network is the government agency from which they can sign up and adjust to life. A full list of series involved in Songs of the Soul will be added in the Information threadmark, under the title of Codex.

3. Time Travel works by moving the clock forward a year but by starting the events over, with whoever started the NG+ having the memories of themselves and their allies and collaborators restored. However, this only applies to Wildcards and people on the same level, such as an S-Class Demon, Devil Summoner or indeed Demi-Fiend or Nahobino. Such an act may only be done with permission, too. There may also be instances where Wildcards have met each other in different Eras or circumstances, known as Q events. These are rare, but usually do not linger in the minds of the Wildcards after this, however, unknown side-effects may occur. Persona 5 Royal uses the 20XX calendar along with many other SMT titles but is assumed to take place in AD 2016, thus the calendar would be AD 2017-XX, for Double Cross. A full-timeline of events in this universe will be included in the Codex.

4. Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne assumed that the Demi-Fiend rendered the world into a Chaotic Neutral state. The world was reset back to normal, however Demons were split into two camps: the human-adjacent Makaians and the non-human Amalans, the latter of whom are nearly extinct due to a less human-skewed morality. However, in the Personaverse, Conception very nearly happened. (see Codex: Five Days of First Contact for more info) Makaians have existed in the real world for eons but were not fully revealed until the early 2000s. The Council of Amala, a circle of particularly important beings to the Amala Multiverse along with certain allies, maintains its balance, and is comprised of Stephen, Louis Cyphre, Philemon, Nyx, Minato, Izanagi (with Yu as his Vessel), Izanami (with Marie as her vessel), Nyarlathotep (with the Time Count as his vessel), Mido, Chronos (with Zen as his Vessel), Rei (taking the place of Gaea, while also being the Einzbern of this Worldline), and the Unknown Goddess Aerith Gainsborough-Kuzunoha, the first Offworlder to make it onto the Council and one of the first batches of Offworlders. Later on, Anna and Tiki from Fire Emblem will join the Council.

5. Nyx is actually pretty chill. The Protagonists of P3-Kun and P3P-Chan, here Minato and Minako Arisato, both existed at the same time. Only Minato became the Great Seal. Minako is referred to as the Great Key and is the one needed to unlock the Great Seal "when the time calls for it." For now, Aigis holds onto Minato's Wild Card powers, but is married to Minako. It should also be noted that Unit 024 was revived after Arena, but has left the Shadow Operatives on good terms and remains freelance. Nyx also had a human form, had human children, and one of them was Alice Hiiragi, prior to the incident in 1999.

6. There are more robots in the world than Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapons, with OC robots being referred to as Neuroids (NEUral-sapient andROIDs), but there are only nine Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapons in existence; seven from the games, two of those experimented humans, and the two ASWs from Detective Naoto. In order of activation, with civilan names in parenthesis where applicable: KG5-024 Xiphos Galanis (Aeris X. Oakeshott), KG5-031 Labrys Galanis (Allenby Darlian), PM-01 Sho Minazuki, PM-10 Kikuno Saikawa, KG7-101 Aigis Arisato-Galanis (Kotone Arisato, formerly Kotone Shiomi), KG7-101i Metis Kobayashi (Hamuko Shiomi), KG5-031S Mk. II Shadow Labrys (Shion Yamagishi), KG8-0RA Gauntlet (Sousei Kurogami), and KG8-0RB Shepherd. (Ai Kurogami)

7. Every Persona User, whether human or not, can awaken or have awakened a power unique to them that they can access in the real world, similar to a Quirk or a Semblance. This, in keeping with Reload, is called a Theurgy. Abilities like these, that are unique to a given person, fall into the same catch-all term of Soul Skills. A Soul Skill does not transfer over except in extreme circumstances, such as in the case of Aura Awakening. A full list of the Theurgies will be included in the Codex.

8. A lot of the Persona cast, as of the Time Travel, may or may not be related to Offworlders, or descended from such. I am, however, pretty shit at characterizing them accurately so they may fall into the same trap of "OCs wearing a canon character skinsuit", however it is in the purpose of writing the story that I want to tell. Same with adopting or changing events from other fics, fanon, headcanon, other canon events, and so on. Echoes was in part inspired by a number of fics, some still in progress.

9. There are a few pretty massive deviations from the Persona 5 formula here. The Metaverse as a whole encompasses various pockets, each with their own method of entrance and names. Iwatodai had the Dark Hour, and along with Kyoto is partially submerged in the Metaverse so humans and Shadows co-exist. Inaba has the Static World or the TV World, and is a UNESCO City of Myth, or a Place of Power so many mythical creatures exist. Osaka has the Mirror World. Tokyo's Mementos is the subway system, but the whole city is called Lunar Tokyo. Ren himself has a twin sister named Akira, and both of them have already existing Dojutsu. A full list to the changes and influence brought on by the Offworlders will be posted soon. Lastly, there will be Additional Phantom Thieves, IT members and Shadow Operatives, including people that by all rights should have been included in those organizations from the start, IMO.

10. Nanako has a Persona. Futaba will have an alternate Persona. Both Nanako and Futaba have access to the Wild Card, though Nanako has had hers from a previous Journey. She is the youngest to ever receive the Wild Card, and Futaba is the latest. Social Links are a Go, and will be tracked as is tradition in the Codex.

11. A lot of this fic is told through chat format. I'd argue that it splits the difference between chat message boards and real-world action. Pairings and relationships will be expanded upon later in the Codex.

12. There is a Legend to tell where something takes place and how. the code is as follows:

-=A=- Amala Council / The Expanse
-=C=- Chat App / DM. Assume a chat application akin to Discord is being used.
-=E=- Elsewhere / Meanwhile
-=F=- Flashback
-=H=- Palaces, Jails, Kingdoms or Havens
-=I=- Inaba / Investigation Team Perspective
-=J=- Jikai, on the next episode of...
-=K=- Kirijo Group / Shadow Operatives Perspective
-=L=- Lunar Tokyo overworld
-=M=- Mementos
-=N=- The Amala Network, the space between universes linked by the Amala Network.
-=R=- Real World / Phantom Thieves Perspective
-=S=- The Great Seal / the Sea of Souls
-=U=- Outer Space, or a planet with a given Amala universe
-=V=- The Velvet Room / Yaldabaoth's Distorted Velvet Room
-=X=- Offworld / Crossover Perspective
-=?=- Unknown Location

13. Echoes, Echoes Arranged, and future work in Songs of the Soul, was written with a soundtrack in mind, and the soundtrack of a given chapter will be included with the text. They will be formatted as if each song appears as part of a soundtrack CD, but will have alternate titles in quotes.

With all that being established, the next post will begin Echoes Arranged. I hope you enjoy the ride.

 

[RadiantGV]

(1-00)
-=V=-
December 31, 2017
Coffeehouse
The Velvet Room

Ren Amamiya didn't expect to find himself back in the Velvet Room today. Absurd shades of blue surrounded him, only rather than the prison cell walls he had seen many times in the past, this time a familiar scent wafted into his nose.

Coffee. A floral scent, faintly butterscotch-y.

"Jamaican Blue Mountain? You shouldn't have, Igor." the raven-haired young man. To his surprise, the person behind the counter was a small girl, maybe around eleven or twelve, locks of platinum blonde hair hidden behind a blue baseball cap bearing a butterfly insignia. "I had figured you would recognize that, Trickster. The velvet room takes the form derived by the state of your heart, after all."

Ah yes, Lavenza. There since the beginning of his Journey, in some form. "Your fellow Phantom Thieves should be arriving momentarily.", the soft-spoken young resident of the Velvet Room stated. "In the meantime, perhaps a cup of coffee would soothe you?"

And so, one by one, figures faded into existence from different places around the cafe. On the booth seats of three tables: a young teenaged boy with spiky blonde hair wearing biker gear and a red ascot. "Yo... what's all this about?" A young blonde teenaged girl with twin blonde ponytails; wearing a red catsuit with a clip-on tail attached to her rear. "Why are we in our Phantom Thief outfits?" A younger teenager; with long orange hair, wearing a black bodysuit with green circuit lines and black cargo pants. "Some God of Control need owning again?" A black cat wearing a yellow collar sitting on the same table as the ginger girl. "Lady Ann? Lady Lavenza? Where's Igor?"

Fading in near an ornate blue door with a window seeming to lead to an infinite expanse, a lanky blue haired young man, wearing a navy blue and white jumpsuit with puff sleeves; carefully sketching on a sketchpad. "How marvelous the scene..." Next to him; a woman with fluffy chestnut brown hair, wearing a musketeer's outfit complete with feathered hat enjoyed her coffee, with a brown-haired woman wearing a dark blue bodysuit and metallic armor leaning her head on her shoulder, seemingly relaxed. "This is quite good coffee for what it's worth."
"Mmm, Haru, it's three AM in the morning, got class tomorrow..."

In the back, a childlike redhead with pixie-cut hair and wearing a white sweater dress sat down near a grand piano, seemingly moving by itself "Where is this place..." -though on the piano's bench was a redheaded gymnast wearing a black leotard, under a bolero jacket. "Senpai, what's going on?" Sitting at the counter was a strange pair, an older man wearing a black trenchcoat, armor, and a black tricorne hat, and a younger child wearing a gothic-style dress, though with the same hat. A pair of chakrams hung off the sides of her dress, with a bandolier of throwing dirks strapped across her chest.

"That's what I wanna know, kid."
"Wait, what? What is all... the Phantom Thieves...?"

Lastly, up on a raised stage sitting on a stool was a young man with chestnut hair, wearing ochre-tinted regalia, seemingly tuning an acoustic guitar. "Took you all long enough. I was getting rather bored sitting here doing fuck-all."

Of course, Ren could identify each of them. His classmates Ryuji Sakamoto and Ann Takamaki; his adoptive sister Futaba Sakura; his cat and phantom thief mentor Morgana; the steel-gazed artist Yusuke Kitagawa; the flower warrior CEO Haru Okumura; the aspiring commissioner of the fist Makoto Niijima; the artificial intelligence construct Sophia; his graceful gymnast girlfriend Sumire Yoshizawa; the ex-Public Security inspector Zenkichi Hasegawa; his team's number-one fan, middle-school streamer Akane Hasegawa (for he could only assume); and Goro Akechi, his on-again-off-again rival and frenemy.

Ren could count each of them as his friends and allies. Their presence in the Velvet Room, together, could only mean one thing: As Lavenza would explain, a shard of Yaldabaoth found itself traveling back to just before Yaldabaoth was in control of the Velvet Room.

"The rules of the game have changed significantly. We cannot deal with Yaldabaoth until he regains his full power, for he is invulnerable at this point. You shall have a full year until Yaldabaoth becomes open to attack, and you may prepare however you so wish. You will find that the nature of your Journey will change, drastically. New allies will join your cause; new bonds will become available; new chances to alter the future lying in front of you. New histories and destinies for you all."

Lavenza looked at the Thieves, her expression steely.

"I ask of you, Phantom Thieves of Hearts, will you break the yoke Yaldabaoth has over this world, once and for all?"

The Thieves didn't need to say anything. They knew what each other was thinking. And Ren, Joker, said as much.

"I think I speak for everyone here, when I say: Lavenza, send us back."

The attendant smiled. "And there's the Trickster of Fate I adore so much. Then I will be glad to assist you. I will do what I can to stay in touch. Let us be off at once."

The world faded into blue haze, stars flying in everyone's visions.

Through the haze, each of them witnessed a life that could have been lived for want of a nail.

Akane meeting with a kind young woman sharing their name, her apparent cousin.
Zenkichi in particular taking orders from a black haired woman wearing an eyepatch and bearing the odd scent of fire and destruction.
Sophia seeing her creator with odd gills and scales on her arms and legs... or rather, fish tail.
Sumire reuniting with her lost sister... enjoying what time she had with her and meeting a distinct fluffy-haired boy and a short redhead carrying a scythe well too big for her... before losing Kasumi all over again.
Akechi being in contact with another young girl, this one a fiery swordswoman with a red braid and white armor pieces, and training with her and her friends; one in blue and one in green.
Haru meeting a smug young man from a virtual reality gaming corporation, and her disgust at his claim that all women should be subservient. She felt oddly satisfied when her father kicked him out of his office...
Futaba being taught some swordplay by a girl calling herself her half-sister and a monotone young woman with teal hair. Makoto's body turning silver in a strange confrontation.
Yusuke being fascinated by a work depicting a tall tower sprouting from a high school with the backdrop of a green sky and a full moon.
Ann remembering her parents saying that they had to fly up to an island that flew into the stars, and with Ryuji, witnessed their black-haired friend accidentally cause their gym teacher to become lethargic with a touch.
Morgana witnessing his rebirth, but this time avoiding capture and heading straight to Inaba
...where Ren Amamiya recalled seeing a young girl with his hair off to her new home, harsh training under the dead of night and the silent takedowns he was instructed to perform, the passage and decline of a katana said to absorb the darkness in one's heart, meeting with many people calling themselves his cousins, and the arrest of a young man looking almost exactly like his twin... and remembering thinking 'everything is going according to plan...'

-=C=-
(1-01)

9:45 PM, April 9, 2017-XX
The Thieves Return
#mainchat

Hahamamiya: sound off everyone. This is Joker. Morgana is with me.

TheRunningMan: Yo, it's Skull

Sweetheart: Panther here!

AzureLobter: Fox, reporting

Johanna_Justice: This is Queen.

TheInkling: This is Oracle. Fear me!

Harvester: Greetings, this is Noir!

Rookery: It's Crow. I don't even know what I am even doing here.

ViolaStardust: this is Violet, but you already know that senpais!

Wolfpack: Wolf here. Akane's coming soon, she's just trying to think of a codename.

SophiaV137: Sophie, logged on!

Wolfcub: I cannot believe you guys are the actual Phantom Thieves!

Wolfcub: this is Akane, by the way. When were you going to tell me?

SophiaV137: In our defense, why do you think we visited your house?

TheRunningMan: Shorty's got a point, squirt.

Wolfcub: In hindsight, I really should've seen that coming.

Hahamamiya: I suppose we have a proper welcome to celebrate.

Hahamamiya: welcome aboard, Akane. Hopefully you forgive us for being dorks.

TheInkling: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Hahamamiya: some more than others.

Hahamamiya: really, futaba?

Hahamamiya: at any rate, me and Soph are on my way to Yongen right now.

TheInkling: I'll be there!

TheInkling: wht the odds that Lavenza ws rite and that hell be one of the people who kept their memories? It wold succ if he didnt

Wolfcub: Fairly certain he would be, from what you guys told me while we were in that Velvet place.

Wolfpack: What if he doesn't?

TheInkling: then Soji would have a heart attack once he sees me outta the house.

Wolfpack: You guys will let me in, right?

Hahamamiya: That's up to Sojiro. Where are you right now, inspector?

Wolfpack: We've rented an apartment in Nerima-ku, so we won't be terribly far.

Wolfpack: Akane actually skipped a grade, so…

ViolaStardust: we get to be in the same grade, Akane-chan!

Wolfcub: *faints*

Hahamamiya: point of order, don't transfer her just yet. We need to deal with Kamoshida before we even think about getting her a spot in Shujin.

AzureLobter: this is just a suggestion, but Akane-chan could apply to Kosei.

Wolfpack: nah, Shujin already accepted our application.

Wolfpack: lemme know when you deal with that asshat.

Sweetheart: …hold on Shiho.

Sweetheart: …we're coming.

-=C=-

TokyoVelvet to Hahamamiya

#direct-message

TokyoVelvet: I will be joining you on your Journey in May. I am still getting logistics done, and my powers will be sealed for the most part so I cannot partake in your heists. This is to prevent Yaldabaoth from catching on.

Hahamamiya: That's fine, Lavenza. We'll appreciate your company anyway. Who's gonna handle my Compendium, though?

TokyoVelvet: I have my ways

-=C=-
The Thieves Return
#main-chat

Hahamamiya: Right, I'll give everyone a week or so to settle in, and then we can go over what we know and how different everything is. I know ya'll saw those visions too.

TheRunningMan: Yeah... I had no idea Shiho could even do that.

Sweetheart: It does make her a bigger target, though. Especially if Kamoshida...

TheRunningMan: ...yeah.

Johanna_Justice: I'm no fan of Kamoshida either. Count me in.

TheInkling: You know I'm down to clown on that guy.

AzureLobter: I have only heard second-hand accounts from Ann, however my support may be difficult to render.

Johanna_Justice: Not a problem.

Hahamamiya: @Wolfcub as a heads up, and this should be made clear in case you ever join us, Phantom Thievery is not a game even though it is lucrative. We had to deal with a lot of heavy stuff during our first go around, and each target was in some way connected to us all. I'm sure you no doubt connected the dots, but our job is dangerous and at times, life-threatening.

Hahamamiya: There is something you'll need to accomplish, and hopefully we can get that done one day, but there is always the chance you could get injured or even killed. We know some abilites to mitigate the risk, but mentally and emotionally? We're all wrecks.

Wolfcub: No, I get it. Dad gave me the rundown on the drive here.

Wolfcub: cognitive monsters called Shadows; RPG mechanics; trauma; awakening involves a voice in your head, is incredibly painful and requires a lot of thought and reflection and the will to rebel even when everyone around you says to not, but you get a cool ghost friend called a Persona out of it.

Wolfcub: I called dad out on in November.

Wolfcub: er

Wolfcub: November from our perspective?

Wolfcub: I unno time travel is weird.

Wolfcub: he wrote the calling card like a police report.

Wolfcub: you were in my house.

Wolfcub: I'm not letting you live that down by the way, Gramps.

TheInkling: one of us

Harvester: one of us

Sweetheart: one of us

Hahamamiya: You'll fit in with us just fine, Akane.

Wolfpack: betrayal.

Wolfpack: I'd ground you, but we have bigger issues.

Johanna_Justice: Agreed. There's so much to unpack with those visions. Let's go over that in LeBlanc once our leader gets settled in and signed up for Shujin.

Hahamamiya: Yeah, gotta do that tomorrow. Let's have a meeting the day after our first day of school.

Hahamamiya: It'll be our first group meeting in this world, so attendance is mandatory except in the case of Wolf, given his career hasn't ended yet.

Wolfpack: Oh, right; I'm still technically on Kaburagi's payroll... I don't leave until next year.

Wolfpack: I forgot.

Wolfpack: Is it too much to ask for you kids to behave?

Rookery: To quote an anime I know Sakura forced me to watch one time -that I actually quite enjoyed, mind

TheInkling: "Who the hell do you think we are?"

Sweetheart: oh no they're already sibling-coded

-=R=-
(1-03)
5:10 AM, April 11, 2017-XX
Ginza Line
En route to Shujin Academy, Tokyo, Japan

Ren had only just got on the Ginza subway line, before he spotted some familiar faces. Makoto, of course, can't exactly forget a face like that; he also saw Sumire get on the train a few stops back as well. He thought he spotted a black-haired girl with a ponytail wearing the Shujin girls' uniform, that must be Shiho. He didn't realize that she rode the Ginza line. Might have to file that away for future reference.

But that said, who was the girl next to her? Black hair down below her shoulder blades to about her chest, arguably even fluffier than his own, oddly wearing another Shujin uniform, only she wore a black hat with a smiley face pin and a sunflower pin attached close to the left-hand side. The hat looked like it was made for hiding cat ears, though Ren checked the roster before he got here and he knew his senpai stopped wearing those kinds of hats years ago so Blake was out. The baggy jacket she wore as part of her Shujin uniform wasn't inconspicous but the loose red bow around her neck meant it wasn't Sumire -she had always kept her uniform very tidy, even when she was pretending to be her sister- and she had black hair as opposed to red.


Out of the corner of his gunmetal eyes, he thought he saw a glimpse of recognition from another pair of gunmetal grey eyes....


"Oh my god, oh my god, Renny!" squeaked the girl, her voice obnoxiously high in octave, even if it was tempered by a softer tone.

Oh. There was only two people in the whole world who was allowed to call him Renny.

Ruby Rose, his apparent other girlfriend he left behind... and Akira Amamiya. His twin sister.

"Aki-Aki? I didn't know you went to Shujin!"

"I… uh really I didn't until a few days ago. I went to Hikarigaoka Girls' Academy last year." Akira gave her brother a wink. Apparently she knew more than she let on.

"Might need to talk to Lavenza about this. I did not realize Akira would be here this time," Ren contemplated. "Actually, we could use her help."

"Say Aki, would you do me a favor?" Ren asked his sister. He explained a little bit of information, carefully omitting the time travel aspect in case anyone was listening in. "So you want me to keep an eye on that one, huh?" Akira affirmed, "No worries, bro. She'll be safe and sound before you know it."

"Watch yourself around Kamoshida, ok?"

-=R=-

5:45 AM
Shujin Academy Exterior
Minato Ward, Tokyo, Japan

Soon enough, Ren Amamiya found himself with Ryuji, although this time they were joined by Ann, having refused Kamoshida's car ride this time. He had thought about actually attending his morning classes like he was supposed to. Kawakami would be rather annoyed with him, but then when wasn't she around this time? No, the real issue would be Shujin's rumor mill.

Luckily, the Metanav had been altered this go around. Rather than a red-and-black eye, the app took the form of a blue crest, bearing an ornate gold V. the app didn't have a title, but Ren knew what this was: a Velvet-enhanced Metaverse Navigator. Odds are, this was sent to each of the Phantom Thieves, as well.

"Kawakami says we've got three hours to work with. So keep an eye on the clock, make sure not to enter through the front door this time, and get as far as we can."

Ren booted up the Velvet MetaNav, and inputted the keywords: Suguru Kamoshida. Shujin Academy. Castle. The rest filled in from there.

"Suguru Kamoshida. Shujin Academy. Castle. Pervert. Accessing the Palace… Good Luck."

By the time anyone noticed their movements, three high school students were gone.

-=M=-
(1-04)

5:57 AM
Palace of Lust -Outside-
The Metaverse

Outside the Metaverse, Ren Amamiya was an above-average student, noteworthy for his grades and his ill-earned criminal record, but other than that he wasn't much more different than the rest of Japan's populace. However, it was in the Metaverse that Ren Amamiya thrived, for it was here that the student became Joker, of the Phantom Thieves. By his side, his stalwart bruiser Ryuji Sakamoto, also known as Skull; and the fiery femme fatale Ann Takamaki, better known here as Panther. Rounding out the team was their feline metaversal mentor Morgana, or simply Mona; and a synthesized cyber collaborator named Sophia Ichinose v1.37, going by the shorthand of Sophie.

The plan was to get as far as they could into the castle, probably a safe room in or two, getting a head start on that infiltration route. At least, that was the plan, until Skull brought up an interesting point.

"You know guys, I never noticed this, but everything besides the Palace mirrors the real world. Strange, right?"

Mona, the expert in the field, added, "It makes sense, Skull. The Castle is located within Tokyo's boundaries. I wonder…"

Approaching where Shujin's school gates were was no problem. The problem was seeking out a different entrance. By using his Third Eye ability, Joker was able to find a side entrance to the Palace, but unfortunately it was barred from the outside. They'd have to get there and open it from the inside. "Guess we're opening the front door." Joker thought.


-=H=-

6:15 AM
Palace of Lust -Corridor, near Training Hall of Love-

The girl with black hair patiently waited. She had no thoughts, she had no desires other than to please her King. And yet, her King was not present at this time. That is alright, though. She will wait for- wait, was that the Princess?

A part of her knew she would get punished for this, but that was okay. She was a silly rabbit and a glutton for punishment. Such was she, and such she will be. Then she felt a weight being removed from her head. Feeling around her head, she noticed… her tiara!

And that was when something amazing happened to her. Something she'd remember forever.

"...what am I doing here?"

After seeing a glint and a blue light in front of her, she realized that the tiara was tethering her to this castle. She could think clearly now, so maybe that was why. "I better get out of here!" she realized. Taking off her heels, she ran off, away from that accursed training hall.

"Huh. that girl looked a little like Shiho." a blonde, sounding eerily close to Kamoshida's favorite punching dummy, the one he broke last year and left a shell. She always felt pity for that boy, and yet here he was, with two other figures, one looking just like the Princess…

The Princess, Kamoshida's favorite doll aside from her, or rather a facsimile of her, which meant… were they here to save her?

Only one way to find out.

"E-excuse me!" she called out in her soft, mousy voice. "A-a-are you the rebel thieves?"

The thieves, one wearing a white domino mask, one with a gunmetal gray skull mask, one more wearing a white hood emblazoned with a black digital readout visor covering her face, another with an oversized head bearing clear feline features, and the last - the one most resembling the Princess - wearing a red cat-inspired mask, nearly got into combat stances, until the latter raised a hand. "Yeah! And we're going to change the heart of that rotten king of yours!" the one wearing the cat mask proudly declared.

"H-h-h-he is no king of mine. Pl-please save the p-pr-princess… save me…" she begged, bowing in desperation.

The one in the domino mask asked for her name. She gave it; Shiho. That usurper calling himself the king said it was a beautiful name for a toy, and there would have been a time she would have agreed. But she was no toy, she would come to realize.

"Come with us. We'll protect you."

The one in the red cat mask bearing a distinct resemblance to her Princess looked her in the eye, and reached out for her hand, red latex sheathing her fingertips. Shiho, who was looking at the cuff links on her wrists, returned her gaze at once and took it in hers.

This was the first step that the Cognitive clone of Shiho Suzui took to a life free of Kamoshida's reign.

-=M=-

6:30 AM
Kamoshida's Palace, Safe Room 2-D

"Right, so time check. Sophie?" Joker reminded his team that they could only be around for a few hours, keeping a careful watch on their cognitive passenger. "You have roughly one hour remaining before you will be marked tardy, Joker. I would advise extraction." the AI responded.

Mona, Joker's faithful companion, added, "I can keep watch on Cognitive Shiho in the Palace. The shadows are probably trying desperately to look for her. I even heard them saying they'd double guards on the Princess."

"Cognitive me, huh. I never really liked her, to be honest." Panther, the Fire user of the Phantom Thieves, began. "Still, how are we going to get her to follow us? The fake Shiho here is one thing, but that bimbo?"

The cognitive Shiho adjusted her outfit, a one piece bunnysuit given to her by that vile king. "I r-realize I am no-not your Shiho, L-lady Panther. I am not off-offended." she pointed to her head and began hinting, "m-maybe if you w-w-were to knock her t-tiara off her head…"

"...Then she'd be more open!" Panther finished. "Good idea. We'll have to get that done next time."

"I w-w-will wait for you… t-this room feels s-s-safe."

As Joker pulled out his phone and booted up the Velvet Metanav, he made a note of the progress they've accomplished in this session. Already, there were some changes made to this timeline. Something he'd have to ask Lavenza about. He clicked the exit button, and all five Phantom Thieves vanished from the Safe Room, out of the Palace and then the Metaverse's view.

"Now navigating to the Real World. Welcome back."

They didn't notice a small cerulean figure, not that much larger than Mona's oversized head, leave with them…

-=EYECATCH=-

Echoes ~Soundscape of Lunar Tokyo~

Episode 1 "It's A Whole New Game"

1-00: "Belladonna's Chorus - Theme of the Velvet Room"
Aria of the Soul - Persona (Series)

1-01: "Sign In ~ Chat Theme 01"
Surface of SR388 (Ambience) - Metroid: Samus Returns

1-02: "Sibling Coded ~ Chat Theme 02"
Bottoms Up (Hugo Stage) - Street Fighter III 2nd Impact: Giant Attack

1-03: "The Mystery of the Amamiya Clan's Dark Heir ~ Akira Amamiya's Theme"
It's Seoul (Kim Kaphwan's Theme) - Real Bout Fatal Fury Special ~Arrange Sound Track

1-04 "King, Queen and Slave -Time Travel Mix-"
King, Queen and Slave (Persona 5) - Mohmega

1-05 "Why? ~ Theme of Cognitive Shiho"
We're Here Now - Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth

1-06 "CUE - Suspense Jingle"
Unknown Item - Metroid: Zero Mission

-=J=-
X-01 "JIKAI - When Next we Meet…"
Opening - Gundam the Battle Master 2

The Phantom Thieves have found their first new mechanic in this new game, and their mission to save the soul of Shiho Suzui begins. But someone new has followed them out of the Metaverse. A demon known as a Makaian. Meanwhile, an advisor from the Real World assumes her role next to her Pharaoh.

Echoes Arranged, Second Verse: "She Followed Me Home!"
When next we meet, it will be of your own volition…​

 

[RadiantGV]

Kirijo Group - High Energy Research and Operations Analysis Division
Metaverse Codex: The Five Days of First Contact (last updated 2024.3.25 by Amamiya-Rose, Ren)

"Sir, you're gonna wanna hear this." Air Traffic Controller Edmund Mulder, Roswell Air Force Base

"Mayday! Mayday! This is the Novaran Imperial Colony of Xibalba. We are out of fuel, communications with our home fleet have failed, and the nearest starport is seventy-five thousand five-hundred seventy-three point one five lightyears away. We would request landing that we may establish a new home on this planet. Acknowledgement and assistance is requested." First Contact Message, said by Novaran Altercommunications Head Rythe Han aboard N.I.C. Xibalba.

"It's actually quite flattering." Sayla Mass, speaking to Tokyo Shimbum about her experiences where her life is depicted in Mobile Suit Gundam 0079.

"Attention, humans of planet Earth. I am Captain Hah'yato vae Ijjinas of the ARS Princess Melody; Flagship of the Research, Exploration And Discovery Fleet from the planet Aquaria II. One of ours, Kuu'ona, is one now of yours. Treat her well, and our knowledge will become your knowledge." -Hah'yato vae Ijjinas, during what was to be nicknamed Arrival Day.

The Five Days of First Contact are five separate holidays, each celebrating three different sapient beings' first encounter with Earthlings from the Personaverse.

First codified in Murray Leinster's 1945 book "First Contact", the term refers to the initial communication and meeting between humanity and extraterrestrial life, generally sapient ones.

In Songs of the Soul, the Days of First Contact are all international holidays, and at least one is recognized by each country affiliated with the United Nations; however only the United States, Mexico, Canada, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, The Netherlands, France, Spain, Germany, Poland, Italy, Brazil, Peru, Chile, Armenia, Kenya, Egypt, the UAE, the Ukraine, Russia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Korea, Japan, Australia, Fiji, Papa New Guinea and New Zealand federally celebrate more than one of the Five Days of First Contact.

The Five Days of First Contact are

Awakening Day - Monday, March 2 1114 AD

Also known as The Day of Demons; Kuzunoha's Birthday in Japan and the Rebirth of Magic in European countries. This is the first recorded instance of demonic presence on Earth, the famous fae pair later publicized as Oberon and Titania. While demons are, in and of themselves, sapient beings; superstition prevented them from propagating into humankind. It is here that many demons chose to take on more humanoid forms, forming the basis for what we know today as Makaians, and a certain hunt caused a schism between the humanoid Makaians and the monstrous Amalans. The Salem Witch Trials of the late 1600s in America were the result of an Amalan plot to discredit Makaians by claiming them to be witches, though the plan ultimately failed, a hundred innocent Makaian and mage lives were lost in the process. To prevent such an event from occuring again, the Bethel Society of Devil Hunters was established in 1770, with the then-current Raidou Kuzunoha XII being the founder. This itself would be split into two different cults in one reality: the Asembly of Nihilo and the Order of Gaia. In the Personaverse, Bethel is more of a loose mage confederacy rather than any real authority, and instead the slack is taken up by the Shadow Operatives led by Mitsuru Kirijo.

Vindication Day - Tuesday, June 24 1947 AD

Also known as The Day of First Contact in North America, and Mogul Day in Europe. This was twenty days after a famous event in North America on June 4, 1947; immortalized forever as The Roswell Incident; so named for the city in New Mexico where this took place. Vindication Day occured in the same city, and was the first known conversation between humans of Earth and a colony craft called the Xibalba from the planet Novara in the Great Magellanic Cloud. The Transmission detailed a colony of aliens who have lost communication with their home planet. While the communication was worldwide, it was heard first in two sister cities: Roswell, New Mexico, and Sumaru City, Japan. It's said that, to avoid a repeat of World War II, the decision to land in Sumaru City in Japan was the result of a coin flip; though many Novarans have settled in Roswell. To this day, extraterrestrials from other worlds from within the Personaverse use the Offworld Registry Network to emigrate or make contact.

Offworld Day - Wednesday, April 16, 1980 AD

Also known as White Comet Day in Japan.

April 16 was the first known appearance of the media characters arriving on Earth. It is their presence that has determined that the word "Alien" be replaced with "Offworlder" and led to the founding of the Offworld Registry Service, later the Offworld Registry Network, or ORN for short.

This is the day that fans of fictional media everywhere remember as "Gundam Day", as the very first Offworlder, Artesia Sum Deikun aka Sayla Mass, arrived on Earth in the then-new RX78-02F00 Gundam, from the Universal Century timeline of Mobile Suit Gundam. Fittingly, the F00 arrived in Yokohama, where Gundam Factory Yokohama exists in the Personaverse. Since then, the term "Alien" was renamed to "Offtype", then "Offworlder"; typically when referring to humanoids, and has been sending Offworlders in batches, with at least one representative from the Mobile Suit Gundam universes in every batch; many of them inspiring new anime. It was Sayla's activism into Offworlder rights and studies into the phenomenon that led her to believe into the Multiversal Duplicate theory, which then morphed into the Law of Recreator Mirrors, the scientific law that when new serials and iterations of series starring an Offworlder are published, that same Offworlder gains experiences and abilities depicted in said media. Crossover media seemed to be exempt. Sayla Mass herself died on October 8, 2005 to an accidental brown recluse bite while visiting the midwest US, causing the world to reel in shock and realize that Offworlders can die like anyone else.

The current Sayla Mass who exists on the Personaverse refers to the one from Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin; an entirely new timeline. However, the original Sayla Mass is dead, and her gravestone sits on a plot owned by Sunrise.

Sayla Mass did at one point voice herself in a Gundam related media: the original US dub of Mobile Suit Gundam, the game Federation vs Zeon, as well as Journey to Jaburo and Encounters in Space featured her voice under the psuedonym Alaina Burnett.

Arrival Day - Thursday, November 18, 1999 AD
This is the day the first alien Offworlder arrived on Earth: a baby by the name of Kuu'ona nae Ijjinas, now Kuon Ichinose, in the Sendai coast. From the Kingdom of Atlantica on the planet Aquaria II lies a civilization of sirens and merpeople, in particular, Mermaids. While the rest of the world knows Hah'yato vae Ijjinas; the one in charge of Aquaria II's READ emissary program, Kuon Ichinose only knows as the idiot who ditched her as a baby nearly thirty years ago, and the added memories in her head of clearly being just a super-intelligent but disastrously socially-inept human who also had family issues did not help. At least she can swim really, really well now. She didn't used to.

Aquaria II is a world of dichotomy. On one hand, this is where the Disney animated film The Little Mermaid takes place, and the arrival of the Aquarian Research Shuttle Princess Melody was just a day off from the tenth anniversary of the film. On the other hand, Aquaria II is also where the Rumiko Takahashi horror manga Mermaid Saga and the neo-steampunk sci-fi series Nadia: Secret of Blue Water takes place. On one hand, fantasy kingdom with talking fish. On the other, modern city with mermaid hunters and eating a mermaid's flesh grants you effective immortality and a neo-futurist city where Captain Nemo flies a battlecruiser.

Through Kuon's research into Artificial Intelligence, she (re)developed Sophia, Humanity's Companion; and EMMA, a social media app that would taglined Humanity's Emissary. Sophia and EMMA, through the Rights Enforcement and Education of Neuroid / Android Creations and Technology, or RE-EN/ACT, passed in 2012 that defines the rights and education requirements of artificial life before they are considered 'sapient', is considered Kuon's daughter; though only Sophia is sapient as of 2016.

Conception Day - Friday, February 8, 2003 AD

Recognized as the day the world almost ended. A vision from the then-current Titania XIV was given to a young man by the name of Naoki Kashima. Titania's daughter, Fei, was sent to make sure that Naoki grew strong enough to "resist every Reason" was her exact words.

Cultists under the name of the Assembly of Nihilo murdered 100 people in an effort to activate Conception, which would render all of life on Earth destroyed. Titania XIV, meanwhile sought to find someone to prevent the destruction and restoration of the world. As the story goes, she found Earth's secret savior overnight: a high school boy by the name of Naoki Kashima. By bequeathing the Magatama upon him, gifting her young fae child Fei as a tribute, and directing him to Louis Cyphre, Naoki became known as the Demi-Fiend, with Fei acting as his lovely assistant.

Conception was already on its way to occurring by the time Naoki and Fei broke into the Assembly of Nihil, but the process was already too late to stop. Thus, the effect had to have been altered, and using their combined efforts, they were able to "reprogram" the Conception, allowing the Earth's own hidden society of Makaians to come out of the shadows once and for all. By this point, the Assembly of Nihilo and the Cult of Gaea erased from the Personaverse, save for one specific young woman.

The event that would have occured had Naoki and Fei had not made Conception a non-factor is chronicled, as is tradition for the series, in the video game series Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne; or Lucifer's Call in Europe.

(Addendum: Game's really good, too, I think. -Kashima, Fei; added 2021.5.6)

See Also: Sayla Mass, Origin Sayla Mass, Aquaria II, Offworlders, Derived, Offworld Registry Network, Keystones, System XX, Amala Network, Conception. RX78-F00 Gundam Flight, RX78-F00-II Gundam Pyrobell, GF27-02NO Netherworld Gundam, XVX-016 Ericht Samaya | Gundam Aerial, GUND-Arm, Titania Line, Oberon Line, Demi-Fiend

 

[RadiantGV]

(play 2-01: "Grayscale School")

-=R=-
Morning, April 11, 2017-XX
Shujin Academy Classroom 2-D
Tokyo, Japan

The Phantom Thieves of Hearts had just returned from their first infiltration an hour ahead of schedule and already were in class. Having checked in with Kawakammi early on, unlike with the previous timeline, he noted that his classmates were less wary of him. Oddly enough, they weren't even looking at him, and weren't even looking at the teacher for that matter.

Ginga Ushimaru, the social studies teacher, hadn't even taught for half an hour before he had knew something was up. That had to have been the delinquent transfer student's fault, he simply wasn't paying attention and goofing off like any delinquent. Something must be done, and done quickly. Discreetly picking up a piece of chalk from the blackboard shelf, then decidedly indiscreetly pulling his arm back and throwing said chalk like a fastball directly at the black-haired slacker… before the chalk stopped mid flight, dropping to the floor. "Owwie… Oi! You fucking plonker! That almost hit my bloody eye, you pillock!!"

That was not the transfer. That wasn't even his sister, whom he thought was a less troublesome student, because she had a softer tone and besides, she was in Class 2-B anyway, with the volleyball team's captain. Not to mention, Akira Amamiya wasn't the height of an average American football and most importantly couldn't fly because she didn't have wings.

Little did Ushimaru-sensei know that Akira would totally be caught dead in her outfit, which was nothing more than a blue sleeveless mock-neck leotard, blue elbow-length gloves and long blue boots going up to her mid-thigh, looking more like stockings. Her hair was red, but unbeknownst to Ushimaru it wasn't styled in the typical coiffed hairdo. Instead, it was short and boyish, reminding him more of the transfer student rather than, say, a typical fairy; or indeed any of her specific race.

(Play 2-02 "Aeon Joker Rank 0 ~Fairy~")
The transfer student, to his credit, looked just as baffled and -dare he say- stunned as he was. "And you!" she began, possessing a West Country British accent. "What the hell was all that tosh in there? What are you going and shooting some of my fellow Pixies for, huh? Are we that much of a bother to you?"

It was at that point that the transfer student stopped looking baffled and started looking mortified. "May I be excused, please? Something came up," he said, sheepishly trying to hide his embarrassingly redder-than-the-fairy-girl's-hair face. Ushimaru, for all his strict sternness and business-first chalk-second attitude, couldn't find it in him to say no. "You're going to explain this to the principal, yes?"

"Absolutely."

"Very well. Be back before Lunch, Amamiya."

-=R=-
12:30 PM

How the hell Ren Amamiya got away with this is anyone's guess. The first thing he did was talk to Kawakami about this sudden stowaway from Kamoshida's palace, then the second thing was that the two of them had to talk to Principal Kobayakawa about the sudden outburst from the pint-sized fairy girl. The Pixie, whom Ren would learn was named Senjo Kurusu, nearly gave Kobayakawa heart palpitations for simply existing. She spun a long yarn about how demons have existed in secret since there have been humans and only in the last few decades have they come out from hiding due to changing political climates, wider tolerance for those who are humanoid (Makaians) and the relative absence of those that are not humanoid (Amalans) and because she was right there flying in front of his face the whole time, Kobayakawa had no other choice but to believe her.

Ren figured that Senjo had followed him to school, hiding away just out of sight, and then when Ushimaru threw that chalk at him that's when she revealed herself. When Kawakami proposed that Senjo could be a student, and moreover the very first demonic student, Kobayakawa agreed, sensing a boost in reputation and, more likely, his reputation. Ushering them out of the office

"Can't believe we got away from that dodgy git what calls himself the headmaster scot-free." Senjo remarked. When asked about what she was, she explained that she was a Pixie from the Fairy Clan and didn't you already know that? "You're really not supposed to be here." Morgana, the cat, hadn't even felt her presence. Neither, oddly enough, did Sophia; though to be fair she was 'on assignment' during school hours (normally she'd be on standby mode, but she used that time to catch up with her creator Kuon Ichinose, as well as letting Zenkichi and Akane in on the news and alerting Sojiro that there likely would be another squatter at Leblanc.)

"I know that much. One minute I'm flying through that ponce's castle; Next thing I know is, I bopped into some girl and bapped her tiara off her pretty little nob," Senjo responded, semi-regretfully. "I mean, blimey. She was completely knackered before but... I 'unno."


(play 2-03: EMOTION: Disquiet)
"Wait, that was you?" Ren asked, inquisitively. "What was me?" That wasn't Senjo. That wasn't even Morgana.

Looking right at the odd trio of a human, a pixie, and a cat hiding in a bookbag was the one person Ren was hoping to see. Yes, wearing a white turtleneck and a plaid skirt, white tennis shoes with black socks, one knee wrapped up in athletic tape, and bearing black hair pulled into a ponytail, was Shiho Suzui. "You're the new transfer student, right? Akira-chan's brother?"

Ren nodded. "Yeah, I'm already aware the rumor mill's working in overdrive right now. Your next line's gonna be, 'don't let the rumors get to you,' right?"

Shiho giggled. "Nice try, JoJo. Real smooth," she said, speaking in English for emphasis. Her expression then grew concerned. "Ren-kun, is something wrong? Akira-chan's been telling me something horrible will happen on Friday."

She was right. By the end of the week, Shiho will get sexually violated by the gym teacher, Suguru Kamoshida. The following monday, she would be driven to throw herself off Shujin's roof, nearly killing her and forcing her to end up in the hospital. This is something Ren and the Phantom Thieves could not allow to happen, but letting her or, Marie-no-Ookami forbid, Kamoshida know ahead of time would jeopardize the plan. Kobayakawa would be no help, neither would her parents or anyone else's.

The problem was no one told Senjo. "There's a certain nonce in this school, dearie. If the guv's plans go pear-shaped, you'd end up taking a nasty swan dive off the roof."

Shiho just stared incredulously, the bluntness refreshing in this day and age. "Oh. I remember that... You guys are going to deal with him, though?"

Ren stood there, wide-eyed. How could she have known? She was not one of the fourteen people (eleven humans, one AI, and one weird preteen who was probably older than all of them combined, plus one cat embodying hope) and followed the warning he gave her up with advice. "We're gonna do our damnedest to make sure you're safe. If Kamoshida ever wants to see you in his office, for any reason, run like your life depends on it; either to Kawakami-sensei or straight out of the school."

"Did Sakamoto put you up to this?" Shiho switched topics. There were students listening in, no doubt.

"A-Takamaki did, actually."

"Ann?" Shiho contemplated. "That tracks. See you after school?" Ren made a non-commital noise. He was going to be busy, but he did exchange contact information.

As Ren left, presumably for his next class, Shiho had an epiphany. "I wonder if the basketball team's having tryouts…"

-=E=-
(play 2-04: "EMOTION - Misery")
12:45 PM
Kogane Residence, Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo, Japan

Kana Kogane ran fingers through her mat of black hair, lying down on her bed in her room. It had been two weeks since her parents first made reference to selling her off. At first, she thought she was hearing things, surely her parents were not willing to enslave their own daughter.

That wasn't far from the truth, which was all the more pitiable. First off, those weren't her real parents. Her name was Kana Magario, not Kana Kogane. Her parents had not really cared much about her since she turned fourteen; which was odd. That was around the time that her best friend's mother… she didn't want to think about it. Oh sure, up until then they were great parents, so something had gone wrong. Kana was sixteen now, and her parents had taken her out of school for some odd reason.

At least she still had her phone, which had the curious text of…

?: "Are you willing to sacrifice your place in the real world, for a change of pace? -W."

At first she thought that the message was a virus, because it popped up like a textbox whenever she was trying to watch Niconico videos. This was one week ago, just after her parents made their intentions clear.

The odd thing is, the message had a close button, sure, but it also had a text box. Kana was smart, though. "Who is this?" curiously, the text in the message changed.

"My name is not important. I have been observing you for some time, and I have been trying to communicate with the real world from the collective unconscious for some time."

Wait, didn't Futaba-chan say her mother was a cognitive psientist? "Do you know an Alibaba?" Kana texted.

"Yes. She has no idea I am here."

That was not promising. "What happens if I say yes?"

"You would vanish from the real world, and wind up safely within my daughter's old Palace. Think of it as… insurance against those shapeshifters posing as your parents."

Kana knew it. If she took this deal from whatever devil that said she was Futaba-chan's mother, she understood that she might never come back to the real world as long as her parents were around. Without any more hesitation, she acquiesced.

"It's not safe here. Please. Take me."
[Activating Haven Protocol]

Her phone started vibrating and glowing. A violent knock on her bedroom door gave her the opportunity she needed to get away. By the time the room was broken into by force, her parents carrying a bundle of rope, the only things left of Kana Kogane were her worldly possessions…


(play 2-05 "Hanged Man Flux Rank 0 ~Those First Steps Into Another World~"
-=H=-
12:45 PM
Thirteen Steps of Sojiro
Yongen Oasis Haven

Where once, there was a tomb burying the still-breathing near-corpse of one Futaba Sakura, now there was a palace temple, one built to house her various subjects. The girl, a former Pharaoh, had at one point intended for this to be her grave, as it was located within her adoptive father Sojiro Sakura's own house. Now? It was a temple of sorts. A sanctuary for lost shadows and those who found their way but need to rest every now and again.

A Haven.

Kana Kogane had no idea this was hidden beyond what a normal human could see, and already she was feeling different. Gone was her thick-rimmed glasses, tank top and black skinny jeans she stole from her apparent mother. In its place was a long red-and-black cloak secured by a metal brooch bearing the Eye of Ra. Underneath, she was wearing a flowing red dress, held at the neck by a pair of clasps. On her head she wore thinner, more elegant corrective lenses. On her feet were a pair of sandals, which she wasn't really a fan of but they were comfortable enough. Her shoulder-length black hair was secured by a gold circlet.

The Thirteen Steps of Sojiro were something of a limestone staircase leading to the borders of the Pharaoh's Palace, one which Kana, after a long trek through the desert, sat down upon, resting her feet. If there was one thing Kana could take to the bank over her former best friend it was that she had more physical training. She used to study swordplay under the same teacher, a Byleth Sitri Eisner. An emotionless and strict taskmaster but one both Futaba and Kana spent time with regardless. The difference was that Byleth (or Sitrina-sensei, as she insisted you call her, not simply Sitri) was fair with her students, and when Futaba and Kana eventually fell out of touch in middle school -likely due to her mother passing away and her relatives being assholes again- Kana continued to study under Sitrina-sensei, while Futaba sought the help of her half-siblings. Plural, she mentioned time in passing, because her birth father was very much not above having more than one dance partner, and not all of them paid.

"You are the new advisor I sent for, then?" an eerily familiar voice said. It was feminine and yet youthful, altered with a slight reverberation carried by the echo of the nearby temple plaza's acoustics. If you were to talk to her originally, she would be tired, resigned. She was still tired now, but there was hope in her eyes where there wasn't previously. "Come, let me gaze upon you."

Kana turned her head, looked upon the stranger, and gasped. Staring in front of her, wearing the garments of the pharaoh, was a young teenaged girl with long orange hair and large black frames. However, unlike her thin, wiry real self, this Futaba had a lean build, but not overtly so. She was oddly attractive, in the 'I don't have a crush on my best friend! You do! Why do I have a crush on my best friend?' sort of way. Where there was once baby fat was lean muscle, where there was once a pair of headphones across her ears or her neck there was a beautiful scarab necklace. Where there wasn't a sword at her side, there was a khopesh. Where there were once green eyes, these were bright and gold. "I am Queen Aida Fhu'tabha I; Keeper of the Book of Forgotten Gods, and Queen of all that Networks Us. May I know your name, then, traveler?"

It seemed too good to be true. This was Futaba Sakura. Admittedly this was a different Futaba; she had talked with her before on remote chat while working on hacking projects and she didn't remember her friend having glowing yellow eyes, but this was her, right down to the black roots in her hair and the prescription glasses that looked slightly clearer than previously. And yet, Kana addressed her as would a proper royal. Already she was feeling the effects of a normal individual in the Metaverse.

"It is Kana Kogane, my queen." Now where did that come from? Her name was pronounced like kah-nuh, and here she goes calling herself kay-nuh. "I see you are feeling the effects of this realm." the Pharaoh spoke. "You are not attuned to this world, yet, you have chosen to visit it of your own volition. There are so startlingly few people attuned to this world, but a normal human can never enter this realm, this Metaverse, without at least some awareness of self. You do not even have that, and yet you still entered our realm.

"Thus, your body and soul are rapidly compensating. They are altering your existence to fit the mold of an Eidolon, an entity within this Metaverse that exists as viewed through the lens of another. You are no longer Kana Kogane of Chiyoda-ku in Tokyo, Japan. You are now Kana Magario, a resident of the Metaverse, specifically the nests of the Yongen Oasis Haven. You likely will be unable to return for a while yet, as those around you shall believe you perished… save for a chosen few; my other self being included in that number."

That was that, then. Kana Kogane had no place in this world anymore. She asked, "Did I take my own life, my Queen?"

The Pharaoh shook her head. "No, it was merely a chance happenstance, nothing more or less. Your real body collapsed and is lying in a coma, one from which you shall not wake as your soul has become a part of the Metaverse, rather than re-entering your body. When you are taken off life support, as I suspect your parents would do, you shall cross from the Living unto the Sea of Souls. However, it is but a forgery. A fake, sent to fool the foolish. Your real body remains here until such time as you leave."

Kana asked, "Would I be willing to talk to your other self, my Queen?"

Aida smiled. "But of course. I would not put it past her to visit often. She is, after all, me; and I am her."


-=C=-
(play 2-06 "Best Friends")

After School
ten thousand yen says it's a time loop. I raise five hundred on time travel.
#mission-critical

KT_Command: Attention @everyone. This is The Command.

KT_Command: It seems we have a Class 1-2 Event on our hands. Codes: NG+, Ressettee, Save And Load, Blue Memory Card

KT_Command: Anyone feel different or recognize or remember different names, family members or sensations that you did not previously?

KT_GreatKey: The Great Key here. None confirmed over here in Iwatodai, ma'am.

KT_Caesar: I still have the obsidian ring The Ash put on my finger three years ago, so I think we're good.

KT_thepinkone: This is The Argus. other than now knowing I have a sister-in-law named Naoko Musashi instead of Naoko Yumemi? No change here. I'll have to catch up with Naoko and Joe, though.

KT_IoriAtBat: No change to The Ace here, boss.

KT_Lucia: The White Hat reporting. I have fairy wings... but I've had these wings since the last time this happened so...

KT_PointyStick: The Lance here. Nope. No change. You'll be happy to know Tempest Team are still here, ma'am. The Tanuki, The Swan, and the Meteor are present, though Swan is operating out of Gundam Factory Yokohama. Tanuki is upstairs.

KT_Aigis: The Papillion here. All systems green and functioning as normal. The Good Girl is splayed across The Tanuki's chest on the couch and I think that's where she sleeps tonight.

KT_Chidorita: This is The Gothic. The Good Girl is being best girl as usual.

KT_Tanuki: The Tanuki, trapped on the couch in the break room please send help

KT_Swan: The Swan, reporting. I want pics @KT_Tanuki

KT_Tanuki: will DM.

KT_AerialG: Tanuki, this is The Meteor. I have received your picture

KT_AerialG: oh my god look at her she is so cute

KT_MayT15: The Shepherd, reporting for duty. No alerts thus far, though I am researching a phenomenon within Metacausality. I will get back to you when the report is ready. Also, I request those pics.

KT_AerialG: NO. MINE. Access denied.

KT_AerialG: /j will send you the picture shortly

KT_Labrat: The Aegean here. Everyone's accounted for, and Good Girl is best girl as usual it sounds like. I did get a few new students, and i've got a single teenage Manakete in my homeroom. The Raven has left the nest and is likely in Tokyo.

KT_Shotime: This is The Duelist. Sumaru City is still Sumaru-mor City; but other than it turning out that having a Plume of Dusk implanted makes me an ASW now, nothing else has been going on.

KT_Kikuno: The Maid here. I am keeping an eye on The Duelist as you requested, Command-sama.

KT_Requip: The Knight here. Turns out we brought over some old friends of mine from Fairy Tail, so we'll have to talk about that, Command. Turns out, Zeref had no clue I was missing from the Tower of Heaven. I'll round them up and ship them your way, but try to go easy on Natsu.

KT_Waterlogged: The Puddle here. Juvia gives permission to Execute Gray-sama if he does something stupid, like, be perverted in front of the new kids.

KT_Shabrys: The Minoan here. Signing up for Shujin's going to take a bit, but I didn't register anything that would trigger Shido's men from Kobayakawa. Seems like he remembers what happened based on his tells and I think he stayed far away from Shido this time.

KT_Rayearth: Magic 1, reporting. I dunno how Magic 4 escaped me again, but I'm glad she did because I kinda missed her? Is that weird?

KT_Selece: Magic 2 here. @KT_Rayearth Yes! She tried to kill us in Cephiro, remember?

KT_Windam: Magic 3, receiving. Maybe she turned over a new leaf?

KT_Regalia: Magic 4 here. How am I supposed to kill Literally Me again, Magic 2?

KT_Rayearth: Well I'm glad you're here.

KT_Saori: This is The Writer. No changes to report other than a huge increase in my payscale for this month?

KT_Command: That is your promotion bonus. You are getting promoted to general manager of social media @KT_Saori. Congratulations on reaching ten-year tenure as well. A further bonus will be applied to your paycheck. Keep up the good work.

KT_Saori: oh... thank you!

KT_minaRed: Welcome to senority!! wooo tenure!

KT_Aigis: congratulations, Hasegawa-senpai.

KT_Saori: thank you all so much for the opportunity. I will not let any of you down.

KT_Hideyourtoshis: And with me, The Admin, that's all of us. Congratulations once again @KT_Saori, and Magic 4 quit eating so many pecan logs left behind in the pantry. Get your own pecan logs.

KT_Regalia: but they're tasty and I like biting them for stimming purposes.

KT_Hideyourtoshis: ...I'll set you up with a stack. The Bloodqueen still convalescing?

KT_Selece: Yeah. I dunno who the hell thought it was a good idea to tell someone they can't have the things they need to survive.

KT_Rayearth: that's just abusive parents in a nutshell. I hear that a bunch from The Oracle's guardian.

KT_Command: That would be Sakura Sojiro, right?

KT_Rayearth: tat's him!

KT_Rayearth: *that's

KT_Rayearth: placement tests kicked my butt today.

KT_Command: Ah. Good. Man has a taste for coffee.

KT_Command: How did you do, then?

KT_Rayearth: Well, I get to start at Gekkoukan next week!

KT_Rayearth: I did a lot of self-study during my impromptu trip to Cephiro last year.

KT_Command: A grade, please?

KT_Rayearth: A grade, alright. A- specifically across the board.

KT_Command: well done. I expect great things from you while you're here. What about the rest of you?

KT_Selece: Kosei High is a go! As and Bs, with the highest score being for art.

KT_Windam: A+ in everything except for physical education, which would rate rather disappointingly at B-. I am getting a bit rusty in my stamina. I am joining Magic 1 at Gekkoukan.

KT_Regalia: Not too bad for a first timer, I'd say. Social Studies B, Maths B+, Science B, Physical Education A-, History C+, and Language Arts A. Taking a few electives, too. Modern Myth and Music.

KT_Regalia: I play the flute

-=E=-
(play 2-07 "Hymn of Dark Mystique -1st Verse~")

5:15 PM
Amalan Fireside Bookstore, Shinjuku
Tokyo, Japan

elsewhere...

"Hn. I can feel the magatama's energy. An anomaly has occurred."

"You think it has anything to do with Akira-chan, chief?"

"My student is hardly one to worry about… and yet, one of yours seemed to pass through this plane's borders."

"Quite an odd duck, that Senjo. Ah well. I trust she'd make the right decisions. She wouldn't be a Pixie otherwise."

"She would not be a Pixie if she did not cause chaos and mischief, you mean."

"Watch it, honey, or you're sleeping on the couch~!"

"Still.. It does not feel like that foolish god or the old man. Fei, consider calling my student after school. We may have discussions to make."

"Will do, chief! I'm off. Love you!"

"Enjoy work, Fei. I love you too."

-=EYECATCH=-

Echoes Arrangement
~New Soundscape of Lunar Tokyo~

Episode 2: "She Followed Me Home!"
2-01 "Grayscale School"
So Boring - Persona 5

2-02 "Aeon ~Fairy~ - Senjo's First Appearance"
Yusuke's Theme - Yu Yu Hakusho (Anime)

2-03 "EMOTION - Disquiet"
Disquiet - Persona 5

2-04 "EMOTION - Miserable"
Alleycat - Persona 5

2-05 "Hanged Man Rank 0 ~Those First Steps into Another World~ - Kana's Theme"
Dream of the Shore Bordering Another World - Chrono Cross

2-06 "Chat Theme SO1: 'Best Friends' - 1st Theme of the Shadow Operatives"
Best Friends - Persona 4 Arena

2-07 "Hymn of Dark Mystique ~1st Verse~ - ???'s First Appearance"
Title Demo 1 - Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne

=-JIKAI-=
X-02 "The Next Verse"
RB-79 Ball Stage - Gundam the Battle Master 2

As the Phantom Thieves take stock with their memories old and new merging, the Cognitive Shiho is stolen from safety, and the real Shiho is threatened way too early. With no time to prepare; it's a race against the clock to save both Shihos' wills from being shattered that very day… or risk losing them both forever. A desperate gambit unfolds as Akira unveils the secret weapon hidden in her clan's eyes... and she's not the only one with a power like that. Is salvation a mirage? An explosive confrontation awaits, Phantom Thieves. Is your resolve strong enough to weather the storm? More importantly… is hers?

Echoes Arranged, Third Verse: "The Hidden Heir of the Amamiya Clan"
When next we meet, it will be of your own volition…​

 

[RadiantGV]

(Play "3-01 - Live From Leblanc ~Ambience~)

April 11, 2017-XX
Leblanc Coffee & Curry; Yongen-Jaya
Tokyo, Japan
Afternoon


Sojiro Sakura stared at his charge and his new passenger as they entered the coffee shop from which he was known. A supposedly-talking cat from that weird blue dimension Ren's weirder friends came from is one thing. A flying redhead of unknown origin about the size of two; maybe three coffee mugs stacked on top of each other is another thing entirely.

"Picking up more strays, huh?" Sojiro deadpanned. "I swear if I had a hundred yen for every time you show up with some new odd friend…"

"You'd have enough money to buy a postcard, Boss." Ren snarked. The redhead introduced herself as Senjo Kurusu, a pixie originally from Yharnam-Bristol; though she moved to Lunar Tokyo around fifteen months ago. When questioned as to what Yharnam-Bristol was, she said, "A right pissin' nightmare for you humans, is what it is. It's grim, isolating, and not typically meant for humans to travel to. I had intended to go to America, but then I must have fell asleep somewhere and I landed in Japan maybe last December. Us Makaians aren't exactly too far off from you humans."

Sojiro chuckled, almost by force. Something wasn't sitting well with him given Senjo's presence, though he had a guess. "I can only guess that she comes from that Metaverse place your… other job takes you to. Got anywhere else to go, little lady?"

Senjo shook her head. "Nope. From Makai. Ya'll seem like right proper blokes and part of a Makaian's purpose is to bond with someone attuned to its energy. Ren-kun's got enough of the stuff that bonding with 'im would be piss easy."

"Now when you said bonding-"

Ren figured that she just meant 'become one of his Persona stock', but there was the presence of Raoul in his head, along with Orpheus Picaro, Titania and Metatron. Each of his Personas were aspects of himself; Raoul the rebellious trickster with a heart of gold, Orpheus Picaro the playful and yet somber, Titania the studious and wise, and Metatron the willingness to do what was right according to his moral code. (Orpheus Picaro in particular preferred to go by the name Thalia while in Ren's mindscape, as she tended to be vastly different to the Persona that bore her same name.)

Together, they made a full stock for now. He didn't have room for another. "Relax, guv, I just meant I'd bond my life force with yours. You seem powerful, obscenely so in a sense and we'd be honored."

"Wait, aren't you a Shadow?" a young ginger girl asked in the background. Almost by complete happenstance, Futaba Sakura had gotten the drop on Joker, wearing a white tee shirt, a tan trenchcoat, blue jeans and wearing a pair of headphones around her neck. "Yeah I've got bugger a-" as Senjo began, she then realized that Futaba had somehow entered the chat and she had no idea. "Blimey, where the bloody hell did you come from?"

"The front door?" Futaba said, pointing a thumb at LeBlanc's entranceway. "Fair cop. Anyway, I don't know what you mean by 'Shadow'. I'm a full fledged fairy!"

"What she meant before she scared the hell out of me, Futaba," Ren glared at his adoptive sister, giving off a scolding but non-aggressive tone, "was that we've faced down pixies in combat before and they usually ended up being Shadows, basically the parts of humanity you don't want to show off to the public. I was able to coax a few of 'em to join our side, so if you were hoping to join the party going on in my head, sorry, got a full house for now."

Senjo looked at him in shock. "Wait a tic, you're a Wild Card, guv? Now we know I gotta bond with you. 'Sides, I'm not a Shadow. Nor am I a Persona, like what I'm thinking you're thinking. I'm a fairy, born in the Metaverse and expecting to stay put the rest of my life. My kind are called Makaians, and we're technically descendants of the Amalan Demons that lived in Makai, what, over five centuries ago? I'm of the newer crop of Makaians, only came into existence about 2010 or so, give or take a year or so."

Sojiro by then had checked out and went back behind the counter, "If you guys are going to do any weird shit in my restaurant you've got another thing coming. Take it upstairs."

-=C=-
(3-02 "Chat Theme 2: She Followed Me Home!")

Round 2, You Discount Solo™ Cup

#mainchat

Hahamamiya: shefollowedmehome.jpg

Hahamamiya: This is Kurusu Senjo, in case you didn't hear it from Shujin. She's from the Metaverse and she's a stowaway from our infiltration earlier today.

Hahamamiya: She says she's a Makaian, not a Shadow, but also that no love's lost for Kamoshida. She probably helped that strange anti-cognition of Shiho. She's flesh and blood.

SophiaV137: I detected no lies from her either. If she is not telling the truth then Ann may floof my sweater.

SophiaV137: Don't get your hopes up, however.

AnnSweetheart: Awwww….

AnnSweetheart: Still, seems like we got a new thief at least. Did you tell her what we do?

TheInkling: I gave her a crash course, but it seemed like half of it either flew over her head or she legitimately had no idea what the hell Mementos is, so we can rule out any of Yaldabaoth's flunkies.

TheInkling: Other than that, this is new save file territory here. This flies against so much of what we know it's boggling me.

TheInkling: Me!

TheInkling: You guys know I'm S-Tier at cog-psi, and this is giving me a serious difficulty spike.

ViolaStardust: So then this is way beyond your wheelhouse huh Futaba-senpai?

Hahamamiya: We've dealt with Shadows of all kinds; all of us have. This is the first time one's been in the real world, even if she's not really a Shadow.

Hahamamiya: Anyone been in contact with Mona? I know he had to check on Cog Shiho in the Castle while we figure out this mess.

SophiaV137: Meowgana and the Cognition of Suzui Shiho seem to be safe and sound, though they did make it to the second safe room in the Palace. According to the calendar, we have seven days before our deadline.

SophiaV137: Correction: make that tomorrow, actually. I just intercepted a text message from a Suguru Kamoshida from Ann's phone, speaking in a threatening tone.

AnnSweetheart: WHAT?!!??!?

TheRunningMan: For real? kamoshitbag's trying to pull his bullshit way early?

Hahamamiya: Not this time; Ann, Ryuji. Not on our watch.

Wolfpack: So that poor excuse for a man is moving up the schedule, huh.

Wolfcub: Didn't you say that your sister left your home because of some weird cursed power @hahamamiya?

Wolfcub: On that note, does your family all have the same power?

Hahamamiya: Good question. Yesn't. Lemme check.

-=C=-

Hahamamiya to AkiraSendsHerRegards

#direct-message

Hahamamiya: Aki-aki, schedule's been moved up. You still have 'that' ability?

AkiraSendsHerRegards: Renny, for you? For that sweet Shiho-chan and her gorgeous smile?

AkiraSendsHerRegards: I've got my Eyes on that creep. Already tagged him before school let out, since he was really creeping me the hell out.

Hahamamiya: I'll tell Ann you said Shiho has a gorgeous smile. She'd love to hear that.

Hahamamiya: Those two were made for each other.

AkiraSendsHerRegards: Then let's make sure they aren't separated.

-=C=-
(3-03 "Chat Theme X: Phantom Thief Mission Plan")

Operation: Have Fun Storming the Castle!
#mission-update

[Phantom Leader] Joker: Joker here. The timeline for Operation: Castle Siege has been moved up to tomorrow.

[Phantom Leader] Joker: Our contact has confirmed her involvement. We are unsure if her ability will adversely affect the palace, so it is doubly important that we be vigilant and careful, if we continue infiltration tomorrow as planned.

[Phantom Construct] Sophie: I have heard from Mona that they were able to access the Treasure room. The Cognitive clone of Shiho Suzui has seemingly vanished.

[Phantom Vanguard] Skull: For real? So cognitions can actually go away once we reach the Treasure, then?

[Phantom Construct] Sophie: I am going off of that hypothesis, Skull, yes.

[Phantom Detective] Crow: Huh. You learn something new about the Metaverse every day.

[Phantom Prowler] Panther: …she'll be back. I have that feeling.

[Phantom Fencer] Violet: do you still have Kamoshida's number? We could send him the calling card over the phone rather than doing the posters.

[Phantom Prowler] Panther: yeah. I dunno why I never deleted it.

[Phantom Prowler] Panther: definitely gonna put my life on the line though, doing that.

[Phantom Hacker] Oracle: dang, tht rote wld've bn a gud ide tho.

[Phantom Construct] Sophie: how about broadcasting it on the school's PA system?

[Phantom Leader] Joker: It just occurred to me that our contact's abilities might serve as a calling card on its own.

[Phantom Brawler] Queen: That is… what power does your contact have that would trigger a calling card response, Joker?

[Phantom Leader] Joker: It's an Amamiya Clan technique that can only be performed by a quote 'dark heir'. Me and Akira have lovingly dubbed it Jagan, or Evil Eye.

[Phantom Leader] Joker: it works kinda like how it does in GetBackers. Akira strikes visual contact with someone she wants to use Jagan on. At her own command, she can make those she tagged see anything she wants them to see. It lasts for a single minute, but even a minute is an opportunity for Shiho to escape. There's a bit of a time dilation effect too, so a single minute could last as long as she wants. She can do this up to three times per day.

[Phantom Leader] Joker: The difference is that she doesn't need to be looking in their direction when she triggers it, but the catch is that tags only last for twenty-four hours, and never twice on the same person during that time. Akira tagged him after school.

[Phantom Samurai] Fox: Thus, a limited window of opportunity to rescue the flower before she wilts.

[Phantom Inspector] Wolf: Seems weird that your family has all these weird powers that the force doesn't know about, Amamiya.

[Phantom Leader] Joker: In my old timeline, Akira's powers went away that summer. In this timeline, they're part of a group of abilities called Dojutsu, specific to the Amamiya Clan. We're lucky she has them now, because now we can strike first.

[Phantom Inspector] Wolf: so magic hallucination powers run in your family then?

[Phantom Leader] Joker: Only a 'Dark Heir' has those abilities, everyone else in the Amamiya Clan had a different dojutsu, with a different effect.

[Phantom Marauder] Noir: I so wish I can watch as Kamoshida's false bravado leaves him and his spirit is drained from his eyes~

[Phantom Marauder] Noir: Alas, I will have to settle for splitting my axe directly into Asmodeus' skull.

[Phantom Apprentice] Akane: wish I could join you guys, but I'll keep a watch with dad for Shiho-chan.

[Phantom Inspector] Wolf: Thanks for spilling the beans, Akane. But yeah, when Akira does her thing, guide Suzui-chan out of the front door and scram; we'll be in an unmarked squad car.

[Phantom Inspector] Wolf: After that, assuming the trick works as advertised, you guys go in and do what you do best to Kamoshida-san. Suzui-chan's counting on you.

[Phantom Construct] Sophie: Mona will rendezvous in front of the Palace upon the start of the mission.

[Phantom Leader] Joker: Right. We know our roles. Panther, Skull, you go with Mona and myself up first. Queen, Violet, Noir, and Oracle will head up the next team. Sophie, you and Crow are on diversion tactics. Wolf, you lead search and rescue as well as worst-case extraction. If anyone gets dragged into the Metaverse with us… prioritize them first. If they awaken, then that's great. If they need more time, they're already shin-deep in, might as well try for the full swan dive.

[Phantom Leader] Joker: as always, either we all come back, or we all die trying. We'll have 24 hours once the signal is given. Get some rest, because tomorrow is going to be an important day.

[Phantom Leader] Joker: can't exactly miss our debut act, now can we?

-=K=-
(3-04 "SEER")

Kirijo Group High Energy Mechanics Research Center
Inaba, Japan
Afternoon

"Metaverse activity has spiked, Minako!" a soft female voice, level tone, robotic inflection.

"Shit, already? We just finished clearing up the issues from the Static World…" a more excitable woman's voice, commanding yet almost playful.

"It's not in Inaba, sis? Ya sure?" a less serious female voice, speaking in a Kansai accent filtered through New Jersey dialect, but one with a concerned tone.

"It seems to be centered around Tokyo, seemingly the Aoyama district. The levels are consistent with previously recorded readings from around the same area."

"So, not tha TV world again. Lemme see that."

The Kirijo Group High Energy Mechanics Research Center was a misnomer. Anyone who was anyone in the energy business knew there was no such thing as 'High' Energy. No, what it actually researched was cognitive psience, as it pertained to a certain other world: the Metaverse.

What was odd was that the Japanese government didn't seem to have much pull in its founding. The Kirijo Group wasn't exactly friendly with certain nominees (Masayoshi Shido being one particular individual) and even though they were a popular electronics and technology conglomerate they couldn't escape the stigma of Koutetsu Kirijo. For her part, Mitsuru Kirijo had been instrumental in changing the company's fortunes, and her liberal policies (Mitsuru was an open lesbian) and outstanding moral code has made KirijoTech products exceedingly successful, particularly with the LGBTQ crowd and especially overseas, but they themselves had no friends in the government, at least that they could count on.

Which is why Mitsuru wasn't shocked when they assigned Miyako Kaburagi of the Tokyo PD and the Division for Public Security as an oversight officer for the Kirijo Group's mysterious defense force. She wasn't shocked that Miyako Kaburagi, PubSec's commissioner, wasn't exactly as familiar with their work as they would like.

She was shocked to find out, however, that Kaburagi was a quick learner. No wonder she rose so quickly through the ranks. She had a strong sense of justice, tempered by age and pragmatism, but oddly enough she knew a little about how the Metaverse worked, in no small part to a certain group of vigilantes and a pseudo-independent Inspector of hers. Let it never be said that Miyako Kaburagi was ignorant.

"Yeah, that's definitely the commish's turf. Who draws the short straw?" the Kansai-ben possessor said. She was one of four Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapons, androids built for one thing and one thing only: the defense of the human race from beings from the dark and/or repressed side of humanity called Shadows. Hell, even she had a shadow at one point.

Her civilian name was Kaede Galanis, a world history teacher from Yasogami High School, originally from New Jersey but who moved to Japan in 2008, then lost much of her body to illness and only recovered because of prosthetic everything from the Kirijo Group. In reality, her name was KG5-031 Labrys Galanis. Her sister, Aigis Galanis-Arisato (or Kotone Arisato, as the public called her) was one of the two most powerful Persona users on the face of the Earth. And she was married to the other one. Her other sister Metis Galanis (aka Keiko Shiomi) was the guard of the Abyss of Time; and her cousins Shion Yamagishi (her own Shadow, given form and identity) and Kaori Xiphos Oakeshott (the one containing the cyber-drive and Plume of Labrys' old friend #024), while not working with the Kirijo Group directly, did have working relationships with the Shadow Operatives.

Yes, the secret division of the government dedicated to track metaverse-related matters and prevent the menace of Shadows from invading the real world were officially called the Shadow Operatives; though a suggestion from Kaburagi to potentially call it something else on official documents was noted.

"I suppose I will give Kaburagi-san a call," Aigis relented. A statement which her wife Minako Arisato nodded to.

-=E=-
(3-06: "Pixie of the Fairy Clan")

Club Nocturne
Nerima-ku
Tokyo, Japan
Evening
"So, metaverse energy is gathering again, hm?", a man, probably in his late 20s or so, was sweeping up the floor at Club Nocturne. It was a bar and nightclub that was fairly popular amongst the young adult clientele, but the odd thing about Club Nocturne was its rather unique proprietor.

Short black hair adorned his head, while he typically wore black shorts and white tennis shoes. During work hours he tended to have a gray long-sleeved turtleneck sweater, but no amount of turtlenecks would hide his most identifying feature: his oddly glowing tattoos.

All throughout his body, thick black lines spread over his skin from head to toe, arranging themselves in a glyph pattern. When he was out and about these tattoos tended to be hidden, or at least the tone of a pale complexion, matching the rest of it. But when he sensed energy out there, the glyphs came forth and revealed themselves.

Ordinarily this young man would be named Naoki Kashima. Beneath his aloof personality, however, lied a man of immense demonic power, the likes of which has rarely been seen in this world. This man, usually a nightclub owner of some repute, unbeknownst to the populace of the world, was the Demi-Fiend; the most powerful human being living on Earth, so named for his ancestral home in Makai.

Flying just over his shoulder, was a diminutive redhead, about the size of a compact umbrella; his traveling companion and, for all intents and purposes, his wife. Wearing a silver turtleneck leotard with blue seams, silver boots ending around just above the shin, and blue mesh sleeves with opaque white gloves, this wasn't the average pixie.

Fei Kashima was her name, maiden name Fei Meguro, and she was a legend amongst the Metaverse denizens as the 'demon that all demons aspire to be'; the Uber Pixie. She had been married to the Demi-Fiend for three years now, but she had been traveling alongside him in the Metaverse for much longer, being his first contracted ally.

"To think Akira-chan's hunch was right. There was something going down in Aoyama," she stated, fully fluent in Japanese. Her voice tended to have a bit of a reverb, since she herself was an Amalan; unlike the Makaians who had a more pronounced reverb. She continued, "If I were a betting woman, I'd place some chips on something big happening tomorrow."

"Something big, besides Kurusu-san, right?"

"Besides little Senjo, yes. On top of that, have you noticed that the 'verse is very different than what it used to be?"

Naoki rubbed his chin. "Now that you mention it, wasn't the Metaverse a series of isolated locations?"

"That's what it's supposed to be these days, but now it looks just like what we remember: the entirety of Tokyo has a 'verse equivalent, and if I had to guess, the rest of the world followed suit."

"And it all hinges on what happens around the Shujin Academy building…" as he reached the windowsill, Naoki stared outward. "So, Phantom Thieves of Hearts, I'll be watching closely. I hope for your sake you prove yourselves worthy of your powers…"

-=R=-
(3-06 "Emotion - MELANCHOLY")
(3-07 "Nightmare Vision Prelude")

April 12, 2017-XX
Hallways, Shujin Academy
Mid-morning
"Suzui, Kamoshida-sensei wants to see you…"

The phrase that sent ripples through the school in the last cycle. In the last timeline, Shiho Suzui had followed that phrase to the letter, and paid a severe price for it. The brunette volleyball player had left Class 2-B just a few moments ago to head down to the gym teacher's office, but then…

"Yo, Suzui-chan!"

A girl, with fluffy black tresses approached from behind, and called out to her; "Hey, Amamiya-chan… I need to see Kamoshida-sensei…"

"No, you don't!", the raven-head stated, cheerfully.

"Out of my-" she was silenced by Amamiya grasping Suzui's wrist and pulling her off to the side stairwell. "I have it on good authority that Kamoshida wants to do the unthinkable to you."

"No, he…" Suzui argued, but it fell on deaf ears.

"Suzui-chan. Trust me."

Shiho looked confused, but Akira hadn't given her any reason to doubt her since she knew her; on the other hand even if Akira was telling the truth, she knew that Kamoshida would do far worse to Ann if she didn't show up…

"I have to…"

"You'll be okay. Just follow along with what I say."

-=R=-
(3-08 "Nightmare Vision")
Kamoshida's Office
Shujin Academy
Noon

It wasn't but a few minutes later that Shiho Suzui found herself at Kamoshida's Office. "Ah, you're here. I'm sure you know why you're here…" the gym teacher began.

For her part, Shiho said nothing for a moment. Then, "I don't think you have any idea what powers you play with."

"You show up late and have the nerve to taunt me?" Suguru Kamoshida's face twisted into a sneer of contempt. "That's gonna cost you severely, you know." he began reaching for Shiho's skirt, but before he was able to undo it, Shiho's body suddenly morphed into haze.

"What?"

"You thought that I wouldn't know of your promiscuous ways, Suguru Kamoshida?" the addressed gym teacher started hearing a voice echo through the office, as the world around him froze into darkness. "I have already safely hidden poor Suzui-chan in the embrace of darkness. You will not find her here."

Kamoshida shouted, "Summoning demons, are we, Sakamoto?"

"Oh you think Sakamoto is summoning demons are we? Perhaps you believe that the transfer student, one Ren Amamiya, is one of these demons?"

A pair of yellow eyes, with ice blue pupils stared directly at him from all angles. Kamoshida quickly kept turning his head around, and the eyes continued to watch him. "What… WHAT ARE YOU?"

A sickening clench onto Kamoshida's body was heard ringing. As he tried to struggle free, he finally saw the owner of those eyes. "Ren Amamiya may be a demon in human's skin..."

"But I am the Devil."

-=M=-
(3-09 "Vs. Palace Ruler: Take Their Heart!")
Treasure Room of Glorious Achievement Antechamber
Castle of Lust
???


Reaching the Treasure just as it materialized into the crown that four of the Thieves recognized was easy enough, and as they had thought Akira's trick had just triggered the same effect as a calling card. While Joker, Skull, Panther and Mona took point, with Oracle remaining on navigation since she was far more adept at it than the feline.

A sense of foreboding washed over the founding Phantom Thieves; with Oracle sensing a sudden shift in the cognitive world. Once Mona put his hands on the treasure, a soft meek voice cried, "y-y-y-you came to re-rescue me?"

Chained up at the foot of the podium holding the Treasure was the bunny-suited clone of Shiho Suzui. Evidently she had been captured since Mona left. Panther nodded, sorrowfully comforting her, "We're here now. You're safe," as she began undoing her bonds…

-=R=-

In the real world, the girl bearing her likeness had been running away from Kamoshida's office; due out the doors, with Akira Amamiya trailing behind her. Evidently Kamoshida hadn't caught on yet that what he was seeing was all in his head, but time was running out.

'Down to fifteen seconds, but we're almost there. Just gotta make this last push.'

"Thank you, Amamiya-chan." Shiho praised, to which Akira stated "Don't thank me yet, we haven't left the building."

Oddly enough, the doors were seemingly unlocked. Good timing too, for now Kamoshida's vision had just expired and he was bound to see that Shiho never made it to his office…

-=H=-
Treasure Room of Glorious Achievement
Castle of Lust
???


Meanwhile, the battle against Asmodeus Kamoshida had started only a few scant moments prior.

"Arsene, ravage him! Eiga!"

"Light 'em up, Captain Kidd! Zionga!"

"Zorro, show your might! Garula!"

"Burn him to cinders, Carmen! Agilao!"

A burst of cursed power, a blast of strong gales, a powerful pyre and a shocking stream of electricity ravaged Kamoshida's demonic form, until "ENOUGH! NOW YOU DONE PISSED ME OFF! SLAVES, BRING ME MY WEAPON. I WILL MAKE A KILL-SHOT HERE!"

A powerful shockwave knocked away the girl in the latex outfit and the boy in the biker gear, leaving the formal young man and the feline standing. "Mona, if I were to toss you, think you can knock that crown off?" Joker asked.

A nod of understanding filled Mona's face.

"WHAT'S WRONG? IS THAT TRULY THE BEST YOU GOT?"

Joker pulled back his arms, and then "Yo, Kamoshitheel!"

"PATHETIC! YOU INTEND TO SACRIFICE ONE OF YOUR OWN?"

A smirk crossed the Phantom Thief's face. "Think fast." Then, with the power rivaling a starting pitcher in a baseball game, Joker threw Mona directly at the demon Kamoshida.

Or rather, on what was on top of the demon Kamoshida's head. A loud clang sound was heard as Mona's sword collided with the crown atop his head, knocking it off and causing it to land on the ground, rolling down to the foot of… 'heh, I knew those two would come through.' Joker thought.

The crown landed on the foot of the cognitive Ann Takamaki, a fact that the real Ann picked up on. "Hey wait a…" before she noticed her clone's expression - one of sheer determination.

-=F=-

Library of Noble Accomplishment
Castle of Lust
Roughly ten minutes earlier…

The crouching form of the Princess observed a team of intruders, no doubt here to take Kamoshida's Treasure. There seemed to be two individuals looking around, a noble-looking brown-haired man in sand-colored armored regalia, black-clawed gloves, black metal greaves and a dark helmet with a white visor obscuring his eyes, and a shrimpy red-headed girl with a white sweater with a matching hood covering her head, her face covered with a black readout visor bearing bright white LED eye emoticons; small red hearts spilling over in a long ponytail. The man had a red beam pistol in his hand, probably some variety of toy; while the girl's hands were occupied with what looked like bright red-and-white yo-yos made out of a revolver's chamber.

The Princess knew that if she could just capture these two interlopers she'd be rewarded handsomely by her king. She prepared to pounce on them, but a blue light got in her way, flying around her head and taking a metal object off of it. Crap, that was her tiara! Now she'd be punished for… for…

'Ugh… what have I been doing?'

The blue light returned to the duo who were just about to approach her ambush spot. "So this is how that vile man controls the cognitions around here. I thought you said that they had vanished, Sophie?" the knight said tersely.

"I am sorry. I suppose even I can be inaccurate." the girl said.

"Now that we got that tiara off of 'er pretty little bird's 'ead, let's have us a chat with her." the blue light materialized as a fairy, a pixie with a boyish cut, and seemed to speak in a West Country accent. "We know you're out 'ere, Ann!"

The figure that approached them was a lithe blonde with two twin ponytails, much like the real Ann Takamaki. The difference was that while Panther wore a red latex bodysuit, this ann wore practically nothing but a skimpy red bikini and wore a catgirl ear headband and a tail. Oddly, the expression on her face seemed to have a solemn understanding of the situation.

"I thank you all." the cognition began, stating in a more regal tone, with a sense of dignified pride betraying her current state of dress. "I am Princess Annalise Takamaki. The usurper has the princess consort in his clutches."

"That explains why the Cognition vanished. Our team had ran into her before, from my understanding." the young knight stated.

"Brave Hero-Thieves, you must direct me to the treasure room. Once either I or the princess consort have seized the Crown of Glory, the Castle of Lust will be no more."

Sophie and Crow looked at each other, nodded, and motioned for the cognitive princess to follow them.

-=M=-

Treasure Room of Glorious Achievement
Castle of Lust
Back to the present…

The crown, having been knocked off Asmodeus Kamoshida's head, rolled down to the foot of the Cognition, her face steeled with a determined glare. She observed the scene; her real-life counterpart staring her in the face, her poor Princess Consort Shiho-hime looking on with hope, the usurper grinning with expectation. As if he was going to have the crown. The look on his face as she stated her next words with such finality shocked him beyond belief.

"You will suffer this kingdom no longer, usurper." Princess Annalise Takamaki grasped the crown with both hands and placed it upon her own head. Suddenly a flash of white surrounded her. By the time she returned, her outfit had changed entirely. Gone was the red bikini, in its place was a silk cyan dress, with a red sash hanging off her waist. Her arms were covered with red opera gloves, while she was wearing white stockings and red flats on her feet. Her hair was fully let down, no longer bound into twin tails.

Similarly, the now freed Shiho cognition shone with light, and by the time she returned, she was dressed in an armored version of her bunnysuit, with a chain-mail bodysuit underneath. A white dress with puffy sleeves covered her torso, before being topped with a white cloak with large red triangles hemming the bottoms and the sleeves. The slave was gone, in its place was the Princess Consort Shiho-hime of Iwatodai.

It wasn't long after that that Joker commanded, "Alright everyone. Let's finish this!"

Six black blurs surrounded Asmodeus Kamoshida, each striking him repeatedly. Joker's knife, cutting and stabbing. Skull's lead bat, causing blunt pain. Panther's whip, lashing every which way. Mona's scimitar, causing a thousand cuts. Even the newly arrived Crow, with his beam saber burning through defenses with each slash and Sophie, with her yoyo striker discs punching with such fierce intensity, joined in the beat down. It wasn't long before Panther and Skull delivered the coup de grace, smashing Kamoshida's face with a high-powered drop kick/shoulder charge combo.

Joker and the others silently looked on as the monster fell to the ground, defeated and deflated. It wouldn't be long after that, that Kamoshida promised to return to the real world and confess all the wrongs he had committed.

Within the next few minutes, all involved parties escaped the Castle of Lust.

-==-

Castle of Lust cleared. Overwriting Location… Overwrite complete. New Haven "Castle Shujin" registered. Thank you for your hard work.

-=M=-
(3-0A "The Princesses of Shujin Reunited")

Castle Foyer, Castle Shujin

The Phantom Thieves left without much fanfare. As much as the Princess and Princess Consort would hope that they would've at least stayed a little longer, they knew humans like them wouldn't be able to stay for long without having sufficient protection. The odd thing was that weird fairy creature that helped them both.

"You think we'll ever see them again, Annalise?" Shiho-hime asked her friend. The stutter from her voice was less prominent, and although she'd probably never truly get over her time in slavery, with her Princess by her side, she knew that it too would pass.

"I have no doubt, my dear bunny. Hero-Thieves of that nature are bound to return to our little slice of Lunar Tokyo… they thrive on the hunt, their leader especially." Annalise contemplated. "My counter-part seemed like a girl with a good head on her shoulders."

"I wonder what my counter-part is like… That aside, we have a lot of work to do to get this Castle back to a respectable level."

"I love you, Shiho-hime, but I hate you at the same time."

"At least you love me."

It seemed no matter the universe, Ann Takamaki and Shiho Suzui were meant for each other. Hand in hand, they walked back into the castle, now a lot less dark and gloomy under the indigo skies of Lunar Tokyo.

==EYECATCH==

Echoes Arrangement ~New Soundscape of Lunar Tokyo~

Episode 3: "The Visions of the Amamiya Clan's Dark Heir"

3-01 "Live from Leblanc ~Ambience~"​

Beneath the Mask ~Rain - Persona 5

3-02 "Chat Theme 02 - She Followed Me Home"​

Mission 2-2 - Ranger-X

3-03 "Chat Theme X - Phantom Thief Mission Plan"​

Stage Select - Mega Man X4

3-04 The Special Committee for Exploration and Execution Research "SEER ~Shadow Operatives 1st~"​

This Strange Feeling - Persona 3

3-05 Fei's Theme "Pixie of the Fairy Clan"​

Mystery - Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne

3-06 "EMOTION - Melancholy"​

Dead - Koudelka

3-07 "Nightmare Vision Prelude - Devil's Calling"​

The SA-X Approaches - Metroid Fusion


3-08 Jester Rank 1 "Nightmare Vision"
Drifting Tension - Violent Storm

3-09 "Vs. Palace Ruler ~Take Their Heart!~"​

Blooming Villain - Persona 5

3-0A "The Princesses of Shujin Reunited"​

Smile - Persona 4

-=J=-

X-02 "The Next Verse"​

RB-79 Ball Stage - Gundam Battle Assault​

The King Bastard of Lust has been dethroned, but that is only the first phase of a brand new Journey for our Phantom Thieves of Hearts. They'll soon cross paths with a fashion designer from a recent mission, awaken the one that was always meant to be, and meet one of the most powerful humans on the face of the earth…

Echoes Arranged, Verse 4: "Hare Trigger"

When next we meet; it will be of your own volition….​