Persona 3 Portable: Velvet Blue - Chapter 4

IV: Form of Friendship, Proof of Power

In front of Elizabeth stood three giant Shadows, taking the form of humans, but made entirely of stone. In their left hands they wielded a sword, and in their right, a scale. Known as “Void Giants,” they were one of the most powerful Shadows in Monad. These Shadows were highly durable, and its attacks were formidable as well. To the average Persona user, this kind of foe would be nigh impossible to defeat, resulting only in inevitable death. Elizabeth casually walked up to these Shadows without a care in the world. Her face expressionless and her eyes half open, she looked up toward the giants and sighed. “Void Giant, huh? What a surprisingly hollow type of Shadow…” Hollow. Elizabeth was unaware if the Shadows could even understand that word, let alone human language in general. At their cores, Shadows consisted of nothing but malice. Even if they could understand her, there would be no room for discussion nor negotiation. “No matter what I say, their demeanors never change. Hmph, how utterly boring.” Their stone-sculpted bodies were just as plain as their mannerisms. Regardless, that same malice and killing intent that lurked in other Shadows dwells within these ones all the same. Naturally, the three golems swung their swords atElizabeth. “Honestly, where has that child run off to?” she said in an abrasive tone, and opened her Persona Compendium. Elizabeth ignored the blades that were currently heading towards her, instead focusing on summoning her Persona. “Deck Open!” The Persona card shattered and dissipated into fragmented crystals of light. This time her Persona of choice was “Pixie.” The small fairy-like Persona used Megidolaon, the most potent and destructive type of magic attack out there. The golden balls of flame plummet onto the three Void Giants, eliminating all three of them in a single blow. Within the roaring flames the three giants turned to ash, annihilated without a trace. Elizabeth closed her Persona Compendium and held it to her side. “At this point it’s beginning to feel as if finding him is a fruitless endeavor.” Elizabeth frequently visited Monad in-between SEES’s ventures into Tartarus, in order to find that mysterious boy. A Shadow that took the form of a human and spoke the same as one too, seemingly wanting to make friends. Such an idea did not seem feasible to Elizabeth. Just what was that boy? His true identity was a true mystery. “Once I find you, I’ll give you a thorough interrogation!” With a sadistic light in her eyes, Elizabeth resumed her search. Her current location was the eighth floor of Monad. The floor had already been thoroughly examined before she fought the giants. Elizabeth was on her way to the ninth floor, the same one that Pochi and Theodore were on. Immediately after climbing the stairs, she stopped in place. Directly in front of her stood a person she knew well— Margaret, who should have been indulging in her Vision Quest endeavors, came to the ninth floor of Monad ahead of Elizabeth. Elizabeth tilted her head in her confusion; she began to slowly walk towards her sister. “Did we pass each other somewhere along the way?” At that very moment, Margaret pushed out one hand and opened her palm. Her golden eyes were cloudy and distorted, only bare malice dwells within them. “That power— give it to me,” she murmured. In an instant Elizabeth felt a great force above her. She looked towards the ceiling to see that the source was a golden ball— signs of an oncoming Megidolaon. There was no time to dodge. Elizabeth took a defensive stance, covering her face with her Compendium. In the next moment, the ball burst. The yellow flames rushed towards Elizabeth. But, surprisingly, its level of force was too weak for it to be a Megidolaon. It must be Megidola, she thought, a level of Almighty magic one step below. “Ha!!” Elizabeth forcefully lifted her defensive stance, blowing away the flames that surrounded her. No major damage; her skin was just slightly singed. “Well how sudden, that was quite a surprise... but what did I do to make you angry? Was it something I said?” No response. In pure silence, Margaret raised her hand, casually swaying it horizontally through the air. From that hand, a shocking wave emanated: a physical ability by the name of Myriad Slashes. All of the slashes hit Elizabeth; however, an attack of this caliber was not enough to even scratch her book. It was a trivial move of no threat, but even so, it was still enough to irritate Elizabeth. “It’s time to talk! I have questions for you.” As she spoke, a purple mist formed around her. A poisonous fog technique, Virus Breath. Elizabeth had already inhaled a fair amount of the mist. Her body suffered damage from the inside, though fortunately it is not potent enough to be a lasting threat. There was no further damage, but it had been a long time since she had last received any at all. This fact forced Elizabeth to regain her composure. Megidola, Myriad Slashes, Virus Breath. Which Persona could use all of these skills? Elizabeth searched her memory, not even looking at the Persona Compendium in her hands. The first Persona that comes to mind was Thanatos, a persona of the Death Arcana. But this was not a Persona that Margaret ever used. And then she realized, Personas were summoned before they were able to act, but up until now, Margaret had not summoned a Persona at all. Elizabeth fixedly stared at Margaret. “Us rulers of power do not possess the ability to use a Personas ability without first summoning them... Therefore, I have figured out that you are an imposter. Reveal your true identity!” There was a clear sign of disturbance in the fake Margaret. Not foolish enough to miss this opening, Elizabeth immediately opened her Persona Compendium. “Deck Open!” Elizabeth’s Persona of choice was Metatron: a Persona with shining white wings, with a drive to crush all heresy and injustice. “Erase her completely!” A magic circle emitting streaks of light formed around Margaret: an offensive spell by the name of Mahamaon that has an instant death effect on its target. Margaret borrowed the power of Thanatos earlier, and Thanatos’ weakness was bless-type attacks. Consequently, Elizabeth deduced that the fake Margaret’s weakness was also Bless-type spells. The circle taking effect, Margaret was engulfed in a sea of light, also engulfing the surrounding vicinity in white. Within the circle Margaret contorted, being entirely disintegrated without even a moment to scream. After the light had dissipated, there were no remains. But Elizabeth remained on guard. At the moment she disappeared, Elizabeth noticed that a piece of her had separated from the fake’s body, and had scampered off elsewhere, as if it had molted off and escaped. “Has she escaped?” Surveying her surroundings, Elizabeth closed her Persona Compendium. “Just what was that...?” Margaret appeared again. “Showing yourself again without even a hint of repentance, the nerve of you!” Summoning Metatron again, Elizabeth cast Mahamaon on the fake once more. The blinding light consumed Margaret. But once the light faded, Elizabeth saw Margaret standing in the same spot, as if nothing had happened. “Elizabeth, just what do you think you’re doing?” Elizabeth was astonished. The fake had learned to nullify Mahamaon just from receiving it once. She knew that this was an enemy that could not be underestimated. “Then I’ll erase you with this!” Elizabeth flipped the pages of her Compendium and summoned another persona, Pixie. She fires off a Megidolaon. Margaret opened her book as well, multiple Persona cards floating in the air. “Just what is the matter with you!?” Margaret summoned the same Persona and also shot out a Megidolaon. The two forceful flames collided, causing the surrounding space to tremor in a violent rage. The quakes consumed the entirety of Monad, its walls and ceiling beginning to crumple and collapse. But no matter how great or powerful the spell, its effects do not last forever. Before it was able to cause the entire collapse of Monad, the effects of their Megidolaons dissipated. Elizabeth and Margaret glared at each other as the remnants of the golden flames extinguished. This imposter seemed to possess the same strength of the real thing. It was certainly true that Bless spells would have no effect on the real Margaret. However, one must also consider that this move did have an effect earlier, when a piece of the fake slipped away from the magic circle. Elizabeth stared at Margaret with hostility. “I believe you need some proper punishment— it is an older sister’s role to put their younger siblings in their place after all.” Elizabeth was taken aback by her words; they were certainly something that the real Margaret would say. “You make quite the fine actor, don’t you?” Having seen her strongest attack rendered useless earlier, Elizabeth began to think about her next plan of attack. She did not just ponder her next move— she considered the second, and the one after that. Fire spells deprived the surroundings of oxygen, and the sudden shift when used in conjunction with Ice spells would cause freezing upon any inflicted target. And with her feet frozen, she could use the opportunity to draw in closer, after which Elizabeth could feign a physical attack and unleash a Megidolaon at point-blank range. Even if it did not finish her off, it should at least be enough to inflict considerable damage. Margaret smiled without a sign of worry or doubt on her face. “Well then, come at me however you like. Here I come!” Elizabeth opened her Persona Compendium again, and at that moment— “What are you two doing, Sisters?” Theodore came rushing in from the depths of a hallway off to their side. Both Elizabeth and Margaret turned to Theodore at the same time. “I’m punishing our ill-mannered sister...” “I’m eliminating this phony sister...” “So don’t interfere!!!” they both said at the same time. Margaret and Elizabeth summoned their Personas at the same time. In Elizabeth’s case, Surt, a God of Norse mythology that wielded a sword of flame, whose specialty is Fire spells. As for Margaret, Ara Mitama: a spiritual magatama-shaped Persona that represented aggression. This Persona’s specialty is also Fire magic. With Theodore watching powerlessly, they both cast the same spell. “Maragidyne!” The strongest type of fire magic. Theodore was swallowed by pillars of flame that extended to the heavens. Finely charred, an ash-scented Theodore spoke in a sullen tone. “Look, Sister.” Elizabeth eventually realized— the Margaret in front of her was the real thing.

“I-I see...” Elizabeth informed her siblings of the mystery surrounding the young boy, and how the fake Margaret attacked her. “Elizabeth, are you certain of what you saw?” Considering her younger sister's earlier mistake, Margaret dubiously looks into Elizabeth’s eyes. “I am surprised that you doubt me, Sister.” “And you’re not mistaking it for something else?” Elizabeth arrogantly stressed her point. “I am certain. For anybody with a working pair of eyes it would be plain to see.” Theodore scrunched his face, pondering the situation so far. “You make mention of all of these oddities, but up until now we’ve rarely seen them. It is rather difficult to just take your word for it.” “It does not matter if you believe me or not,” Elizabeth said. “The fact of the matter is that there are multiple forces that we do not know lurking within Monad, and naturally, that is a problem.” Margaret agreed. It was easy for Margaret to empathize with Elizabeth right now. For the rulers of power, it was unforgivable for an impostor to assume their identity to escape from what should be a certain death. Her eyes set, Margaret muttered to herself... “That phony, half-baked imitation... Once I find you, say your prayers. That’s right... with the two of us after you, your fate is sealed!” Elizabeth continued, turning to her brother by her side. “Theo, what made you so rattled to come here anyway?” “Thanks to your earlier battle, Pochi was frightened out of his skin. Are you even aware of just how badly the tremors were affecting Monad? What if the rubble had injured him?“ Theodore was clearly angry. He often got in this way if his pet was endangered. “I don’t think a body like that could be affected by mere rubble.” “Yes, his body can change his form at will, but what about his mask and chain? It would be bad for him if those were to be damaged.” “He can change his form at will?” Elizabeth is blindsided by those words. “...Theo. Were you with Pochi during my battle with our sister's imposter earlier?” “What kind of question is that? I told you already, Pochi was frightened from fighting. Of course I would stay by his side.” “And where is he now? Show me.” “Very well then, follow me.” Theodore turned on his heels. His back facing his sisters, Elizabeth and Margaret followed closely behind. They turned three corners before they reached a dead end, and at the end of the corridor, a large, black figure was laid bare: Pochi. When Elizabeth last saw him, he was about the size of a calf, but now he’s reached the point where he is now comparable to a fully grown cow. Margaret was momentarily taken off guard by the figure. “He’s grown considerably since the last time I saw him.” “That’s because I’ve been pouring my care and adoration into him!” Theodore said boastfully. Elizabeth kept her eyes glued to Pochi, attentively observing him. She abruptly opened her Compendium, revealing the Persona card of Pixie. “Elizabeth?” “Sister, what are you doing?!” Theodore shrieked worriedly. “Please, keep silent and watch.” Elizabeth’s mannerisms indicated that she intended to annihilate the Shadow here and now; she grasped Pixie’s card, and thrust it before Pochi’s white mask. “Reveal your true form. If you do not comply, I will have no choice but to force you to.” Pochi’s sat expressionlessly. He shows no signs of fear, nor any reaction at all for that matter. "Sister, that’s dangerous." "Dangerous? Of course it is. If my judgment is correct, this Shadow will turn into that child, and that false Margar—" In the middle of her words, Pochi extended his body into a tentacle, and swiped the Persona card from Elizabeth's hand. "Ah, wait a moment!" Elizabeth tried for the stolen card, but it was too late. Pochi absorbed the Persona card with a squelch. Theodore grew nervous. "Ah, oh no… I was trying to say that Pochi will eat anything, even though he can only digest Shadow scraps. He even tried to eat my Compendium once. I'm sorry th—" Elizabeth hopped to her feet, without speaking a word to Theodore. She grabbed his collar, and pulled him in close so that their noses touched. “Get him to spit out my Persona card!” “Me!? But, I can’t! We will have to wait for him to spit it out on his own.” “But there’s no guarantee that he will!!!” She gripped his neck and shook him around violently. “Maybe if he cannot eat it, he will spit it back out. He spit out your kinako dish before, after all.” “Are you saying that my kinako is inedible!?” She shook him even more violently in response to his insult. “Nghh…” That was all Theodore could manage. He tried to look away, but Elizabeth lifted him up by his collar. “You have left me no choice. I will just have to blow its head off and take it myself.” Elizabeth took out her Persona Compendium. She chanted, “Deck Open,” and drew the card of Masakado. Masakado is a Persona named after an ancient military commander worshiped as a god, able to use a powerful Megidolaon, just like Pixie. “Prepare yourself. It looks like your luck has finally run out.” Sensing her anger, Pochi screamed, shaking in cowardice. He turned to his owner, hoping for salvation, but Theodore could do nothing but look away from him. Margaret placed a hand on Elizabeth’s shoulder. “Stop.” “… Why?” “A Megidolaon will completely obliterate him…” “Exactly.” “… and your Persona card along with it.” “Oh,” she muttered in realization. Persona cards could be used like shuriken if thrown well, but otherwise were very physically weak. Margaret seemed largely unsympathetic. “What would happen if the Persona card lost its magic? Does the Persona become unbound from the card, or does it disappear along with it? I would love to know the answer…” Elizabeth returned only silence. Any act that would risk the loss of a Persona was completely idiotic. “… You have escaped death. This time.” Elizabeth truly wanted her card back, but she accepted within her heart the chance of loss. At the same time, Theodore regained consciousness, blinking “Huh…? Oh no… Pochi isn’t doing it… Sister!” He performed a combat roll, sandwiching himself between Elizabeth and Pochi. Elizabeth looked down at her brother, with his arms outspread in order to protect his pet. “I do not plan to hurt him, Theo. However, try to get my card back as soon as possible, and bring it back to me. Until then, you are not allowed to come to the Velvet Room.” It was an unreasonable request, but Theodore had a wide smile on his face. He reached out to caress Pochi's mask. "Oh thank goodness you're safe! It was a one in a thousand… no, a one in a million chance!" Elizabeth turned away from Theodore’s overjoyed face. “I cannot stand you. I am going to leave.” After a few steps, she stopped. She realized Margaret was not following her. “… Are you not coming with me?” Margaret stared at Pochi, answering: “I came here to see how the child was. I’ll take care of him for a while before I go.” It looked like Margaret came to Monad to visit Pochi. “I will see you later, then.” Elizabeth looked over her siblings. They were devoted to nurturing and caring for this simple little pet. It was an act of love to them. Without speaking further, Elizabeth returned to the Velvet Room alone.

The Pixie entry in her Compendium was now empty, likely because the card was lost. Perhaps the card would come back on its own, Elizabeth thought. She placed a bookmark made of platinum on Pixie’s page, and opened and closed the book over and over to check. But no matter how many times she checked, Pixie’s spot remained blank. Every time, Elizabeth became more and more discouraged. Elizabeth opened and closed the Compendium once again. She sighed. “It does not work that way,” said Igor. “There are some times that I feel blue, Master.” Igor and Elizabeth were the only ones in the Velvet Room. Theodore had still not returned. Margaret had appeared once, but then swiftly went back to the Vision Quest room. She briefly detailed the challenge of Vision Quest. There was more than just one trial; the room contained thirteen doors— behind each was a powerful enemy that Margaret had prepared for SEES to fight. If they defeat all of the enemies, the door to the final trial would appear. “They’re better than I had expected, those children. They have cleared more than half of the doors. At this rate, they will be finished by the end of January.” Margaret smiled. She was no doubt impressed by SEES’s combat abilities. “It is nearly that time.” Elizabeth glanced at the door leading to Tartarus. She felt that there was someone at the entrance. “You’re here!” “That is correct.” The door slowly opened, revealing the SEES leader girl. She was currently wearing her Gekkoukan High uniform. “Good evening. I have not heard from you in quite a while.” The girl smiled as she stared at the table at the center of the room. Suddenly, her expression changed. She frowned slightly, looking at Elizabeth. “Are you okay? You look a bit depressed.” “It is nothing— do not worry. How may I help you today?” “Well…” She took out a plastic bag out of her uniform pocket, and placed it on the table. Inside the bag was a button coated in a grimy, reddish-black liquid. “This is it, right? The Bloody Button.” “Allow me to take a look.” Elizabeth approached the table and picked up the bag. There was no doubt; it was a Bloody Button, only obtainable by defeating the Reaper. She felt a tingling sensation creep down her spine. It was not fear; it was delight. Excitement. “So, you’ve defeated the Reaper, have you? Most impressive,” she said, trying to contain herself. “You are approaching the level of strength I hoped you’d achieve.” Her expression turned serious. “I have waited so very long for the answer, in this room where time does not flow. If you could please give it to me…” “Answer?” Elizabeth ignored her question, and pulled out a white paper packet from her dress and placed it on the table. It was about 15cm lengthwise, 7cm tall, and nearly 5cm thick. “Please accept your reward. I have prepared these Japanese banknotes, worth five hundred thousand yen.” The girl’s eyes got even bigger. “Th-That much!?” “You performed well enough to receive even more than this amount. I hope it may prove useful to you for the final battle.” “But—” She began to stammer. “If I have this much, I can afford Sanada-san’s butler outfit and Mitsuru-san’s maid outfit…” Butler outfits. Maid outfits. Elizabeth wondered why the girl would want something so strange. The girl began muttering about buying weapons and armor before laughing apologetically. “Can I really have this?” “Please, do not hesitate. If you do not take it, it will be difficult to fulfill the next request.” “Huh?” The girl seemed confused. You said the other day that defeating the Reaper was the most difficult request. Is it not the last one?” Elizabeth shook her head. “I have one more request for you. The ultimate unreasonable demand, so to speak.” “Unreasonable demand?” “Yes. If you return to the lobby, you will notice that a new door has appeared. Beyond that door is a labyrinth known as Monad Depths, filled with Shadows stronger than even those at the top of Tartarus.” Her expression tightened as she said the word “Shadow.” She continued: “The strongest opponent awaits at the top of that labyrinth. I ask that you defeat it alone.” Elizabeth’s face reflected in the girl’s eyes. Elizabeth thought to herself, “This girl. She might already know who this final opponent is. But, her kindness… If she cannot fight alongside her companions, she might refuse this request. If she does, I…” She felt a familiar pain in her chest. But it all went away again when she saw the girl’s smile. “Alright. The top of the labyrinth? Sounds difficult. But we have to work harder than ever before! I won’t lose to anything. “Thank you for accepting the request.” She bowed deeply, then asked a question. “Do you have any other business to take care of today?” “Yeah, I should get going. Well, I’ll be back!” She waved a little, then exited the Velvet Room. Elizabeth could feel multiple moving away from the entrance of Tartarus. It looked like SEES was going back to the dormitory. Once they had left, Igor opened his mouth. “Finally, Elizabeth.” “Yes, Master.” “I know that you will be able to grant my wish.” Elizabeth stared at the door in front of her, as a heat grew in her chest.

Theodore was at a loss with Pochi, who had still not spat out Pixie’s Persona card. He carried his Persona Compendium, along with a furoshiki wrap full of Shadow scrap for Pochi, to the ninth floor of Monad. “Did Pochi really digest the Persona card? If so… who knows what Sister will do to me…” Theodore shivered at the thought. “I can only hope that feeding him will get him to cough it up eventually.” Because he had left Monad earlier, the floor structure had changed. Theodore instinctively searched through the darkness for Pochi. Normally, he would have found him already, but this time he was hard to find. “That’s odd. Where did he go…? This feeling…” Theodore sensed a battle in the distance; it felt awfully one-sided. “It can’t be…! Sister has lost her temper, and is trying to take her Card out of Pochi!” He dropped his furoshiki and grabbed his Compendium, running towards the signs of battle. The sounds grew louder with each corner he passed. He could not help but imagine the gruesome battle, what with the sounds of bones crushing and the moist sounds of torn flesh. “Please be safe, Pochi!!!” With a desperate wish, he rushed into the dead end where the battle took place. “Are you okay!?” The sight took him aback. Fragments of white samurai outfits and Japanese swords were scattered all around. Red and black mush caked the floor as well; the black stuff vaguely resembled the shape of a human. It took Theodore a moment to realize that these were the eaten remains of Tenjin Musha. His pet had preyed upon these Shadows like a savage beast. The remains of the Tenjin Musha turned into a dark light and disappeared. Pochi lurked through the red liquid. He made a growling sound when he saw Theodore, and he looked at him quizzically. Theodore reflexively took a step back, ready to open his Compendium, unconsciously assuming a fighting stance. "Did I feel… danger, just now? Pochi, what in the…" "You're my friend." Theodore heard a voice coming from somewhere. It was a young boy's voice. "You found me. You love me. You helped me grow." An odd light appeared in Theodore's eyes. His pupils seemed to open, and he had a vacant look about him. "That's right. I raised Pochi. Cute, so cute, my Pochi…" "Then I'm your friend." "Yes. You're my friend." Theodore began to act more like himself, though his eyes still shone weirdly. "I brought you some food. I left it over there, so you should go eat." Pochi emerged from the red liquid and crawled across the floor, shifting the Tenjin Musha's renaming bits around. Theodore did not notice it at first; Pochi was now strong enough to defeat Monad Shadows. He did not think much further on that fact. "Oh, Pochi. You are so cute." Behind Theodore, a figure appeared from the darkness in the passage. Elizabeth. "What a relaxed face. How is my Persona card?" The look in her golden eyes was of pure irritation. "Ah, Sister. I'm sorry, I still have not gotten your Persona card yet." Unusually, Elizabeth just smiled. Something was off about Theodore. The irritation in her eyes changed into suspicion. "Theo?" "What is it, Sister?" Elizabeth stared at him. After a long silence, she answered: "Nothing in particular. More importantly, Theo, people from SEES will be coming and going from Monad starting now. You are not allowed to be seen by them. Please make an effort to stay out of their way." "I see. Well, I'll go to the lower levels of Tartarus, since SEES will not be visiting much. Come on, Pochi, let's go." Pochi swiftly crawled away, with Theodore following behind. They did not realize that Elizabeth watched them with a suspicious look.

It had been about ten days since SEES began visiting Monad. Knowing it was about that time, Elizabeth headed for Monad. She checked the ninth floor, but Theordore and Pochi were not there; it seemed they moved to somewhere else like they said. “Don’t get in the way,” she wished, heading for the tenth floor. Unlike the floors before it, the tenth floor was not a maze. In the corner sat a strange glowing device— a teleporter to the entrance of Tartarus. Elizabeth approached the back of the area, and turned on her heels. She looked around. It was a good place for a battle, spacious enough for her to fight to her heart’s content. Elizabeth closed her eyes, suppressing that feeling growing inside of her. How often did she do that? At the sound of approaching footsteps, Elizabeth opened her eyes. The one she yearned for was there: the leader of SEES. Her upswept burgundy hair complimented her usual Gekkoukan High uniform. She came equipped with a gun holster on her belt, which contained her summoning device. She held a naginata in one of her hands. Elizabeth felt her blood boil, filling her with the same ecstasy she felt in battle. “She is just standing there with a weapon, and yet she fills me with so much joy. She is more important to me than anyone else, after all.” Thinking of what was about to occur, Elizabeth feigned a lack of emotion. The girl stood at a distance so that they were just out of reach of another. After a second, she was surprised. She opened her mouth, but immediately closed it; she was at a loss for words. Elizabeth gave her a small bow. “I have been waiting for you. The adversary I asked you to defeat is now standing before you.” The girl remained silent. Elizabeth continued: “Yes… I am referring to myself.” The girl shivered. She did not understand. “I have long sought an understanding of who I am… just as you and my master have done. Those who set foot in the Velvet Room are all destined to embark on this search for identity.” Elizabeth paused for just a moment. “I am one who rules over power, as well as controls it. Therefore, if I encounter one whose power exceeds mine, I may be able to find the answer— I may be able to find myself.” She crept one step closer. “You may be able to give me that answer… Will you help me?” After a long silence, she nodded. She replied with just one word: “Yes.” “You have my thanks.” Elizabeth bowed deeply. She finally showed the girl her smile. “Well then… let us begin!” Elizabeth’s fantasy had finally begun. The girl slammed one foot in front of the other, holding her naginata with the blade near the floor. Elizabeth opened her Compendium. “Deck Open. Draw, Persona card.” The Persona she chose for her opening was Surt. “I make my living as an elevator attendant, but I know several effective ways of inflicting pain. Don’t worry, I’m not as fragile as I look.” Surt released an explosion— Maragidyne, a spell that engulfed a wide area around her in flame. It was a fire attack that could not be avoided. However, the girl stood there, unaffected. “It can’t be…! She avoided that attack without defending herself?” Elizabeth was astonished. The girl pulled out her summoning device, shaped like a gun, out of its holster. Within the raging flames, she placed the muzzle against her temple. Her bulletless summoning device brought on a simulated experience of death. By feeling so close to death, the Persona user is able to extract the mask from their soul to fight. She pulled the trigger. Her neck lurched violently, as if she had been shot. Fragments like pale ice gushed out of her head. They turned into light, in which something manifested. She was the leader of SEES— the Wild Card. Her will was able to summon many different Personas. “Which Persona did you choose…?” The girl had killed herself, in a sense; she wondered what kind of Persona that would result in. She called out the Persona’s name: “Titania!” A fairy queen from Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, and the wife of the fairy king Oberon. The Persona waved the hem of her dress as she floated in the air. Elizabeth felt a cold air creeping up from her feet. Just after she noticed, her body was wrapped in ice, impeding her movements. It was the highest level of ice magic, Niflheim. Ordinarily, Titania could not learn Niflheim. However, by fusing multiple Persona together in the Velvet Room into one Persona, it may be able to learn spells that it could not normally acquire. She had prepared Titania with Niflheim in preparation for this request. “I helped create this Titania…” Delight ran through Elizabeth’s body just as fast as the damage did. Elizabeth, who was using Surt, shared the same characteristics as her Persona. Ice attacks were effective against Surt, and so Elizabeth suffered a large amount of damage. “You were just as I expected.” The girl ran at the frozen Elizabeth with her naginata. A streak of light emanated from the tip of her naginata. Just as the blade was about to strike, Elizabeth smashed through the block of ice. In her free hand, she grabbed the handle of the naginata. The blade stopped just above her small hat. The girl was shocked. In the meantime, Elizabeth struck the girl’s side using her Compendium. “I apologize in advance.” The girl’s delicate body just managed to move out of the way. She fell back onto her feet, immediately preparing herself again. Elizabeth took a breath of admiration. “You leapt out of the way in order to minimize the damage… How wonderful.” Genuine glee shone in her eyes. However, she quickly shook her head and returned to her expressionless self. She threw their friendship aside in favor of the battle; she wanted to study her power. She regained her determination. Elizabeth was thankful for that. She wanted to see her tears.

“Try to kill me… if you can.” Her body shook in unadulterated euphoria as she opened her Compendium again.

How many times they summoned their Personas, how many times they swung at one another with an intent to kill, neither of them knew. They only knew two things— they were still standing, but so was their opponent. They still maintained their distance. The girl would not be able to hit her with her naginata at this range, so she would have to go for a spell attack. Elizabeth had accumulated fatigue and damage from the battle. She thought, “You will wake up from this dream eventually.” She wanted to continue this battle forever. That was all that she wanted. But Elizabeth knew that it would never happen. “This battle will continue to be prolonged this way. I cannot live in my dreams forever.” Elizabeth opened her Compendium. She pulled her trump card— her only Persona that could cast Megidolaon now that Pixie was gone, Masakado. “Now… I give you the Grand Finale!” The girl braced herself in preparation. Don’t run away. Don’t be scared. Shrug off every attack. Elizabeth could understand her will. She squinted; she never expected for them to be in this situation when they first met. They met on the other side in spring. Now it was already midwinter. In that time, her power had increased to the point where she could stand up against a ruler of power. “How hard have you worked for this? Can a person from the other side be so strong? Is it that you draw your power from the bonds of your friends, rather than just you alone?” The girl fought alongside SEES, of which Elizabeth had never met the other members. She could envision them— a dignified girl with long red hair; a boy in a red vest with a strong sense of justice; a peppy girl with a pale pink jacket; an easy-going boy with a baseball cap; a timid-looking girl with short-cut hair; a wise little boy, who was much younger than the rest; a strange-looking white dog. An anti-Shadow weapon, which was designed to imitate humans and had gained a heart; a tall, mature boy with a darkness in his eyes, dressed in a slender coat. Elizabeth felt that there were many others which she fought for— an old couple, a little girl, her classmates, a sick boy, a sly businessman, a misguided monk, a young boy in a prisoner’s outfit and a lonely boy with a scarf. It was all just an illusion, but she could feel them all standing behind her. “With all of those behind her, she will blow me away…” She declared in a booming voice, “This power can kill even the Reaper in a single blow! Please, try to withstand its brilliance!!!” She flipped Masakado’s card in the air with her finger. His face was painted like a kabuki actor, with red accents. He let out a battlecry, like a whole country embroiled in war. A large star-like sphere grew in the air between the two combatants: the initial stage of Megidolaon. The girl reached a hand out into the air just before the light exploded. A card appeared— like a Persona card, but different. Elizabeth did not recognize it. The girl picked the card up and raised it into the air. “Vishnu! Ananta! Infinity!!!” The first two were the names of two Personas. The third was likely the name of a spell. That was all Elizabeth knew. She had no idea what effect it would have. She was astonished. Two Personas appeared from the girl’s card, and they turned into light. This technique of summoning two Personas at once was called a Fusion Spell. It was a way of using powers that even the rulers of power did not know. One of the Personas used was Vishnu, a Hindu deity which took the shape of a man. The other was Ananta, a Persona shaped like a cobra, with seven heads coming from one body, another Hindu deity. The two Personas shone above her head. Countless strings of light ran around the girl. A net of light formed around her. Just after, Elizabeth’s Megidolaon exploded. The golden flames stormed with a force that transformed the space itself into nothingness. Only the Persona user who cast the spell could possibly withstand it. Anything and everything would be incinerated by this flame. The explosions raged on with shock waves and large roaring sounds. Elizabeth gasped, seeing what was within the flames. Despite being directly hit by the Megidolaon, the girl was completely unharmed. The net of light faded away. Elizabeth finally understood the effects of Infinity: completely invulnerability; nullifying all attacks. “If that’s how it is…” She threw open her Compendium again in order to summon Masakado again. The girl drew another card. “It can’t be… Another Infinity?” She feared yet another round of invulnerability, but she heard a different Persona’s name. “Lucifer! Satan! Armageddon!!!” Lucifer, a Persona with six pure-white wings, which governed all angels; and Satan, a Persona with six transparent wings, which governed all demons. They each appeared in light above the girl. Armageddon— the name of the battlefield featured in the New Testament. All good and evil would battle there. Angels and demons would destroy one another. Holy light gathered in Lucifer’s palm. Dark lightning emanated from Satan’s gaping maw. Lucifer and Satan shone together to defeat one another. The light of good and the light of evil collided, and scattered into a large explosion of purple energy. As its brilliance engulfed all of the darkness around her, Elizabeth realized that she had been defeated.

After the light of Armageddon dissipated, Elizabeth remained standing. She had taken so much damage that she was about to collapse, but she remained as composed as ever, smiling quietly. “A-Are you okay?” The girl began running up to her. Elizabeth stopped her by raising her palm. “I… am not okay. I have been utterly defeated. But do not worry; I will not die.” The girl looked relieved. Elizabeth stared at her calm face. “It was very nice to meet you.” “I… I believed that I would find my answer when I challenged someone who was stronger than me… But I was wrong. I have received no such revelation, not even in defeat.” Elizabeth looked downwards and shook her head slightly. “Wait… I am mistaken… The answer is this: Only I can tell who I am. Only I can decide who I am.” She looked back up. “Now, I believe congratulations are in order. You have overcome the most difficult obstacle I’ve placed in your path. You shall receive your reward the same as always.” She began to pull out the platinum bookmark from her Persona Compendium. “Please accept this as well.” “What is it?” She stared at the bookmark, then back at Elizabeth. “It is no reward… It is a sign of gratitude.” The girl now understood. “You don’t have to ask twice. I’ll gladly cherish it.” “Well then, good day.” The girl looked surprised at Elizabeth’s sudden farewell. “Why don’t we go back to the entrance together?” “No. I would like to stay here for a while and contemplate. Your friends are waiting for you. Please, go join them.” She waited for just a moment, then looked back at Elizabeth. “Well, see ya. Back in the Velvet Room.” Elizabeth bowed deeply. “Yes. I will see you again in the Velvet Room.” The girl waved goodbye, and then walked towards the teleporter. Elizabeth bowed. “Thank you very much for your time.” “No, thank you. Well, I’ll be going now.” She waved again, and activated the teleporter. After she disappeared, Elizabeth rose up. She muttered, “The destruction of Nyx is inevitable. We will not have time to visit anymore.” During the battle, she saw in the girl’s eyes an unwavering determination to fight, and the resolve to never lose, no matter what. Her eyes said a lot. The battle with Nyx was near. Velvet Room attendants could do very little to help. Elizabeth could not fight alongside her. She could only support her from the shadows. “May there be no obstacles in the way to your answer. If anything does, I will pave the way for you.” Elizabeth sighed. “You were certainly strong… I am glad that I was able to battle you in my life.”