Persona 3 Portable: Velvet Blue - Chapter 5

V: Near Death

“That Vision Quest was a fruitful experience.”

A short amount of time had passed since Elizabeth and Margaret’s battles. Margaret was reflecting on her previous happenings. SEES successfully completed all of her trials in Vision Quest.

“The girl and her companions are certainly worth their salt.” Margaret looked quite content.

Elizabeth responded haughtily, “Of course they are. She is a guest of this Velvet Room. She has earned even Master’s approval. It is only natural.” She stood proudly, with one hand on her chest.

Elizabeth’s face was light and boisterous, but her sister's face shifted to a more serious expression. “Now that that has been dealt with, I can fully devote myself to hunting my imposter.”

“That’s right!” That reminded her… After the fake ambushed her in Monad, Elizabeth never looked for it further. Her sister said that she would focus on the imposter, but Elizabeth wanted to find the mysterious young boy; she still had yet to see him again.

“Oh?” Igor said, seated behind the table as usual, taking an interest in the topic at hand. “Does such a thing truly exist?”

“Yes, Master. Elizabeth was attacked by it fairly recently.”

“Hmmm… A young boy, and an imposter pretending to be Margaret, both lurking in Monad… An unknown actor seems to be at play. I can only hope that they do not interfere with our guest.” Igor glanced at Elizabeth.

“I will not let you be a hindrance… No matter who or what you are, if you get in her way it will mark your end. This very Compendium will do it.” A fire lit in her eyes— a premonition of an oncoming battle.

“D-Do as you like,” Igor said, taken aback. “Also, what has Theodore been up to? He has not been back here in some time.”

“That’s true, now that I think about it,” Margaret chimed in.

Elizabeth opened her mouth again. “When our guest and her friends began to visit Monad, I told Theodore and his pet to stay in Tartarus instead. I have not seen him since.”

“Hmm,” Igor wondered, “It’s a little concerning that he has been gone for so long. He’s still a ruler of power, so there’s no reason to worry. Though, maybe it would be best if you both showed him some sympathy once in a while.”

“Are you saying that we should be worried about him then?”

“Naturally, considering how affectionate you two are.” Igor’s gaze alternated between Elizabeth and Margaret. Beads of sweat began to run down his face. “Though I suppose your definition of affection is different from mine.”

“Did you say something master?” Elizabeth said.

“It seems as if he was trying to accuse us of something,” followed Margaret. “Surely, I must be mistaken.”

They both stared at Igor. He turned away reflexively. “A-Anyway, what has become of those Persona users that entered Tartarus?”

A while ago, Igor and Elizabeth sensed two Persona users— not SEES, but something entirely separate. It seemed that they were still in Tartarus, even now. Were they lost to the labyrinth? Or have they perhaps fallen prey to the Shadows? In any case, the answer was unknown. If they were regular people, Elizabeth would have contacted SEES’s leader, but this was a special case. Considering that they were not guests of the Velvet Room, Igor was under no obligation to help them. And besides that, these Persona Users seemed to be quite powerful; they should be able to handle Tartarus.

Igor’s eyes returned to the two sisters. “Theodore may be aware of them, but he has still yet to return… What could he be doing?”

“If you do not mind, I may go see for myself.” Elizabeth walked to the door.

Margaret soon followed. “I’ll go with you. Theo may have some information on the fake.”

However, the moment Elizabeth put her hand on the doorknob, an intense aura came over them. A heavy presence lies behind the door: a hostile one, one of malice.

“This feeling,” Igor commented, “It's not like a normal Shadow…” His face twisted in unease.

Margaret looked down at her empty hand, her fist clenched into a ball.

“It seems that my body has reacted on its own.”

Elizabeth released her hand from the doorknob. She slipped off her glove; it was covered in sweat. “This aura… who could it be coming from?” She wiped her hand with her handkerchief, and put her glove back on. At that moment, she saw in her mind Theodore’s face.

“It’s coming from—!” Margaret and Elizabeth exchanged brief glances. It looked like she had come to the same conclusion as Elizabeth— that the energy, the source of the malevolent aura, resembled Theodore’s.

Elizabeth and Margaret threw their gazes upon Igor.

“Well, well, it seems that our foolish brother has gone and done something stupid.”

“But don’t worry. Naturally, as his older sisters, we’ll have to give him some thorough discipline.”

Igor’s elbows rested on his table, his mouth covered by his hands. “Theodore is not the threat here, rather what lurks within him. Be careful.”

‘Be careful’. It was the first time that Igor had said those words. For the rulers of power to be faced with such a threatening opponent, the sisters felt a sense of elation.

Elizabeth shook in anticipation. A thin smile formed on Margaret's lips.

“I see. It seems like this could be interesting.”

“This could be difficult… but it’ll be fine. The Dark Hour will begin soon. Let’s settle this before your guest arrives.”

“Of course,” Elizabeth said in agreement.

“Well then…”

Elizabeth opened the door. The two were faced with a strong wave of pressure. Undaunted, the two went through the door. They were now left in the center of Tartarus’ entrance hall.

A blue-clad man stood at the base of the stairs that led to the labyrinth of Tartarus. “Ah, Sisters!” Theodore exclaimed in a superficially polite tone. “My apologies for not speaking with you recently.” A faint dark haze covered his body, and his golden eyes possessed an uncharacteristically strong glow. “I am indebted to the two of you for everything up until now. However, as of tonight, I shall formally make my departure from the Velvet Room.”

Elizabeth’s eyes narrowed. Anger filled her body. “I do not understand what you are saying. ‘Leaving the Velvet Room?’ Did I hear you correctly?” She scowled at him.

However, Theodore, who would normally be stunned silent, instead responded nonchalantly. “You heard correctly. I am leaving the Velvet Room.”

All who visit the Velvet Room are fated to partake in a journey to find their true selves. It is only once their journey has been fulfilled that they may leave.

Margaret frowned. “So, you’ve found your answer, it seems.”

Theodore exaggeratedly spread his arms out wide, looking high up to the ceiling of the entrance. “That’s right! I have found my answer, to which I can fully pledge my allegiance!!” Theodore’s voice bellowed throughout Tartarus’ Entrance. “The greatest entity, that will bring indiscriminate destruction to this world. The one I serve is Nyx!”

“Nyx…” Elizabeth muttered. She had first heard that name from the girl SEES, then later again from Igor. Theodore was not present at the time, and neither she nor Igor have ever mentioned the name since. How did Theodore know of Nyx, let alone what Nyx was even capable of?

“How do you know that name, Theo?”

Theodore turns to Elizabeth, his crazed eyes. “That is unimportant, Sister. All that is important is that Nyx is coming tonight, at the highest point of Tartarus!!!”

Elizabeth gathered her strength into her hand wielding her Persona Compendium.

“So, Nyx will appear tonight…” she thought to herself. “If that is the case, then SEES will soon be here to face her in their final battle.”

“Theo, I don’t believe y—”

“There’s no need for pointless conjecture, Sisters. That’s right, I won't let anybody interfere with Nyx’s advent! I will put an end to SEES’s plans right here, at this very entrance hall!” Theodore laughed maniacally to himself, indulging in his own brilliance.

“I won’t let that happen, Theodore.” Elizabeth said. But her words went ignored by her brother, as he continued to laugh more and more.

Margaret scowled. She chuckled slightly. “You’ve been possessed, haven’t you?”

Pochi, the Maya that Theodore had been keeping as a pet, was nowhere to be seen. “It might be possible that hunting and eliminating Pochi will bring Theodore back to his senses,” Elizabeth considered. However, there was no time to think about that.

Behind Theodore, Monad’s door flew open on its own. “I will not let you two stand in my way! These Shadows will be your opponents!” A flood of bodies emerged from Monad’s door— many high-level Shadows, including the Tenjin Musha and Void Giants. Even more followed behind them. Shadows of this caliber were no threat in small numbers, but even the most formidable opponent could be beaten by a swarm of ants if they had the numbers advantage. However, in response to the oncoming swarm flooding her vision, all Elizabeth did was smile Margaret did the same..

“Elizabeth, let's go. Are you prepared?”

“I am always ready. I am fully prepared for battle.” With that, they opened their Persona Compendiums at the same time.

Elizabeth’s choice of Persona was “Masakado.” As for Margaret, she summoned “Oberon,” the Fairy King, and husband to Titania, which the SEES leader currently used.

Wearing a set of plain white Japanese robes, with a large sword hanging by his hip, Masakado took his form in front of Elizabeth. As for Margaret, Oberon appeared wearing a black crown on his head and with swallowtail wings on his back, which popped out of his regal red attire that covers his upper body.

“Megidolaon!!!” Margaret and Elizabeth spoke in unison. Two balls of light formed directly above the oncoming swarm of Shadows that poured from Monad’s door. The two spheres immediately burst. The golden flames fill the entire entrance, roaring and dancing as if to turn the entire contract to ash. But that was just the rising curtain for the battle. No matter how many Shadows fell, more continued to pour from the door.

“There is no end to them!”

Elizabeth summoned Surt and burned down several Grand Maguses with Maragidyne, which were weak to fire. Immediately after came a set of three bizarre-looking Shadows that could only be described as walking European-style forts. Three King Castles trod over the incinerated Shadows’ corpses. Their size was comparable to the Void Giants.

A new Persona Card appeared from Elizabeth’s Compendium: Cu Chulainn, a Persona named after a Celtic mythological hero. Elizabeth summoned him, a young man with a handsome face, equipped with a spear that called forth winds strong enough to blow down any foe. The tip of his spear did not strike the King Castles. Instead, they called forth a gust of wind. The gale strengthened, turning into a tornado. This tornado was a high-level magic spell: Magarudyne, a wind spell that the castles were weak to.

The torrents engulfed the three King Castles, swallowing them whole. The Shadows twisted and contorted, and squeezed until they shattered. But yet again, right after that followed more Shadows— five Void Giants.

“They truly don’t let up.” With a click of her tongue, Elizabeth took a step back, but she bumped into something behind her. She looked over her shoulder and saw her sister.

“Are you okay, Elizabeth?” Margaret asked.

“I am perfectly well, but these Shadows are becoming tiresome to deal with.”

“What a coincidence. Dealing with these insects has become boring for me too.”

They both spoke forcefully, showing that they still had life in them. Even so, their faces were dripping with sweat. Personas could not be used endlessly without repercussions. They are the power of one's soul; the more the Persona is used, the more the soul is strained. Elizabeth, alongside her fellow ruler of power, naturally possessed an extraordinary level of mental fortitude compared to normal Persona Users. Regardless, they would be exhausted if they continued to fight the Shadows without end.

Little by little, the Shadows began to increase in number and surrounded Elizabeth and Margaret, waiting for their opportunity to attack all at once. Elizabeth started to worry. The Shadows were no threat to her, but what concerned her was how long they had before the Dark Hour arrived. She began to wonder how long it would be before the others arrived. Theodore earlier said that Nyx would be arriving shortly. That meant that SEES would certainly be coming to Tartarus tonight as well.

The girl needed to be able to face Nyx without any distractions or fears. To that end, Elizabeth needed to wipe out all of the Shadows as quickly as possible. She considered what to do, then it came to her. Elizabeth remembered a special ability that she witnessed during her own battle with the girl.

“I have a proposal. “

“What is it then?”

“Can you summon Lucifer right now?” Lucifer, the being that governs over all angels. Elizabeth had never seen Margaret summon him before. Just as Elizabeth used specific Personas depending on the situation, Margaret did the same. However, any Persona listed within the Persona Compendium could be summoned at will.

Margaret nodded. “No problem. But what exactly is your plan? Lucifer is certainly a powerful Persona, but even he isn’t a guaranteed trump card in this situation.”

“No. It will be our trump card. I will summon Satan at the exact same time. It is essential that we summon them simultaneously. I will try to match you.”

“Understood. Let’s go!” Margaret raised her voice, flipping through her Compendium. Elizabeth also flipped through hers, looking for Satan’s entry, and made a card appear before her. Margaret flipped to Lucifer’s entry, and held her hand up in the air. The two did not look at each other, but could still understand one another’s intentions while standing back-to-back.

“Come, Lucifer!”

“Come out, Satan!”

Lucifer’s pure white wings appeared above Margaret. At the same time, the transparent wings of Satan appeared above Elizabeth. These two diametrically opposed Personas were close enough to touch one another's wings. They moved away from each other so they could each outstretch their wings. An orb of light formed in Lucifer's hand, aimed at Satan. Satan opened his mouth at Lucifer; a gathering of dark purple energy formed in his throat.

The orb of light and the dark energy were released at the same time. The lights collided right above Maragert and Elizabeth. At that moment, Elizabeth grabbed Margaret's hand and pulled the two of them behind a nearby Void Giant; she planned to use its tough stone body as a shield.

An explosion of light engulfed the entirety of Tartarus's entrance, drowning out all sound. A Fusion Spell— a technique which makes two simultaneously summoned Personas interact. The SEES girl had done this technique by herself, but Elizabeth was able to create a Fusion Spell with the help of Margaret. Armageddon, the same spell that had defeated Elizabeth before, eradicated each and every Shadow, leaving not even one atom in its wake. After the light faded, no Shadow remained. It seemed the spell even reached through Monad's open door; no new Shadows came out.

"… How amazing." Margaret said, stupefied.

"That is a power that she showed me. If two Personas that have some sort of connection are summoned simultaneously, they will interact in a special way, it seems."

"I did not expect it to work as well as it did…" Elizabeth kept that part unsaid. She looked around. The only ones still in the entrance were Elizabeth and Margaret; Theodore was nowhere to be seen.

"I do not think he would be defeated, even by that attack." Elizabeth frantically looked around.

Margaret noticed something moving in the shadows. "Elizabeth!" As soon as it came out of the darkness, she pushed Elizabeth out of the way.

Countless black tendrils grew out of the floor and pierced Margaret's body.

“What!?” Elizabeth slammed open her Compendium, drawing several cards. She threw them like shurikens, which cut through the tendrils that wrapped around Margaret before returning to Elizabeth’s Compendium. Margaret suddenly collapsed forward. The tendrils disappeared into dust. Before helping her sister, Elizabeth drew another Persona card in preparation: Thor, a Persona named after a Nordic deity who specializes in lightning. A rugged man in a white cloak appeared, and called down a rain of lightning. A thunderous mallet slammed into the Shadow Elizabeth, turning it into a puddle. The puddle moved across the room incredibly quickly with a horrifying squelch, dodging the lightning strikes.

The dark ooze began to congeal into a new form— a small young boy, with a face like white porcelain; the boy Elizabeth met in Monad.

“Ah. We meet again.”

“So you are an evil being after all?” Elizabeth tried to move toward Margaret, while being mindful of the boy.

Margaret got up to her knees, and reached for Elizabeth’s hand. She picked up a Persona card that was laying around: Pixie. Instantly, a person in the shape of a small fairy appeared. A faint light wrapped around Margaret as she used a healing spell. She stood up with a heavy breath. Injuries that would have killed a normal human disappeared with no trace; even the holes in her clothes disappeared.

“You did well.” Margaret stared at the boy.

“Don’t, Sister! It will break my heart!” Pushing open the doors of Tartarus, Theodore stood at the top of the staircase.

"Theo!?" Elizabeth yelled in amazement.

"You're late." The boy’s eyes shone with a mysterious light.

Margaret’s body jerked suddenly. She slowly turned to Elizabeth, holding her Compendium above her head with a trembling hand. “Elizabeth… Watch out…!”

Sensing that something was amiss, Elizabeth jumped out of the way. Where her head was just a moment ago, Margaret brought down her Compendium with the violent force of an iron mallet— instead of hitting her sister’s head, though, the book continued to go down, and finally hit Margaret in the stomach. She keeled over, clutching her torso.

“… Were you being manipulated?”

Margaret raised her head. Her face was covered in sweat. Her mind was almost taken over by the boy. She was able to overcome his mental interference by hitting herself with her Compendium.

The boy shrugged with regret. “Ahh, it looks like it was weak. Margaret never liked me as much as Theodore, so I guess it can’t be helped. She never did care for me much.”

Care. With that one word, Elizabeth figured it all out.

“You. You’re Pochi, aren’t you?”

“Correct.” The boy’s figure distorted and increased in size. It became a Maya-like Shadow, the size of a cow.

Elizabeth stared at him without letting her guard down. She felt confused. “I do not understand… You must have been with Theodore as Pochi this whole time.” Both when Elizabeth first met the boy, and when she fought the fake Margaret, Pochi was with Theodore. She knew this for herself. It was an undeniable fact.

“It was a simple trick,” Pochi said in a muffled childlike voice. “This form is made out of viscous mucus.” Suddenly, Pochi’s body cleaved into two parts with a squelch. The new part was about a quarter of the size of his normal body, while the main body was now three-quarters the size. “My body can easily be divided. One of these halves can easily serve as a decoy.”

The smaller lump inflated like a balloon, forming a mask and chains like the real Pochi. Meanwhile, the main body transformed into Theodore. “I simply remotely control the decoy to make it act like a pet. Only a fool would fall for such an easy trick.”

Elizabeth gritted her teeth. A fool. She could not deny that. But she could not afford to be angry with herself right now.

Pochi continued talking. “It’s all thanks to Theodore. I am very grateful to him for raising me. That’s why I absorbed his power instead of killing him.” Since he had absorbed Theodore’s power, Elizabeth and the others mistook Pochi’s aura for their brother’s.

“But my gratitude only goes so far. Everything will be destroyed before long.” Pochi’s two bodies merged into one, becoming the boy once again. His powerful presence was unbefitting of his figure. Elizabeth felt a sharp pain in her body. The nerves in her body cried out in anguish. “What on earth… are you?”

“Me? Well, if I had to name myself… it would be ‘Near Death.’” Pochi— or rather, Near Death, continued. “It was a long time ago. On the other side, before the cherry blossoms even bloomed. A small fragment of end, Death, awakened within a young girl, and sought to bring this land to ruin. But it was unsuccessful— overthrown by the children in the Special Extracurricular Execution Squad.”

Elizabeth suddenly remembered the incident that Near Death mentioned. It was early spring— before the current leader of SEES visited the city. Death, a Shadow much like the Reaper, but with a much more powerful presence, appeared at the entrance of Tartarus, which the senior members of SEES defeated.

“But that was not the end. Is that what you mean?”

“Precisely. I am what remains of the fragment of the end. The existence of my ‘original’ began just a while ago.”

The original. Elizabeth was taken aback by those words. Back in early December, she noticed a death-like presence on the other side for a short time. Theodore said that he found Pochi in Monad shortly afterward.

“Good grief. My brother can never do anything right.”

Elizabeth remained silent, enraged. Near Death kept talking. “That good-natured Theodore found me, and began taking care of me. Were it not for him, I would have been vanquished in Monad. Every Shadow I absorbed made me a bit stronger. Perhaps he got a bit carried away in that regard.”

Near Death changed form again— into the mini-Reaper that Elizabeth had encountered. “I wanted to gain power as quickly as possible, so I tried to eat Elizabeth, but doing so almost got me killed.” Elizabeth cursed herself for letting that Shadow go. She thought she was doing a good deed, but now she wanted to shoot herself with a hundred Megidolaons.

“Why did I not kill you back then…? I do not understand…”

“You saved me on a whim. I had witnessed your power, and I wanted it more and more.” The mini-Reaper’s figure changed into Margaret. It now spoke in Margaret’s voice: “This time, I disguised myself like so, I tried to attack. But it meant that I was going to be attacked again. It was quite scary.”

“You were the one who disguised themselves as me…!” Margaret gritted her teeth, revealing her anger.

Near Death ignored Margaret, and returned to its boy form. It spoke to Elizabeth. “You were quite merciless with your attacks… What a nice sister you are.”

“Why, thank you.”

“Hmph. Well, then. I absorbed a lot of a ruler of power’s life force, thanks to Theodore— but I’m sure he doesn’t mind. He’s my friend, after all, right?” An odd light gleamed in Near Death’s eyes. Margaret looked away immediately. Elizabeth just stared back at the boy, wordlessly.

“It doesn’t work on Elizabeth, as I thought. There is no hole— no apathy, in your heart. Is it because of her…?”

People keep pets to fill the holes in their hearts. Elizabeth remembered reading that in a book. Margaret was likely able to escape from Near Death’s mind control because she was able to meet the members of SEES through Vision Quest, which satiated the apathy in her heart. To that end, Elizabeth could understand why Theodore was obsessed with his pet.

“Are you saying that you manipulated Theodore by taking advantage of his boredom? I was never interested in you like Margaret and Theodore were. I have been having a fulfilling time, unlike those two.”

“That’s right. It is all thanks to her.”

While Elizabeth expressed her gratitude to the girl, a scornful smile appeared on Near Death’s face. “How bothersome they are, she and her friends. They want to oppose Nyx— they ought to know their place.”

“… What was that?” Elizabeth’s hair swayed, blown by a gust of wind. She could not forgive Near Death ridiculing her efforts, how far she had come.

Near Death chortled. “I said, they ought to know their place. Them, stand up to Nyx? Why would anyone ever do that? The moment they show up here will be their last.”

Its right shoulder began to convulse strangely. Other parts began to grow, making a horrible squishing noise as they changed shape. Near Death’s expression disappeared as its face became featureless. With a pop, its face turned into a bone white mask. A long, thick chain wrapped around it, and it held long-barrelled pistols in both hands. Two pairs of black-feathered wings grew on the back of this ginormous Reaper-like figure. It was three times as tall as Elizabeth. The tips of its outstretched wings nearly touched the ceiling of the entrance. The barrels of its pistols were thicker than Elizabeth herself. It was majestic, oddly. It was not sinister like other Shadows. The giant that was Near Death gave off an air of grand divinity.

A muffled voice came from the mask, still the boy’s voice. “But before that, Elizabeth, I believe I should defeat you first.”

“What a coincidence. I also believe I must defeat you, no matter what." Her golden eyes glowed with fury. She pointed a hand towards Margaret, continuing to stare at Near Death. "You have encountered Pochi many times, so you likely have something within you that makes you susceptible to its mind control. I will take care of this. Please, help Theo."

Margaret nodded. "Understood. I will return to the battle shortly." She ran to the foot of the stairs at the entrance hall.

"I won't let you go there…" Near Death pointed one of its guns at Margaret's back. They were shaped like rifles, but were the size of cannons. Their power was unimaginable.

"I won't let you shoot her!" Elizabeth kicked herself up into the air. She struck the rifle with her Compendium from below, making the barrel jerk upward. The gun fired— not a bullet, but a fire-type magic attack.

The ball of fire exploded in the air in intense heat and equally intense shockwaves. Elizabeth was hit by the flames; there was little she could do to avoid it, up in the air. She was blown away like a twig in a storm, slamming against the wall with tremendous force. She slowly slid down and fell to the floor. An anguished breath escaped from her lips. She attempted to stand, but her knees gave out, and she fell back leaning against the wall.

“That attack… far surpasses even Maragidyne… You have exceeded my expectations.” She knew now that she must not be hit directly by an attack again; her body was burning hot, and she was unable to move properly.

“It looks like you want to die first, Elizabeth.” Near Death aimed both of its guns at Elizabeth. They each emanated a sort of magical power.

Remaining calm, Elizabeth gazed behind its wings. Margaret had reached Theodore, who had collapsed at the top of the staircase. “If I can buy just a little more time, we may be able to turn the tide.”

Elizabeth raised her voice, expelling the heat from her lungs. “Jack Frost!” As she said the Persona’s name, she pulled a card from her Compendium and summoned it immediately. The snowman spirit Persona Jack Frost appeared in front of her, wielding the high-rank ice spell, Mabufudyne. Countless ice crystals grew out of the floor with a crackling sound. Elizabeth planned to use her ice magic not to attack, but to defend.

“Why, you little…!” Near Death fired both guns. In an instant, the wall of ice shattered. The balls of flame were going to hit Elizabeth… until Jack Frost took the attack for her.

Once a Persona uses its power as commanded, it returns to the user’s soul. But in spite of this rule, Jack Frost stayed around to protect its user itself.

“Hee ho!” With a scream, Jack Frost was consumed by the flames and vaporized. The flames danced about for a bit more, then dissipated; only the burning heat remained.

“Jack Frost…!!” Elizabeth put her weight onto her knees and began to stand.

Near Death's mask was no longer expressionless; it seemed to be mocking Elizabeth with a joyful smile. "Why are you mad? Personas reappear when they are summoned. But even if you did lose that worthless Persona, it's no big deal. Right?"

"Jack Frost is my favorite. So much so that I have three Jack Frost dolls from an arcade— one for display, one in storage, and one for worshiping."

"What an odd hobby. I was much cuter as a Shadow than that thing."

"Watch your tongue."

"I could say the same of you…" Near Death pointed its rifles at her again.

"Well, if you want me to shut up so badly, then go ahead and try!" After Jack Frost's noble sacrifice, Elizabeth was able to stand again. She pulled out her Compendium. "Deck Open! Draw, Persona card!" She was not an opponent who resorted to petty tricks. She simply relied on her might. She drew her trump card, Masakado. She immediately summoned Masakado. He unleashed his power, forming a golden ball of light above Near Death's head.

"Ah, I can do that too." Near Death pointed a gun up into the air and pulled the trigger. Another golden sphere appeared with a roaring sound. Both orbs glowed with increasing intensity. It was only a matter of time until both Megidolaons burst.

But Elizabeth remained calm. "I am not surprised. You copy others' appearances; you must be very good at mimicry."

"I wonder which one will be stronger!" Just as Near Death's voice boomed, both Megidolaons exploded. Two colliding torrents of golden flame danced around the entrance hall.

Elizabeth gritted her teeth. It was clear to her that Near Death's Megidolaon was the stronger of the two, if only slightly. She was about to lose to her own signature spell. It was the first time she felt totally and utterly humiliated.

"Its power was not gained through hard work, like her. It is only the power it absorbed from Shadows and Theo."

"Even if the gods will allow you to surpass me, I, Elizabeth, will not!!!" Alongside her cry, she focused more of her emotional force into her spell.

A burst of golden energy seared into Near Death's back. "What!?" it cried out in dismay. It was normal for a ruler of power: to put all of their force into a single attack to overcome their opponent in an instant.

"I won't let a ruler of power live so easily," it said in a relaxed tone. It chucked one of its rifles at Elizabeth. The massive barrel caved in her stomach. Elizabeth vomited blood as she heard her ribs crack. The attack disrupted her concentration. Her Megidolaon began to fade away.

Elizabeth was swallowed by Near Death's Megidolaon. A jet of gold flame pinned her body against the wall. She was in its scorching heat. She knew that its Megidolaon was more powerful than hers. If she let her guard down for even a moment, her consciousness would be reaped, and her body would scatter.

"Perhaps I should stop hitting Theo with Megidolaon so often. I truly feel sorry for him."

As she got directly hit by the Megidolaon, Elizabeth realized it was no longer her problem.

"Theo! Get up!" Theodore regained consciousness as his sister scolded him. He remembered what happened. Pochi had attacked him in Tartarus and completely sapped him of his strength.

Margaret did not help Theodore get up. Even though he got outplayed by his own pet, he was still a ruler of power. He did not need her help.

"I'm a fool… such a fool…" he cursed himself as he began to get up.

It was at that moment that Elizabeth and Near Death's Megidolaons collided. The impact of both powers reached even the top of the stairs. Theodore got up, despite the fact that the pressure could easily blow him away. Illuminated by the golden light, he said to Margaret, "I'm sorry, this is all my—"

Margaret slapped Theodore across the face. "I don't need an apology. Show it all with your power."

"… Power?"

"Yes. I don't have to elaborate. Now, Theo…"

Right after Margaret explained her plan to Theodore, Elizabeth was struck by the Megidolaon and pinned to the wall. The two of them watched.

"Alright, Theo. If we fail, it will all be over."

"Alright. I'll use what little power I have left!" Theodore clenched his hand, the one which did not hold his Compendium. The days where he cared for Pochi appeared in his mind.

"I can't believe it. I was just being used." No matter how much Theodore wanted to deny it, he could not deny that Pochi attacked Elizabeth and was about to attack them. "It was fun while it lasted." Theodore shook the images of Pochi from his mind.

"As his owner, I will give him a proper burial."

Margaret clutched her Compendium. "This is no time to be sentimental, Theo. Now, prepare yourself."

"Understood." He nodded at Margaret. He opened his Compendium.

The flames of Megidolaon finally dissipated. Near Death pulled on one of the chains that wrapped around it. The end of the chain was connected to the gun which hit Elizabeth. The chain rattled, and the gun returned to its hand. As he gripped the gun again, he asked in an impressed tone, "Hmph. Aren't you going to tear me to shreds yet?"

"Of course."

The damage Elizabeth sustained was severe. She could barely stand. But she could not be proud of that now. She took out a handkerchief from her skirt pocket and wiped the blood from her mouth. She politely folded the handkerchief and put it in her pocket.

She spoke to Near Death again. "I will admit. You are a real piece of shit, but you are strong. Though most of that power you took from my stupid brother."

Rage emanated from Near Death's whole body. "You really never stop your yapping, do you Elizabeth?" Are you almost done?"

"You should be asking yourself that." She could not help but show a wide, meaningful smile.

"I bought enough time."

"You two!! Don't worry about me, use all of your power!"

"What!?" Near Death turned its large body around.

In front of the door leading to Tartarus, Theodore and Margaret stood there holding their Compendiums open. Two Persona cards floated in front of them. Elizabeth could see the design of the cards as it spun around. "Just what I expected of you, Sister."

Theodore summoned Satan, and Margaret summoned Lucifer. Even without speaking, Margaret understood why Elizabeth took on Near Death alone.

Elizabeth told Near Death triumphantly, "It's impossible for you to hide when you're that large. Get ready, you blockhead."

"Well said, for a dwarf!" Near Death's voice was filled with anger.

Elizabeth giggled. "The real question is if I can withstand this attack. But if I worry about that, we'll never be able to defeat Near Death."

Elizabeth gathered what strength she had left. She would take on this light of destruction with the pride of a ruler of power. She was reminded of when she fought the girl.

"I'm sure she had the same look in her eyes then."

"Well, what are you waiting for?" she called out.

Theodore and Margaret each summoned a Persona. The cards of Satan Lucifer both shattered, and turned into light.

"Elizabeth! Don't die!"

"Please be safe, Sister!"

Theodore and Margaret's voices overlapped as they activated their Fusion Spell, Armageddon. The entrance of Tartarus was filled with scorching heat and light once more.

Elizabeth could only watch. Something sat in front of her, like a giant black cocoon. The surface of the cocoon rustled. What was rustling were its large black feathers. Numerous black tentacles sprouted through the gaps between its feathers, wrapping themselves around Elizabeth's body.

"Let go!!" Elizabeth squirmed around, but the tentacles only wrapped around her tighter. Her arms were forced to her sides and she could not move. She was lifted up into the air as the tentacles continued to constrict.

The feathers rustled as the cocoon cracked open. Inside was the sound of jingling chains, and a white mask with fine cracks running down it.

"I see… Even I might be destroyed if I continued to take attacks like that." It seemed that Near Death wrapped itself in its wings to protect itself from Armageddon, if only somewhat. "These wings are able to reflect any attack for a short amount of time. Without that, I don't think I'd even be able to stand. That attack certainly surprised me…"

Elizabeth now realized why she was almost entirely unscathed, even though she should have been hit by Armageddon. Ironically, Near Death protecting itself also protected Elizabeth.

Near Death spread out its wings. Several black mucous tentacles sprouted out of its back. Elizabeth, lifted up even higher by the tentacles, could see Theodore and Margaret at the foot of the stairs. Their bodies did not move an inch; it looked like they received the power of Armageddon which Near Death reflected. The power of an attack usually diminished when it was reflected, but Armageddon was incredibly powerful— it was able to defeat Elizabeth. Margaret and Theodore would not be able to return to the battle. It seemed that Near Death had taken a lot of damage, as well. White fragments fell from its white mask.

"It looks like I've used up all of my power… But that's okay, Elizabeth. I'll just use yours." Near Death's body distorted, becoming more mucous while maintaining its humanoid shape. It was darkness materialized. Elizabeth was pulled straight in.

"You should be honored. I, Near Death, am a servant, as well as a part of Nyx. You will become a part of the eternal fall before Her arrival. You will die peacefully."

"I'm going to be eaten!!"

"I refuse!" She focused on her Compendium— even if she could not move her arms, she could still open it with her mind. If she could hit Near Death with a point-blank Megidolaon, it would all be over. She tried to summon Masakado.

"I won't let you do that." More tentacles sprouted from Near Death, wrapping around her Compendium, just as it was about to open, and dragged it away.

Elizabeth's foot sank into Near Death's body. Her boot was fully engulfed, and the darkness began to creep up her thigh. She let out a short scream as it gruesomely licked at her thighs. She stopped focusing on her Compendium; the tentacles stole it away immediately. Before she could say a word, she was sucked into Near Death's body.

She could not hear. She could not see. There was no up or down, left or right, hot or cold. She felt nothing. But she was there. She knew that much.

The difference between her and the darkness began to fade.

She could not tell how long it had been. A few seconds? A few hours? It was all hazy.

As she was eaten by the darkness, she almost felt sleepy.

"Is this what death is like?"

Elizabeth's self would be gone before long. She knew that it was inevitable.

She did not feel despair. Only regret.

"I vowed to vanquish anything that might harm her. But I can't even defeat such a trivial foe.

"What does it mean to be a ruler of power?"

Don't give up.

In this silent void, Elizabeth felt as if she heard the girl's voice.

Look.

Something touched Elizabeth's hand. She could feel her hand— her fingertips. Even while being swallowed by the darkness, she could still feel sensation. She tried to feel it more. It felt like a small piece of paper in her hand. Suddenly, it all clicked in her mind.

“My Persona card!!!” Pixie’s Persona card, which Pochi had taken, was there.

Elizabeth remembered Theodore’s words: “I’ll get him to spit it out soon, so please wait until then.”

The Persona card was still there, undigested. Perhaps it was mere luck that Pochi never spat it out. But it was still there nonetheless. Elizabeth regained hope.

Near Death’s triumphant voice echoed through the dark. “It is nearly the Dark Hour, Elizabeth. I won’t erase your consciousness, not until you watch your friends die in despair. “

“That is not necessary.” Elizabeth grabbed her Persona card. She could feel her body begin to reform. She held the glowing card above her head.

“What are you…?” Near Death’s voice trembled with dismay.

Elizabeth smiled. “My Persona card. That you ate.”

Near Death understood. It was clearly upset. “Stop! It’s useless! My wings—”

Elizabeth giggled. “Do your wings reflect attacks? I do not see any wings here.” The darkness around her stirred in fear. Ecstasy trickled down Elizabeth’s spine.

“If only you were just a pet.”

“H-Help—” Before Near Death could get out another word, Elizabeth released her Persona card. Pixie’s card spun around, then scattered in a flash of light. A small fairy appeared.

“Know your place, pet Shadow.”

She cast the highest level of Almighty attack, Megidolaon. The darkness around her burned away in a golden flame.

Elizabeth felt something touch her toes. The floor. She looked down at her feet. Her Compendium was there. She looked around for enemies— there were none. Near Death was completely eradicated by the Megidolaon. Black ooze caked the walls, and the remains of chains and guns littered the floor. They slowly disappeared into smoke, like dry ice.

“It looks like that is that.” Elizabeth summoned Pixie again. She used Mediarahan, which completely healed the damage she took. The pain in her ribs finally disappeared. All that she felt was fatigued.

She took a deep breath, and looked around again. Despite the fierce battle, there were no noticeable damages to the entrance hall. All traces of Near Death quickly disappeared. Knowing she had helped SEES, Elizabeth headed to the Monad door to close it finally. She placed her hand on it, and it slowly creaked shut.

“Oh no. It looks like it got damaged during the fight.” As she closed the door, she saw a small Shadow scurry across the floor out of the corner of her eye. As it tried to squeeze back into Monad, Elizabeth stepped on it, crushing the Shadow. It felt like stepping on thin ice. Elizabeth looked to see what she stepped on.

“Well, well. How stubborn you are. I admire your tenacity.” There was a black ooze and small, white fragments on the floor— the remains of Near Death, which reverted to the size it was when it first met Theodore. This time, however, it was completely destroyed.

“Is it finished, Sister?” Elizabeth turned around after hearing Theodore’s voice.

“It is now.”

Theodore staggered over. Margaret followed behind, walking normally. It seemed that she had taken less damage than Theodore.

Elizabeth smiled at Margaret. “You understood my plan perfectly. You took some severe damage. Are you okay?”

“I'm fine. I just passed out for a moment.”

Elizabeth bowed. “Thank you. Now SEES will be able to arrive without worry.”

Margaret shook her head. “Do not thank me. I do not deserve it. I couldn’t even defeat the enemy with powers of both Lucifer and Satan… I have a long way to go. I must hone my powers even more.”

“Sounds tough…” Theodore said weakly. “I feel like relaxing for a while. Pochi completely drained me of my strength."

Margaret’s shoulders perked up. “What do you mean, Theo? From now on, you’ll be my partner in combat training.”

“Huh?” Theodore twitched. “From now on? I used most of my energy just summoning Satan… Elizabeth would be a better partner. I wonder if I could do my own training…”

Margaret put a hand on his shoulder. “Elizabeth has to see off the girl in the Velvet Room before the final battle. You’re my only option, Theo.”

“B-But—!”

“Meet me inside the Vision Quest room. No one will be able to hear your screams in there.” She turned around while still holding his shoulder. She dragged Theodore to the Vision Quest door as if she were escorting a criminal.

“W-Wait! Not so rough! No, please, stop! H-Help me!!!”

Elizabeth responded to her brother with a cold smile. “I believe it to be a fitting punishment for a man who could not control his pet. Well then, take care you two.”

Margaret opened the door to Vision Quest, and chucked Theodore inside. She closed the door behind her silently.

“Please! Sister, wai—!!!” Theodore’s cries for help disappeared behind the door.

Elizabeth sighed, and began to walk to the Velvet Room door. She placed her hand on the doorknob, and looked back to the entrance.

“I may never visit this place again.”

With that, Elizabeth opened the door.