Persona BLEACHED 3: Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Baby, Hold Your Hand
November 24, 2029 
Shinjuku Gyo-en. A 144-acre national park and garden neatly situated between Shinjuku and Shibuya. Home to an assortment of trees and exotic plants, it houses European as well as traditional Japanese architecture. 
On this brisk November morning, a single girl with wild black hair, a red jacket with white flame patterns and large golden hoop earrings stood on a wood bridge. 
"...am I really doing this?" Ibuki pondered. "I caused those guys so much trouble and now they want me to hang out with them? I probably shouldn't even be showing my face in public after that..." 
"Greetings and salutations, my beautiful Fireball. How we doing today?" Kat appeared. 
"Bah! Don't scare me like that. You're the girl from the other day, the one that was with Barb." 
"Yes'm, that'd be me. Oh hold up, I forgot all about my manners and never really introduced myself, didn't I? I'm So-yin Kit. Everyone calls me Kat. Well, mostly, some people call me KittyKat, my fam and my main lass call me Kitten, and one persnickety Brit calls me Katherine. Please don't use that last one, or I'll have to bonk you on the head." 
"I'd rather you didn't do that. So your troupe is already here? I thought Barb was gonna come grab me." 
"Well, seeing as how I'm the head of our little operation, I figured I should be the one to give you the guided tour." 
"Wait...you're the leader of the Ashen Artisans?" 
"Shush, not so loud!" 
"Oops, sorry! I don't mean any disrespect, by the way. I'm still getting used to the idea that the 'rebellious heroes' cleaning up the town are a bunch of second-years from a preppy high school. How many of you guys are there, anyway?" 
"Nine of us altogether. I'm actually the youngest, if you can believe it. I'm a semi-professional streamer by trade. And I'm a trained thief, though I quit the whole stealing thing a long time ago." 
"Guess it makes sense. You all probably couldn't get away with it for so long unless someone with sneaking experience was leading the way. And you've definitely got the acrobatic frame to pull it off." 
"Careful with the sweet talk. I'm already spoken for. Anywhosey, let's move along. Now you get to meet the rest of the functional dysfunction." 
"I'm still thankful that you all agreed to this. I was afraid I'd have to face the music alone. That Barbara's got a heart of gold." 
"That's my bestie for you. A soul as pure and mesmerizing as her legs." 
"You're, uh...a bit much, you know that?" 
"Honey, you haven't seen 'much' yet." 
Elsewhere in the park, the rest of the class were seated at a table. "Man, we should go outside our usual hangout spots more often. Who would've guessed there'd be a place like this in the middle of Tokyo?" Sahir said. 
"The architecture here reminds me of home. I'd nearly convinced myself that it was." Carrie added. 
"Indeed. The mixture of work both traditional and foreign makes for quite the unique experience. I could keep myself occupied for hours." Kenneth said. 
"And with all the trees and flowers here, I can see why the Professor recommended this place." Sakuya said. 
"Yeah, this looks like a Teach and Doc place to be. I can just picture it now, them walking along the path, holding hands, getting super flustered..." Sahir replied. 
"Sad that we can all agree that's probably how it'd go." Max commented. 
"Hey hey, party people, hope you didn't miss me too much. I found our guest of honor." Kat arrived with Ibuki. 
"Hi, artist peeps." Ibuki waved. 
"Hi there, stranger~!" Barbara got up and hugged Ibuki. "How are things? You hanging in there okay?" 
"Things are...as good as you'd expect. I've been getting floored with messages from people. Some good, some bad. The last week's been a lot to take in. I needed a quiet place to relax." 
"Guess we picked the right spot for this, then." Kibō replied. 
"How about we get the rest of the introductions going? You already know Barbie and Keebie, so everyone else, say hi." Kat urged. 
"Hello there, milady. I'm Sahir Musa, footballer and idol of millions. The pleasure is all mine." Sahir replied. 
Sakuya sighed. "And here I'd thought you'd curbed your wiles. Anyway, good day, Hinotama-san. My name is Sakuya Tsumomo. I live in Ikebukuro, and I work at a maid café." She bowed. 
"Well-met, Ms. Hinotama. I am Kenneth Southgate. I'm a sculptor from Liverpool, in England." Kenneth added. 
"Hiya! I'm Natalia Van Damme. I'm a seamstress and clothing designer from Belgium. Nice to meet ya!" Natalia hugged Ibuki. 
"Uh..." Ibuki mumbled. 
"You'll get used to it. She's big on hugs." Kat replied. 
"Heya. I'm Max O'Donnell. I'm training to work in movies. And the diva you've already met is my sister." Max said. 
"Oh, you're a twinnie, Barb? Let me guess, you're the oldest." Ibuki asked. 
"Mmhmm. How could you tell?" Barbara asked. 
"Just the aura you have. Feels like you've been the one in charge all your life." 
"Boy, ain't that the truth." Max muttered. 
"And last but absolutely not least, there's my boo." Kat said. 
"Bonjour, Madame. My name is Caroline Blackthorne, and I'm a jeweler from Monaco. I'm also the resident oracle." Carrie said. 
"Oracle as in fortune teller, or as in working with techie stuff?" Ibuki asked. 
"The latter." "Mostly." Carrie thought. 
"Smart, beautiful, and a massive heart to boot. I'm the luckiest gal on Earth." Kat said. 
"I could say the same thing, my love." Carrie chimed back. Kat's cheeks turned rosy almost immediately. 
"So, now that that's settled, shall we get down to business?" Barbara asked. 
"So formal. Sure, let's." Ibuki replied. 
"Oh, I hope you don't mind, I baked up a few things. Can't have a park trip without some munchables, right?" Natalia brought out a small basket. 
"Don't be afraid to take a bite. Nat's an amazing baker." Barbara said. 
"Alright. I skipped on breakfast, so don't mind if I do." Ibuki took a bread. "Okay, so...I guess I'll start off by saying thanks for bringing me to my senses. I was doing something horrible to make myself feel better, and I needed the reality check." 
"And while we're on the subject of saying thanks...I know it's a bit late for this, but thanks for taking Iruka down. I know you took him on and saw what a monster he was, but behind closed doors, he was...so much worse. But even after he was gone, things were tough until I took a shot and entered the wrestling league like I always wanted. But I guess even with him in a cell, I couldn't escape what he'd done to my head." 
"How did you end up with someone like that?" Kibō asked. 
"Why don't you start from the beginning? When did things get difficult?" Barbara added. 
"I honestly can't remember a time when they weren't. My sister and I were born into poverty. Our parents were both drug addicts, and our mom overdosed on pain meds when I was only five." Ibuki explained. 
"How horrible..." Carrie uttered. 
"Our dad got violent when he was on drugs, and he got so much worse after Mom died. He'd say we were the reason she was gone, and why he used, and why we were struggling to stay afloat, never mind that he spent all the money he made on more pills. After a few years of beatings and verbal assaults, our grandparents took custody. Things were okay for a while, but a few years ago they both passed away. By that point my dad had died, too, so there was nowhere for me and my sister to go. So my sister had to start making money by...selling her body. One man in particular promised her the world, but then she got pregnant with Kanae-chan, and he turned tail and ran for the hills. Now with a baby to take care of, I had to start making money somehow. And that's when...he arrived." 
"By 'he', you mean Hirano." Barbara said. 
"Mmhmm. I was sixteen when he first took me in. 2026 to be exact. He told me he was this 'miracle hero cop' who came back from the dead after being shot a couple years before. Said he'd pitch in his salary for a time so I could send it to my sister until I found work. You know how they say that when things seem too good to be true, they usually are? Everything seemed fine for the first couple of months. But then he...started to get bad. He'd ask for certain...favors. If I'd 'perform' for him. I told him I wouldn't, and then he started getting violent. Told me he'd stop the cash flow unless I gave in to what he wanted. So for the next two-and-a-half years, I was basically his slave. He'd beat me, make me do the most humiliating things, tell me I was lower than garbage. And after spending my whole life in the dregs, I had no reason to disagree. And I kept putting up with it because..." 
"Your sister and niece needed the money. And he'd convinced you that he was your only choice." Kat said. 
Ibuki nodded. "I knew he was a sick freak. I'd see the blood on his clothes and I had a gut feeling about what he'd been doing, but what could I do? He was the law. His job record was spotless. I was just a girl off the street. I couldn't stop him. But then...someone did. Kicked his teeth in and got him to admit all of the inhuman things he'd done. I was free...of him. I still had almost nothing to go on. My sister had managed to find some good work and got an apartment, but I needed to pull my weight. That's when I remembered all those strong wrestlers I'd always looked up to. If I could be strong like them, all my family's problems could finally go away. I tried for months to break into the big time, and it just wasn't happening. Then one day...it did. My popularity exploded, everyone became obsessed with me, the money came pouring in. I thought it was all some crazy dream. And in reality, it was." 
"How did it happen? Why did everything change, all of a sudden?" Carrie asked. 
"I honestly couldn't tell you. One day, my follower count just went nuclear, and all these major events started booking me. I thought it was some crazy miracle. I was finally getting the love and respect I'd always wanted. It felt amazing. But it was all a big lie. Just a bad fairy tale where I became the villain. I'm the same worthless nobody I always was." 
"You're not worthless, Ibuki. You did all those things because you wanted a better life for your family. Somewhere along the way you just got led off that path. Everyone is worthy of being loved. You shouldn't believe otherwise because some monster told you. You're a good person." Barbara retorted. 
"Appreciate the vote of confidence, princess, but it doesn't change what's happened and what I did." Ibuki sighed. "A week ago I was planning on putting a down payment on a house for the three of us. Now I don't know what's gonna happen." 
"Ibuki..." 
"How do you all do it, anyway? The heart-changing thing? Drugs?" 
"No, we, um..." Kat uttered. 
"You wouldn't believe us if we told you." Sahir added. 
"I've seen some out there stuff. It can't be that insane." Ibuki replied. 
Kat turned to Barbara. "Should we tell her? She might just send us to the nut house." 
"I mean...she already knows who we are. There's really no 'normal' way to explain it." 
"Alright..." Kat sighed. "Okay, you wanna know the big secret? Well..." 
The team spent the next few minutes telling all about their cognitive experiences. By the end, Ibuki was simply nodding. "Alright, so...you're saying there's this whole other world filled with demons and alternate versions of people called 'Shadows'." 
"Mmhmm." Natalia nodded. 
"These Shadows are a reflection of someone's real self, and some of them are super twisted. So in order to change a person's heart, you go into this other world, beat up their Shadow and make them see the error of their ways, and that changes them in the real world. And to top it all off, you use these spirit things called 'Personas' which give you superpowers and are basically your own Shadows made to submit. That's the story you're going with." 
"That's the abridged version, yes." Kenneth affirmed. 
"Kay." Ibuki took out her phone. 
"What are you doing?" Sakuya asked. 
"Finding the nearest rehab clinic, because you all have been taking in something I've never heard of." 
"Uggh, we're telling the truth!" Max replied. 
"This is pointless, she won't believe us unless we show her." Sahir added. 
"We can't just take her in there! It's too dangerous." Kibō said. 
"If she's with us, she'll be safe. She won't believe us otherwise." Carrie replied. 
"What's your call? Do we dare risk it?" Kenneth asked Kat. 
Kat thought for a minute. Then, she pulled out her phone, and pulled out the app. "Key phrase: Happy Ending." 
"Thank you. Beginning navigation." 
--- 
The group appeared at the transformed Shinjuku Station. "Are you all insured? Cuz I don't know if they'll take you in other...wwwaaah?" Ibuki looked up and saw that everything had been transformed. "What...WHAAAAAT?! How'd we get here?! Why's the whole place look like Kabukichō?!" She looked at the team. "And why are you all dressed like that?!" 
"Told you we weren't joking." Max replied. 
"...what did you put in that bread, Van Damme?" 
"Nothing except dough and love!" Natalia denied. 
"This is the Metaverse, Hinotama-san. A pocket realm born from the cognition of the masses. This is what we call a Prison. A world where people's Shadows are brought to have their Desires taken and end up mind-controlled by the Prison's ruler, known as a Warden." Sakuya explained. 
"Holy crap...you really were telling the truth. But wait...mind control? So that's...that's why people became obsessed with me? Was this place...born from my heart?" Ibuki asked. 
"That's right. Your view of the world became so distorted that it altered this place to suit how you saw things. Your Shadow Self ruled over this place until we put a stop to it." Kibō confirmed. 
"How'd this even happen? What made this place show up? And why me?" 
"We still haven't figured that out. Places like this only just started to appear recently. The realms here used to be different. They were mostly formed by wicked, malicious hearts. But between you and the Warden we dealt with previously, it seems the Prisons are being formed by lost souls hurt by unfair circumstances." Carrie replied. 
"I...I made this. All of this came from my heart being messed up. And I used this place to enslave people...like that monster enslaved me. Oh, God...I really am no better than him!" 
"That's not true! You didn't know what you were doing. It was all done unconsciously." Barbara retorted. 
"How does that make it any better?! People still got hurt...I still caused a mess trying to make myself feel better. I...I need to see more. I have to see how messed-up my heart is!" Ibuki ran off. 
"Wait, Ibuki, stop!" Barbara pleaded. 
"We've gotta hurry, she's a goner if a Shadow finds her!" Kat urged, and the team gave chase. 
Ibuki ran through the cobblestone streets, the group not far behind. After some more running, Natalia became fatigued, and stopped to catch her breath. The group stopped to look around. "Which way did she go?" Sahir asked. 
Natalia looked over, and noticed Ibuki hiding behind a statue. 
Before she could alert the others, catastrophe struck. 
Beneath the feet of the rest of the group, an emblem of light appeared. A hand insignia. Beams of light fired up from the fingertips, and then expanded around the students, forming a cage. 
"Guys!" Natalia yelled out. Ibuki came out from behind the statue and pulled her into cover. 
"The hell is this?!" Max asked. 
His query was answered by maniacal laughter. 
Atop an adjacent building, a figure clad in a purple suit and fedora appeared. "Sorry, kiddos...you activated my Trap Card." Kagami sneered. 
"You...!" Carrie uttered. 
"The fuck is he doing here?!" Kat questioned. 
"Just came to cook. A dish best served cold." Kagami tapped his cane on the floor. The cloaked figure of Argos, the last Odyssean, appeared hovering above the building, and motioned with his hands. The cage of light suddenly solidified into hardened steel. 
"Alright, that's enough of this--" Kibō attempted to swing at the bars, but was sent flying back. "What--Galahad, why didn't you--" 
"Your awakened power cannot touch the darkest of Odyssean magicks, apostates." Argos retorted. 
"In English terms..." The hooded figure of Iruka Hirano hopped onto the cage. "You pricks ain't goin' nowhere." 
Ibuki was stunned by the sight of him. "That's--can't be..." 
"Oh, Dr. Buggy...could you give us a lift?" Hirano called out. 
From the shadows, garbed in a yellow-and-black striped hood, came Dr. Hachime Sakaki. She flipped her hair. 
"This bitch is with the hand freaks now, too?!" Kat questioned. 
"Such a foul mouth for a young lady. I expected the ones who crushed my career to be a bit more...mature. Ah, well. I was never one for children, anyway." The doctor became surrounded by dark energy, and took on the form of a giant, winged arachnid. It flew onto the cage as Hirano leapt off, lifting it into the air. 
"Sit tight, kiddies...the show's just getting started!" Kagami laughed and tipped his cap. Hachime flew off with the cage as Argos followed after. Kagami vanished, and Hirano leapt across the cityscape after the cage. 
Natalia emerged from cover, terrified. Ibuki was at a loss for words. 
"What...just happened?" she uttered.
"....." 
"Natalia...what's going on?! That was...that was Iruka! Why is he here?! Who were those other people?!" 
"They're...they're back...why are they back?!" 
"Who are they? What was all of that?" 
"They're Death's Hand! The bad guys...an awful group that tortured us last year! Hirano is one of them!" 
"Why did he look like that?" 
"I know this is gonna sound crazy...but Death's Hand are the ones that brought him back to life. Now he's a...a vampire." 
"A...vampire?! Seriously?! I lived with a vampire for three years and never knew?! Ugh...that explains the blood and the night shifts." 
"But they...they shouldn't be here. We beat them and their powers and memories of us went away! This shouldn't be happening!" 
"Well, it is. So now what are we supposed to do?" 
"You have to help me save them!" 
"Me?! Those guys were using all this magic and stuff! You said Iruka's a vampire! And that one lady turned into a giant bug! You've got one of those Persona things, right? Why do you need my help?" 
"Because I'm still getting used to mine, and it's not built for combat. I'd go back to the real world and get our Professor and her friends. They've all had Personas longer than us, and they're all crazy strong! But the only one with a navigator out of here is Kat! And I saw her fiddling with her phone, and nothing happened! Whatever spell they cast on that cage is keeping them in there!" 
"In other words, we're stuck. Dammit!" 
"Please, Ibuki! You have no idea how horrible and dangerous those people are! They will kill the others if given the chance! Please...please help me save my friends!" 
"Okay...okay! I don't know how I can help in this situation, but there's no other choice left. And there's no way I can leave them high and dry after you gave me so many chances. And I'm not gonna let that bloodsucking bastard hurt anyone else. This is seriously a bad idea...but let's go." 
"Okay! It looks like they headed past the castle. There could still be Shadows patrolling around here. Keep yourself out of sight, and I'll help as best I can." 
"I'm solid in that department. Staying alive on the streets is what I'm good at. Let's move." 
--- 
Past the castle, the cage had been placed in the middle of an open area of the natural park. The students sat and stood around, bearing varying looks of frustration. The Death's Hand lords stood observing them. 
Carrie stared unblinking at Kagami. 
"You got a crush or something, dollface? Have to say, for a gal that got blasted to hell, you sure look fiiiine." Kagami smirked. 
"Open the cage and say that shit, asshole. Come on. Be a man. Get in here and say that shit again." Kat angrily demanded. 
"So would any of you like to explain...y'know, everything? Like why you're not in jail, or why you remember everything, or why you have powers again? Any of the three?" Max asked. 
"Surely even a country bumpkin like you has heard the phrase, 'loose lips sink ships', yes?" Hachime replied back. 
"I'll sink you as far as I can put you, you scheming witch." Barbara replied. 
Argos floated next to where Sakuya was standing, as she had her eyes firmly closed. "You would not be in this predicament right now had you not forsaken our kindness, Tiresias." he said. 
"If that is what you want to call it." she replied. 
"And her name is Sakuya, creep. She's not part of your Satanic hands club anymore. So kindly get out of her--" Sahir protested. 
Argos flicked in Sahir's direction, sending him back. Hirano began cackling. "Simpleton." Argos stated. 
"Hang on a sec...weren't there nine of you brats?" Hirano questioned. 
"Oh, yeah...the other one I tried blowing up isn't here. The one that always looked like she'd wet her pants if you said 'boo' in her general direction. Did she finally go crying home?" Kagami asked. 
"Maybe she went and offed herself. If I had to be around these brats every day, I'd want to jump off a building too." 
Carrie marched to the front of the cage. Her eyes turned yellow, and her voice distorted. "Release me. Release me so that I may crush your skulls with my bare hands." 
"It's a tempting offer, gentlemen. I'd suggest you take it." Kenneth said. 
"So how do you want to take care of the pricks?" Hirano asked. 
"Slowly, one at a time, of course. Leave the cat girl for last. Oh, and the gemstone, too. I want to have some fun with her first." Kagami replied. 
"I'd suggest leaving the bodies intact. Put them somewhere that meddlesome professor of theirs can see." Hachime suggested. 
"Oh, that bitch is getting what's coming to her soon. Damn near boiled me the last time..." Hirano added. 
"You know we can hear you, right?" Kibō asked. 
"I think that's the idea, Keebie." Kat replied. 
A hooded Death's Hand member appeared, and whispered to Argos. "Hmm. I see." He turned to the others. "It appears we will have more guests arriving soon." 
"I guess the scaredy cat grew a spine while we were away. Places, everyone. This should be funny." Kagami urged, and they all vanished. 
Shortly after, Natalia arrived with Ibuki. "Jeeeeez...you'd think the demon things would recognize me!" Ibuki groaned. 
"Look, there they are! Guys!" Natalia ran to the cage. 
"Nat! Ibuki! Get out of here!" Barbara called out. 
"Huh? Get out?" Ibuki asked. 
At that moment, numerous figures in hoods manifested, and circled the teens. "Aw, hell." Ibuki uttered. 
"Well, well, well. The cowardly lion found its courage. Too bad it led you to your ruin." Kagami appeared with Hirano. 
"And she brought a little friend along! Ah, wait a tic..." Hirano stared down Ibuki. 
"Tch...!" Ibuki stared right back. 
"Oh...ohohoho. Oh, this is already worth it. Not only did you runts walk right into your own deaths, but you brought me my favorite toy! Two-for-one special! Oi, Kagami! This is the skank I was telling you about! Hey, when we're done crushing the brats, you want to take turns with her?" 
"Hey, I already called dibs on Frenchie. And if she willingly lied down with you, who knows where else she's been?" Kagami replied. 
"I don't believe it. You actually found someone as disgusting as you." Ibuki said. 
"Heh, I wasn't so disgusting that you wouldn't take my cash, eh? Anything for poor old sis and her little bastard baby." Hirano replied. 
"You shut your dirty mouth! I'm sick of you holding them over my head. I don't need your charity anymore." 
"Nah, you're just gonna take theirs now, right? Never could fend for yourself. Always needed someone better than you to give you a hand." Hirano peered over to the cage. "Y'all taking in street trash now, huh? Man, your standards must've sank to SHIT." 
"Shut up, bastard! Ibuki's not as worthless as you kept telling her!" Kat argued. 
"She's right. She's only in the state she's in because you manipulated her and kept her down for your own sadistic amusement." Kenneth added. 
"You...I'm so tired of being afraid of you. You destroyed me in every way, and then when I tasted a little bit of freedom, I went crazy and made this place! I only ended up this bad because you drilled into me that I'd be worthless without you!" Ibuki retorted. 
"Hold up, this place is your pad? Holy shit, I really did do a number on you! This is some spook shit I'd come up with! If my heart was still beating, it'd be SO full right now!" Hirano laughed. 
"Shut up...shut up! I'm not..." 
"'I'm not like you', right? The look of this place says different, pet. Why am I even wasting my breath on trash like you?" 
"Shut up! Ibuki isn't trash!" Barbara yelled. 
"What else would you call a street rat whoring herself out for cash? She can paint it however she likes, 'oh, I'm helping my sis out!' But a whore's a whore, no matter what fancy paint you put on her. Just a leech, feeding off other people, manipulating them to get what she wants. So tell me, pet...how are you not like me?" 
"....." Ibuki fell to her knees. "He's right. I'm no less a monster than he is. I could never get the fame or respect I wanted on my own. All I've ever done is beg people for their help because I'm not strong enough. I've surrendered everything I have; my honor, my dignity, my self-respect. And then I used this place to make people as miserable as I am, just so I could feel like I was worth something. I'm just common trash...I never deserved love or friendship of any kind!" 
"Ibuki..." Carrie uttered. 
"Stand up, Ibuki!" Barbara yelled. 
"Huh?" Ibuki perked up. 
"Yeah, get up! Don't let this piece of shit keep you down!" Max added. 
"All he's doing is the same thing he did to you when he had you under his control! He's nothing but a murderous monster! He's the worthless one here, not you!" Kibō added. 
"They're right, Ibuki! I know what it's like to feel worthless! I've had people who told me that I didn't deserve to be happy, and that I should just disappear and die! But it was all a lie! Just the words of miserable people who want everyone to be as unhappy as them! My friends showed me that I deserve to live a happy life, and so do you!" Natalia dictated. 
"Please get up, Hinotama-san! You can't let these monsters win in the end!" Sakuya added. 
"Listen to me, Ibuki. You have the strength to live a happy life. You and every other good, honest person deserves to live the way you want. Even though you were under this Prison's control, I still believe in the words you spoke! You can still be the inspiration your niece and so many others need! But you have to stand up and take control!" Barbara urged. 
"Dont forget who the real villain is! The bastard standing in front of you is the one who deserves eternal misery!" Kat added. 
"Twisted as it may have been, your Desire has always been to provide a happy life for the ones you love. Never apologize for that!" Kenneth added. 
"Get up and kick this scumbag's fangs out! You can only get your happy ending when he's back in a coffin where he belongs!" Sahir yelled. 
"Guys..." Ibuki muttered. 
"Tch, DAMN I wanna puke. Give out your motivational speeches all you want. It won't fix a damn thing. No point urging on a ragdoll." Hirano scoffed. 
"...no." Ibuki uttered. 
"Huh?" 
She started to laugh, and put a hand to her face. "I try to say I'm not a charity case...and then these preppy peeps pull me up from the gutter. I might've bought into your crap before, but I've learned a few things since you were locked up." 
She rose to her feet. "I might not have the fancy education these guys have, but I know what a monster looks like. The ones that prey on the weak and the vulnerable, thinking that they're worthless, and that they'll just lay down and take their punishment. I promised myself that I would never, ever allow a man to control my life again. Not my father, and damn sure not you. If you think that I'm gonna just sit here and let you do whatever you damn well please, then you're way off. I deserve a happy life, just like anyone else. You're all that's telling me that I don't deserve it. I'm done being a punching bag. I'm done being called trash. And I'm done having to stare at that shit-eating grin on your face!" 
..... 
"So it is your own path that you desire?" 
Ibuki's eyes suddenly turned yellow, and she fell to her knees, clutching her head in agony. 
"Your desire is strength. The strength to dispell the darkness from your life. Your blood and heart have been tainted by unholy malice. Will you walk a path to cleansing it?" 
The team looked on from the cage. Hirano was frozen in confusion. 
"Does the one doomed to fail dare bare fangs at her tormentor? Will you reclaim a path of righteousness in the face of the terror that stalks the night with hungry fervor? If your Desire is thus, then you need only agree to a contract." 
Ibuki got to one knee, breathing heavily, a hand still to her face. 
"I am thou. Thou art I. The time for unraveling your cursed fate has come. Now, we shall teach this revenant dastard, and all of his damned ilk, a lesson they shall take to the grave!" 
Ibuki got to her feet. "Okay. Do it. Give me your strength..." Her hands began to violently twitch. "...MINA!!!" 
A pillar of blue flames erupted from around Ibuki, the force of which knocked the hooded troops back. "Gah! Shit, not another one...!" Kagami uttered. 
The flames subsided. Ibuki emerged panting, and behind her was an ephemeral woman garbed in black Victorian-era dress, head covered by a hood, blue skin, red eyes, a mask covering her mouth, a cross-shaped scar on her forehead, and a ring of garlic encircling her neck. Ibuki recomposed herself, staring down Hirano. 
The students looked on in utter amazement. "Holy..." Max uttered. 
"The game's on its head now, scumbag." Ibuki held out her hand, and manifested a black-and-red bow and arrow, with a matching quiver appearing on her back. "I'm the hunter. You're the food!" 
"What just happened?!" Sahir questioned. 
"Ibuki...she has a Persona!" Barbara exclaimed. 
"This...I've gotta be tripping balls, right?! How could a piece of trash--?!" uttered a stunned Hirano. "H-hey, dipshits! Don't just stand there with your thumbs up your asses, kill her!" 
The hooded troops attempted to swarm Ibuki. "I have zero clue what's happening, so guess I've just gotta learn on the fly!" 
Her Persona put its hands together, and a sigil appeared on the ground, and a pillar of light descended down from the sky around her, dissipating the troops instantly. "That'll work." 
By this point, Hirano was attempting to climb a wall and flee. Ibuki took aim, firing a shot that pierced one of his hands, leaving him pinned to the wall. "GAH! BITCH! FUCKING WHORE! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!" he roared. 
"My name isn't 'bitch', or 'whore', or 'skank', or whatever else your maggot-infested brain comes up with. My name is Ibuki. And starting now...I'm my own person!" 
She launched a second arrow at Hirano, but before it could connect, Argos materialized and blocked the attack. "Perhaps this was a tad premature. Yet another awakened spirit...how interesting. Heed my words, disciples of the heretical apostate and the false goddess. We will await you in the castle at the center of this distortion. Tomorrow, you will come, and we will settle this once and for all. Only you will come. If we sense any other awakened spirit besides your own amongst you, we will abandon this realm and wreak fire and chaos upon this town. Ignoring this call will result in the same. Prepare yourselves. We will show no mercy." Argos vanished along with Hirano. 
The cage destabilized, freeing the students. "And here I thought we'd just he having a nice meal today." Kat said. 
"That was incredible, Ibuki!" Barbara exclaimed. 
"Um, thanks. Soooo...was that one of the Persona things you guys were talking about?" Ibuki asked. 
"That's right. Your materialized desire to defy fate...you called for strength, and it answered." Sakuya replied. 
"So this has been the craziest shit ever, right? Ibuki gets a Persona and now the hand freaks are back?!" Max questioned. 
"Certainly not something I ever wished to deal with again." Kenneth added. 
"Well, one way or another we're putting an end to it tomorrow. Difference being now we've got an extra pair of hands to help." Natalia replied. 
"Oh, yeah. So I guess this means I'm part of the club now? Do I get one of those snazzy hoodies?" Ibuki asked. 
"I can totally make one up for you! Not in time for tomorrow, but still pretty quick! With your feedback, of course." 
"Welp, it's settled, then. Welcome to either the best or worst turn of fate you'll ever deal with. Welcome to the Ashen Artisans." Kat said. 
"It's really that easy, huh? Well I'm not gonna complain. It's good to belong somewhere--ugh!" Ibuki fell to a knee. 
"What's wrong?" Barbara asked. 
"Persona awakenings are incredibly taxing. Going to pursue the enemy now would be too dangerous. Let's go back." Sakuya replied. 
"Right. And we gotta warn everyone about what's coming. Next stop, Naruki. Time for you to meet our Professor." Kat stated.
--- 
"....." Ibuki sat completely still. 
"You've been staring at me for the last few minutes without a single word, Ms. Hinotama. Is there something on my face?" Rose asked. 
"I just, uh...I've never seen anyone like you before." 
"I suppose Canadians are a rare sight around these parts." 
"Yeah, that's totally what I meant. So is this just a normal thing? Like, do most preppy high schoolers come to visit their teacher and her therapist wife in their home?" 
"Most preppy high schoolers and their teacher and her therapist wife don't have superpowers. And beyond that, my doors are open to my students for whatever problems they're facing." Rin entered the room. 
"So you're the fabled Professor Kubo, I'm guessing. Y'know, I could swear I've seen someone that looks like you recently." 
"Really?" 
"Yeah...you related to anyone that plays guita--" 
Barbara moved to cover Ibuki's mouth with her hands. "A-anyway, back to what we called you about, Professor?" 
"Right. Can someone grab Ms. Kit for us, please?" Rose asked. 
Kat rushed out of Shizuka's room. "I'm here, I'm here, sorry, the princess demanded playtime and I couldn't turn her down." 
Ibuki freed herself from Barbara's grasp. "Great, now I'm gonna be tasting lavender for a while." Ibuki griped. 
"Okay. So, how much did they tell you about Death's Hand, Ms. Hinotama?" Rin asked. 
"Aside from being some spooky death cult that hates you all, not much." Ibuki replied. 
"Right, so...it's a complicated matter. To start, Death's Hand was formed as a coalition between an inhuman, extraterrestrial race called the Odysseans, along with their rulers, ancient beings known as the Thebans." 
"Whoa ho ho, hold up. Extraterrestrial as in aliens? On top of the magic and vampires there's ALIENS?!" 
"Hard as it is to believe, yes. They came originally from the Moon, hidden inside the Metaverse to avoid detection. The Thebans were a group of immortal entities who survived the destruction of the previous universe. They controlled Death's Hand, and directed their hate and rage towards us." Rose replied. 
"Now why would a bunch of moon people be angry at you all?" 
"Odyssean society was ruled over by two creator deities. Centuries ago, a calamity befell Odyssea, and most of the civilization was wiped out. The Thebans blamed the creator deities, and swore revenge on the people of this planet, who they believed the deities favored. One of the two was responsible for the power Rin has now. She is also...my mother." 
"Your...mother? So you're some kinda ancient moon person too?" 
"Correct. I was among the ones who survived the destruction of the old universe, though I was kept in stasis until a little over a decade ago. I also lack the Thebans' immortality." 
"Damn, I was gonna say, you look good for someone literally older than dirt." 
"I'll take that as a compliment. Regardless, the Thebans who formed Death's Hand had the remaining Odysseans on their side. Once they arrived on Earth, they began to bolster their ranks using their technology to empower humans with Metaverse energy." 
"Not everyone has the potential to awaken a Persona. When one who lacks the potential is exposed to their machinery, it gives them abilities resembling Shadows, but nothing like a true Persona. The ones you encountered in the Prison are examples of this." Rin explained. 
"Far as we know, only four people actually got Personas from doing this. The neighbor's sister, our current phys ed teacher, my own sister, and..." Kat added. 
"Me." Sakuya stated. 
"Wait, you, Saku? You were with the crazy hand people?" Ibuki asked. 
"A fact I remain deeply ashamed of. Death's Hand recruited humans disillusioned with the state of the world. Their leader rescued me from my abusive father when I was a small child. I was more or less raised by the cult. Only through friendship with everyone here did I see the light and escape their grasp." 
"Now she's just our seal-loving maid and we love her for it." Kat stated. 
"In any case, throughout last year we were accosted and tormented by Death's Hand, though through an intense conflict we prevailed. The Thebans and most of the Odysseans were slain, and the human members either reformed or were imprisoned, stripped of their memories and powers. At least, that's what we believed." Rose said. 
"So who exactly were the creeps in the Prison, aside from the bloodsucker I know." Ibuki asked. 
"The other man's name is Shōta Kagami. He was a quiz show host who sexually harassed many of his workers and contestants. He also..." Rin looked over to Carrie. 
"It's alright, Professor. Please continue." Carrie assured. 
"Okay. During Death's Hand's campaign of violence against us, Kagami set an explosive inside of Natalia and Carrie's dormroom." 
"I managed to get away with minor injuries. But Care..." Natalia said. 
"The explosion rendered me comatose. Broke my arm, and horribly burnt my back. I nearly died from my injuries. Even now I still feel pain from that day." Carrie added. 
"My God. No wonder that scruffy asshole was giving you looks. Enough to make you sick." Ibuki said. 
"As for the woman..." Rin began, a tinge of anger in her voice. 
"Rin. I can go over it." Rose said. 
"Oh, no no no. Any chance I have to lay out that witch's sins for the world to hear, I'll take." Rin replied. "Her name is Hachime Sakaki. She wasn't originally part of Death's Hand, but was someone my students dealt with early on. Someone I have a deep, deep amount of hatred towards. She was the director of Karakura General Hospital, but don't confuse her for a doctor. She regularly stole from patients, embellished funds from the hospital, and even poisoned her husband when he ceased being useful to her. And..." 
Rose noticed her beginning to tense up. "Please, beloved. Let me." 
"Okay, okay. I can only spend so much time thinking about that evil bitch, anyway." 
"Yikes! There's something we don't get often." Sahir said. 
"Hachime Sakaki was also horribly neglectful towards her two daughters. Her eldest was a dear friend of ours who sadly passed away a few years ago. Around this time, Hachime had another child who she allowed to roam free and didn't give a single care where she was. That child is the little girl over in that room." Rose elaborated. 
"My princeeeess." Kat said. 
"And then of course, as you know, there is Officer Iruka Hirano. Revived by Death's Hand after being killed in the line of duty, becoming animalistic and bloodthirsty in the process." 
"Now you're just flattering him." Ibuki replied. 
"Now you also spoke about a fourth person with them?" 
"Yeah, this old-looking blue guy in one of their hoods. Used this crazy magic to lock us up." Kat replied. 
"His name is Argos. He was one of Pittacus' chief attendants. Those same attendants...helped to raise me after they took me in." Sakuya said. 
"Wait, what? That creepy guy raised you?" 
"The attendants trained me. Strengthened me. Pulled strings to ensure I could successfully infiltrate the Academy, as well as give me anything to placate me and ensure my obedience. Including my hormone therapy." 
"Hormone therapy...? Wait, Saku, are you...?" Ibuki asked. 
"I am a girl. No asterisks. I am who I am. And who I am is due in large part to the attendants of Death's Hand. So I must thank Argos properly for molding me into a puppet. I truly lucked out when it comes to father figures." 
"Sheesh...I always thought you Artisan guys had it rough with all the sneaking around, but I had no clue how crazy it actually was. So what's the plan now?" Ibuki asked. 
"What the spooky man said. Tomorrow, we go back to that castle, and we put an end to the Lonely Hands Club for good. I'm not gonna live through another year of looking over my shoulder cuz of these freaks. And Prof, if in the off chance we lose..." Kat replied. 
"We'll be ready. I'll put everyone on high alert. But you won't lose, I'm sure of it. Just stay vigilant, and remember every ounce of pain they caused you. It won't be hard to keep motivated." Rin replied. 
"Please be careful, everyone. You know how dangerous our foes are. Especially now when they're driven by vengeance." Rose added. 
"Yeah, well, they ain't the only ones with a score to settle. I don't know how useful I'll be with me being new to all this. But I'll give anything for a chance of getting getting a bullseye through that undead bastard's skull." Ibuki said. 
"Indeed. I was incapacitated in a hospital bed when everyone defeated Kagami. This time he won't be spared my frustration." Carrie added. 
"That makes two of us. No one tries to break up our invincible pair and get away with it." Natalia replied. 
"And I'm glad for the chance to squash that evil bug again. Right, KittyKat?" Barbara asked. 
"Ditto. You don't leave my princess to starve and get to walk away." Kat replied. 
"You really okay fighting that guy, Saku? He did raise you." Sahir asked. 
"It matters not. It was all for the purpose of being their tool. You all are the ones I fight for now. The hand cloak is best left in the past." Sakuya replied. 
"Oh, that magical moment where we all just state our resolve. No 'final battle' is complete without it." Max uttered. 
"Say...does anyone else think they might be the ones behind the Prisons?" Kibō asked. 
"I wouldn't put anything past these people. Though for what purpose I can't ascertain. If they wished to draw us out, there are less elaborate ways to do it." Kenneth replied. 
"Yeah, really doesn't fit with their M.O. Either way we'll get an answer after we beat it out of 'em." Kat said. 
"One more thing before you all head out. Ms. Hinotama?" Rose asked. 
"Yeah?" Ibuki asked. 
"My offer of assistance is open to you, as well. If there are any issues you want to voice, my door is always open." 
"Thanks, Doc. I've got plenty to deal with. I'll take you up on it...if we make it out of whatever happens tomorrow." 
"We will. The hand freaks couldn't beat us a year ago, they sure as sugar won't now. Count on it." Kat replied. 
"Good luck, everyone. And give the 'good doctor' something extra for me." Rin said. 
The group left the house. "Well. This has been a day." Ibuki sighed. 
"Hey, it's been a while since someone set out to kill us. You just had some glitchy timing." Max said. 
"I just expected some relaxing in a park, maybe a little shopping trip...ugh, and I wanted you all to meet my fam. Instead I get aliens and vampires and a super dark blood feud. Oh yeah, and now I'm an Ashen Artisan. Exactly how I pictured it going." 
"It's never a dull moment with our bunch. We can meet your family and do all the fun stuff once tomorrow's over and done with." Barbara replied. 
"Aren't we being a little too casual about this? I mean, these guys are serious trouble." Max asked. 
"It's true that we may have prevailed against them in the past, but who knows what sort of foul tricks they have in store this time. Nothing wrong with having confidence given last time, but we should stay on guard." Kenneth replied. 
"They're probably gonna throw every dirty trick in the book at us. But we're not the same as we were back then, either. And they don't know what Bookie can do, either." Kat said. 
"'Bookie'?" Ibuki questioned. 
"You're part of the club now, you get a nickname. It's kinda my thing." 
"Well I've been called worse. In fairness I have no idea what I can do, either. I'll try to not hold you guys back too much." 
"You'll be fine. Wish your first go-around with us wasn't 'Bring down the Masters of Evil', but them's the breaks. Me and Barbie'll walk you down to the station. Everyone else, get some shut-eye. Tomorrow's gonna be a big one." 
--- 
November 25, 2029 
Inside the Shinjuku Prison, the assembled group stood at the entrance of the castle. "So this is where the other me was set up, huh? Looks like a place some evil overlord would put roots." Ibuki said. 
"Now it's just the home of some wicked men and one incredibly nasty woman." Kenneth replied. 
"Yeah, but these aren't normal men. They're the whole miserable pile of secrets." Max commented. 
Kat groaned. "Really?" 
"Aw, come on, no way was I gonna go this whole adventure without at least one 'Castlevania' joke." 
"Sorry we didn't have time to get together, Ibuki. You'll have to go this round in normal ware." Natalia said. 
Ibuki pulled her jacket's hood over her head. "I'll manage." 
"Okay, everybody. Y'all know the drill. You know what these creeps are capable of. Be ready for whatever they might throw at you. Sophomore year's been ultra fantastic up to this point, and I'll be damned if I let the hand freaks poke their ugly heads up from the grave to ruin it. Let's make sure that doesn't happen." Kat ordered. 
With a single nod of reassurance, the youths entered the castle.
As they walked down the dimly lit hallway, they noticed that the walls had been changed, now lined with large white hand imprints. "Bozos really need to vary up their decor. Not everyone's as into hands. Most people would be put off by this." Max commented. 
"Something tells me they don't get a lot of house guests." Sahir added. 
"Well first of all, this ain't even their house." Ibuki replied. 
"Man, where do we even begin to look? Place is stupid huge." Kat asked. 
Out of the blue, Sakuya was alerted by something, and ran off ahead of the rest of the group. "H-hey, Saku?! Where are you going?" Natalia questioned. The others gave chase. 
Sakuya arrived in the throne room, and glanced around. "....." 
The rest of the team arrived. "Hey, you mind giving us a warning before you go running off like that?" Max asked. 
"What's gotten into you, Sakuya?" Carrie asked. 
"...I know that you're here." Sakuya uttered. 
"Um...who are you talking to?" Barbara asked. 
"So my call can still reach you. Good." stated a disembodied voice. 
Before anyone could react, pillars of light erupted from the ground, transforming into steel bars that separated Sakuya from the rest of the group. "What the--not this crap again!" Kat exclaimed. 
Shadow energy gathered around the throne, and in it appeared the cloaked figure of Argos. "So good of you all to arrive. I am sure the others are clamoring for their taste of vengeance. But before that, there are matters to attend to. Wouldn't you agree, Tiresias?" 
"For the last time, stop using that fake name. I'm not your 'Tiresias' any longer." Sakuya retorted. 
"A 'fake name', you say. If you wish to be technical, is the name you currently go by not different from the one with which you were born? Did you not arrive at our headquarters as 'Sakutarō'?" 
"Don't you dare use that name. Those names were forced upon me. I am Sakuya. That is the name I chose." 
"Heh. Yet another one of your many falsehoods. Most organisms are never so fortunate as to be able to choose their own name. Yet picking a lie and living as that lie is your specialty, is it not?" 
"The heck's that supposed to mean?" Ibuki questioned. 
"Awakened ones. You recall the moment that you all joined with your true selves, do you not? An instance of wanting to revolt against your past self so badly that it manifested as power. Each of you behind those bars has experienced such an awakening. As did your educator and her followers. However, there are those who lack the strength of will to do so on their own. And so we developed a method of getting that power out of humans." 
"That whatever weird BS you used to give the rest of the Hands Club their powers?" Kat asked. 
"A crude manner of explaining it, but yes. Allow me to show you." 
Behind the throne, a large object began to rise out of the floor. It looked to be of ancient origin, and resembled a large mirror. "Behold, the Vulcan Driver. An engine capable of forcing submission from one's inner self. In most instances, it gives the subject power akin to those of a Shadow. In rare instances, it can draw out the latent potential of the subject to manifest their inner self as an alter-ego; that which you call a Persona." 
"Yeah, and that's what you did to Saku. But what's that got to do with--" Sahir asked. 
"The Driver offers a simulation of what the inner self may be like. A reflection, and nothing more. All for the benefit of one who lacks the mental fortitude to manifest it themselves." 
"So wait...what you're saying is, Sakuya's Persona...isn't really a Persona?" Kibō asked. 
"....." Sakuya uttered. 
"You see, your dear Ms. Tsumomo never had the need to confront her inner self. We gave her everything she demanded in her quest to alter herself. She was our submissive puppet. And an empty shell like her could never gain that power on her own. So we crafted it for her. Yet another falsehood." Argos explained. 
"Who cares if it's a fake one? I bet she could still wipe the floor with you." Ibuki said. 
"How trite. But you are correct. An imitation is still a threat. Precisely why the Driver has an alternative function. A policy in case one of our number disobeys direct orders. An end to the falsehood." 
"What's that mean?" Barbara asked. 
Argos snapped his fingers, and the Driver stirred, the mirror being replaced by a swirling miasma. In an instant, everything in the room switched to photo-negative, before switching back. The only one to react was Sakuya. 
Argos smirked. Sakuya recomposed herself. "Come, Mulan!" 
Silence. Nothing appeared. 
"Did that device just...remove her Persona?" Kenneth asked. 
"How is that possible?" Carrie questioned. 
"I just told you. The Driver can offer a gift, and it can take it back. Now that she has rejected our kindness and responded with revolt, we no longer have an obligation to let her have our gift. To think that you would react to us not with gratitude, but by spitting in our face. How pitiful." Argos responded. 
Sakuya slumped to her knees. "Kindness...gratitude?! You kidnapped me and molded me to be your slave! My mother had to live for eight years believing that she'd left me to die! You destroyed both of our lives, and I'm to respond with gratitude?!" 
"Would you have preferred to live under the thumb of your father? The one who would hold your head underwater in an attempt to exorcize you? The one who would have tormented you that very moment Lord Pittacus disposed of him? Do weekly exorcisms seem so appealing?" 
"No...but..." 
Argos shook his head. "Such a waste. We gave you purpose and identity. Allowed you to live in your own fantasy. Offered you more than you could have ever imagined. Without our aid, you are as you always have been. An empty shell built by falsehoods. Your power, your identity...even your own name. A waste of life. You elected to follow the false goddess, and now look where you are. A mountain of deceit. Utterly worthless." 
"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" 
"Huh?" Sakuya looked behind her. "Sahir-kun?" 
Sahir was grabbing the bars and seething. "I've had to sit here and listen to your wrinkled ass go on and on about how Sakuya's worthless and empty and blah blah blah. Who the hell do you think you are?! You freaks are the ones that kidnapped and brainwashed her, and now that she's free she's worthless?! You're just some no-name fart that lucked out in not getting wasted by us! If anyone here's worthless, it's you!" 
"Kicks is right, where the fuck do you get off?! Mags might've been your lackey once, but she's our friend and we love her! She's smart, she's polite, she gets cutesy when she sees a fluffy sea doggo...that's not empty! But you assholes, going on about wanting revenge against people that never even wronged you personally...what do you call that?" Kat piled on. 
"Normally I would call for a bit more tact, but tastefulness be damned. For such an inhuman cretin to judge someone they manipulated based entirely on how much they obey them is sickening. Sakuya is a lovely individual, worth more than a thousand of you." Kenneth added. 
"Whether she has any power or not, she's our dear friend, and we aren't going to just sit here and let you say this horrible garbage to her!" Barbara exclaimed. 
"I might've only known these guys for about a week, but even I can tell that you're full of it. Hey, Saku! You gonna let this wrinkly freakshow talk to you like that? Yesterday you told me to get up and stand up to the monster. Now I'm telling you to do the same thing! Or do you think that he's right to call you worthless?" Ibuki asked. 
"Everyone...I..." Sakuya responded. 
"Even if your words reach her, there is nothing you can do. The Tiresias I knew never once spoke a word of defiance against me--" Argos responded. 
"Shut up." 
"Eh...?" 
"I told you...to never call me that name again." Sakuya stood up. "Tiresias was nothing but an empty puppet you bribed and brainwashed to do your bidding. I am Sakuya. That is the name and life that I chose. I was your obedient servant once. There was a time where I would have snuck into one of these people's rooms and killed them without protest. But they accepted me as one of their own. All it took was knowing them for a short time to realize that everything you said about them was a lie. And even after my deception was exposed...they stood by me." 
"You may have gifted me with power, but they gave me an even greater, real power. The power to forgive...to love...to change...they taught me what it was like to be a person. That I could live how I wanted, and that I could be accepted regardless of who I was or what I had done. You might have made me into a puppet...but I am who I am now because of them. Sahir-kun...Kat-san...Senpai...everyone...they gifted me with real purpose. So you can stand there and call me worthless all you please. The ones who matter to me have already spoken." 
"So if your intent is to humiliate me, and take back your 'gift', go right ahead. I have no need for your help or 'kindness'. I'm through with falsehoods. I live my truth. And the truth I've accepted...is that you're my enemy!" 
"I want to live...as myself...I want the power...to be who I am...I want the strength...to help the ones I cherish..." 
..... 
"Oh, dear. This has taken far too long." 
A splitting headache hit Sakuya, and she began clutching her head. 
"Having to wear a mask and fool the world, while your own heart was deceived...an unfortunate turn, indeed. Falling prey to a false reflection is a fate most unbecoming. Do you not wish to amend that?" 
Sakuya continued to struggle, her eyes jarring open, revealing yellow coloration. As she strained, what appeared to be a mirror image of her appeared in front of her. 
"The power to fly freely...to not have to conceal thyself...it is on your lips. The name you have come to know, is all you must utter for it to become reality." 
"I am thou. Thou art I. No cursed reflections shall torment you ever again. If thy will is to unleash the fire within...then thy will be done!" 
Sakuya reached out towards the duplicate image. "I want to be...myself...please...Mulan...COME TO ME!" 
As soon as she made contact, a pillar of blue fire erupted out. "Impossible..." Argos uttered. 
Suddenly, a series of objects flew out from the pillar, impaling the Driver in several spots. The objects were long, crimson-colored swords. Cracking the mirror and hitting every major wire, the Driver collapsed. Argos could only watch with stunned disbelief. 
The flames dispersed. What appeared beneath was a woman garbed in crimson robes, hair flowing, the robes featuring a magnolia pattern. Sakuya rose up, grabbed hold of the ribbon in her hair, and undid it, unfurling her dark locks. She put her other hand, covered by the sleeve of her hoodie, over her mouth. "A beautiful display, don't you think?" 
"Whoa...it changed..." Natalia uttered. 
"Wait, they can do that?" Ibuki asked. 
"It didn't change. That's her real one. The one she made herself." Sahir affirmed. 
"GET HIS ASS, MAGGIE!" Kat called out. 
"Argos of Odyssea. You have committed the grave offense of tormenting humanity. As Pittacus is already atoning for his crimes, you shall be punished in his place. Your blight upon my friends dies today. Death's Hand be damned." Sakuya asserted. 
"You ungrateful wench...you have no idea what it is you've rejected!" Argos objected. 
"Your cause is dead. Your quest for revenge will be soon. And the ones I've sworn my life to are right behind me. I lose nothing by being myself." Sakuya drew her wodao. With blinding speed, she moved past Argos. She sheathed her sword. "Tell Kerberos who sent you." 
Argos remained still. "Damn it...see you in the darkness of eternity...Tire--" A slight cut appeared on his nape, and just as suddenly, the last Odyssean exploded in a flurry of magnolia petals. 
The bars quickly dissipated. "Holy jeez, Saku, that was--" Sahir began. 
Sakuya quickly ran over and hugged him. "Thank you, Sahir-kun. Thank you, everyone. Your belief in me never wavered, and that means the world to me. I'll never go back to being someone's puppet. I am me. That never changes." 
"You did wonderfully, Sakuya. A display worthy of your own beauty." Carrie said. 
"You know we've got your back, no matter what. Pasts don't hold water here. You're our friend. That's all that counts." Kat assured. 
"And I'm still so confused. But hey, that was pretty badass, and I love a girl that can stick it to a ratchety old man. So yeah...nice one." Ibuki added. 
"Thank you, again. I don't have to live with that awful specter over my head anymore. My life and power are my own. And I'll wield it for your sake. You have my word." Sakuya assured. 
"I hope this doesn't mean you're dropping the ribbon, Saku. That's your signature!" Natalia said. 
"Ah, right. That was a spur of the moment move. I don't want to get rid of it, although maybe I can try something different with it..." 
"We can trade around fashion tips when we're all square here. We've still got three scum lords sitting around here." Kat replied. 
"I managed to get the layout of the place." Carrie had a purple, holographic map on display. "I know where they're hiding." 
"Alright. Think it'd be a lot more effective if we hit 'em all at once. Let's do it...one team of four, two teams of three. I know everyone's got the one they'd like to punch the most, so I'm open to discussing..."
--- 
PATH OF PRIDE 
"Are you certain that you're okay to do this, Caroline?" Kenneth asked. 
"I'll be fine, Kenneth. I've learned to accept the pain. If I don't get my closure now, when will I ever?" Carrie replied. 
"I know you want your payback for what the clown did to you, but please don't overdo it, okay?" Natalia asked. 
"Your concern is appreciated, both of you. But it isn't just me I need to avenge. The bomb had your parents' names on it, Natalia. You were the one the coward sought to wound. And while we were just imprisoned, he was saying some of the most cruel things about you taking your life. As your ever loving best friend, I cannot allow that." 
"And as your ever loving best friend, I don't want you to strain yourself trying to avenge my honor. It's small biscuits compared to what he's done to you." 
"Indeed. That before every encounter, we have to ask whether or not you're in good enough condition to go through with it, is a testament to how deeply that incident is ingrained in our minds. I know how impressive your fortitude is, but you must acknowledge the risks you're taking. Nobody wants to see further harm come to you. And if Kagami were to do so now, your dear Kitten would never forgive me for it." Kenneth dictated. 
"You all are so concerned about my safety, and I love you for it. But my concern is everyone's security, not just my own. I need to put this demon to bed, not just for my own peace, but for yours as well. I'll push through any pain, no matter how intense, if it means safety for everyone." Carrie replied. 
"I know you will, and that's what I'm scared of. You nearly tore yourself to shreds fighting the big archer guy, and I don't want you doing that again. I can't keep watching you come close to throwing your life away. We're supposed to spend our lives together, right?" Natalia asked. 
"Kagami is a scoundrel of the highest caliber. He'll know exactly which buttons to push, especially when he knows he's responsible for your pain. You need to keep yourself level-headed. Don't let him get under your skin." Kenneth added. 
"Mind as diamonds, Care. Mind as diamonds." 
"I'll take that to heart. If he believes he can defeat me in a game of wits, he is sorely mistaken." Carrie replied. 
The three walked through a large door, behind which was a set of stairs leading down. "Gr..." Kenneth grumbled. 
"Now it's my turn to ask if you'll be okay." Carrie said. 
"What's with you and stairs, anyway? I've seen you leap around, go up a mountain, all kinds of strenuous stuff no problem. Why do stairs freak you out so much?" Natalia asked. 
"Suppose there's no reason to hide the truth now. When I was younger, during one of my mother's 'disciplinary' sessions, I ended up falling down a flight of stairs and dislocating my shoulder. Whether it was accidental or intentional, it's a permanent reminder of my past torment. Seeing a set of stairs always causes my muscles to tense up. It's nothing to do with fitness. It's purely psychological." Kenneth explained. 
"Oh Kenneth, I'm so sorry. And here everyone was making light of it. Why not mention this before?" Carrie asked. 
"Doctor Rose instructed me to allow it to be a source of humor. If the seriousness of it is removed, perhaps my muscle tension will dissipate. It has been somewhat successful, yet not entirely. But I will force myself to move if need be. I'll not be a hindrance." 
"Would you like for me to guide you down? If it becomes too tense, you could grab my hand and I'll help you through it." 
"You're far too kind, Caroline. I'll find a way to manage. Mind as diamonds." 
The group made their way down the stairs, Kenneth fighting through his nerves all the while. Once they reached the bottom, they found themselves at the entrance to a large maze. 
"Greetings, Heirs to a Broken Future. Welcome to my labyrinth. I realized a quiz show might not be enough of a challenge for your 'prodigious minds', so I've concocted a puzzle that'll test your stamina as well as your brains." Kagami's voice echoed. 
"As pretentious and egomaniacal as ever, I see. So you mean to say that you're attempting to tire us out before we even get to you." Kenneth responded. 
"He already knows he can't win in a fight, so he has to use his dirty tricks on us first. Sleeping behind bars clearly hasn't changed anything." Natalia added. 
"Oh ho, so that was you back on the surface, blondie. Love the shades. T-t-t-took me a m-m-m-minute to put a face to the v-v-v-voice." Kagami mockingly replied. 
"How adorable. I don't remember stuttering when I flattened you. Did getting beat by a girl mess you up that much?" 
"How about you cease the petulant taunting and face us head-on? Are you really this much of a coward?" Carrie asked. 
"You already know the answer to that. He's nothing more than an arrogant rodent, hiding away in the shadows because he knows that when the stronger kids in the school confront him, he'll have no chance." Kenneth replied. 
"You all are so sure you'll get one over on me, and yet you call me arrogant. We'll see who's really full of themselves after you start moving around in circles. And just for an added bonus..." 
In several parts of the maze, pillars of flame erupted upwards, and could be seen from the entrance. "'"I've got the entire labyrinth outfitted with flame-producing mechanisms. Good luck keeping track of it all..." 
"...Natalia? Would you be a dear and take care of this?" Kenneth asked. 
"Already on it." Natalia replied. Storm clouds gathered beneath the ceiling. 
"Huh? Wait, what the hell are you doing?" Kagami questioned. 
A downpour washed over the maze, quickly killing the flames. "I'm gonna guess your mechanisms aren't waterproof." Natalia said. 
"Caroline, do you have the map prepared yet?" Kenneth asked. 
"Certainly." Carrie had her holographic map up. 
"H-hold on, this is cheating--" 
"Since when do you care about playing fair? Make cheap puzzles, get cheap solutions. We're not playing any more of your stupid games." Natalia replied. 
"This way, loves. It's actually nowhere near as complex as he makes it seem." Carrie urged on, and the three began walking. 
"Oh come on, I spent all night working on this thing! Couldn't you at least humor me?!" Kagami griped. 
"Humor the convicted sex offender who tried murdering these two lovely women here? I don't think so. Your hour of judgment is upon you." Kenneth replied. 
"Also, weren't you supposed to be 'The Sphinx'? I'm not as caught up on my Greek mythology, but I'm pretty sure that's got nothing to do with the labyrinth." Natalia added. 
"And this maze isn't so high that someone with suitable athleticism couldn't just leap onto the top and see your, again, easy solution." Carrie said. 
"Being the smartest man in the room doesn't amount to much when you're the only in it, eh? Even then it's debatable." Kenneth quipped. 
"SHUT UP! I ain't gonna sit here and let some pampered pricks talk down to me!" 
"What else would you call what's happening?" Natalia asked. 
"Nothing more than a tiny little man throwing a tantrum. Why show any sort of respect for one such as you, especially given your lack of respect for, oh, anyone else?" Kenneth questioned. 
"Here we are." Carrie said as they reached the door at the maze's end. 
"W-w-wait a minute! Can't we talk this ou--" 
They opened the door, and entered a large room. Kagami was at the end, sitting at a desk and speaking into a microphone. He looked back to see the youths' unenthused faces. "Umm...pay no attention to the man speaking into the mic..." he awkwardly spoke. 
"I'm gonna guess that the stutter isn't a joke this time." Natalia said. 
"You had such bravado and nastiness to you yesterday. Where has it gone? Or does that only apply to when I'm locked in a cage? In your diseased mind I'm nothing but a spoiled rich girl meant to be ogled at. So why are you cowering?" Carrie questioned. 
"Okay, okay, okay, let's just pause for a second! I said and did some very nasty things to you and now you, very understandably, want to crush my windpipe. But let's look at this from a different angle, okay? I never got given a chance in life to be anything but scum. You gonna blame a rat for not being a unicorn? All those people you fixed were broken by this shitty world, right? I'm no different!" Kagami bumbled out. 
"That's your excuse for everything you've done? For stealing, harassing women and bombing a high school dormroom? I can guarantee you there are millions of people who have dug themselves up from poor situations and made a happy existence for themselves. You chose to be a scoundrel. If you're as intelligent as you hold yourself to be, you could have achieved anything. Yet your choices led you to a lengthy imprisonment. Don't give us this nonsense about 'the world is to blame for me groping women'. That is entirely on you." Kenneth retorted. 
"Did the world force you to steal? Force you to hoist your self-created power on people? Force you to put me on the cusp of death and have the nerve to joke about my best friend's fight with depression? There are no excuses. You're just delaying the inevitable. I still experience pain every time I exert my arms, or lie on my backside for too long. It was your own choice to inflict that pain onto me. Not the world's. Yours. And until you are properly dealt with here and now, neither my friends nor myself will ever know true peace. So prepare yourself. I said yesterday that I would crush you with my bare hands. I intend to fulfill that." Carrie dictated, a resolute look in her eyes. 
"...sheesh. And here I thought you bleeding hearts fell for any kind of sob story. Whatever. Screw the mind game crap. Let's skip to the violent stuff." Kagami conceded. 
The ground between the students and the Death's Hand lord opened up, and from beneath the floor, rose up a giant, metallic replica of the Sphinx of Giza, with green eyes and a large question mark symbol embedded below its head. Kagami disappeared into the machine, which slowly got up from its seated position. "Say hello to the latest in 10 Questions engineering, the Sphinxonator 10K! The perfect engine for squashing annoying brats that won't just piss off and die! So here's how this game's gonna go, kiddies...I do whatever I damn well please and crush you all, and maybe see what's left of you two fine gals to play with!" 
Kagami shuddered inside of the robot. "Oohoohoo...a Belgian waffle to go along with the French baguette...what a turn-on! Oh this was so worth breaking out of max...hoohoohoo..." 
"Can we please take him out now? He's seriously making my skin crawl!" Natalia demanded. 
"Okay, seriously need to clear the room out." Kagami's targeting system circled around Kenneth. "Quit ruining the mood, ya Brit bastard! Eat lead!" 
A pair of turrets appeared from the sides of the robot's head, and opened fire on the students. 
"Tch...! Come, Elegor!" Kenneth called out, and the red-hued horseman appeared, rapidly spinning its lance around to deflect the incoming bullets. 
"Hm? Hey, Care?" Natalia saw as Carrie had dropped to her knees, hands clutching her head, a vague expression on her face. "Care...?" 
Inside Carrie's mind, the gunfire echoed, as images of her 8-year old self sitting against a locked closet door passed through her head. 
"Care, listen to me--hey, calm down! Calm down..." Natalia knelt and grabbed Carrie by the hand. "Wind, salt, sand, remember? Take your mind away from here...you can't fall apart now. Shhh...it's okay. We're right here. It's okay..." 
"Mind as diamonds, Caroline. Don't let the bastard push your buttons. Breathe." Kenneth urged. 
"I...yes, you're right. Forgive me...I'm alright now. I think I can hack into that mechanical monstrosity. I just need you to give me time." Carrie composed herself. 
"That we can do. And I know just how to keep him occupied." Natalia replied. "Oh, your gnarliness! I have a riddle for you!" 
"The hell are you on about?" Kagami demanded. 
"I'm sure someone of your brainpower could figure this one out. What's purple, looks like it just crawled out of a ruptured septic tank and smells like it too?" 
"Why you little--! You wanna die so bad you're saying that shit to the one holding the guns?!" 
"Also what's with that shade of purple, anyway? It really doesn't suit you, dude. You're not like Care who can pull literally anything off cuz she's a goddess like that. You'd probably be better off asking your mom to lay out something brown for you." 
"Mouthy little bitch! Don't you be talking about my mom when you're making shit jokes!" 
"I don't see why not." 
"You know what...I think I liked you better when you were scared shitless of everything. You're gonna regret growing a spine now." Kagami took aim at Natalia. Before he could fire, the machine suddenly turned off. "Wha...what the...I just had this thing fixed! What's--" 
"And done. I'm the one giving the commands now." Carrie had her purple screen up. 
"SELF-DESTRUCT SEQUENCE INITIATED." 
Kagami began to panic, quickly unbuckling himself and crawling out of the robot. A few seconds later, it exploded. 
The disgraced quiz show host tried getting to his feet, but was instead hoisted up by the collar. "Lesson learned. I'm not the dumb rich girl you assumed me to be. Before I hand you an unforgettable beating, I want you to know one thing: you didn't ruin my life. I'm happier now than I have been in years. I can live with the pain and the scars. Your 'crowning achievement' was all for nothing. A miserable toad such as you could never hold power over me. There are far worse things I have to contend with than an egomaniacal criminal preoccupied with undressing me with his eyes. I refuse to waste any more time on you." Carrie declared. 
"Heh...far worse is right. Don't think I didn't see you trembling back when I was shooting. I might not be breaking you, but you're already broken. Take away the beauty queen aesthetic and you're a fractured puzzle beneath it all." Kagami defiantly replied. Just then, a black mark resembling the Death's Hand logo appeared on his hand. "Too bad I won't be the one to put it together." 
Carrie cautiously backed away. Strands of shadow energy erupted from the marking, and enveloped Kagami. "Argos' final curse. He wasn't kidding with the 'fight to the death' crap. Guess in his book that means I screwed the pooch. Whatever. Beats going back to that disgusting cell. Thanks for the laughs, kiddies. I never want to see you brats ever again." he said. 
"Trust us, you won't where you're headed." Kenneth replied. 
"Enjoy your 'happy life', Frenchie. Most of us bums aren't so lucky. Think of me whene--" 
Carrie covered his mouth. "No. No more talking. Just disappear." 
The shadows wrapped around Kagami, and in an instant, the cruel quizmaster disintegrated into shadow particles. 
Natalia put an arm around Carrie. "He's gone. He can't hurt anyone ever again." Natalia said. 
"It must've been torturous for him to not get the last word in. A villain such as him deserved no less than a silent end." Kenneth commented. 
"...such a waste." Carrie uttered. 
"Care?" 
"A soulless monster as he was, he could have used his intellect to be of help to people. My father once said that those gifted with intellectual power have the obligation to help mankind with it. Prodigies should help the world, not hold it back. For one to waste his gifts on disgusting self-gratifying endeavors, and to do it so gleefully...I could never understand someone like him." Carrie explained. 
"Nor should you try to. He was as you say, a soulless monster. And whatever pain he caused in life, I can assure that our dear old friend Kerberos is giving him a taste of it as we speak. You never need to waste a thought on that man ever again." Kenneth replied. 
"You're right, Kenneth. Thank you both. We should return to the entrance. Hopefully the others are faring well. Will you need help traversing the stairs?" 
"I can manage. Mind..." 
"...as diamonds. Indeed." Carrie giggled.
--- 
DEN OF GREED 
"I'm thinking we're on the right track." Kibō commented. 
He, Barbara and Kat were walking through a hall with spider webs lining the walls. "Least she's being honest about being a gross bug." Barbara commented. "Hey, KittyKat?" 
Kat was twirling her dagger around, and Barbara had noticed something tied around Kat's wrist. It was a pink bracelet made from string. "What up?" Kat asked. 
"It might be a weird time to ask, but I've been wondering what the story is with the bracelet." 
"Oh, this. Shizuka gave it to me before we left yesterday. I was scared it could get damaged but...I needed the reminder. About why we do this, and why this witch in particular needs to go down." 
"Well, when even the Professor can't help but curse when talking about her, that says it all." Kibō replied. 
"When she gave it to me, she said that she wanted her whole family to have one. I asked if she'd given her mamas one, and she said I should get one first. 'All three of my mamas get one', she said. I didn't get it at first, and I ask her, 'you don't mean the evil doctor lady, do you?' She says no. And..." Kat's eyes noticeably began to water. "She says her three mamas are Mama Rin, Mama Rose, and...Mama KittyKat." 
"Oh my God, that's so sweet..." Barbara replied. 
"I'm like, 'you're really aging me here, princess!' She says 'you play with me, sing me to sleep and love me like a mama, so KittyKat's like my mama.' I just...she was this close to being out of our reach. If we didn't stop the Queen B when we did, who knows what would've happened to her? She's one of the most important parts of my life, and the thought of someone being hateful enough to treat her like that makes me so pissed. Shizuka deserves a happy life, and with this honey-grubbing witch flying around, I can't guarantee that. This one's for my princess." 
"That's the entire reason we started this. Helping the ones that can't help themselves. We took her out once, we'll do it again." Kibō replied. 
"And now we get to tell her off in person. If only the Professor was here." Barbara added. 
"Oh, we'd be hearing words we never knew she knew. That's gonna have to be left to our imagination, though. Time for some pest control." Kat replied. 
Reaching a large door, the trio opened it, but before she could step through, Kibō grabbed Kat by the shoulder. "Wait a second--" 
Kat realized why he'd stopped her. The room was a gargantuan space, filled with a sea of gold coins and other assorted treasures. 
"Oh...what in the..." Barbara muttered. 
"Bookie, honey, what are you, Scrooge McDuck?!" Kat questioned. 
"This is gonna make any kind of fight more difficult. It'll be hard to land any sort of attack while we're slipping on coins." Kibō commented. 
"Careful where you're stepping. This would be the one time anyone wouldn't wanna see a mountain of cash." Kat warned. 
The three stepped out onto the sea of coins, carefully attempting to keep their balance. "Where are you, Queen B..." Kat pondered. 
"Thieves in my quarters, yet again...do you rodents never tire of intruding where you don't belong?" 
A figure descended from above, floating while utilizing wings resembling those of a bee. "Clearly that bizarre man wasn't as much of an obstacle as he thought he would be. I do hate to have to sully my newfound profit horde with delinquent blood, but it seems I have no choice in the matter." Hachime dictated. 
"As pleasant and money-grubbing as ever." Kibō said. 
"You won't remember the last time we dealt with you, witch, but that just means we can tear into you all over again." Barbara said. 
"Have I done something to offend you? A loved one received insufficient care, perhaps, and now you're holding me responsible? What other reason would some random group of children have to overthrow my carefully built medical empire?" Hachime questioned. 
"You might be a greedy piece of work, but you got careless. You silenced your hubby and allowed your oldest to deteriorate and let others give her the love you never gave her. But one got away. And that one found the exact people who could bring you down. Your head got so swollen you thought you could get away with anything. But you pissed off the wrong people. You've got no one to blame but your own selfish butt." Kat replied. 
"Ah, of course. The brat. I'd warned Satoru about having another one, but he insisted that it would be an easy way to garner sympathy after Sumiko's passing. With intelligent thought like that, one can only imagine how he never noticed the additives I put in his drinks until it was too late. His own stupidity left me saddled with a toddler who could barely handle being around people without throwing a fit. I never should have been made to have children." 
"There's something we can all agree with. Funny how that girl reacted calmly when she was found. Almost as though it was less a 'her' issue, and more of a 'you' issue." Kibō replied. 
"Why did you even become a doctor in the first place? Defrauding the people you were supposed to help, neglecting your own children and allowing one to suffer and die the way she did, whatever happened to 'Do no harm'?" Barbara questioned. 
"Oh, but we already know the answer, don't we? Why else would you dart for the vault as soon as you got here? That hospital was your own personal money pit. You had enough cash to pay for the nicest cars and hair appointments, but when Shizuka showed up at our door, she was hungry and looked like she hadn't seen a bath in weeks. You could've given her a life with your pocket change, and you left her to starve. If it wasn't helping you in the end, you couldn't part with a single yen." Kat accused. 
"You speak as though most adults in this world aren't driven by profits. Without a secure nest egg, no one can truly say that they're comfortable in life. And if money is what is needed to survive, then of course one should do all that is necessary to obtain it. You'll be hard-pressed to find someone successful who hasn't had their soul tainted by riches. Nor a doctor who hasn't become jaded by all the horror they've witnessed." Hachime responded. 
"Bull. My dad was neck-deep in politics for years. My mom was at the apex of her sport. They couldn't care less about making a giant profit. Success doesn't stop someone from being human, especially towards the people they should care for the most. Whatever complaints I have about the force of her hugs, I know that my well-being is my mom's number one priority. You can be successful in life without throwing away your humanity." Kibō retorted. 
"And the jaded doctor thing? My mom's worked as a physical therapist for years, and she's seen the kinds of injuries people can almost never recover from. Not a day happens where she isn't happy to go to work and help somebody with their pain. Because that's why medical professionals should be doing their jobs. Because they want to heal, not hurt." Barbara added. 
"Throw out every excuse your wicked brain can come up with, we're not buying any of it. Money corrupts, everyone knows that. But not everyone with money lets it consume them. I'm with someone who has more money than any one of us will see in our lives, and she is the sweetest, kindest, most generous person in the world. Having money by itself doesn't make someone evil. It's just that a ton of evil people have a lot of money. And I'm looking right at one." Kat bit back. 
"Heh. I suppose prodigies like yourselves never once had the fear of not having money. And given your past experience with me, words clearly have no use here. The fact remains that you cretins are responsible for my imprisonment, and as such, I'm going to have the pleasure of eating you alive." Dark energy surrounded Hachime, and she transformed into the winged arachnid form she had taken earlier. 
She flew straight at Kibō. "Persona!" Galahad manifested, blocking the monstrosity's bite with its shield, but the continuing charge led to Kibō losing his balance. "Urhh...that armor's as tough as her Shadow's was..." 
"And no tube full of honey to distract her--whoa!" Barbara also struggled to maintain balance. 
"These freaking coins...and of course Queen B can fly! Why make this easy for us?" Kat griped. 
Hachime flew and perched herself onto the wall. She began to flap her wings, quickly gaining speed and creating large gusts. The sea of coins began to move like waves, and the three students were bounced around and pushed against the opposite wall. "Oof! Jeez, these--ow!" Kat griped as the coins kept hitting the group. 
Kibō manifested Galahad once more, creating a barrier of light to shield the three from the onslaught. "We're getting nowhere fast here. How do we even get close to her?" he questioned. 
"Definitely not on the ground. Gonna need to go the stealthy approach...Barbie, can you get us over there?" Kat asked. 
"I can try, but how are we gonna damage her? That armor's as tough as ever." Barbara questioned. 
"Leave that to me. I've got a crazy idea, but when's the last time we didn't?" 
After a few minutes, Hachime stopped flapping her wings. The barrier disappeared, and the students had vanished. She flew down, confused. "Nh? Did they sink below? Hit with such a volume of coins that they dispersed into nothing?" she pondered. 
Directly above her, a pool of water manifested on the ceiling. Before the beast could react, the three students dropped out of the pool and landed on top of her abdomen. The transformed doctor reacted quickly, flying up and gyrating so as to force the youths off. Kibō and Barbara fell back onto the coins, but Kat held on tight. 
"Whoahoho, okay...hey, Barbie? Remember when I said I had a crazy idea?" Kat asked. 
Kat grabbed hold of the beast's jaws. "Open wide..." 
Willingly and freely, Kat dove into the monster's mouth. 
"KAT!! Oh my God, what did she just do?!" Barbara panicked. 
"Crazy girl--! I'm getting her--" Kibō prepared to draw out his sword. 
Hachime turned to them, but before she could launch another attack, she stopped in midair. 
"Ugggh, is this what formaldehyde smells like?! Bleh, you really are just as gross on the inside! Where'd I put my spell list..." Kat's voice echoed out from inside. 
A pink glow emanated inside Hachime's jaws, and soon after, the monster began violently twitching, as bolts of pink lightning came shooting out of her carapace. When the attack ceased, her body went limp, and she dropped to the ground below. 
Kibō and Barbara cautiously approached. As they got close, the body moved again, and a hand emerged from the jaws. Kat pulled herself out. "Guh...huh...the shit I do for you people..." 
"Crazy! You almost gave me a heart attack! Couldn't you at least tell me before you try the live bait routine?!" Barbara griped. 
"I wasn't gonna be the one to tell Care that her girlfriend divebombed into a spider's gut." Kibō groaned. 
"Hell of a way to say, 'thank you, KittyKat, now let me give you a relaxing massage as proper thanks'." Kat replied. 
Behind her, Hachime returned to human form. She struggled to get back up, only for the black hand insignia to appear on her hand, as shadows erupted out of it. 
Kat turned around and loomed over her, holding her down. "Since your time's nearly up, I'm gonna give you a courtesy, cuz I'm nice like that. Shizuka's doing great. She's going to school, she's got a little friend, she's up to a normal weight. And she's got a ton of people who love and dote on her and give her the attention she deserves." She held her hand up to show the bracelet. "Myself included. I hate your guts, I really do, but I also pity you. If your heart wasn't a bottomless black hole, you could've had a nice, loving family. But instead, one of your children is dead and the other doesn't even acknowledge you existing. So when I get out of here, you know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna go play with her, let her draw on my face and sing her a nice lullaby. The things a mom should do, because they're supposed to be the number one priority. I hope all that extra cash for botox was worth it. Enjoy Hell, Queen B. Tell your hubby I said hi." 
Wordlessly and with a look of resignation, Hachime dispersed into particles. 
"You get it all out of your system, KittyKat?" Barbara asked. 
Kat sighed and shook her head. "I just don't get it. Thank God none of us know the feeling, but...how could a mother not love the children they have? I mean come on, Keebie, your mom would walk barefoot over burning coals if it was for your sake. You carry something around in your belly for nine months, and then when it's here you don't give a damn? It makes no sense." 
"It's not supposed to. Some people are just incapable of loving anything but themselves. My mom drives me crazy sometimes, sure, but I know it comes from a place of love. We can't understand the idea of someone choosing money over their children because it's not a logical thing to think about." Kibō replied. 
"I know one thing. Next time I call up Mama, I'm telling her how much I appreciate and love everything she's done for me. I say it a lot, but you can never say it enough times." Barbara added. 
"Ditto. My mom might not be the most emotional person, but I know I'm still her top priority. Now I know it's not always a guarantee." Kat replied. "Okay, troops, let's head on back. I know I'm gonna need a shower after this..."
--- 
TOWER OF WRATH 
"May I ask you something, Ibuki-san?" Sakuya asked. 
"Shoot." Ibuki responded. 
"Where did you learn to fire an arrow with such precision? Striking Hirano in his hand from that distance was no small feat." 
"I've been wondering that myself. That was a Hawkeye-level shot. You ever have some kind of training?" Max asked. 
"Training? Nope. I'd never even looked at a bow in my entire life until yesterday. That was pure luck. And it wasn't even that good a shot. I was aiming for his head." Ibuki replied. 
"Oh...well it was still an epic shot." Sahir replied. 
"....." Ibuki stopped. "Are you guys really sure that I fit with you all? I mean, I got this power going on now, but I come from such a different world from the rest of y'all. Am I really the kind of girl you'd want to hang around with?" 
"Do you think we're wrong for wanting to get to know you better? We kinda laid it out yesterday already, didn't we? No one here's so full of themselves that they'd look down on you for any reason, especially not where you came from or how much money you've got. Everyone here has your back already." Max replied. 
"It was your own defiant outburst that gave me the inner strength to get back on my feet. You and I have suffered the same kind of pain, yet we're still here rising against it. I believe you and I can be good friends." Sakuya added. 
"Plus, are you really gonna pass up the opportunity to hang around Keeb's mom every now and then?" Sahir asked. 
"Wait, seriously?! Oh, but...would Kyoko-sama even give me a second thought after what I did? I put such a black eye on the sport with that stunt, how would she ever forgive me for that?" Ibuki questioned. 
"I'm sure she'll understand. She can be a bit...much, but she's still a mother. I don't think she'll judge you for it. Don't assume everyone's gonna think the worst of you cuz of something that's ultimately the fault of a murderous scumbag." Max replied. 
"The same one that awaits inside the tower. You wish to hand down your own justice, don't you?" Sakuya asked. 
"Damn right I do. If I don't end this here, who knows what the psycho's gonna do if he gets out? If I got these powers for any reason, it's to take him out. This time I'm not missing." Ibuki answered. 
The four entered the tower, which reached almost as high as the main castle itself. "Whew. Look at that spiral. Good thing Kenny's not here. He might faint at the sight of it." Max said. 
"Is that jerk seriously gonna be at the top?" Sahir grumbled. 
"Probably trying to tire us out before confronting us. As much of a coward as always." Sakuya commented. 
"Pfeh. Oh, Tirey. And here's me thinking we were friends." a familiar voice echoed. 
"That voice...get out here, asshole!" Ibuki called out. 
A few flights of stairs up, Hirano appeared, looming over the gathered youths. "Ooh, someone grew a spine while I was away. Got a ton of nerve talkin' to me that way after everything I did for ya." 
Ibuki drew an arrow, pointing it right at Hirano. 
"Really? Think you're gonna get lucky twice, pet?" 
"I have a name. And it's not 'pet'. I'm not begging you for anything anymore. If there's an animal between the two of us, it ain't me." Ibuki retorted. 
"And there's no need for any words with an animal. We'll give you the bloodbath you desire." Sakuya drew her sword. 
"Tch. You're gonna be that cold to me, eh? Fine. Talk's for shitheads who don't know why they're fighting. A bloodbath's just peachy for me!" Shadow energy enveloped Hirano, and his lanky form was replaced by that of a large, skeletal bat-like monster, flapping its wings above the group's heads. He let out a ghastly wail, and flew upwards. 
"What the hell is that?! He can turn into a monster now?!" Ibuki questioned. 
"Yeah, that's...kinda their thing. Last time was a giant skeleton that could turn invisible. Now he's a giant bat-skeleton-thing. Least he keeps a theme." Max replied. 
"And that's the last time we'll say anything positive about him." Sahir added. 
"You'd be the first." Ibuki said. 
"Please, focus. We have to catch up to him." Sakuya interjected. 
"Guess we're taking the stairs after all." 
"Let's go break the bat." Max said. 
The four raced up the stairs. As they ran up, Hirano circled the spiral, waiting for the chance to strike. "Every time I think this SOB can't get any uglier. It's like if Man-Bat and Ghost Rider did the freaky-deaky!" Max said. 
"One day, one day I'll understand your references." Sakuya commented. 
Hirano circled around again, turned to the group, opened his mouth, and generated a fireball inside of it before blasting it. "Ohhhhh shhh--" Sahir brought out his Persona to block the attack, but the force was still enough to destroy part of the stairs. Ibuki fell down to a lower level, while Sakuya was left dangling on the edge. Sahir tried pulling her up. 
Hirano flew towards the group, claws outstretched. "Persona!" Max called out Thor, and it swung its hammer into the monstrosity's head, sending it flying into the wall. "That's what you get, bat guano!" 
Sahir pulled Sakuya up. "You okay?" he asked. 
"I'm okay, but...Ibuki-san?" Sakuya looked down. 
Ibuki was on her back, brushing off small chunks of rubble. "Ah...just honky-dory. Only thinking I might not be cut out for this..." 
"Might not have to be, cuz I just knocked the wind out of--" Before Max knew it, a large skull rushed into him like a battering ram, smashing him into the wall. The force of it knocked Sahir and Sakuya away, the former grabbing onto a ledge while the latter grabbed his arm. 
"Sahir-kun, brace yourself...I'm climbing up..." 
"Wait, what do ya mean 'climbing'?" 
Sakuya began to pull herself up, grabbing Sahir's shoulders and pulling herself up onto them. "Okay, we're doing this, huh--hey, don't stretch out the fabric, ah--oh geez, is that vanilla I'm smelling on your hands?" 
"I'll humor a response later, right now..." Sakuya leapt off of his shoulders, and onto Hirano's back. The irritated creature began chomping down wildly. Sakuya drew her sword, placed it horizontally between his jaws, and held tight as the monster flapped and flailed about trying to get her off. 
"Damn little--! Get the fuck off! No passengers!" the murderous officer growled. 
"Ibuki-san...take the shot!" Sakuya called out. 
"You seriously want me for this?! What if I hit you by accident?" Ibuki asked. 
"I'll just leap away if anything is amiss...please, hurry...I can't hold him back much longer..." One of Sakuya's hands was bleeding from grasping the bladed end of her sword. 
Ibuki grabbed an arrow, and drew it back. "....." She hesitated. 
"What's wrong, skank? What happened to all that brave crap from earlier? Don't you want to kill me? I would've guessed you were a better shot, seeing how good you are with your hands..." Hirano taunted. 
"Don't worry about me, Ibuki-san...this is your revenge to take...but it has to be now!" Sakuya pleaded. 
"Here's the number one mistake you made, Tiry: trusting a floozy to do your dirty work for ya. Think about that after she nails one between your eyes." 
Ibuki's gaze went dark. "This asshole...I am so sick...of listening to your dirty mouth, putting me down every chance you get..." she thought. She looked to the slowly-stirring Max, Sahir still hanging precariously onto the ledge, and Sakuya struggling to hold Hirano back. "I finally got people to have my back...and he's gonna wreck it like always cuz I can't take one measly shot..." 
"What is the path you wish to take?" a voice asked from within. 
"I want...to leave this nightmare behind me...make this monster pay for the hurt he's caused...then go home and do the things I never could...with my friends." 
"Take the shot." 
Ibuki raised her bow. She waited for Hirano to hold still for at least a few seconds. 
With no hesitation, she let go. 
Coated in light, the arrow found its mark, piercing Hirano straight through the neck. He flailed about even more, and Sakuya hopped off of his back and onto the stairs. The monster fell to the ground below. 
Sahir got back onto the stairs. Max got to his feet, grasping his head. 
Ibuki looked downward at the limp, yet still twitching body of her former tormentor. 
"Got any last words for the bastard?" Max grogged. 
Ibuki shook her head. "I've wasted enough of my breath on him. Let him break apart and disintegrate into nothing for all I care. I'm gonna live on my own terms with people I know I can trust." She loomed over the ledge. "Hear that, you bloodsucking piece of garbage? I never needed you to begin with. I'm gonna make my dreams a reality, and you can just be a fossil in the ground. And this time no alien witch doctor's gonna be around to bring you back. I'm Ibuki Hinotama, and I'm gonna start living for me." 
The vampiric officer didn't respond. Rather, he couldn't respond. He fidgeted for a moment, before his eyes dimmed, and all movement ceased. His remains then dissipated into shadow particles. 
The students approached Ibuki. "Not a bad first mission, Fireball." Max continued rubbing his head. 
"I'm hoping it's not the first and the last." Sahir added. 
"What, I get my peace and y'all want to kick me out already? Can't get rid of me that easily. We're all stuck like glue now." Ibuki replied. 
"I'm very pleased to hear that. Let's get back to the entrance. I hope the others were successful." Sakuya said. 
--- 
"Sheesh...y'all look like a gravel truck ran over you." Kat commented. 
"Least we don't look like we just crawled out of someone's stomach." Max replied. 
"I did. Leadership comes with sacrifice, Sparky. Mine involved blowing up a spider from the inside. Sometimes you've gotta do the dirty service." 
Sakuya stood staring intently at the Death's Hand symbol on the wall. "....." 
"Are you alright?" Kenneth asked. 
"...it's really over now...they can't torment us and threaten us anymore. I'm...not burdened any longer. We can all enjoy each other without looking over our shoulders." 
"It's a big relief. Knowing for sure that those people can't hurt us ever again. And even if there were a few left, their way of empowering people was blown up. We're finally free." Kibō replied. 
"One thing is for damn sure...I never want to see that stupid symbol ever, ever again." Max commented. 
"So how are we celebrating the occasion? I mean, I can't imagine how relieved you all are that this is done. I know I'm relieved that my sis and my niece won't have to hang garlic around our apartment." Ibuki said. 
"Well, first we have to report to the Professor. I know she'll be relieved we won. After that, we know a pretty good sushi place on the south side of Naruki." Barbara replied. 
"Oooh, fishy festivities! I'm totally game!" Natalia exclaimed. 
"The perfect celebration for slaying our demons." Sahir added. 
"Not entirely sure how the two connect, but I'm happy so long as everyone's together and with nothing to fear." Carrie said. 
"We can all start to enjoy a world without hand freaks. Even though we still don't know where these Prisons are coming from, at least now we can have some peace of mind. I'm really wanting to hug my princess right now, so let's head on back. Job well done, y'all." Kat said. 
The ten youths exited the castle. Not giving the hand symbols any further looks, they could finally leave the brutal past behind them. 
The hand of death had been repelled for good.