[5/24 (Saturday) - Afternoon]
[Labyrinth - VESTA 1]
As the second and last Cowardly Maya faded away after being bisected by Odysseus's Cleave, Clerval waited until Mary gave him the all-clear before slumping against a nearby wall, his breathing rapid and heavy.
"H… How much further?" he muttered into the air.
"One last section, Wanderer. The nearby vicinity is clear of any enemies; you may take a quick break."
He could only give a thumbs-up as he leaned his head against the marble wall, trying to control his breathing.
He had only been on this Labyrinth floor for about twenty to thirty minutes, and yet he was already this exhausted. He had never used his powers so extensively before; this was the first time he had pushed his Personas this hard. Coupled with the fact that he was without a weapon—he hadn't expected to be fighting at all—his only source of attacks was through the usage of his Personas.
Taking a deep breath, his breathing returned to its usual calm, steady rhythm. The miraculous power of Aura revealed itself once more, his stamina gradually regenerating, albeit at a slow pace.
Reaching into his pocket, he patted the surface to feel the items within.
So far, he had obtained three fragments—Golden Pieces, as Mary had called them—from the Shadows he had defeated along the way. Each Shadow didn't guarantee a drop upon defeat; he had noticed, with the current rate appearing to be roughly one in every four.
And speaking of defeating Shadows…
"Mary."
"Yes, Wanderer?"
"My Personas feel stronger."
He could almost hear the smile in her voice. "Has one of your Personas received a new Skill?"
He nodded, letting his mind sink into the sea of his soul. Within his stock of Personas, he could feel that their presences had grown denser; "fuller" would be another word that came to mind. And the first of his other selves, Odysseus, had somehow gained a new Skill after the most recent battle.
A version of Cleave that could hit multiple targets with light damage at once in succession, Swift Strike.
"As you grow," Mary explained, "Your Personas will grow alongside you as well. Sometimes, they will gain skills that reflect that growth."
Returning his consciousness back into reality, he exhaled as he slowly got up from his seated position. His health had returned an adequate amount for one last push. It was time to clear this last section of the floor.
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As he followed the path before him, Clerval noticed it branching into two. One continued straight ahead with no end in sight, while the other led to a small room with something shining at its center.
Moving closer, he found that the shining object was actually a golden chest that shone luminously on the ground. Curious, he took a step forward with his Evoker on the side of his head as a caution before kicking the chest.
The force of his kick flipped the lid of the chest open, revealing a small stone-like piece with a symbol etched into its surface.
Mary's voice echoed through their connection. "I see you've found a Treasure Chest. Chests like these are scattered throughout the Labyrinth. While the items you receive from them are random, they are often valuable in many circumstances. Search for them whenever you can."
Raising the stone piece into the light, he described the item to her.
"That is a Life Stone. Crushing it will regenerate a portion of health after a brief amount of time, a useful item in the heat of a battle of attrition."
Very useful indeed. He slipped it into his blazer pocket for now, just in case, before moving on.
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It took him a few more minutes to reach what appeared to be the final section of the VESTA 1 floor. The layout was similar to the rest of the floor's structure—a large square chamber with marble walls and pillars covering every side except for the entrance and exit.
The only difference, however, was the exit itself. Instead of the usual hallway that seemed to stretch on endlessly, it was replaced by a wide stairway descending into darkness. Between him and the staircase crawled a Shadow, its back turned in his direction, completely unaware of his presence.
"Let this be your final lesson for today." Mary instructed as Clerval snuck nearer to the oblivious Shadow. "Stay out of their field of vision and strike it from behind. This will stun them for a few seconds, giving you an advantage at the beginning of a battle."
Closing the distance to an inescapable range, he rested his Evoker against his head and fired the unloaded gun. Glass shattered across the opposite side of his skull as Odysseus's blade crashed down onto the Shadow's back.
The Shadow was flung backward, swelling grotesquely before splitting and bursting into two writhing masses of black goo, its true forms revealed.
"A Trance Twin and a Muttering Tiara. Both enemies are Weak against Lightning and Wind attacks respectively."
As his attendant listed the weaknesses of the foes before him, Clerval's mind immediately selected the perfect Persona for the encounter, the image of his other self flashing vividly before him.
"You have the advantage. Use this chance to knock them both down."
Rolling the Evoker in his hand, he switched Personas and fired the imaginary bullet through his skull. In a flash of blue, Odysseus dissipated and was replaced by a floating brain that represented wisdom and intelligence.
"Omoikane, Zio! Then Persona Change! Angel, Garu!"
A bolt of lightning surged from the sky, striking the Trance Twins. With its job complete, the Shinto god dissolved into motes of blue, merging into the form of the servant of the Heavenly Gates. With a flap of her majestic white wings, Angel seized the window of opportunity from the One More, unleashing a gale of wind that struck the Muttering Tiara, sending both enemies crashing to the ground in a matter of seconds.
"With your enemies knocked down, they have no way to defend against any attack. Now is the perfect time for an All-Out Attack."
He whipped his head toward the voice echoing behind him, surprised to see Mary strolling toward him, her tome in hand. Standing beside him, she flipped open her tome as she explained.
"An All-Out Attack is a maneuver that utilizes your entire team to attack simultaneously. While it is one of the more reliable methods of offense, it requires time and setup beforehand for it to be effective—hence the need to knock down all enemies."
Behind her, a pillar of familiar blues erupted in a flash of light, revealing a female-shaped Persona in white garb, a crown resting atop her head. Chains draped from her shoulders to her knees, most of them bundled in her hands fashioned as knuckle dusters.
"Now, it's time for a full-on assault! Penelope, charge!"
Nodding, he summoned Odysseus as his offensive option, readying himself before rushing in alongside Mary.
A cloud of white smoke from their attacks engulfed the battlefield; the clash of metal and elements rang through the air intensely before Clerval emerged from the dust-filled smoke with a skid, the Shadows behind him sprouting black goo.
Evoker in hand, he exhaled, running his free hand through his hair before striding away.
[AND THAT'S THAT.]
Her heels clattered against the floor as the attendant of the Velvet Room approached, a proud smile on her face.
"That marks the end of this session. Well done, Wanderer. You've adapted quickly, as expected."
Bending down, she picked up the Golden Piece dropped by one of the Shadows before stepping past him, extending a hand. "Follow me; I will lead you back to the Velvet Room."
He reached out and grasped her extended hand. In an instant, they were whisked away in a swirl of bright, shimmering lights.
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NEXT UPDATE: 24 April, Friday
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