[6/25 (Wednesday) – Afternoon]
[Labyrinth — VESTA 5]
Clerval caught the Avenger Knight's lance with his sword, sparks bursting from the grinding steel as they fought to push each other back.
He immediately leaped backward after sensing something amiss.
A bolt of energy lanced through the spot where he had been standing only a heartbeat earlier.
His boots skidded across the marble and raised his Evoker without missing a beat.
"Tam Lin!"
The trigger clicked, and an imaginary bullet pierced his skull as brilliant blue shards erupted from the side of his head.
Tam Lin emerged from the depths of his heart, emerald light erupting from the ground beneath him, enveloping Clerval's body with a refreshing breeze that made his movements lighter and more precise.
Clerval lunged forward—
Only to immediately abort the advance.
Half a dozen bolts of energy curved toward him like homing missiles.
"...!"
He twisted, sidestepped, and parried his way through the barrage. Most of the projectiles shattered against his blade. The few that slipped through struck his Aura, sending ripples across his body.
[It's going to use it again!]
Pixie's warning rang through his mind as the Avenger Knight thrust its lance skyward.
White light gathered around its tip as dozens of glowing arrows rained from above.
"Odysseus!"
Blue glass shattered as the legendary king of Ithaca appeared beside him.
Together, they moved as one, carving through the storm of arrows before they could reach the ground.
[Oh, Wanderer, you must uncover its weakness soon—Shadows do not tire easily!]
Nigi Mitama exclaimed worriedly as Lilim sighed lazily, filing her nails unbothered that her other self was in danger.
[But with these barrages of Arrow Rain and Torrent Shots, it would be difficult to find an opening to test out its Weakness Affinities...]
[Master, pick me!]
A new voice suddenly cut through the chorus.
[I resist Piercing attacks! I can help you withstand them!]
Chimera barked enthusiastically.
Acknowledging the advice, Clerval dismissed Odysseus.
Blue motes scattered into the air, and in the same instant, Chimera answered his summons.
Raising his sword, he noticed the difference when the next Torrent Shot struck his guard; the impact was noticeably lighter than earlier.
With the chance to finally counterattack, he hitched his breath as he reached for another mask, the sudden strain weighing on his mind.
"J-Jack Frost!"
[Hee-ho!]
The cheerful snow spirit twirled into existence. With a playful flourish, frost spread rapidly across the Avenger Knight's armor...
Only for the ice to simply slide off.
Before Clerval could react, the Avenger Knight vanished and reappeared directly in front of him.
"!!!"
He swiftly reacted, barely raising his defense high enough before the Shadow slammed into his body; the impact launched him across the chamber.
[H-Heee-hoo...! Sorry, looks like this Shadow blocks Ice Skills, hee...!]
Dissolving into motes of blue, Chimera immediately surged forward, intercepting another volley of arrows while he forced himself back onto his feet.
[Blow it away!]
Glass shattered as Nigi Mitama obliged, sending a violent gale that forced the Avenger Knight to take several steps backward. The next second, a warm, gentle glow of green flickered throughout his whole body, healing him from a portion of the damages that he sustained in this minute-long fight.
[Try fire instead!]
Clerval raised his Evoker and summoned Berith into existence.
"Agi!"
Flames blossomed within Berith's palms before roaring across the battlefield, engulfing the Avenger Knight in a torrent of fire.
For the first time since the battle had begun, the Shadow let out an eerie, distorted scream.
The armored knight staggered, and both rider and mount collapsed onto one knee before crashing to the marble floor, completely exposed.
"You've struck its Weakness!" Mary exclaimed. "Push the attack, don't let up on the offense!"
"Persona!" Clerval called out, wincing as Berith and Lilim materialized at his side in flashes of blue.
"Agi!"
Flames ignited within both Personas' palms.
Berith unleashed a torrent of fire from one side, while Lilim followed up the attack with another Agi Skill, the twin bursts of flame converging upon the fallen Avenger Knight.
The relentless barrage left the knight reeling.
Meanwhile, he heaved, another spike of pain tearing through his skull from the strain of swapping and maintaining multiple Personas at once.
Even so, he refused to relent.
Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew a crimson Gem and crushed it in his hand before hurling the glowing fragments toward the staggered Shadow.
A moment later, the Gem detonated as a roaring pillar of flame engulfed the Avenger Knight; the Agilao Gem unleashed a far more powerful blaze than his Personas' own Agi.
"The Shadow is knocked down! It's your chance to go for an All Out Attack!"
[This demon shall serve!]
[Let's end this quick, shall we?]
Clutching the side of his head, Clerval gritted his teeth against the pounding migraine and burst forward, charging straight at the fallen Shadow.
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"Ha... Ha... Haah..."
Panting heavily, Clerval nearly collapsed onto the floor if not for his sword keeping him upright.
A few steps behind him, the massive form of the Avenger Knight lay motionless, its armored body slowly breaking apart as black particles drifted from its remains and faded into the air.
Even after the All-Out Attack with Berith and Lilim, the Shadow had refused to fall. It rose again and continued the battle. For nearly ten minutes, he had to endure the relentless assault it unleashed, constantly searching for openings while exploiting every opportunity to strike at its Weakness.
And in doing so, his Aura was completely depleted. His spirit was exhausted. And only a quarter of his health remained after the battle. It would have been far worse if not for the Life Stones he had stockpiled from the various chests scattered throughout the Labyrinth...
Clerval slowly withdrew his sword from the ground.
He was done for the day.
There was no point in pushing deeper into VESTA while he was already in critical condition. One mistake now would cost him far more than he could afford.
But... His eyes drifted toward the path ahead.
Earlier, he had noticed that a section had opened after defeating the Avenger Knight.
Curiosity got the better of him.
Moving cautiously, Clerval stepped through the newly accessible passage.
What awaited him was a large, empty chamber with a set of stairs descending deeper into VESTA 6, a weird object at the corner of the room... And a lone chest sitting at the center of the room, radiating a strange, almost mysterious energy.
He reached out and opened the chest.
"Armor?"
He lifted the chest plate out, examining it under the dim light of the Labyrinth.
At first glance, it appeared rigid and durable. Tapping his knuckle against the armor plates produced a solid, metallic sound. Yet when he stretched the material, it flexed and moved with surprising ease, almost like fabric rather than protective plating.
Interesting. The properties reminded him of dilatants—a newly developed material technology that Atlas had unveiled only a few months ago during their annual technological showcase.
After a moment's thought, he decided to wear it under his poncho for better protection.
Once he donned the new armor piece that he dubbed the "Anti-Newton Vest," Clerval turned his attention toward the unfamiliar object resting at the far corner of the chamber.
It looked remarkably similar to the console positioned before the Labyrinth's entrance.
Curious, he approached and slowly extended a hand toward the stone tablet.
The instant his fingers made contact—
A brilliant light erupted from its surface.
In the blink of an eye, his surroundings shifted.
The white marble floors of VESTA vanished, replaced by the familiar entrance of the Labyrinth.
Clerval stared at the stone tablet before him.
"...A teleporter?"
He tested his theory by tapping on the console.
In the next moment, his surroundings shifted, and he found himself back in VESTA 5.
Curious, he pressed his fingers against the console once more.
A flash of light later, and he was returned to the chamber where he had been standing moments before.
Convenient.
At the very least, he would no longer need to climb back up the stairs manually after reaching deeper floors.
Though, judging by the distance between this one and the entrance, these teleporters were likely scattered throughout the Labyrinth rather than placed on every floor.
He would have to keep that in mind for future Dives.
With no further reason to remain, Clerval turned away from the console and walked back toward the swirling gate waiting at the edge of the chamber that would return him to the Velvet Room.
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A/N: I'm... Just not going to put a date on next chapters anymore. Just know that it'll be two chapters a week (if I even have the time to turn my PC on!)
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