Life Will Change Book 2

Chapter 49: Home Again

Begin!

~Normal POV

The base of the tower was now covered in things that resembled roots of a tree, while looking like they came straight from Mementos. Blood red and grotesque... What was it with the gods and making everything look like this anyway? At least there was no blood raining from the sky this time. In fact, the merging seemed more or less contained to this particular area, for the moment. (They'd have to work fast to stop it from going any further.) They were not only in their thief suits once more, but Sophia was also here in physical form again. Ichinose was still with them too.

"Holy shit- what is all this?!" Ryuji asked.

"Well, it's repulsive for one thing..." Haru replied, looking around with disdain at the imagery.

"This is still the real world... right?" Ann asked.

"That ought to be the case, but it's growing harder to believe by the minute," Yusuke said.

"And look at our outfits too." Zenkichi pointed out. "What could have done this?"

"I'm also here now!" Sophia added.

"It happened again... Just like last year. The Metaverse is encroaching on reality," Morgana said.

"Encroaching-" Zenkichi asked. "Wait- this has happened before!?"

"Oh right, we're the only ones who remember..." Ann mumbled.

"Don't worry so much, Wolf." Akira said, "We'll tell you and Sophie all about it some other time. It's kind of a long story. That said, this place looks like a Jail to me... We should be able to find EMMA and stop her before she takes over all of reality."

"I have visual confirmation of the Ark above us." Sophia said, "We'll have to climb up there to reach it."

"It'll be too dangerous for you to follow us, Ichinose," Makoto said, "You should find somewhere to hide."

Ichinose snapped out of her thoughts while looking around at all the disturbing imagery. "Oh- um, ok. I'm sure I'd slow you down anyway."

Sophia stayed behind for a moment while everyone else went on ahead. "Well, mother, I'm heading out..." She said, brightly.

"Ah, right..." Ichinose said quietly. As she watched her start to follow her friends she called out. "Sophia?" Sophia paused and looked back at her. "Um... be careful..."

Sophia smiled. "Understood! Also, mother: I am not currently Sophia. I am Sophie, of the Phantom Thieves!"

Ichinose smiled a little. "Got it... Sophie..."

~...

"Here we go again..." Haru said, worriedly, as Sophia rejoined them a little ways into the tower. "I wonder if the gods hate us by now."

"Indeed." Yusuke said, with a tiny smirk, "To oppose yet another god... I suspect our karma's run deep down the drain."

"I don't even know if we can pay for all these sins!" Futaba added, playfully.

"Eh, it all depends on who you cheesed off." Zenkichi said, smiling nonchalantly despite the topic. "I wouldn't sweat it over some megalomaniacal app."

"Yeah, just some program that grew a big head and forced people to do its bidding!" Ann said.

"EMMA's no god at all." Sophia said, firmly. "Only an impostor!"

"I second that!" Akira replied, smiling. "Eh, I killed a god once already, I can do it again. Though I don't think I have the means to pull off my little trick this time..."