Shadows of Hope

Chapter 36: Fusion and Preparation

The next morning at school, Izuku struggled to stay awake. As Ectoplasm droned on about battle strategies, Izuku's eyelids grew heavier and heavier until he finally drifted off into a familiar dream.

---

Izuku found himself in the Velvet Room again, but this time it looked different. The usual dark, elegant decor was replaced by what seemed like a blend of a library and a computer lab. There were rows of bookshelves and sleek computer stations, all illuminated by a soft, blue glow.

In the center of the room, Liora was playing a fighting game with another girl. This girl had long, platinum blonde hair flowing past her shoulders and striking yellow-orange eyes. She was dressed in the formal, elegant outfit typical of Velvet Room attendants: a blue beret, a white collared shirt with a black vest, a blue coat, dark tights, and matching blue shoes. She wore black gloves, adding an air of professionalism and mystery, and glasses that framed her face.

"Welcome back, Izuku," Liora said, pausing the game and looking up with a smile.

"Who's this?" Izuku asked, curious about the new attendant.

"This is Celeste," Liora introduced. "She's in charge of Persona fusions."

Celeste looked up from the game, her expression neutral. "Nice to meet you, Izuku. I hope you're ready to see how the fusion process works."

Izuku nodded. "Sure, what do I need to do?"

"Just hand over two Persona cards," Celeste instructed. "Let's start with Jack-o'-Lantern and Forneus."

Izuku produced the cards and handed them to Celeste. She took them to a large machine that looked like a mix between a printer and a magical device. She placed the cards into the machine and pressed a few buttons. The machine whirred to life, and the cards were pulled inside.

"This is our fusion printer," Celeste explained. "It combines the essence of two Personas to create a new one. If it fails, though... well, it can get a bit explosive."

Izuku watched as the machine processed the fusion. After a tense few moments, the machine spat out a single card with a glowing image of Tam Lin on it.

"Success," Celeste said with a hint of pride. "You've created Tam Lin."

Izuku took the card, feeling the power emanating from it. "Thank you, Celeste."

Celeste nodded, then suddenly turned to Liora. "Did you build your own PC?" she asked, her eyes lighting up with interest.

Liora sighed, a small smile on her face. "Yes, Celeste, we've talked about this before."

"But what GPU did you use?" Celeste pressed, her social anxiety momentarily forgotten. "And the CPU? I need to know the specs!"

Izuku chuckled, watching the interaction. Despite her social ineptness, Celeste's enthusiasm for technology was endearing.

---

Izuku woke up to the sound of the bell ringing, signaling the end of class. He gathered his things and headed to lunch, feeling a sense of anticipation for the day.

As he reached the cafeteria, he saw Hitoshi, Kyoka, Reiko, and Monoma sitting at their usual table, looking worried.

"What's up, guys?" Izuku asked, sitting down.

Kyoka sighed. "The Sports Festival is tomorrow. Everyone's stressed about it."

"Yeah," Hitoshi added. "It's a big deal, and with everything else going on... it's a lot to handle."

Reiko nodded. "We need to make sure we're prepared for whatever comes our way."

Monoma, looking unusually serious, said, "And we need to keep our Personas a secret. We can't afford to draw any more attention."

Izuku nodded, understanding their concerns. "We'll get through this. We've faced tougher challenges before. Let's focus on doing our best."

The group nodded in agreement, feeling a bit more reassured by Izuku's confidence. They spent the rest of lunch strategizing and planning for the Sports Festival, determined to give it their all despite the looming challenges.

---

As the day of the Sports Festival approached, SEES continued to train and prepare, both for the events and for the battles they knew would come. They knew they had to balance their school responsibilities with their duty to protect against the Shadows, but they were ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.