Persona: Mirror

CHAPTER 39 - P1--6 - JUNO

CH:39 - P1
JUNO
1/12/2020
XX:XX

We did it; we've finally reached the tower. It's much much larger in person. The entrance is an upside down door with awkward steps leading into it. They looked like a deep black marble.

Taiki and I looked at the building, looked at each other, and nodded. It's about time we've at least traversed some of the tower. The two of us take a slow stride up the steps to the door; using teamwork we push it wide open. Inside was completely the opposite of the outside, it was paved in a shimmering reflective marble. Another door stood at the end of the hall not too far in front of us.

"Stop right there." A voice rung around the walls. Taiki and I jump in response as a fission of energy formed in a vortex appears in the middle of the room and a man steps out of it. He donned a black shaft coat with gray slacks, black dress shoes, and a white collar shirt. The most interesting feature of this man was the mask he wore. It was like that of the crescent moon. I could feel him peering from his eye-hole.

"Congratulations on making it this far gentlemen. You've performed well with your powers still in their infancy."

Taiki and I were silent; I could feel him drawing me for the words to say to the man. I take a deep breath. "What do you want?"

The man took a slow stride forward a bit before he responded. "I'm very interested in the capacity of the Persona users I've seen running around here. Especially you... Kazuma... You defeated Negatsu! He wasn't an easy opponent."

Taiki and I look at each other. We were at a loss of words.

CH:39 - P2
JUNO
1/12/2020
XX:XX

"Don't worry. Your identities are safe with me. I just have a favor to ask. It's about my daughter... You've met her before Kazuma. I need your help to retrieve her from her current location."

Ultimately Philemon wasn't lying. This mysterious man wants me to rescue his daughter, the girl from the elevator. She can use a Persona and she's formidable.

"Why can't you do it?" I retort. Just to see his response.
The man smiles "You cannot enter this tower at your current level; you will die. And if you die, the secrets of the Terraformers will forever be unkempt. You need to help Nami; so that she can join your fight."

Taiki looks around super confused. "W-Who is this Nami-saaaan?? Where is she??"

The man adjusts his coat, then pulls a mirror from his pocket, setting it on the ground. It forms open into a vortex. On the other side there was what appeared to be the dormitory if it was upside down, and a tad larger.

"She's currently being held there. If you do not hurry she will die, leaving this timeline potentially unfinished."

With that, he leaves. The portal still spiraling open.

CH:39 - P3
JUNO
1/12/2020
XX:XX

We both stare into the portal. To be honest, we could ignore the man, and continue.

"... Hey Kazuma. That guy... He wasn't Philemon right?" Taiki looked genuinely confused. I peered down for a moment. "No Taiki-san. He definitely wasn't Philemon. The masks... Philemon's isn't the moon. But he also bears a mask."

I take a step toward the portal. "Taiki... Let's go rescue Nami. Even if that guy isn't her father, we still need to help those in need. We can't be like them... The Terraformers."

Taiki shrugs. "Terraformers sounds like a dope ass name... I dunno man... They did try to kill us..."

I snag Taiki's cap and fastened it on his head with a downward motion. "Dude those guys aren't messing around. Stay focused, I need you man."

Taiki flails a bit and fixes his cap. "D-Dude!!! Alright... But what's the plan here?"
I cross my arms. "We're gonna have to be stealthy. I was planning on maybe using Kikuri-hime to free Nami from a distance... But we don't know the numbers there, or even where she is for that matter..."

Taiki turns his hat around and holds his fist up high. "Yeeeeeeah!!! Let's do this-- Oh rightrightright stealthyyyy."

CH:39 - P4
JUNO
1/12/2020
XX:XX

And so the two of us had made the decision to enter the mysterious zone. We both step in slowly, I'm in the lead. Once we pass through we take a very careful look at our surroundings; we're inside of a shed of some sort. Boxes littered the area and overall it was a mess.

I motion Taiki to get low after me. We both use the boxes as a form of cover and traverse through. The shed appeared to be empty. Once we reached what looked like the exit I peered through some cracks in the door.

There were extensive fortifications for an area in the mirror world; groups of two waltz around. There had to have been at least 10 groups of 2 within the immediate area. If they're all Persona users from the murderous group, I'd be surprised if we get out of here alive.

I turn my head to whisper to Taiki. "Look... There's too many to just go outside from this way... We'll have to either make a distraction somehow, or find another way to get around the patrols."

Taiki nods. "There's gotta be somethin' around here we can use to our advantage..."

The two of us split up inside to shed to search for a way around. On my end there's not much luck. Just boxes, what looks like hay, among other random assorted items. Nothing of use.

Suddenly the shuttered shed door opens to reveal a group of two patrolmen.
CH:39 - P5
JUNO
1/12/2020
XX:XX

I can barely make out Taiki's location, but at the moment we're separated. The two men start shifting through and marking some of the boxes, opening them up and placing what looked like sealed bags inside.

"We had a good haul today... But this is definitely my least favorite part..." Said one of the patrolmen.

"What??? I'd say the opposite... This is pretty awesome. Souls as Persona fuel... Who woulda' thought?" Said the other patrolmen.

I was a bit in shock. Souls as Persona fuel? For power? Typical. A bit too typical. The men continue to sort through some of the boxes; they don't seem to notice our location.

"Yeah yeah that's what we all said when we first got inducted." Marked the first patrolmen.

They had a bit of meaningless chit chat about chicken or fries being a dish of their choice; when a loud siren pierced the air. The two of them immediately dropped what they were doing and rush out of the shed. This looks like our break. I hurry after the door winds shut behind them to go over to Taiki's area. He's diligently waiting in position. "Alright Taiki this is our chance. Let's see if we can find Nami." He nods. "Yessir!!!"

Back at the shed door to peek through, I notice the patrolmen are all gone now that the siren is blaring. This is as good a time as any. I slowly open the door and hug the shed wall to an area in the back of the camp. The two of us stayed close and low, using various objects in the field as cover.

We move as fast as possible. At the end of the row of encampments, we hear a group of running. "Hey!! Intruders were detected!!! Locate their specific location immediately!"

Taiki and I look at each other. We're in some deep shit.

CH:39 - P6
JUNO
1/12/2020
XX:XX

The sirens continue blaring whilst Taiki and I rush to see if we can find the location of Nami. There doesn't seem to be any holding areas around, no matter where we raced off to. Surely if we're found, it's over. There's no way we can fight in the first place. Our other bet is to use a mirror to retreat. But even then, we can't just abandon Nami.

I call Taiki to cease movement with an open hand to my side. Taiki looked confused, speaking in a quick whisper. "DUuuude! We gotta find the chick and get the hell outta here ASAP...! No time to stop--!"

Looking at Taiki I simply point ahead. There was a different tent than the others, it was more like a tepee. The two of us hurried inside.

"Kazuma... You got some dank intuition..." Taiki looked upon the unconscious Nami surprised. She looked as if she had been beaten badly before being brought here.

I quickly call upon Kikuri-hime's strength to cut her bonds and I lift her up. "Alright... Taiki... I'm gonna use Kikuri-hime again to try and get us out of here as fast as possible... If we're spotted and attacked from afar I want you to use Yatogami to defend us as best you can, ok?"

Taiki took a gulp grabbing my arm. "Y-Yessir."

I grasp my chest furiously, holding Nami close. This is it. I'm going all out with this escape.
"PERSONA...!!!!"

Kikuri-Hime rose from my heart, with a new depth to her. She wrapped her cables around the three of us and we jetted off into the sky at a tremendous speed, bursting from the te-pee. Not the most stealthy but better than nothing.

As we were flying away from the camp, a few Persona users begin to glide up and follow. It seems they had a couple with a similar ability.

Fire, Ice, and mini tornadoes all come our way as we sear through the sky.

Taiki follows suit... Clenching his chest. "P-PERRSONNNAAA!!!!"