Tokyo Psychic

Page 261

Having confirmed his judgment with Morgana, Akira Kurusu stood up and looked at the phantom thieves around him.

"Everyone should put away their contemptuous attitude. The enemy we are about to face is no less than the master of any palace."

Akira Kurusu summarized all her deductions.

"We do not yet know the enemy's true nature, but they possess the ability to manipulate the Impression Space. They are highly likely to be evil gods manifested from the collective unconscious. At the same time, the Impression Space will take on a completely unfamiliar form, with traps set by the enemy everywhere. We must take this seriously."

Morgana added, "And this time we may be facing more than one evil god."

Hearing the explanation from the phantom thief and the cat, no one dared to underestimate them anymore.

Then, Morgana, as if impatient, jumped onto the table and said loudly, "We will first go to the Impression Space to investigate, then bring back intelligence, and then we will discuss the details of the operation together... The name of the plan will be..."

"Operation Save Futaba Sakura!"

234. Sakura Futaba's Crisis

This space was completely different from any other space the Mind Thieves had ever seen before—

Honeycomb-like deep red patterns cover the boundless quartz plain.

Hexagonal prisms rose abruptly from the ground, stretching upwards to the endless horizon. Beneath the dome, where deep green lasers rose in a ring, countless black drones resembling bats crowded in like dark clouds.

Compared to the "Impression Space" in Tokyo, this place is more like the "Network World" from "Digimon".

"What are those?" An and Subaru looked up at the terrifying, pitch-black sea of ​​clouds in the sky.

“Shadow,” Akira Kurusu replied in a low voice.

Shoko Toyokawa and Mutsuko Wakaba fell silent.

"This quantity..."

Wakaba Mutsumi held Toyokawa Shoko's hand and said, "Mona said that these shadows will not attack us on their own initiative."

Morgana fiddled with the scarf on his shoulder. “We’ve already explored the area roughly – that’s the direction we need to take next.”

It pointed to the laser-shrouded dome.

“It was somewhat expected,” Akira Kurusu said. “They gathered there and clearly noticed us, but they never attacked... This means they must have been driven by some evil god to prevent others from getting close.”

"Mona, how do we get up there?" An and Subaru asked Morgana beside them.

Morgana replied, "Go further ahead, there's an invisible elevator."

"Elevator?" Akira Kurusu was somewhat intrigued by this word.

After all, Shiomi Kotone's velvet room is an elevator to the "universe".

The Mind Thieves should have retreated immediately, returned to reality, and begun devising strategies to address the potential dangers ahead...

But the phantom thief's intuition gave Akira Kurusu a strong sense of urgency.

We must hurry and get on that elevator, or there will be no way to save Sakura Futaba's life—

Akira Kurusu vaguely sensed something was amiss.

If the entire Impression Space has been altered at this point, then where will they eventually arrive by taking the elevator—a deeper level of the Impression Space, or the stronghold of the evil gods who directly caused its change?

Or perhaps... both.

There was no time to hesitate, so Akira Kurusu immediately led the Phantom Thieves to the invisible elevator.

......

at the same time.

After being captured and displayed on the computer screen.

Futaba Sakura finds herself in a space that resembles a variety show set.

Futaba Sakura, who hadn't left her bedroom for a long time, immediately felt intense panic and unease.

Forget about standing up to observe her surroundings; she felt so weak that she couldn't muster any strength, and she couldn't even think straight.

On the dark stage, a television screen suddenly lit up.

Futaba Sakura looked at the television screen.

The character "Sakura Futaba" inside also turned around and looked at her.

Futaba Sakura clearly saw fear and unease in her own eyes.

She screamed instinctively, then stood up and tried to run away.

On the screen, "Sakura Futaba" also stood up, but her action wasn't to run away, but rather...

She rubbed her eyes with her hand, then looked at Sakura Futaba on the stage with a mocking gaze through her dark golden pupils, before letting out a contemptuous sneer.

The next moment, she rushed out of the television screen.

His pajamas had been transformed into a pitch-black combat suit.

Wearing a pair of headphone-style goggles, he pushed her to the floor with an evil smile that Sakura Futaba herself would never show.

"Who are you?!" Futaba Sakura asked the question in utter terror.

The other person didn't answer, but their smile became even more radiant.

"Shouldn't you already know the answer in your heart, Navi? You yearn for the Mind Thieves, you dream of becoming a Mind Thief... Isn't this exactly what you've always longed for?"

As she spoke, the goggles fell down, obscuring "Sakura Futaba's" dark golden eyes.

She pressed herself against Sakura Futaba, her tone flippant, "It's such a contradictory and pathetic state of mind."

"However... it seems that the Mind Thieves you've been dreaming of have encountered quite a bit of trouble."

"Sakura Futaba" snapped her fingers, and a dark green data stream instantly surged throughout the space.

One by one, the television screens lit up, clearly showing the Mind Thieves battling an endless siege of shadows inside an elevator made up of only four pillars and a ceiling, with no walls.

She said dismissively, "Do you expect them to come to your rescue? After dealing with these enemies, the real formidable foe is yet to come."

As she spoke, "Sakura Futaba" waved her hand, and another screen descended from the darkness.

The screen reflected Futaba Sakura's despairing face.

"Watch closely, and here will be the most cherished and painful memories in your heart. You will be gradually killed by the sins that emerge," the shadow said.

"And next, I will replace you and become the real Sakura Futaba."

235. The Phantom Thieves Beyond Memories

What is Sakura Futaba's most cherished memory?

She always thought that should have been the time she spent living with her mother.

As for the most painful memories...

That must have been the moment when he watched his mother die right before his eyes.

She was taken aback when she faced the television screen that could reveal all the traces of her inner self.

The images displayed on the screen were neither the moment of the mother's death nor those warm and distant family routines.

On the rooftop of the private Xiujin Academy's teaching building, familiar yet unfamiliar boys and girls bathed in the setting sun, their faces flushed red, their pupils reflecting the brilliance of the sunset. The orange light was fragmented into tiny patches by the barbed wire mesh, embedded in their bodies.

"Skull, this is the last time we'll see each other. Is there anything you'd like to say to me?"

A tall, slender art student with dark blue hair leans against a barbed wire fence, questioning the Mind Thieves' "Chariot".

"Why are you asking me?" Skull glared at him, somewhat annoyed. "Shouldn't you be asking the Joker about this?"

Fox shook his head, then looked at Akira Kurusu, who was surrounded by girls, "because he still has to deal with those troublesome guys one by one."

"Mona" licked its paws, watching the group of humans with regret and helplessness.

......

Panther stared intently at Akira with her deep blue eyes. "Listen carefully, even if we forget each other right now, you must find me again in the next timeline and date me!"

As she spoke, she suddenly grabbed Lai Xixiao's tie, then tilted her head back and kissed his lips. Her beautiful blonde hair swayed with the movement, instantly bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun, dazzling like molten gold.

"Queen," who had been standing to the side, hesitated several times before finally stepping forward and hugging Akira Kurusu after Ann Takamaki finished speaking. "I don't care about Valentine's Day anymore. I'm sorry I hurt you back then..."

The student council president, who always appeared strong and serious, hugged Akira tightly. Her expression softened with regret and pain. She held Akira's shoulders and kissed his lips passionately, a hint of allure in her eyes. "Even if the world is about to restart, I believe... we will fall in love again."

After finishing his conversation, Makoto Niijima voluntarily let go of Akira Kurusu, leaving his time to the girls beside him.

Noir scratched her fluffy curly hair, a persistent anxiety lingering in the eyes of this usually gentle and elegant young lady.

She stepped forward, clasped her hands tightly together, and grasped Akira Kurusu's right hand. "I don't know what to say... but I'm certain that even if I lose all my experiences, I will fall hopelessly in love with you again."

As he spoke, Okumura Haru opened his arms and embraced Kurusu Akira tightly.

With her hands behind her back, Violet's slender figure appeared even more delicate in the twilight.

After Okumura Haru left, she cautiously stepped forward and said, "Senpai, I also have something to say to you."

Akira looked at this well-behaved junior.

Yoshizawa Kasumi simply closed her eyes, then stood on tiptoe to kiss his lips.

When she opened her eyes again, her rose-red eyes were already filled with tears.

Like roses washed in a florist, they are vibrant and beautiful.

"Although this request is somewhat offensive... if we were to start over, I hope you could give Sumire a chance."

Fang Zexia said softly, "She really, really has always liked you."

In the last thirty seconds of her life, this older sister's first thought was for her younger sister's happiness.

The girls all left, leaving Akira Kurusu to the girl in the group who needed the most care.

"Navi" looked up at the phantom thief who had redeemed his life.

She opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

She simply ran and threw herself into Akira's arms, then burst into tears.

"I don't want to forget Ren! I don't want to forget everyone in the Phantom Thieves!!"

"Even if I could do it all over again, I would definitely save Futaba again," Akira Kurusu comforted Futaba Sakura.

Having reached the end of his destiny once again, he realized that this was not the first time he had "traveled" to this world.

He has experienced countless battles in this world. In each time time restarts, there are always times when he gives up the idea of ​​fighting alone and tries to form the Mind Thieves to fight alongside his companions against evil gods that are more powerful than he can comprehend.

Sakura Futaba shook her head, tears streaming down her face, "I will never forget you this time..."

The boys and girls around were all somewhat moved.

They looked at each other, speechless. Neither of them wanted to forget this invaluable experience and the bond they had formed.

After successively defeating those desperate witches and terrifying evil gods, these Personas have acquired the power and will that Ferremon can praise.

Ultimately, this is how they responded to Sakura Futaba's sorrow.

“In the last ten seconds, shall we hand over all the Personas to Navi for recording?” Akira Kurusu suggested.

"if......"

The rest of the conversation became unclear.

......

The shadow approached Futaba Sakura.

But her hand could no longer move forward even a centimeter.

Because a katana covered in frost was already pressed against her throat.

"Sakura Futaba" looked ahead with difficulty.

The boy wearing a fox mask stood beside Sakura Futaba.

Immediately afterwards, the girl wearing the iron fist approached from behind "Sakura Futaba" and mercilessly delivered an uppercut to her back.

The girl, wielding a battle axe, swung it at "Sakura Futaba's" arm, startling her so much that she rolled on the ground to dodge.

Once the attack by the group of suddenly appearing boys and girls ended.

Sakura Futaba struggled to her feet and looked at the group of mental thieves who had appeared out of her memories.