Tokyo Psychic

Page 320

"Are you going to use such a deadly move right from the start?"

Like an insect, Naya made fragmented movements and stood up unsteadily.

He watched as Kotone Shiomi carried the unconscious Mami Tomoe away from this place, using the velvet room as a transit point.

Having thwarted Nyarlathotep's plan to transform magical girls into witches in bulk to disrupt the Phantom Thieves' operations, Nyarlathotep then looked at the only Phantom Thief remaining in front of her.

Suddenly, he spread his hands, as if he were a conductor taking his final bow, or a puppet whose strings had been cut, standing tall and proud.

As He moved, the mountain of television sets beneath His feet began to rumble, and all the screens simultaneously switched images—no longer the tragedies of the past, but the current carnage unfolding in Takihara City.

On the screen, people on the street are tearing each other apart due to mental breakdowns; the closed buildings are filled with desperate cries... and this is just the tip of the iceberg of the "rumors" that Naya deliberately manipulates.

Even Witch Night, which was covered in the "inner reality" by Maruki Takuto's "Azathoth" ability, paled in comparison to this even greater malice.

Although Nyarlathotep was stripped of his privilege of destroying the world, his power to spread rumors and subvert perceptions and reality was still retained.

Perhaps Maruki Takuto could use the power of "Satanyal" to create a separate universe to imprison and seal this evil god, just as Ferremon did in the beginning.

But facing "Nyarlathotep," who has now successfully broken the seal, killed the Watcher, and even destroyed countless parallel worlds, Maruki Takuto's Persona can no longer play a decisive role.

Furthermore, if Nyarlathotep were imprisoned in the "inner reality," it might even allow Him to break free of His shackles.

"Nya" tilted her head and looked at the mind thief in front of her with a mocking expression.

"You know exactly what I'm going to do next, don't you? I hold the privilege you call 'rumors,' which can easily overturn people's perceptions and destroy the rules of reality... You want to create enough psychological pressure on me so that I can use new rumors to fight against you, thereby preventing the people from suffering a deadly catastrophe."

Akira Kurusu remained silent and did not pull the trigger, which only emboldened "Nya".

The robe let out a mocking laugh, but tacitly refrained from making any further moves.

While the robe, being in a severely restricted state, can leave behind "rumors" to cause continuous and irreparable damage to the world, if Akira Kurusu were to fire that shot, which symbolizes "infinite and omnipotent power," his existence would be completely erased from the cosmic quadrant.

At this moment, due to the effect of the "rumor," the Impression Space and reality began to merge, allowing Personas to more easily summon their Personas in reality. Through countless television screens, one can see the Phantom Thieves and magical girls actively saving people from disasters.

The two sides thus entered into a stalemate.

Until a certain moment after a long period of time has passed.

Shiomi looked at "Nya" in front of her, but unlike in countless other timelines, she did not make a well-thought-out decision before smashing the trigger of the Great Sin Armor-Piercing Bullet in a desperate attempt to destroy everything.

He simply pushed the gun next to him, while pointing the pistol he used to remotely control the gun at his temple.

"Nyarlathotep, the battle on the other side is over. This time, it was the cooperation between Yuuki Risa and Narukami Yu... They defeated 'Witch Night' without taking any damage."

"Nyarlathotep" looked at Akira Kurusu expressionlessly. "Is that so? Even if you and Takuto Maru successfully find the path to minimize casualties, what can you ultimately change? Ferremon suppressed my power to destroy the world, but also completely unleashed the power of 'rumors.' You, who rely on the power of cognition, cannot defeat me, who has mastered cognition."

"This time, standing before you are not only the contractors of the Velvet Room throughout the ages, but also the witches and scholars who have always provided us with support."

Akira Kurusu stared at the "Nyarlathotep" in front of her, her deep gray pupils filled with a profound contemplation that did not belong to this world.

"Nya" laughed indifferently.

"What, are you going to try to manipulate public opinion and rally public support to fight me again, just like your past selves in those timelines? You should know that public opinion has completely lost its power under the influence of 'rumors.'"

The robe seemed ready to move on to the next timeline.

Having met countless times in the finale, Kagami was willing to show some patience and understanding, and chat with Shiomi here.

Pao had witnessed Shiomi Riko furiously fire her last bullet, watching it trail a rainbow-like trajectory, ignoring all spatial distances, the defensive wall built by "rumors," and the seemingly endless flow of information from the television station, directly shattering this frail body.

Having witnessed witches and goddesses solidify reality, Akira Kurusu attempts to break the rule of "rumors" by leveraging the power of public opinion.

But no matter what Shiomi does, the ending cannot be changed.

Otherwise, Homura Akemi should have ended this endless cycle long ago.

At the same time, the sky above suddenly collapsed. Homura Akemi grabbed "Dioscuri" by the throat with one hand and slammed this arrogant aggregate that had once betrayed the Velvet Room and sided with Aldabait into the ground next to Akira Kurusu.

The evil god who had previously appeared in the memory space many times and manipulated the world by controlling memories has now been beaten to the point of near death by Homura Akemi, who has regained the concept of "witch".

Immediately afterwards, another uninvited guest broke into the space that "Nyarlathotep" had deliberately created to chat with the phantom thief.

He is from Taku Maruki.

The scarred scholar emerged from the "inner reality" created by his own persona.

He knelt on the ground, panting, but looked at Akira Kurusu with hopeful eyes.

"Kurasu-kun. We really don't have another chance. That skill you mentioned before, which can only be used by 'fake epics'... whether it exists or not, it's our only hope to overcome the rumors."

Akira Kurusu didn't speak, but the materialized original sin of humanity that clung to him began to dissipate.

The figure of "Satanyal," with its countless wings, began to fade, and it reverted to its original form as a demon, back to... "Arsène," the persona that symbolized the beginning of Akira Kurusu's Path of the Fool, and also the persona that symbolized Akira Kurusu's inner self.

Using the power of the mind, propel the Fool into the world... thereby completing the breakthrough from Arsène Luther to Satan.

This is a skill called [Reversal of the World Gun], which can upgrade the Fool's Path to its end into a world symbolizing "completeness" and "omnipotence".

However, another similar skill is etched onto "Satanyal". Its name is - [The Spear of Subversion].

The difference is that it originates from the "history" of a parallel universe, a force that does not exist in this world.

Legend has it that in a multiverse with vastly different time and space, the angels from the Bible once defeated the Creator in a war of rebellion. After eating the fruit of His wisdom and power, they overturned the "Mandala Law" and became the omnipotent Lord who controls all phenomena in the universe.

Although Akira Kurusu never truly defeated the "Creator".

The "Satan Yar" he possessed was not a true fallen angel who started the war, but merely the rebellious second son of God.

However, there is indeed a considerable degree of overlap between the two concepts.

Furthermore, he did indeed defeat false gods who claimed to be "creators".

Therefore, the "Gun of Subversion" which cannot be used is downgraded to the "Pseudo-Gun of Subversion".

Perhaps it's insufficient to achieve the miracle of unifying the multiverse as described in the original mythology. But if the target is "Nyarlathotep," who has also been demoted... it's probably more than enough.

Finally, the evil god on "TV Mountain" showed a fearful expression for the first time.

But Xiu could not escape.

The moment when Maruki Takuto, exhausted, sheds "Satanyal" and uses the "Holy Grail" based on ritual to recreate the fictional "Yaldabait".

The fictional history also began to unfold.

As both a participant and observer in this history, Naya was no longer able to make any movement with her body and will.

"【The Gun That Reverses the World】!"

Akira Kurusu pulled the trigger.

The bullet of original sin pierced his temple, and "Arsène" behind him exploded instantly. The azure flames, along with the chains and black mist, reconstructed "[Satanyel]".

The enormous angel threw down his spear and, wielding his claws, suddenly ripped open the chest of "Yaldabait".

The Holy Grail, which represents the "fruit of God's omniscience and omnipotence," was unearthed.

This time, He put the "Holy Grail" into his mouth and swallowed it.

Fictional history, thus achieved

-

The eye cannot see, the ear cannot hear; the boundary between soul and body has disappeared.

Unable to perceive reality, unable to confirm the velvet room, and unable to detect the impression space.

This is neither a deathly darkness nor a chaotic destruction.

An unprecedented feeling, as if a single thought could control planets, the universe, and the universe beyond the universe... controlling all time, space, and laws.

The only concept has arrived.

Those present all admired His sublimity.

[Phenomenon: Lucifer]

The omnipotent Lord who killed God and unified the phenomenal universe, the one God who modifies laws and rules.

His appearance can no longer be simply determined by time units.

He could have only stayed in this world for a fleeting moment, or he could be the only being to have witnessed the evolution of the universe from ancient times to the present.

When he appeared, the "rumors" that "Nyarlathotep" was so proud of completely failed. Nyarlathotep himself, along with the phenomenal god, vanished in a single thought.

Maruki Takuto gazed at this supreme being with unfocused eyes.

His greatest source of emotional support throughout his efforts has been the trump card that Akira Kurusu had mentioned to him many times before, a card that could only be used once.

The rumors that Nyarlathotep spread through "TV Mountain" have completely vanished. Conceptually and cognitively, even the last traces of them have evaporated. The damage and harm they caused have been restored to their original state.

Even the timelines that Nyarlathotep and the evil gods destroyed were saved and corrected.

Homura Akemi's countless attempts to rewind time have finally come to an end.

She looked down at the fading "witch" concept on herself, then at Akira Kurusu and Takuto Maruki who had vanished from the spot opposite her, and at the Personas and magical girls disappearing from the television screen.

Homura Akemi suddenly burst out laughing.

He was laughing very happily and contentedly.

She called out in an empty place, "Xiaoyuan, please help me one last time."

"..."

A pair of hands radiating a holy light reached out from behind.

"Madoka Kaname," who comes from outside the timeline, is also about to return to the original starting point along with the "witch" due to the correction at the cosmic level. This is the only timeline that is anchored.

PM.9:00

In front of the bathroom sink mirror, Lai Qixiao turned on the faucet.

The air was filled with the "fresh" scent of disinfectant and mothballs.

He looked at his familiar reflection in the mirror, vaguely recalling a long dream, but he couldn't remember the details.

As if he had a premonition, he took his phone out of his pocket.

Open the contacts list.

Looking at the rows of unfamiliar yet familiar and affectionate nicknames, Lai Qixiao was plunged into a deep sense of confusion and wavering.

Who...who were they again? The moment this question arose, countless "non-existent memories" surged into my mind like a turbulent sea.

308. Guns N' Roses (Final Episode)

Akira Kurusu had been standing in front of the bathroom sink mirror for quite a while.

No matter how long he looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar young face in the mirror, it horrified him.

Amidst an indescribable sense of disconnect and unfamiliarity, I vaguely remember that just a few minutes ago I was a vibrant, middle-aged elite office worker, and in the blink of an eye I've become an ordinary high school student.

The surging spiritual power within him repeatedly told him that this was "reality".

He remains the same mind thief who has defeated numerous formidable enemies and accomplished the great feat of saving the world.

But the lingering feelings in his consciousness told Akira that for the past few minutes he had been participating in a battle that subverted the laws of phenomena and had been repeated countless times. It was probably a long-lasting battle, which in its later stages had become a game of observation and error correction, similar to "spot the differences."

Fortunately, victory ultimately came on his side.

What sets this apart is that this time, the lone wolf is now the enemy, while the Mind Thief has a group of reliable partners who fight alongside him.

"partner?"

As Akira Lai muttered the word, he felt incredulous. He could feel the cold, hard touch of the metal chain head still on his fingers, a reminder that he should trust his intuition.

So Lai Qixiao turned the tap back on, splashed some cold water on her face, and tried to wake herself up.

But this clearly did not work.

There is a huge hole deep inside her heart, which cannot be filled by her usual calm and composure in the face of danger and abnormality, or by the confidence she has as a contractor of the Velvet Room... all the emotions that have supported Akira Kurusu to this moment.

He felt increasingly embarrassed and couldn't bear it, so he simply turned around and went into the bathroom.

I must be zipping my pants up wrong...

Just as Akira Kurusu returned to the restroom, his cell phone suddenly rang in his pocket.

So he took out his phone and immediately saw a completely unfamiliar yet incredibly familiar contact name on the screen—Yu.

[Jingqin Rencai].

Scenes flashed before my eyes.

Accompanied by a stabbing pain in her mind, Akira Kurusu subconsciously answered the phone.