What stood in front of them was someone they didn't expect to arise. Long black hair complimenting the pale smooth skin of the figure. Luscious red lips matching the slightly revealing night gown red dress, exaggerating its curves.
It looked identical to the silhouette of Akira's mother.
Horror was the only word that could explain the situation that the Phantom Thieves had found themselves in. Shadow Akira was nowhere to be seen within the deeply poorly lit room, sustaining a tensed atmosphere. Staying close to one another, the Phantom Thieves watched as the figure swayed left in right as if drunk and unable to maintain their balance, yet their eyes never left the group of thieves in front of them.
Akira's mother escaped a chuckle, "I never really liked Akira, nor did I really love that sorry excuse of a husband..." she began, "It's a pain really, I was the one who had to do everything. Clean, wash the clothes, take care of the house and work. I never got to see my son." Her eyes trailed towards the far left of the room, the painting that Ryuji had curiously touched was blank, a painting only covered in pitch black. Although, what thought to be blank canvas was nothing more than an illusion as the painting morphed, shifted into another painting, another scenario.
The Phantom Thieves turned their attention to the scenario that was displayed in front of them, Young Akira was seated at the far right, kneeled down beside his father happily, their faces presenting a smile of joy. Bright colours accompanied the background as the house that they were shown previously, looked more of a normal and peaceful environment to live in. 'Was this Akira's home?' The Phantom Thieves thought in unison. His father and himself were placed by an oak table, which looked rather decayed by the years that the wood had been exposed to its surroundings.
Young Akira watched happily as his father taught him the make-shifting of woodwork, looking as if he was directing his hands to the tools that surrounded the both of them. However, while the far right of the panting had the warm colours of a palette, the left side had a more dramatic and suspenseful emotion to it. Akira's mother was knelt down on the floor, piles of papers, clothes, liquor bottles scattered endless around her figure. Grey and mainly black, shaded the background behind her as her sorrowful face exaggerated the struggle of a mother as her hair stuck out, looking unpresentable.
"That man always took my son away from me. Never did I fully have the chance to experience the joy with my Akira.." She sighed heavily, "Now as time passed, I wish both of them never existed. My life is ruined because of them. It's all their fault. All of this pain that I fell is because of them."
Akira's mother narrowed her attention to the huddle Phantom Thieves, cautiously defending themselves for the inevitable.
"I wish I had never met that man. Akira wouldn't have existed otherwise."
Ryuji could feel the disgust leave his face as he watched the poor role model of Akira's mother speak the words that made his blood boil. It wasn't just Ryuji that felt that way, Ann and even Futaba wished to get rid of this shadow that had manifest in front of them. It made them sick with disgust and light headed with anger, constant emotions seeped through their heads as they ready themselves to destroy the shadow of Akira's mother. Black mirrored the walls around them, a tint shifting through a shade of monochrome, the Phantom Thieves felt the ground shake beneath them, an ocean of black seeming displaying the material of ink, overlapped their feet.
The same lighting hue or crimson red flash before their eyes, blinding them for a mere second, forcing them to shut their eyes away as to not harm their vision. While their eyes were blinded for a mere second, they could feel the mass of the ground become heavier as the shake almost shook them off balance. Once their vision had returned and had become clear, the Phantom Thieves witnessed a monstrosity beyond words, making their face engulf in a mixture of both fear and determination.
A fire sparked within their eyes, a shadow had formed in front of them, the figure displayed the common colour of red, its sharp eyes impaling the Phantom Thieves just from a simple gaze. Claws that were sharper than Yusuke's blade, had the faint light illuminating and exaggerating its fingertips, looking more of a weapon than a limb itself. A long red cape draped behind its back, flowing continuously as the armour that was tinted in midnight black, covered its entire body. The shadow looked like a dark knight from the medieval days with Kingdoms and knights of honour, Kings and Queens.
"Now that you know a glimpse of Akira's past, all of you must die." It stated, revealing a long sharp lance, ready to harm the Phantom Thieves. The group felt their body becomes light and as their eyes trailed to one another, they had all realised that their outfits had changed, meaning they were finally recognised and labelled as a threat to Akira. The usual main unit that fights in the front lines shifted into position, readying their stance and waiting for the first battle of Akita's palace. The supporting team, along with Futaba, fled to the backlines, preparing themselves to switch if needed to be. The ground around them suddenly stopped into a holt, the battle had finally begun.
Yusuke, Haru, Makoto and Ryuji stationed in front of the battlefield, the shadow scarcely dashing towards them. It was then at the moment that the Phantom Thieves had found themselves fighting a battle for the first time, without the leading role of their leader, Joker.It felt strange, like an emptiness that seeped their hearts. It didn't seem right, it didn't feel normal, without the presence of Joker with them, they felt strange battling without him. Nevertheless, Yusuke unraveled his sword from his belt while Ryuji and Haru readied their axe and bat. Makoto hesitantly slipped on her metal gloves, she was scared to harm a part of Akira but deep down she knew that this was the only way that would help Akira both mentally and physically and let the trauma he faced finally fade into the distance, long left and into the depths of the unknown void.
Once Makoto finally shook off the thoughts that haunted her, she watched as Ryuji took the first hit, sliding to the left, feeling the stinging of the lance barely impaling his left cheek. He winced in pain, a slight cut had made a mark of his pale skin, drizzling down his cheek, displaying a spec of blood.
"This guy takes whatever chance he can get to hit us and he doesn't even hesitant at all!" Ryuji exclaimed in between sliding another hit to his left. Grasping the end of his bat tightly and with all of his might, Ryuji took the first swing, feeling the force and adrenaline overlap his body.
Instead of looking for who had pushed him, Yusuke tried to save himself from falling as he felt the spell of fire unleash towards his direction, the one element he is weak against. The edge of the Maragion spell shot out under him. Someone pushed him again. He fell to the right as within a blink of an eye, he saw the faint vibrant hue of pink and purple come his way, guarding him from being knocked off by the fire.
"Are you alright, Fox?" Haru questioned in the midst of summoning her persona to unleash a heavy Psiodyne spell on the shadow.
Claws broke through the Psiodyne, slashing Haru across the right shoulder as Yusuke nodded, "I'm quite alright!" He replied, dashing towards the direction of Ryuji to aid him. Although silently expressing her pain and wincing her eyes shut from the stinging sensation of her skin, Haru luckily had Makoto heal her as quickly as she was able to maintain her balance one again. Futaba provided tactics and support from the sidelines of her persona, scanning the enemy from when it would release a wave of brutal strength towards them, her hands typing away at the speed of light.
The main units of the Phantom Thieves reunited back together, staying in close range as to be prepared for another heavy attack coming their way in a few turns. Although the fragment of the shadow in front of them had merely normal amounts of health, its attacks were ruthless and barbaric, one hit from it would almost take half of a single member's health. The Phantom Thieves had to play the tactical game of being overly cautious. It was more of a struggle due to them having no Joker, their original leader, to guide them in battle. His skills exceed all of them by a large scale, his tactics were also a vital link in simplifying upcoming battles, both easy and fairly high.
Swiftly and without hesitation, Yusuke summoned his persona, releasing a speedy Bufudyne towards the Shadow's direction, shielding the Phantom Thieves, including himself from the inhuman wave of attacks it would unleash. Ice collided with brawn, shattering into a storm of dusted ice, crushed into tiny specs like snow. As the white ice specs rained down upon them and a cold white cloud engulfed the battlefield, they were relieved to know that they survived yet another brutal attack that could've ended them in a heartbeat. As they narrowed their attention to the shadow, they watched as its figure collapsed to the ground, dizzy from the ice collision Yusuke had summoned.
"I think it's time for an all-out attack!" Makoto exclaimed and everyone nodded in unison, surrounding the shadow with guns armed and the barrel pointed to the shadow's direction. The shadow grunted in frustration, "You may have defeated me here but this mansion will emerge to life and crush you all with ease. You deserve the pain and punishment that is coming your way." It stated before receiving the painful sharp attacks that impaled its figure from the Phantom Thieves final battle technique; the All-out attack.
Although only being the first battle took place within Akira's palace, this was only one of many harsh battles to come and the Phantom Thieves were determined to beat them all and save Akira before it's too late.