Fandom Persona 5: The Meta War CLOSED

[Nellancholy]

Countess was tenacious, that was for sure. Like a parasite or tumor that you just couldn't get rid of. Fear and contempt mixed in Heartbreak in equal measure as she eyed her for a moment, taking in her maniacal speech. Was this in itself some kind of attack? It could be considered no less than an assault on reason in so few words. More baffling still that Tragedy would play along with her ridiculous role. Perhaps...only a twisted mind like hers could be so cruel.

Was she going to persist as surely as Phoenix did? Heartbreak had fought him to a standstill (or so she would think), but she was in no shape to offer the same resistance again, certainly not against a foe who nullified her main means of attack.

But she had to persist, for the sake of Tragedy, and the others. A cornered rat would bite, and she had lived as a rat for long enough.

Countess resumed her assault, Bathory slashing with her fan at Tragedy while hurling crystallized blood at Heartbreak. It looked like she would have to split her efforts as well.

"You declare this romance? You know little of what love is." Thrud bent one wing and turned, using it to shield herself. The shards of blood shattered on impact, though hard enough to damage Thrud's metallic wings. But she could work with that. With both hands, Thrud grabbed the falling fragments of her own feathers, infusing them with what power remained from the Megido. Her posture resolute, she leapt towards Countess valiantly, holding the irradiated metal fragments like daggers aimed straight at her chest.

Heartbreak, for her part, could thank her own foresight in making sure that she had reloaded her gun. This would have to count. Taking advantage of Thrud tying up Countess herself for the moment, she held up her heavy weapon again and clamped down the trigger, aimed at Bathory. A stream of bullets plinked off her expanded fan, potentially exposing her to attack and throwing her off balance, making her far less likely to complete her sweeping slash.

Anthem Maeve Valor

 

[Azurian Dream]

~Disturbing the Disturbed~
Maeve Valor Anthem Nellancholy

Cryptic could only watch out in the distance as Tragedy, and Countess continued their bloody dance. The smaller boy was still pretty far away, and with such constant movement he wasn't going to catch up anytime soon. Quickly this was becoming a problem as more, and more he watched the matador girl bleed Tragedy while he in turn did the same showing signs of chaotic nature that in turn fueled the Kuchisaka-Onna's drive to chase him back. Just like in her legend if Tragedy didn't say yes to her beauty she would kill him. Yet the bizarre nature of her taking Tragedy's bullet was a perplexing sight... why would she take damage?

"I think we should immediately implement some sort of kickstarted cease and desist from her allegations of infatuation," Cryptic yelled out to Tragedy letting him know he was closing in on the scene. Thankfully.... no horrifyingly Countess would not register the boys presence as Countess proceeded to steal the upper hand gouging a straight line into Imato's cheek. Pure fear, and adrenaline filled the smaller boy witnessing the gory intent of this yandere in action as she acted like this was her declaration of love. Were the legends of Kuchisaka-Onna infectious? Would Imato become one of them... would the internet tolerate a male Kuchisaka-Onna as proof of zombie like spread of disease? These were the thoughts Isao had to concentrate as the brutal display of self harm, and harming another swayed back and forth between Countess and her trapped ichored love Tragedy. The limits of pain seemed to not exist for the girl mixing into a sense of pleasure created a gut wrenching sick reaction that made the small boy want to puke, but he had to keep watching as he tried to close the distance picking up more speed.

Someone had to pull Tragedy out of this madness..., and fast. The showers of blood seemed to freeze before vacuumed onto Countess's body some form of extra layered armor making itself known as Countess revealed her perfected style of monstrosity. Her moves skills were now beyond what they knew as she threw out new attack measures. Prior notes on her were now useless.

Not to fair away above the road farther ahead Isao noticed in the distance a familiar wagon bulleting for the fight as at first he was in fear of it being reinforcements, but upon the sight of Heartbreak things quickly turned around as that sickening feeling in his stomach lessoned. They now had the numbers on this vampire wannabe.

"Alright... quite the protector complex you got their shield maiden....," Shadow Takeshi hesitantly laughed a bit scared by Heartbreaks resolve. Yet even in the wake of overuse the shield was still ready to arms as the three shadows watched her without a doubt in her mind reloaded her gun with extreme intent as the cart came to a aggressively halting stop. Like a hip shot bullet they watched Heartbreak blitz onto the battlefield as Thrud arose again on the field of battle like a true Valkyrie.

Her war-cry was a thing to witness as her attacks begun pulling Tragedy out of the madness he was seeping into. Cryptic could only thank her later for making the distance before something worse had happened. The fight continued to move away from him, but he was making the distance enough to stay out of Countesses sight. As the duo fought with Almighty infused weapons Cryptic closed in further on the fight waiting for the ample moment.

"Vampire on sight," Cryptic, cryptically called out as he started to speed up more not towards the distracted Countess, but straight at Elizbeth Bathory herself.

"Time to file a thoroughly filled restraining order, and gavel it into approval. Count of Monte Crisco... Iceborne Hammer," Like a spinning speeding saw blade Cryptic summoned the Counts ghostly gloves as it sent a chilling wave up from Bathorys right side encasing it in ice. Using his tanto like a Ice Pick Cryptic spun like a shuriken shattering the ice multiple times all over the vampiric persona before reaching her face sending him hurdling up above. The gloves of the count came together in finger lock as rest of the ice magic expanded around them fusing them to the tanto's blade turning them into a imposing block of bufu in the form of a hammer fit for someone fighting monsters.

"HUH??? LOOK TRAGEDY I TOLD YOU HE'S DEFINITELY THE MOTHMAN LOOK LOOK SEE I TOLD YOU WE NEED TO CATCH HIM FOR STUDY," Unfortunately at the apex of the speedsters combo, and even with the metaverses increase of strength Isao wasn't able to keep his composure as he was distracted by the flaming events out in the distance as Phoenix fed into Isao's delusional theory's with the Mothman chasing him burning up in a extremely devastation attack. To excited at the worst time instead caused gravity to catch up pulling Cryptic with the falling hammer fast in a path to collide the makeshift weapon straight on top of Elizabeth Bathory's temple.

"CHARGE," the three wagon bound shadows suddenly came rolling in unleashing a torrent of firework rockets that proceeded to explode on, and all around Countess creating a major smokescreen effect. Along with taking out very few of her ichor needles that were intended for Heartbreak while also assisting in distraction the Valkyries brutal gun totted charge.

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~The Prize Delivered, & The Prize Yet Claimed~
Maeve Valor

Arachnee watched Prophet with calculating intent. The boy was troubling, and quick witted thus the longer she watched him the more she was tempted to simply take him out instead of guarding him... yet she had annoyingly promised her favorite water toy money maker this favor. Thus she couldn't do much, but wait in annoyed silence with the lumps she had earned from their shared fall.

Prophet wasn't one much to talk either given the more he was stationary the longer he kept the problematic spider out of the field. This wasn't a method one would normal attain to as the longer he held to it the potentially worse it could get. For now though it gave the operation breathing room costing both sides numbers. Oddly enough Oracle hadn't checked in on him, and that was the part currently eating at him as well furthering his silent thoughts. His stationary placement on her scans should have bothered her, but he had received no such signals of concern. Something was eating her attention, and that worried him more than anything else... had something gone wrong?

Moving now would only trigger Arachnee to act, and given his current tied up condition he would come out of it only worse for wear which helped no one. No, patience he had to be patient until a opening presented itself... unfortunately that opening wouldn't come any time soon as a very familiar voice exuded charmed delight his way. Though he could barely see it the side sight of Syren forming seemingly out of nothing was now a major concern.

From what he could gather someone had been delaying her, but had been escaped by the slippery girl. Panther came to mind meaning hopefully she would arrive herself soon if he was lucky. For now he would have to bet on a strategy built on luck as the girl he had little original interaction with gave her full attention to him.

"Another sin to confess," he asked trying to keep hold of the scenario knowing there were many unfavorable ways this could play out with her trident pointed right at him. Her fever pitch for what he had done to Fixer someone clearly important her well laced in his memories of that first encounter... she was hurting in a emotional way. Meaning she was currently unpredictable.

"Not sure yet haven't gotten to know you. Seems you plan to fix that though... I can only assume this was all for you," he spoke eyeing Arachne's intentions now visible in its reasoning. He had been routed on purpose..., but again this was a positive negative. Two of the Meta Mercs had concentrated on him meaning the rest had less to work against, if the cost of success was himself than he would play the part flawlessly.

"By all means you have my attention I am just hanging around after all," he expressed staying rather calm all things considered. Arachnee however was a bit unnerved by his attitude looking at Syren.

"Just be... careful. This ones to clever for my liking. So make sure you get what you want, and weed him out alright keke," her laugh was short as she was hesitant to leave her friend, but given what Syren had spoken of early it meant another annoyance was on their way to this location giving Arachnee another fly to swat into her webs.

"Have fun, but not to much kekekeke," Arachnee smiled before jumping onto the walls before climbing up onto the rooftops disappearing from sight.

"You two seem to be close," Prophet noted aloud.

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~No Risks Past This Point~
Maeve Valor

As the disorientation finally started to clear, and the screen finally locked on back to proper projections Oracle found her headache beyond bearable as she winced trying to hold Necronomicon together. The static around the persona only lasting for a moment as Futaba fought past the pain. Stabilization resumed as Mona got up finishing his revival of Swan before declaring his totally not simp reasoning to leaving the girls to save another not in danger... girl.

"Duuuuude not cool," Oracle groaned in pain plopping onto her control board as she looked at all the fixated locations. Seemed things had gotten a little out of hand, but she could tell two of the meta merc's for whatever reason were gone only leaving three on the board. That was a positive start to the reboot from her last check at least. As she looked out into her screens visual something was clearly happening to the mental wall. As such with regret, but much needed intent she had Necronomicon lift itself up into the air heading towards it to see what else may need work.

That was when the projection caught onto the bigger fight with Tragedy, Cryptic, Heartbreak... and... some shadows? Yep even after rubbing her eyes she was indeed seeing shadows fight along side the three Phantom Thieves against the Matador nutso chick. Yet before much else could be checked Swan approached the board locking on the sight of Tragedy who seemed to have been brutally...

"HOLY SHIT WHAT HAPPEN TO HIS FREAKING FACE WHY IS IT MATCHING HIS NAMESAKE," Oracle yelled completely creeped out getting a quick glimpse of something rather disturbing as his lip flaps moved with unnatural intent. It was than Swan proclaimed her intent to join the fray which caused the girl to pause and look her over... she was serious.

"What? Hell no you are in no condition to assist anymore," Oracle immediately argued locking Swan with all understandable intent as the sealing of Mona's exit trapped Swan inside.

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~Two Cats In A Web~

As Panther took her leap away form the tentacles taking a moment to breath a onlooker would watch Mona joining the fray. Both Phantom Thieves would find their path overwhelmed with webs all around the area extremely limiting their chase until eventually... Syren slipped completely away. The amount of webbing grew in numbers making their forward paths extremely limited, and narrow until.

"Hello little treats. Come to join my webs with your friends? I already got one of you so two more will definitely be a delight for a night kekeke," Arachne's boastful taunt would echo all around as a tension of position suddenly saw many of the wires tighten up into a cage like trap. Numerous solo weaves of webbing would latch onto them pulling them up before they were tossed around like a spinning hurricane.

"GARULA," the webs would get vortexed in vacuuming the sticky trapped Mona, and Panther into a spinning disorienting ride as they were pulled through a few builds in a funnel carnival of madness before crashing into each other conjoined by the webs as Arachne high on her rooftop perch upside down pointed, and laughed at them.

"Kekekekekekekeke.... huh.... oh well look what the cats dragged in... little miss red back for a rematch," Arachnee hissed in delight fixating on Panther in particular the girl that had caught her off guard saving Heartbreak, and Tragedy from her combos before Abyss took all the fun. A deviously enticed smile spread from ear to ear as she slowly lowered herself flipping onto her feet upright as her extra limbs reformed into her scythe.

"Well than lets see who the better predator is shall we," she spoke not moving strangely almost unnervingly waiting for the conjoined fighters to make a move.
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[That Weird girl]

Panther was relieved to see Morgana coming towards her as opposed to those mercs. The cat’s words made her smile and she was happy he was here. Syren couldn’t stop both of them! But she was instead greeted by spider webs only meaning one thing…Arachne.

Well, this was certainly a surprise for the red clad thief. She didn’t expect to be caught in a bunch of webs with Morgana. Her path was clearly limited by the various webs scattered about. Out of all the meta mercs she met, Arachne was perhaps the most interesting because of her spider abilities. Of course, Panther had yet to meet more of the Meta Mercs since they seemed to get in the way of their goals. The only one that wasn’t that bad was Roadkill but he wasn’t here right now.

Panther couldn’t react in time as the webs weaved around them like a cocoon wrapping them together. “Shit, Mona!” Panther yelped but it was too late as the pair was wrapped in a web. This was worse and worse every second for the pair. Panther truly felt like this was the closest her and Mona had ever become, literally. She had a feeling the cat would enjoy this.

The spider mercs voice would of course make Panther angry since she knew the person she was talking about was Prophet. The red clad hero wanted to save her new found ally but she couldn’t in the current predicament. Unfortunately for her things would take a turn for the worse.

“GARULA!”

Panther felt herself being violently spun around in a vortex of webs with her cat companion. They were both pulled through a funnel and crashing into each other. Panther groaned as she tried to get up but found she was stuck to Mona with webbing.

“Just shut up!” She glared at the spider merc and tried to take out her sub machine gun but her arm was stuck to Mona’s back. Panther internally panicked and tried to get her arm unstuck to no avail.

“Mona, we are going to need to do something about this, any ideas,” Panther said to the cat as she attempted to separate from him.

Anthem Azurian Dream