"Maragi!"
The thrown white bird mask erupted into ethereal blue flames, coalescing into Persona Huodou, shimmering with a faint aura. Following the command of Persona user Ren Amamiya, Huodou let out a deafening roar.
From its fearsome maw, it unleashed a massive blast of scorching fire, incinerating the dozen or so Shadows—identified as Imaginary Construct Shadows—spread out before it in one go.
Just as Ren could grasp the basic lightning skill Zio from observing Raikiri's application of elemental power, it was only natural he could learn the basic fire skill Agi from the Mosin-Nagant twin pistols.
Expanding that single-target skill into Maragi, an AOE version hitting multiple enemies, was naturally well within his capabilities now. Besides, Persona Huodou was inherently Fire-affinity and could instinctively unleash various fire skills – it was right up its alley.
"Are they all just weak minion-level Shadows like this? Isn't there another Persona-worthy Shadow like Huodou going to pop out for me to recruit?"
Effortlessly commanding Persona Huodou to wipe out the attacking Imaginary Construct Shadows, Ren let out a soft sigh. The initial excitement and novelty were fading like the tide.
Encountering the same Imaginary Construct Shadows over and over again, without finding any other potential Personas since Huodou, was starting to feel tedious and boring.
"Also... is it just me? Compared to the Shadows outside, the Imaginary Construct Shadows in this Palace feel way more berserk. Their power seems boosted too."
Although the power increase of the Imaginary Construct Shadows was merely like upgrading from tissue paper to A4 paper – still easily torn apart by Ren – encountering so many of them allowed Ren to notice this anomaly.
"It's not your imagination, Joker. The Shadows appearing in this Palace have indeed been strengthened. But in exchange, they've lost their reason, leaving only a frenzied impulse for destruction."
Hare's lovely brow furrowed slightly. She too had noticed something was wrong with the Imaginary Construct Shadows in this Stigma Space. Normally, even if they were swept into the Palace by the fluctuations caused by her forced entry, these constructs shouldn't have changed at all.
"I just carefully examined the condition of those Shadows. I found they've been corrupted by an unknown external energy. The owner of that energy has stolen their sanity, amplified their power, and forcibly gained control over them."
A faint sense of foreboding arose in Hare's heart.
The situation in this Stigma Space seemed much deeper and more dangerous than she had initially anticipated. Earlier, when she used her information transcription ability to try and analyze the unknown energy affecting the Imaginary Construct Shadows, she had almost been corrupted herself as the energy tried to trace back along the connection.
Fortunately, Hare reacted quickly enough, severing the ability's link before the unknown energy could reach her, thwarting the controller's attempt.
"Making Shadows go berserk, strengthening them, and dominating them... That ability sounds really familiar."
Ren's black eyes narrowed slightly. Hare's analysis sparked a strong sense of déjà vu.
Thinking carefully about it... isn't that Akechi Goro's twisted Wild Card power? The special ability that causes mental shutdowns?!
Although Ren had idly thought yesterday that if his luck was bad, he might run into Akechi in Mementos the very next day... he never expected his words to become reality. How could he be so unlucky as to actually encounter Akechi on day two? What's going on? I just randomly picked a Palace, why did I immediately overlap with Akechi's target?
"Indeed, considering the worst-case scenario... Joker, perhaps it would be better for us to leave here and find another Palace to target."
Hare nodded in agreement, offering her opinion to Ren. The owner of the energy capable of corrupting and controlling Honkai Beasts, powerful enough to make even her, a Crystallized Stigma, feel a sense of danger, was highly likely the legendary Herrscher of Corruption.
The Herrscher of Corruption was the twelfth Herrscher to appear, someone who shouldn't exist in this era before even the third Herrscher [Herrscher of Thunder] had been born. Yet, Hare was fairly certain that she and Ren had encountered this legendary Herrscher.
As a high-ranking member of World Serpent, even if Hare herself wasn't particularly interested, Gray Serpent's relentless, almost spam-like preaching had given her a clear understanding of the Previous Era's Flame-Chasers.
And Gray Serpent never tired of recounting, countless times, the stories of how the terrifying Herrschers of the Previous Era were defeated one by one by the thirteen Flame-Chasers, highlighting their great deeds.
Therefore, Hare naturally knew this secret—the 12th Divine Key was never successfully created.
The Previous Era's Herrscher of Corruption hadn't truly died back then; she was merely defeated and sealed within a box made of Soulium.
With the 12th Divine Key still missing in the present day, the Previous Era's Herrscher of Corruption existed like Schrödinger's cat, in a superposition of life and death, quite possibly still stubbornly surviving in some unknown corner!
And that unknown, hidden corner was likely this very Stigma Space Hare had arrived in!
"This is my first time exploring a Palace, I don't want to just run away with my tail between my legs. Besides..." Ren touched his bare face, a deep worry appearing in his black eyes as Persona Huodou remained materialized beside him. "...Because I use Personas, I've taken off my mask more than once. It would be bad if that guy saw my face."
You can use smartphones in Palaces. Akechi, who definitely entered Mementos using the MetaNav app, would absolutely have his phone.
If Akechi secretly took a picture of Ren's face and gave it to the prime ministerial candidate, Shido Masayoshi, Ren's life in the real world would basically be over. He'd be completely cornered.
To prevent his real-world life from becoming a constant struggle against obstacles and suspicion, Ren decided he had to take a stand here in the Palace.
Within Mementos, Ren could wield powerful Personas and command the elements in battle. But back in the real world, he was just an ordinary, unremarkable person with no power to challenge major political figures.
Therefore, Ren's only battlefield was here, within Mementos.