*~::Phantom Concert Hall::~* [Floor 125]

[Great Ryoman!]

Phantom Concert Hall

Throughout the Tower of Babel rest floors which reflect the darkness inside of humanity...when humans venture within, their shadows come out to play, changing the very face of certain levels within into the dungeon of their nightmares, putting on display that which they don't want others to see. But for those whose shadows have already taken control, whose darkness rules and acts according to its own design, there are unique floors entirely under their command, bending to their will as they seek to ascend to the top of the Tower.

A concert hall who's seats have long since been abandoned, if they were not always that way. The main hall is covered in cobwebs and dust, and the stifling feeling that all life has been drained from the area permeates it. Starting from the entrance, which stands with bright lights beckoning arrivals inwards, the only two oddities that stand out are the sign that says "Tonight's Main Act:______", and the missing ticket booth worker. Inside however the halls are a maze much like the countless levels of Babel, twisting and turning in ways one wouldn't expect of a real building. Golden statues line the entrance hall, similar in appearance to the Twelve Shadows destroyed in the Iwatodai incident, and all along the halls are posters for the band 'Nyx' which have various faces torn out...and all of which have been covered with a simple label: "Cancelled". Most notably, the face of Gin Mishima is missing from nearly every poster, only appearing in the main hall itself. The most striking part of it all is the ominous music that fills the tunnels winding through the labyrinth, an echoing tune as one would expect of the darkest recesses of a musician's mind.

Finally the winding paths open up at the top of the Concert Hall, leading down through enormous stands to the Grand Stage in the center. While the entirety of the stands seem worn out, the stage is still pristine and behind it sits the most striking of this world's features: an entire orchestra worth of instruments in working order. When one crosses the stage, the lights that seem dead turn on and blazed across the front of the hall, and shadows gather in the background...as well as Shadows, let by one Golden masked conductor. This is the Grand Orchestra of the Mind, which fills the hallowed halls of Babel with music so dark it can tingle the very souls of those who enter, and those who stand upon the Phantom Concert Hall's stage are soon accompanied by appropriate music. For those of wanderlust, a soulful tune to accompany their investigation...for those about to do battle, a rage-filled cacophony to inspire the heated beating of the heart! The orchestra doesn't seem inherently hostile, and what purpose it serves within the owner's heart is truly unknown...at least, to all but him.

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*~:: P1-Climax [Round 2] ::~*

Gin Mishima vs. [Trapezohedron of Knowledge] Mikoto Hageshii

 

[Great Ryoman!]

Mikoto Hageshii
Member of the band Nyx
Class 2-2

'Me and Cinderella, put it all together~'

"This was to be the stage for our grandest performance." A figure stood with it's back to the entrance, addressing a large statue standing center stage. The enormous figure had already been defaced, quite literally, the chipped figure still bore the coat, the ornaments, the apparel in all things to make it's identity clear to all who knew him...Gin Mishima. "You abandoned us in our greatest moment. You doomed the others and myself to anonymity...we who were stupid enough to call you friend." The figure held up a skull rather theatrically, and a deep note filled the hall. The lights, too, were no longer illuminating the enormous room and glistening off the statues lining the wall, instead replaced with a luminescent red glow that focused around the figure. There was a palpable sense of evil here...a sense of loathing, of abandonment, emotions so thick that they charged the very air that was only disturbed by the reverb of musical instruments...an oppressive, spine-tingling sensation. "Who needs an idol with whom no pledge is certain? Down with you, fallen god...be reduced to nothing." A leg kicked out, and in a seemingly impossible feat the statue groaned and was knocked over. The enormous statue fell and smashed into rubble, a cloud of dust rushing towards the onlooker as the head of the once prominent statue rolled to his feet. And placing a foot on it was none other than Mikoto Hageshii, the victim who'd once been stupid enough to call the others his "friends".

 

[Kai Hiwatari#1]

Eiji "Gin" Mishima

Gin raised a hand to block the dirt that came flying his way, a sour frown on his lips. He'd seen the posters lining the hallway, and he could guess the true meaning behind the things he'd seen along the way. But Mikoto's words, however warped they might have been, were more than enough to reveal how he'd felt ever since Gin's hiatus began. It was his fault it had come to this, but it wasn't how he would allow things to end. "I'm sorry. Whatever I say won't change anything. I needed to be with family, to see a change...no, that's not right. To change me. If you want to blame me for that, I'll accept the condemnation. But not from you...I want to hear it from the real Mikoto, And I won't hold back until I've beat all the evils out of you, so I can see the guy I called friend again." Thanks to Faust he had some idea what was going on. If he'd come into Babel blind, not knowing what this world was or what it could do to people like Mikoto, he would have been helpless in this situation. General Teddie was doing his best to egg them on, and he knew if he'd been on his own he would have risen to the provocation. Now though, this fight had purpose and reason. He would defeat Mikoto, because he knew it was for a good reason...and he'd say he was sorry when he was done. Not just for this. For everything. "Mikoto didn't see me as an idol, he saw me as a friend. And I lied to him...but now, I get to be as honest as I want. Ah, I bet this is what they call communicating with your fists." Gin put his Evoker to his head, and pulled the trigger with no hesitation.

"Hit it, guys."

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Crazy Chain: Medium Phys Damage, chance of Rage

 

[Great Ryoman!]

Mikoto Hageshii
Member of the band Nyx
Class 2-2

'Me and Cinderella, put it all together~'

Power began to ooze from Mikoto as wisps of dark green energy rolled away like smoke, and he gripped his head as Gin unleashed his Persona. The creature swung at Mikoto, but it's attack smashed against the power like a shield and the two forces repelled each other for a moment before dispelling. "Nothing's wrong with me!" It was clear that Mikoto, hunched over with hands on his head, was already in a fight with whatever had possessed him, but had no control over himself even now. Instead, the ferocious power only shot out and shook stronger as he snapped his head back with a yell. "You're the one who left us in the dark! Me! Yuuya! All of us, it's your fault!" An enormous shadow appeared Mikoto as he shouted, and suddenly the free-flowing mist transformed into dark crystals, before streaking towards Gin like a rain of raw and deadly spikes of green and black. "Nothing's wrong with me!" The crescendo died as Mikoto let out another roar, and rose into a new sound, one that existed in his memory, one that parroted his words and distorted their meaning, all for the dark whims of the orchestra's vile maestro. "Nothing`s wrong with meee!!"

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Emerald Graves: Showers the battlefield with spikes empowered with high wind + darkness damage.

 

[Kai Hiwatari#1]

Eiji "Gin" Mishima

It hurt a lot more to be in this fight at all, than the sting of the spikes flying his way. Even so Gin knew that he had to win, and he turned to cover his head with his tonfa as the shower continued. His coat was sturdy, but the sheer force behind the attacks felt like getting battered with a mace, and he knew if he let the attacks continue he'd have no chance to attack...no chance to turn things around. "I didn't leave you! Yuuya, and the others were all there. I never intended to stay away...but you can't see that right now, can you? For someone who's so smart, why are you acting like such an idiot?" Gin had plenty of faith in his Other Self, but there was no opening to use it in this. But luckily he was wearing something underneath this coat, which was helping to protect him...and with a stomp of his foot, the entire hall began to shake. Ever the mind readers, the band began to change it's tune in an instant, and the center stage cracked and split as a spear of earth shot upwards and jutted straight into Mikoto's gut, sending him flying from his locale. "How about it? Why don't we play a little rock n` roll for old times sake? Together?"

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Dirty Mirukumo Armor: Can use Earth Spells.
(Very High Earth Damage)

 

[Great Ryoman!]

Mikoto Hageshii
Member of the band Nyx
Class 2-2

'Me and Cinderella, put it all together~'

Shadow gathered in front of Mikoto and pushed back against the stone, but even as the Dark Creature from before appeared around him again and let out a high-pitched, dreadful screech, the barrier broke and Mikoto was sent reeling backwards in pain. The body fell to it's knees, but above it the creature appeared again, reeling to the side and slamming into the wall, knocking one of the statues over as it covered it's face in pain and then lurched forwards towards Gin, roaring in anger that shook the whole building. "Shut up! I won't be fooled again. This town's empty...so many people smiling back, looking for an excuse to maintain their happy facade...what is there to love? Why shouldn't this place just disappear!?" Mikoto stood to his feet again, and held his hands out as power grew, the wisps of green turning black as the area around them began to taint and twist, the presence of shadows transforming the area as they went. This Trapezohedron was no ordinary power...it was even stronger, it's power even more deplorable. Suddenly green portals appeared in front of Mikoto, the creature appearing behind him to raise it's hand over them to beckon something forth. In an instant bolts of light shot into the roof, turned into more portals, and then black matter began to fall like a death trap overhead in order to eviscerate the agitating Persona User before he could do more harm. "This hollow place should just vanish! I don`t care at all!"

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Hissing Wastes: Reigns down dark spells on all enemies, with a chance of fear.

 

[Kai Hiwatari#1]

Eiji "Gin" Mishima

"Melete!" Gin saw his opening and pulled the trigger on his Evoker, summoning the beautiful muse. A cold wind swirled and froze above him to block as much of the attack as possible as spears tore through both his armor and his skin, blood splattering the fresh snow. "If you don't give these people a chance, of course you'll come to resent them. Is this what you really want Mikoto? Didn't you want everyone to hear us play...to spread our songs across the globe? How are you going to do that in here!?" Gin raised his Evoker again, and pulled the trigger a second time. Melete raised a hand to her lips and blew a kiss as the temperatures dropped dramatically, icy blowing into the face of the monster that seemed to have latched onto Mikoto. Perhaps he was simply preying on MIkoto's latent thoughts, but that still meant he was responsible...he had to talk to Mikoto, damn it! He wouldn't let this thing corrupt his mind, even if he had to break himself to destroy it as well. "Are you going to talk, or are you going to fight!? I'm going home...and you're coming with me, damn it!"

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Niflheim: Severe Ice Damage.

 

[Great Ryoman!]

Mikoto Hageshii
Member of the band Nyx
Class 2-2

'Me and Cinderella, put it all together~'

"You don't...get it..." Mikoto skidded backwards, gripping his chest. He felt so cold...not on the outside, but inwards. Something was getting to him...he could feel it, himself, waking up from whatever it was. But at the same time it felt like claws were tearing at his heart, trying to keep him under it's sway even now. "I can't...have...to kill you..." Mikoto raised his hand, mimicking the power that had crept into his mind and seized control, and wind began gathering in the hand of the monster above him. The orchestra was now in a frenzy, pushing onward to a new song with each tear in the Trapezohedron's intricate net, parodying the true self that was beginning to sneak through again. "Where am I to go, now that I've gone too far? For your betrayal...for my...for abandoning my world, where we'd all be friends 'til death!" The wind went gushing out, smashing the ice and forcing itself into an even bigger force, like a dirty bomb compressed inside a closed space to form an even more impactful explosion. The Shadow wasn't done yet. It couldn't give up it's prize!

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Magarula: Medium wind damage

 

[Kai Hiwatari#1]

Eiji "Gin" Mishima

"Mikoto...you don't have to go anywhere." He could tell from his friend's words just how torn up he was inside from the enhanced emotions this place, and that power were giving him. He thought that Gin had already chosen to forget his existence, but his persistence proved that that was nothing but a construct in his friend's mind. In that case, he just had to prove things could be better...that there was no need to worry that he'd be forgotten. After all, all of them, the whole Band of Nyx would end up forgettable! A set of Stars so strong they were more worthy of the sky than the stage! An act to stun even the dead. "You're coming home with me...we're gonna find the others, and you're going to practice balancing a drum stick on your nose for an hour, just like we always do when someone screws up. Nyx isn't just a band...it's our home! Don't you get that yet?" It didn't matter that touching one of the drummer's instruments was comparable to death! It wasn't punishment otherwise! And you couldn't do something like that if you weren't one of the guys...one of their friends! Mikoto had to realize what was going on. "Whether you like it or not, you're always going to be one of us!" There was a well of power as Gin put his Evoker to his head, but this time he didn't need to see his Persona fly by him...instead he began sprinting towards the stage, holding nothing back as he sprinted in and whipped forward his leg and his nightstick, his Persona suddenly appearing on the far side to mimic the action. It was the power of teamwork, not just between two people but even with himself...and it was that duality that made them even stronger. No man was an island, and the Shadow's attempt to separate Mikoto was only going to make it weaker!

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Stage Dive: Both Gin and his Persona sprint at the enemy from either side, and deliver diving kicks that meet in the middle; the attack ends with a loud guitar rift as the two appear on either side of the enemy (opposite what they were before). Does severe Sound (Non-Elemental) damage, with a medium chance of Panic.

 

[Arena Emperor]

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*~:: P1-Climax Results - Round 2 ::~*

Gin Mishima KO. Mikoto Hageshii [Trapezohedron Removed]

[Gin advances to [Round 3 Stage - Empty Music Room]! Mikoto Hageshii may go anywhere else in the Tournament, but cannot interfere in P1-Climax Battles!]

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As the battle concludes and the four pillars collapse, the two fighters feel an unusual fatigue coming over them...and before their eyes crystals, like tiny, twinkling shards of dust and light gather in the air before them...swirling about...before ascending towards the top of the Tower and out of sight.

Something about this disturbs you...but as the Tournament directs you forward, you have little time to consider what it means before moving on...

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Following Mikoto's defeat, a strange shard is released from his body...after flickering for a few moments it fades, returning itself elsewhere, to the person to whom it belongs...

 

[Rednal]

???

A slender rod rose out of the floor, and as it reached its full height, a bolt of electricity shot down from the top of the room and fried a Shadow that had been crawling forwards. This concert hall was a strange place, and the girl still didn't know where they were going - they'd passed by a number of locations already, but none had been populated, and she was afraid of what the road ahead held... but she was also determined to find the others and was pressing on despite her fear. Every now and then, this meant attacking a group of Shadows, but she was the type who could recover a lot of energy as long as she took a few moments to rest every now and then, and this seemed to suffice for allowing her to keep going. ...Where are you? Why can't I get you out of my thoughts?  

[Rednal]

???

Another bolt of lightning shot down from a trap on the ceiling, but this time, it simply fizzled against the Shadow's hide instead of penetrating through it. This... this wasn't a foe that could be defeated by blasting it with electricity, hmm? If that was the case...



Yuno

I'll take care of it.

Her body shifted stance slightly, and once again, the golden-eyed Persona disappeared, replaced by what could only be described as an ordinary-looking girl. "Crush it, Lucasta!" Yuno ordered, and her fragile-looking partner darted through the air before raising her leg and attacking the foe with a downward axe kick. Its body simply blew apart under the physical force of the strike, and Yuno giggled slightly as a bit more energy filled her. "All right, we have to find the others as soon as we can." She declared. It was probably for the best that Shadows didn't leave bodies behind, else there would have been quite a trail of them through the tower by now... "How many floors does this place have, anyway?"  

[Rednal]

Yuno

Yuno slowly made her way across the room, and her fighting style was notably different from how it was when she summoned electricity-based traps. Most relevantly, that Persona seemed to favor being sneaky and catching foes off guard, while this one - Lucasta, she called it? - happened to be rather more outgoing... and struck the enemy head-on. Every time she did, Yuno recovered a little more energy, and that seemed like it was enough to keep her going despite the draining effect the Dark Hour had on people. "Hmm... Yuno was never very big on music anyway, except as something to play in the background during nice dinners." she mused. "What do you think, Leon?"  

[Rednal]

???

The entirety of the Phantom Concert Hall shook as something happened elsewhere in the tower, and the pink-haired girl let out a bit of a yelp as she grabbed at an ornate chair to steady herself before glancing back to where Shadows were still advancing. A square panel of the floor suddenly electrified, crisping the offending Shadow as it was caught in her trap, and she looked upwards a moment later. What... what was THAT? she wondered, feeling an inexplicable sense of fear. Were the others all right!? Th-they had to hurry! "L-let's go!"