The demonic-form Kosma's enormous and ferocious body crashed into the labyrinthine corridor formed by golden picture frames. While flattening one oil painting after another, it also exposed the petite girl, who had been hidden, to Ren Amamiya.
The girl had soft hair as blue as the sky and pupils as clear as amethyst.
She wore a pure white dress and sat on a tall wooden chair, holding a palette and paintbrush, adding colors stroke by stroke to the huge canvas in front of her. Her fair, delicate, small jade-like feet were directly exposed to the air, faintly stained with traces of paint.
Noticing that Kosma had transformed into the artificial Honkai Eruption form he disliked, and had also been sent flying into the picture frame labyrinth by Ren Amamiya, Griseo's tender cherry lips immediately pursed tightly. She put on a pouting expression and waved the paintbrush clenched in her hand towards the empty void in front of her.
The paintbrush, stained with pink paint, sketched out an enormous figure exuding a powerful aura in the void. A half-armored knight figure, entirely silver-white with blue energy light flowing across various parts of its body, appeared in the sky in front of Griseo. The white knight, holding a heavy sword, obeyed Griseo's command and abruptly joined the battlefield.
"Is this... a Persona?"
Gazing at the white knight summoned by Griseo by waving her paintbrush in the void, Ren Amamiya raised an eyebrow slightly in surprise.
Instead of transforming into a Shadow herself, she summoned a half-knight for combat. Could this little girl named Griseo also be a Persona user?
While Ren Amamiya's thoughts were racing, his focus in battle didn't diminish in the slightest.
Persona Arsene's sharp black claws pointed towards the white knight charging from the sky. Ominous crimson-black cursed flames, as if a curse had materialized, instantly shot out. The surging crimson-black cursed flames, like a fiercely burning dragon of fire, flew majestically towards the white knight, completely engulfing the figure of this half-bodied white knight.
The white knight summoned by Griseo was clearly not as terrifyingly strong as Kosma in his demon form.
Although it wasn't instantly killed by the Megidolaon skill used by Persona Arsene, and managed to barely swing its white heavy sword to cut through the crimson-black cursed flames Arsene fired at it, the white knight now looked battered and bruised, even struggling to float in mid-air.
The white knight was no cause for concern. The only one who truly needed attention was Kosma in his demon form.
Through a simple probe, Ren Amamiya had already realized that Griseo's Persona couldn't pose any threat to him. It could only be considered an add-on to the fight with Kosma, like an elite monster guard beside a game boss.
The demon-form Kosma slowly climbed up from the ground. After transforming into his demon form, he seemed to have lost the ability of speech, only able to let out low growls towards Griseo, as if urging her to leave quickly. But Griseo stubbornly stayed put, showing no intention of retreating from this battlefield.
Ren Amamiya didn't let this golden opportunity slip by. Persona Arsene transformed into a streak of crimson light and, in an instant, appeared in front of the demon-form Kosma. Its tightly clenched black sharp claws executed Taixu Sword Ki attack moves, using fists as swords, striking towards the thick and broad body parts of the demon-form Kosma.
At the very beginning, because the demon-form Kosma was already on guard against Persona Arsene's lightning-fast reactions, he could still concentrate on intercepting Arsene's attacks and even launch powerful counterattacks against Persona Arsene in a semblance of order.
However, as Persona Arsene's moves left mark after mark on the demon-form Kosma's body, while grayish-blue blood flowed from Kosma's wounds, a crimson, heteromorphic light, like a contamination, flickered intermittently.
The energy pathways of the Key of Judgement and the Key of Erosion were connected. While receiving the strengthening effect of Jizo Mitama: Etched, Persona Arsene's attacks also carried the authority of thunder and erosion.
The lightning of conquest could tear space. The demon-form Kosma's physical defense was indeed excellent, but it couldn't withstand the lightning authority damage that erupted when Persona Arsene attacked.
The corrosive virus, glinting with an eerie crimson light, spread rapidly from the wounds torn on the demon-form Kosma's body to the deepest parts of his being.
The power of erosion was practically the nemesis of the Flame-Chasers, who existed as memory forms.
Even though Kosma's raw strength after artificial Honkai Eruption was among the top tier of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers.
But his existence as a data-constructed memory form still made Kosma suffer double damage from the corrosive power's special attack.
As the corrosive power continuously invaded and consumed him from within, transforming his own strength into corrosive power—a terrible situation—the demon-form Kosma's movements began to grow increasingly sluggish.
The consequence of sluggish movements was receiving even more violent damage from Persona Arsene's tempestuous attacks. And the more attack damage Kosma endured from Arsene, who was empowered by corrosive force, the more his condition would accelerate towards the cliff of losing combat capability, as if a gas pedal had been floored.
The Great Thunder Spiral Ring on Ren Amamiya's left middle finger bloomed with a brilliant, eerie light, transforming back from its ring form into a circular ring blade with two blade-like fans.
The propeller, wreathed in visible, deep purple, concentrated lightning, swirled around Ren Amamiya like a tidal vortex formed by lightning. The propeller, caught in this ocean of thunder, spun at extreme speed towards the demon-form Kosma, who was struggling to move due to the corrosive virus infection.
Kosma tried to move his body to dodge, but the corrosive virus infecting his body erupted again, causing the demon-form Kosma's body to abruptly stiffen on the spot, losing the opportunity to dodge.
The white knight summoned by Griseo rushed in front of the demon-form Kosma, swinging its white heavy sword towards the Great Thunder Propeller.
However, the white knight's actions were merely a futile attempt like a praying mantis trying to stop a chariot. The Great Thunder Propeller, charged to its maximum energy, shattered the white heavy sword it swung with irresistible force, its momentum undiminished as it shredded the white knight's body and then bombarded the grayish-blue arm-blade that the demon-form Kosma had only just managed to raise with the white knight's assistance.
The Great Thunder Propeller, spinning at high speed like a chainsaw, crackled with overflowing electricity, locked in a prolonged stalemate with the arm-blade swung by the demon-form Kosma.
After leaving various deep and shallow conspicuous scratches on the demon-form Kosma's arm-blade, accompanied by Kosma's abrupt outward swing of his arm, the dazzling purple spiral lightning cloak enveloping the propeller suddenly shattered. The propeller, having stopped spinning, abruptly flew backward, then, as if captured by gravity, naturally returned to a position before Persona Arsene, who was perched in the sky.
The demon-form Kosma's physical strength was outstanding to an unbelievable degree.
Even the Great Thunder Propeller's finishing move, capable of instantly killing the white knight, could only leave deep abrasions on Kosma's arm-blade, unable to even forcibly sever it.
Although he successfully suppressed the demon-form Kosma in battle, Ren Amamiya primarily relied on negative status effect tactics executed with Jizo Mitama, rather than overwhelming Kosma with superior combat ability.
To completely defeat Kosma in his demon form in battle, Ren Amamiya had to go all out and push his own state to the limit.
"Let's finish you in one go! Arsene, use Maziodyne!!"
Ren Amamiya took a deep breath. His black pupils showed extreme focus and seriousness as he poured all his strength into this upcoming all-out attack.
Persona Arsene, floating in the sky with its black wings spread, slowly extended its hand forward, gently hovering its black sharp claws in front of the purple propeller before it.
The purple propeller, pointed at by Persona Arsene's palm, slowly rotated twice in place. The sky, which had always been blue like an oil painting, instantly dimmed.
Dark clouds, as thick as ink, covered the entire sky of this studio space. Lightning contained within the pitch-black clouds flashed intermittently.
The booming sound of thunder, like a horn heralding the apocalypse, made the demon-form Kosma, who could only stand on the ground and face the might of the lightning, feel a suffocating, terrifying pressure.
Rumble rumble rumble----!!!
Magnificent golden-purple pillars of lightning, as if connecting heaven and earth, continuously rained down from the pitch-black sky. The golden-purple divine lightning illuminated the entire world with extreme brightness. Persona Arsene's bright red figure was strikingly reflected in the eyes of the demon-form Kosma on the ground.
'This feeling is... a Divine Key's Zeroth Power?! And it's the Zeroth Power of two Divine Keys activated simultaneously! Damn it!!!'
Gazing up at the golden-purple divine lightning pillar crashing down from the sky, getting closer and closer to him, even cracking the space of the Elysian Realm with long, narrow fissures, and feeling his weakened body, unable to move due to the corrosive virus, Kosma's pupils instantly dilated to their limit.
The corrosive virus spread much faster than Kosma had anticipated. At this point, he had completely lost the ability to resist, able to only stand rigidly in place, allowing the golden-purple divine lightning pillar, unleashed by Persona Arsene with the help of the Great Thunder Propeller, to continuously bombard his enormous body after its artificial Honkai Eruption.
"Kosma----!!"
Watching the demon-form Kosma, completely enveloped by the golden-purple lightning pillars crashing down from the sky, his enormous figure gradually being annihilated under the vast might of the lightning, Griseo in the distance couldn't help but cry out to him in worry.
In the deepest part of the deepest part, Vill-V and Aponia were also watching this battlefield.
"Wow, as expected of my invention! It's just been handed over to another user, and it's already displaying such powerful strength, even able to defeat Kosma when he's going all out—Mm-hmm, truly worthy of me!"
Vill-V adjusted the mechanical-style top hat on her head, her tone full of pleasant surprise as she exclaimed.
"But Aponia, aren't you going to step in and save Kosma? Or are you planning to just stay here and watch?"
This visitor, Ren Amamiya's strength, had already exceeded Vill-V's expectations, and also surpassed Aponia's predictions.
To get a chance to formally meet Ren Amamiya, Vill-V relentlessly urged Aponia beside her.
"This visitor wields the authority of the Key of Erosion. It's not surprising that Kosma would be defeated by him. We can precisely observe his style and way of thinking from how he treats Kosma. Besides... he's already holding back, isn't he?"
Aponia was not successfully swayed by Vill-V. Her expression remained as calm and composed as ever, her lowered blue beautiful eyes staring intently at Ren Amamiya's figure on the virtual screen.
"If beating Kosma half-dead and making him kneel is considered holding back, then fine."
Vill-V shrugged her shoulders with some disappointment, also turning her gaze to the already decided battle situation.
As the creator of the Elysian Realm, Vill-V knew the setting mechanism of the Elysian Realm better than anyone.
To prevent any accidents from happening to the memory forms of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers, the Elysian Realm backed up the current data state of the Flame-Chasers every six seconds.
Even if Kosma truly died this time because Ren Amamiya didn't hold back.
Vill-V could also use her operational authority over the Elysian Realm to roll back Kosma, restoring him to his healthy state before being consumed by the corrosive virus.
And judging from Ren Amamiya holding back in time and not completely killing Kosma, Vill-V clearly didn't need to roll back Kosma's data record through her authority.
In the scorched crater blasted out by the golden-purple divine lightning pillar, Kosma, whose artificial Honkai Eruption form had been forcibly dispelled by the overly violent damage, reverted to his human form, heavily injured and kneeling on the ground, his figure a complete mess. He felt a slight chill on his neck.
Struggling to lift his head with his body, which was numb and almost immobile from the lightning infusion, Kosma saw Persona Arsene, holding the handle in the center of the circular ring blade, with the sharp blade-like fan pressed against his neck, descending before him.
Persona Arsene's eyes glinted with an eerie crimson light. Kosma had no doubt whether it would swing down the blade in its hand and take the head of him, who was already powerless to resist.
"Choose, Kosma... Will you submit to me, or die here?"
Ren Amamiya slowly approached, stopping behind Persona Arsene. He spoke to Kosma, who was kneeling on the ground in a wretched state, looking utterly defeated.
Killing Kosma was, of course, just a joke to scare him.
Kosma and Yae Sakura knew each other. Even just for Sakura's sake, Ren Amamiya wouldn't so casually eliminate Kosma.
With Sakura as a mutual acquaintance, even if he couldn't make Kosma submit to him this time, as long as he came a few more times in the future, Ren Amamiya would eventually be able to make Kosma acknowledge him and obtain Kosma's powerful strength.
Right now, the answer Ren Amamiya feared most from Kosma's mouth wasn't refusal, but that his current level wasn't high enough to accommodate the demon-form Kosma as a Persona, telling him to go back and level up more before trying again.
"...You win. You can do whatever you want to me, but please spare Griseo."
Kneeling on the ground and looking up at Ren Amamiya, Kosma, for some reason, suddenly felt he saw Kevin's shadow in Ren Amamiya.
After Kosma's eyes flickered slightly, he spoke to Ren Amamiya in a slightly hoarse voice.
"Spare that little girl? If you're willing to become my Persona, sparing Griseo is no problem."
Ren Amamiya glanced sideways at Griseo, who was looking at Kosma with a nervous and worried expression in the distance. After raising an eyebrow slightly, he made a promise to Kosma.
Compared to Kosma, Griseo's strength was far too weak.
If he could make Kosma his Persona, abandoning Griseo was entirely acceptable.
Although Griseo looked very cute, she was, after all, just a tender little girl who hadn't grown up yet. She looked even younger than Seele and Bronya.
Ren Amamiya still preferred more mature women. At the very least, they had to develop to Veliona's level to be worthy of being subdued by him as a Persona.
"...Persona? Fine, whatever you want."
A look of bewilderment appeared in Kosma's orange eyes. He didn't know what a Persona was.
However, due to his personality, and his innate sensitivity to such obscure and cool names, Kosma quickly understood what Ren Amamiya meant by [Persona].
"However, even if you subdue me as a Persona, you can only make me exert my combat ability in a space like the Elysian Realm. It won't benefit your battles in the real world."
Kosma fell silent for a moment, but eventually, he frowned slightly and explained to Ren Amamiya the inconvenience of subduing him, a memory form, as a Persona.
"Of course, I know that. But with Jizo Mitama's ability, I can project Personas into the real world. Even in the real world, I can maintain their combat strength."
After learning from Kosma that the name of this Mementos space was [Elysian Realm], Ren Amamiya, while silently memorizing the name, responded to Kosma in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Being able to project Personas into the real world, this is the authority of Jizo Mitama. If... forget it."
Hearing Ren Amamiya say that the Key of Erosion, Jizo Mitama, actually had the ability to materialize memory forms, allowing them to manifest in the real world, Kosma's eyes suddenly lit up slightly.
The memory forms of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers could only operate within the domain space of the Elysian Realm. From another perspective, the Flame-Chasers could also be said to be imprisoned by the Elysian Realm.
Even though the outside world was no longer their Previous Era, but the current era where present people created the future, the desire for freedom was as natural and deeply engraved in everyone's heart as a bird's desire to fly.
Before Ren Amamiya's visit today, Kosma had no desire to leave the Elysian Realm and go to the outside world. Being able to stay in the Elysian Realm space with his fellow Flame-Chasers was enough for Kosma.
Griseo, who was carrying out Project Ark in the real world, was even more lonely than him.
And when Ren Amamiya stated that he could make Flame-Chaser memory forms appear in the real world, Kosma undoubtedly began to feel tempted.
If possible, Kosma wanted to know the whereabouts of Griseo in the real world.
Moreover, Griseo in Elysian Realm had, over fifty thousand years, painted every scene in Elysian Realm day after day.
If Ren Amamiya was not an enemy, Kosma also hoped Griseo could break free from the shackles of Elysian Realm and use her own eyes to survey the true scenery of the real world.
Kosma decided to first make contact with Ren Amamiya on Griseo's behalf. If Ren Amamiya wasn't lying and harbored no malice, it wouldn't be out of the question for Griseo to also become Ren Amamiya's Persona.
Kosma completely relaxed his body and mind. He closed his eyes and followed Ren Amamiya's guidance. His battered body gradually became dim and transparent, eventually transforming into a shower of viridescent light particles dancing in mid-air where he stood.
As Ren Amamiya extended his palm forward, the viridescent light particles transformed from Kosma instantly surged into Ren Amamiya's palm, coalescing into a pure white, half-covering spirit bird mask.
"Persona----Kosma!!"
Persona Arsene's figure transformed into intertwined spectral flames of red and blue, dissipating into the air.
After dispelling the summoning of Arsene, Ren Amamiya abruptly threw out the brand-new white spirit bird mask in his hand. Azure spectral flames instantly blazed in mid-air, then converged and solidified into the figure of a youth with green hair and green clothes, bearing black sharp horns and demon wings.
Kosma, reappearing in the Elysian Realm space as a Persona, clenched his fists and silently moved his body.
After becoming Ren Amamiya's Persona, the corrosive virus that had once dragged Kosma into a quagmire-like hell became incredibly docile, as if it had disappeared, no longer affecting him in the slightest.
As a MANTIS with extremely strong physical constitution, after losing the interference of the corrosive virus, Kosma quickly recovered his mobility.
After examining himself, he found that aside from a certain indescribable connection forming with Ren Amamiya, there were no special negative changes.
This discovery immediately made Kosma let out a slight sigh of relief, and his tense face also relaxed a little.
"Kosma! Are you alright?"
Just as Kosma was feeling a little relieved, Griseo had already run over from the distance on her bare, fair little feet, nervously tugging at the corner of Kosma's clothes and asking him with concern.