Ren Amamiya had fully anticipated Akechi Goro's sudden outburst.
After all, Akechi Goro had just been seething, looking like he was ready to pounce. It wasn't as if he'd suddenly be swayed by looks and call off the fight just because he saw Ren summon his Persona, Kallen, right?
The fact that Akechi Goro had paused his assault, even dangling some highly credible intel as bait, clearly meant he was secretly charging up a major attack, biding his time for something big.
Once the move was fully prepped, Akechi Goro evidently had no more interest in talking. He immediately manipulated the Oath of Judah, launching his meticulously prepared surprise attack.
With his technique ready and unleashed, Akechi Goro was clearly confident he could now face Persona Kallen on the battlefield, even though she also wielded an Oath of Judah as her weapon.
Things on the battlefield unfolded just as Ren Amamiya had predicted. The golden Soulium chains that erupted from the Simulacrum: Oath of Judah - Eternal Prison effortlessly shattered the Soulium chains Persona Kallen had manifested to counter them, reducing them to a shower of glittering gold specks.
However, what surprised Ren Amamiya slightly was that the golden chains unleashed by Akechi Goro didn't strike Persona Kallen's body. Instead, they furiously wove through the gaps beside her, their target clearly defined: Ren himself, Kallen's Persona-user, hurtling towards him at high speed.
Not attacking the Persona, but targeting the Persona-user directly.
While such tactics might be considered dirty fighting, they were undeniably effective in a real battle. Akechi Goro's thinking was spot on.
However, Ren Amamiya hadn't been idle during his earlier conversation with Akechi Goro.
"Your turn—Kosma!!"
Persona Kallen, whose slender form was about to be engulfed by the golden Soulium chains, instantly dissolved into wisps of blue-green spectral flame and vanished.
In her place, a menacing, azure demonic figure abruptly materialized from the empty space before Ren Amamiya.
Back when he was conversing with Akechi Goro, Ren had already silently communicated with Persona Kosma, telling him to prepare. The moment he was summoned, Kosma was to enter his most powerful bestial form and deliver a fully charged, devastating blow against Akechi Goro.
Pale blue demonic flames blazed around Kosma in his Active Honkai Reaction. Like an unstoppable, heavy tank, he charged headlong towards the enemy Ren faced. The razor-sharp blades on his arms, glinting with a chilling light, swung at incredible speed, meeting the oncoming torrent of golden Soulium chains.
The crisp sound of Soulium chains being severed by the sharp arm-blades echoed repeatedly. However, the regeneration speed of the chains, endlessly pouring forth from the Simulacrum: Oath of Judah - Eternal Prison, was clearly faster than Kosma's ability to cut them.
More fatally, as Kosma repeatedly intercepted the golden Soulium chains, his ferocious and aggressive advance suddenly faltered. Even the slashing movements of the blades on his arms became sluggish, as if he were succumbing to fatigue, his imposing aura visibly weakening.
"This power—is it Binding?!"
Peering through the gaps in the layers of tangled golden chains, the pupils of Kosma in his Active Honkai Reaction trembled violently. He clearly saw the ornate golden cross supported in the hand of the figure known as 'Akechi Goro'.
Although its design was slightly different, Kosma, as one of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers, recognized the true nature of that golden cross in an instant.
And these golden Soulium chains, which were continuously weakening him upon contact, further confirmed Kosma's suspicions.
The power of a Divine Key mimicked by the Void Archives wasn't quite as potent as the original. However, now fueled by a second Herrscher Core, the Overdrive Mode of the Simulacrum: Oath of Judah - Eternal Prison possessed an authority that even slightly surpassed that of the true Oath of Judah.
Feeling the power of Binding rapidly sapping his strength, a cold sweat slowly beaded on the forehead of Kosma in his Active Honkai Reaction.
Although Kosma had learned from Ren Amamiya before being summoned from the Elysian Realm that he would be facing a formidable enemy, Ren hadn't mentioned that the enemy would be capable of using the power of Binding!
Compared to ordinary human warriors, MANTISes like Kosma, who had undergone the Meta-Morph surgery, were significantly more vulnerable to the power of Binding.
If he had known he'd be fighting the Key of Binding, Kosma felt he would have been better off fighting in his human form from the start. At least then, the amplified damage he received would have been somewhat less!
"A decent Persona. But still a far cry from my Loki."
A self-satisfied smirk touched Otto's lips. Ren Amamiya's decision to withdraw Persona Kallen from the battlefield had undoubtedly given Otto, who had felt somewhat constrained, the room and the mood to go all out.
Though Persona Kosma was extremely powerful, far surpassing Persona Kallen, Otto wouldn't show the same restraint towards this monstrous, demonic entity as he might have towards Kallen.
Simulacrum: Oath of Judah – Zeroth Rated Power - Elysion Pedion!!
Watching Kosma in his Active Honkai Reaction, still struggling forward step by step, dragging the golden chains coiled around his massive body like he was hacking through thorns, even as he was ensnared, a flicker of surprise crossed Otto's eyes.
Then, before Persona Kosma could reach him, Otto decisively activated the Zeroth rated Power of his mimicked Oath of Judah.
A Elysion Pedion Field instantly unfurled, enveloping the crumbling area of the Black Babel tower.
Upon the sky, now stained crimson, massive golden gears materialized one after another, making the space resemble the innards of some intricate mechanism.
Within the range of the Elysion Pedion Field, Honkai energy would be nullified, and even other forms of energy would be affected to varying degrees.
As a Fusion Warrior who had activated his Active Honkai Reaction ability, transformed into his Vishnu-like form, and was closest to Otto's position, Persona Kosma took the full brunt of the amplified damage from the power of Binding the moment the Elysion Pedion Field deployed.
The colossal demonic body, which had been ceaselessly struggling forward despite being tightly bound by Soulium chains, abruptly lost all its strength. Dragged down by the chains, it crashed heavily to the ground.
The Honkai energy that flowed within Kosma's body like lifeblood was rapidly draining away, being nullified.
After Kosma in his Active Honkai Reaction Form fell, two thuds sounded almost simultaneously from behind Ren Amamiya.
"Hare?! And Fu Hua, are you two alright?!"
Raiden Mei's eyes widened as she saw Hare and Fu Hua collapse to the ground, instinctively calling out to them.
Within the Elysion Pedion Field, Raiden Mei also felt a strong sense of discomfort and weakness, but she could still barely stand. Seele, on the other side, was likely in a similar condition.
However, under the same circumstances, Hare and Fu Hua were clearly faring much worse than her and Seele; they had lost even the strength to remain standing.
Raiden Mei could still maintain her Persona, Kurikara, but Armored Hare now abruptly vanished under the effect of the Elysion Pedion Field. Even Hare's true self, who should have been protected within a dream-like barrier, had instantly crumpled to the ground.
Hare wasn't human but a so-called Stigmata Construct. It was understandable that she would react differently to the enemy's attack compared to Mei and Seele.
But why had Fu Hua collapsed like Hare, clearly appearing to be under even greater pressure than them?
Looking at Fu Hua, her heroic face pale, a flicker of suspicion crossed Raiden Mei's violet eyes.
"...Hua?"
Hearing the sounds of collapse from behind and Raiden Mei calling Fu Hua's name, Persona Kosma, pinned to the ground by Soulium chains, flinched. He strained to turn his head, his gaze meeting Fu Hua's, who had fallen on the other side.
Just one look, and Kosma deeply understood that the grey-haired girl on the ground was Hua herself, one of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers from the Previous Era.
However, the battle had escalated to a point where there was absolutely no time for Kosma and Hua to reminisce.
Otto's Soulium automaton, Loki, was already hovering above Persona Kosma. It raised the crimson demonic sword clutched in its hand and thrust it decisively towards the brow of Kosma, who was extremely weakened by the power of Binding!
The massive, azure demonic figure instantly shattered, dissolving into a spray of myriad blue-green sparks, and returned to the domain of the Elysian Realm.
"..."
Fu Hua mustered all her strength to push herself up, kneeling on one knee.
Gazing at the spot where Kosma had just vanished, Fu Hua felt an inexplicable heaviness in her heart.
Memories might have faded, but fragments of past impressions seemed to linger…
"And that's checkmate, Joker… According to the rules of Phantom Thieves, the Core of the Herrscher of the Void is now my property."
Within the Elysion Pedion Field, all life forms and energies were affected; Otto, the activator, was naturally no exception.
However, compared to the others, Otto, whose body was constructed from Soulium, could clearly withstand a much greater load from the power of Binding. At the very least, he could still manage to walk, albeit slowly.
Manipulating the Simulacrum: Oath of Judah - Eternal Prison to release golden Soulium chains, Otto bound Ren Amamiya's limbs. Ren, also affected by the Elysion Pedion Field, had become sluggish. The ends of the chains sank deep into the void on all four sides.
Having brought the situation under control with the Elysion Pedion Field, Otto began to consider leaving the Herrscher of the Void's palace.
Although taking the Herrscher of the Void's Core would undoubtedly mean Kiana in the real world would lose her chance to become the Herrscher of the Void again, Otto couldn't leave the core in this palace now.
Compared to Ren Amamiya's group taking the Herrscher of the Void's Core, Otto believed it was better for him to safeguard it and return the Herrscher Core to Kiana when the time was right.
"You've gotta be kidding me! I haven't… lost yet!!"
Ren Amamiya gritted his teeth, yanking at the golden chains binding his arms. However, his body, incredibly weakened by the Elysion Pedion Field's effect, could at most make the Soulium chains rattle; he couldn't break free.
"—Siegfried!!"
The white, spirit bird-like mask Ren Amamiya wore flickered with wisps of blue-green spectral flame.
Yet, before the azure flames could fully ignite, they abruptly extinguished, signaling the failure of Ren Amamiya's attempt to summon a Persona.
"Higokumaru!!"
After failing to summon Persona Siegfried, Ren Amamiya clenched his fists tighter. He desperately tried to channel the magical energy within him, which had become almost stagnant, and attempted to summon another Persona.
Upon calling out Higokumaru's name, the crimson-black miasma around Ren Amamiya, which had dimmed to almost nothing, suddenly surged.
Although Ren Amamiya also failed to summon Persona Higokumaru, Otto clearly saw ominous, crimson-black rust spots slowly staining the golden Soulium chains restraining Ren's body.
The Soulium chain closest to the Jizo Mitama: Etched, held in Ren Amamiya's hand, showed the most severe corrosion.
The power of Binding was suppressing the power of Erosion, but the power of Erosion was also gradually dismantling the power of Binding.
If Ren Amamiya were given a little more time, he might actually be able to regroup…
Thinking this, Otto slowly spoke to Ren Amamiya.
"I'd advise you not to struggle any further, Joker. Look behind you. If you insist on delaying, your companions will step into the abyss of death before you do."
Ren Amamiya's movements stiffened slightly. He followed Otto's gaze and turned to look behind him, seeing the weakened figures of Hare and Fu Hua on the ground.
Fu Hua still looked somewhat stable, but Hare's condition was clearly dire.
Specks of purple light drifted from Hare's body; she was gradually disintegrating.
"...Isn't Fu Hua your friend? You're targeting her as well?"
Raiden Mei and Seele could still barely stand, yet Fu Hua, supposedly Akechi Goro's (and thus Otto's) comrade, had collapsed like Hare. This sight caused Ren Amamiya to frown slightly, a strange expression on his face.
"That's not important. What you should be concerned about, Joker, is your lady friend over there. If you persist in fighting, that lady's life will be in grave danger."
Otto said to Ren Amamiya with an air of complete composure.
Although he felt a little bad for his old friend, The Phoenix was immortal anyway. Even if enveloped by the effects of the Elysion Pedion Field, she would fully recover after some rest. Otto wouldn't feel ashamed or guilty about this
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TL Note: I like use word Simulacrum now