Part 81: 7/27: What's Better Than A Motorcycle?

Part 79: 7/27: What’s Better Than A Motorcycle?

Beast That Rules The Palace

Music: Blooming Villain




Ugh, look at it fly about! We can’t reach it like this! We’ve got no other option. Let’s take it down with our guns and skills!



So, this is the real boss this time around. Not Futaba’s Shadow, because as “tsundere” as she was, to borrow the phrase from Yusuke, she still wants our help. No, this is a radical part of her cognition that’s going to fight us every step of the way.



True to Morgana’s word, using any type of Physical attack, including skills, is fruitless, as the beast is out of range. We can use guns, but that’s rather pointless as well. We haven’t exactly been upgrading them, and they don’t do much in the first place. Hilariously though, Ryuji’s fucking shotgun can hit while his Physical attacks can’t.



Here’s our first sign that something is wrong: we’re doing decent numbers, but the beast’s health is barely going down.




For its turn, the beast gets two moves, so it can Slam twice.




It can also use Wing Blast to deal Wind damage and inflict Dizzy. Ryuji’s Wind weakness means we might have been better off bringing Ann (or even Yusuke) for this stage of the fight if we hadn’t already used all her SP healing through the enemy gauntlet, but we want his Tarukaja, and for better or worse this part of the fight doesn’t last long.



Morgana’s Me Patra will clear up that Dizzy easily enough, however.




Don’t tell me… Is it gonna dive attack us!?

So now we wait.



And wait.



Aaaaand wait.




Yeah, this is pretty much an instant kill if you’re not guarding, which is why I’m lucky it didn’t hit Joker even if he had a Resist Physical Persona equipped.



What do you mean you can’t tell!? You gotta tell us, Mona!
I-I can’t help it! There are some things that even I can’t do!

Music: Disquiet



I didn’t think it’d be like this...



Huh…!?



Music: Regret

Do you remember?
This is the suicide note… The men in black suits read it right after Mom died…



This… This is… when Mom jumped in front of that car…



I don’t think Futaba wants to see any more of this traumatic PowerPoint.

No…
Don’t run. I thought you made your mind up after you talked to the Phantom Thieves.
OK… I’ll look. ...It’s me complaining. Mom scolded me for bothering her.
Yes.
I knew it. It was me who killed Mom. I was a bad daughter… I weighed her down, and she hated me for it… It’s just like I remember…



Huh?
Remember everything. Don’t avert your eyes. When did this happen?
Just a little before Mom died… I whined about wanting to go on a family trip… But she scolded me and said no.
Was that all she said?
Mom said… “I’m too busy right now. I need to finish my cognitive research as soon as possible.”
And what did you do?
I threw a tantrum. Told her she thought her research was more important than I was. That’s when she scolded me…
What did she say afterwards? There was more.
…… Did she say…? “My research is almost over. Once it’s finished, we can go wherever you like. I’m sorry I’ve left you alone for so long, Futaba. Please try to understand though. This research is really important. I need to complete it, even if it costs me my life.”
Did she hate you?
She didn’t…?





Which is true…?
Your memory is...



Futaba hears the cry of the beast from above.

Huh…? It’s calling me…?

Futaba runs toward the sound.

Music: Desire



The hell!? We ain’t doin’ shit to it!



You came into your cognitive world!?
Mm-hm...
The person themselves coming into their own Palace…? If that happens…

The beast cries out.

That’s...



No...




It’s my fault… It’s my fault that Mom...



You killed me!
Wait, is that monster her mother!?

How is this a twist!? You idiots know what Wakaba looked like!

Futaba’s desires and guilt must’ve distorted her cognition of her. The wish that her mother was alive again is mixed in as well, along with those eerie jeers...
You are nothing but a demon who stood in my way! I wish you had never been born! That way I could’ve announced my results without having to waste my time on you! I poured my heart and soul into that research! It would’ve been the discovery of the century!
What does she mean by that?
Could she be talking about cognitive psience?



There’s no meaning to your life! No one needs you!
Nobody cares about me...



It seems you caused your mother a great deal of trouble, Futaba-chan… She must’ve had some kind of maternity neurosis…
N-Ngh…




...Y-You… aaaaaaareee…
Ngh…!



So because she thinks she killed her mother… and because she thinks she deserves to die… Futaba gave birth to a Palace where her mother wants her dead…?
Futaba-chan, look! There’s no way that monster is your mother! It’s just an illusion you created!
B-But…
She never abused you, did she!? Boss told us! He said she did her best to raise you alone!
Isn’t this a false memory that’s been imprinted upon you?
A false memory…? Aagh...



She had worked so hard on it as well… She lost her mind, and it’s all because of you...
It’s your fault!
Murderer!




Futaba Sakura! Remember!

Music: Regret




...Because of the note.
Exactly. The men in black suits read her suicide note to you, and what was written on it?
All of her complaints… about me.
Yes. The shock and the pain led you to avert your eyes. But they kept reading it aloud in front of your relatives. Think hard. Was that suicide note real? Would the mother you loved so much truly have written that? Did she ever say such horrible things to you?

Music: Swear to My Bones



She scolded me whenever I had tantrums, but she cared for me!
Then what about the suicide note?
A total lie!
You were used! They forged her suicide note and laid the blame of her death upon you! They trampled all over your young heart! Get mad! Don’t forgive those rotten adults!

Now, this game walks a delicate tightrope and doesn’t always nail the act, and one such example is this, which is downright absurd. I think it actually kind of works in the context of the rest of the game, but at this point it’s just comical.

It’s because I couldn’t face myself, or Mom’s death… Even then, why did they have to yell at me like that!?



Futaba-chan!?




A curse put upon you by the heartless… You knew from the very beginning… And yet, you cowered in fear…
...That’s right. I knew, but I…
It’s all your fault…! This time, you’ll be the one to die!
Will you die as you are told…? Who will you obey…? Cursed words spat out by a seething illusion? Or the truth within your own soul?




And I won’t be led astray by other’s voices either… I’m going to trust my own eyes and my own heart to distinguish the truth from the lies. There’s no way you’re my mom! You’re just a fake created by those horrid adults! I’ll… I’ll never...



Futaba’s Awakening (Definitely watch this)






...what the fuck.

Music: Blooming Villain





Uhhh



Uhhhhhhhhhhh



Well, this is certainly some imagery.









I’m OK!



Please, help me!




And a cool group pose before the fight.



Futaba’s Persona is the fucking Necronomicon, a fictional grimoire from the stories of HP Lovecraft, as represented by... a UFO. Sure, why not? Written in the 8th century by the “mad Arab” Abdul Alhazred (because Lovecraft was extremely racist, natch), the tome details the truth behind ancient cosmic beings that had come to inhabit Earth, influencing humans for their own ends. Those who read it risk going mad from the forbidden knowledge.

Futaba is also our new navigator, seeing as how we need to get an upgrade midway through every one of these newer Persona games. She can do a whole bunch of shit, but if you’re familiar with Rise’s gimmicks from Persona 4 Golden, it’s a lot of stuff like that. We won’t be covering what she can do until much later, but it’s pretty cool.

Futaba is voiced by Erica Lindbeck, a relatively newer voice actor known for roles like… uh… Menat from Street Fighter V (to keep things Egypt), Celica from Fire Emblem Echoes, and Magilou from Tales of Berseria. Play that last game, it owns and Magilou owns.