A familiar pompadour toting man walks through the door, holding a bag of bell peppers. These are delicious! I should share...

A swarm of golden butterflies suddenly swarms the gym. The fly around the building obscuring everyone's vision for a short time. Suddenly the begin clustering together on a wall. They clutter closer and closer together until the form into a solid gold door. The door begins opening slowly as a man with brown hair and a pony tail walks in. He's wearing a black bodysuit and a white and gold butterfly mask that covers all but the corner of his face. A warm yet powerful glow comes from him. Though subtle you feel as if he's both the most terrifying and most friendly being you've ever met. In fact, some may recognize this mysterious figure. So this is the place where people gather to test their binds against one another.

Kalib walks down the stairs into the main hall of GYM, a yawn escaping his lips before he can cover his mouth. "Hyaaaaaah!" Quickly glancing at the clock he scratches at his head. "Damn, I slept in crazy late!" Looking around he notices the two men and approaches them with a wide smile. "Mornin' Tatsu! What's up? And hey there! You're a new face, pleased to meetcha and welcome to GYM!" The next thing he knows, he is swarmed by the butterflies. And a moment later he is staring at the glowing man. "Golden...butterflies...? Philemon? Welcome to GYM!"

I've come here before! I got to spar with some guy who could control trains! I have some peppers here, do you want some!? Gentaro holds up a burlap sack filled with bell peppers.

Tatsu looks over to Philemon... Oh dear god he's actually out in the world. "So, I see that the time has come for us to battle once again. It's good to see you again Philemon, now let's begin the test!" He grins at Kalib for a moment, seems like it's the real one this time thankfully. Gen however he simply glances at, seems like a new face actually. "So then, I've been meaning to put some team work back here for a while, given you just said you fought Lowe I'm guessing you might be interested in a match too?" He gives Gen a questioning look, hopefully the man knows what he's doing given Philemon is here. "Assuming everyone wants in we've got two teams here, so how's this gonna split up hmm?"

"OH! Those would go great in a stir fry! Ehehe!" Kalib walks over with a grin. "And you fought Lowe then? Amazing! He's tough, right?" He balls his right hand into a fist and punches it into his left hand. "I'll have to spar with him soon then, seems like he's fun when he gets serious! Plus, I really feel like I understand someone when we duke it out!"

*Walks back in the door and notices the man, the myth, the Philemon.* Hello again, muscle ner..... Who's the turtle neck guy?

Oh, if we're gonna fight, we should fight for a prize! I don't have anything good though.... Ah! The winner gets this bag of peppers! Gentaro, quite pleased with himself, holds up the burlap sack. As for teams, I wanna work with the friendly guy! I'm already starting to like his attitude! He reminds me of myself! Gentaro beams.

A woman in a deep blue dress walks in, an ecstatic grin on her face. She's holding... a lawn chair? "I heard rumor that Master Philemon was in this nearby establishment, preparing for a potential fight? Now this is a form of entertainment I absolutely must witness for myself." With that, she sets up the chair, and casually sits down in the middle of GYM, waiting...

Philemon walks over to a bench and sits down with a warm smile fixated on his face. He looks over to everyone as he seems to think on how to respond. G...Y...M...Are these the letters that resonant within your souls? A passion that burns within the heart is one that can bring about the most fierce of powers. I'm eager to see how you all here have grown. Philemon looks considerately at Tatsu as he considers conducting another test. An interesting proposal. Perhaps another test should be conducted, however, I believe I wish to test for something different this time around.

*he seen on the bleachers* Hey Tats. What the heck are you doing?

*Eyerolls* Oh, more testing? Great, as if I haven't gotten enough of that in life. *She then fixates her gaze on Elizabeth* You look.... familiar....

Tatsuya looks over to Phil and shrugs, he certainly hadn't expected this... But it should be interesting nonetheless. "Another test eh? So then, what do you have in mind you cryptic bastard? Ah well, knowing you it'll be interesting as always so I'm not gonna complain!"

Kalib looks to Gentaro with a nod. "Hehe! I like your style then pal! Let's win this and cook up a storm later!" Kalib cracks his knuckles before looking back to Philemon. "I usually have time to study before a test, but I'm game! I'll show you my power! Let's do this two on two!"

Philemon stands up as he puts a hand to his chin. He smiles secretly as he looks around the room. Today you are having team building exercises, correct? I will allow you to organize it however you choose. We may stick to the typical team matchup in which case I shall join a team of everyone else's choosing. However, there is another option. I won't hold back nearly as much and it'll be me against everyone here. The choice is all of yours...

Elizabeth tears her attention away from her Master to focus on Haruko's words. "Familiar? I don't see how someone like yourself could ever recognize someone like me. I certainly do not remember you, and I can recall the face of all of my Master's guests."

A three versus one? Not my style, but if you're that strong I won't let it stop me! Gentaro is still beaming.

Tatsu looks around the room, all of them against Philemon eh? Wonder if the Velvet Room lady will want in? Either way... This brings back memories. "All of us against you, it's been quite some time since we had that battle hasn't it... I wonder how much stronger I've become since then. Ah well, guess it's time to find out!" He grins at the other two before stepping back away from Philemon and drawing his revolver, better just stay back at least for a bit. "He's definitely that strong... Last time we fought it was 5 on 1 and he didn't even break a sweat, so honestly I'm curious to see how it'll go with so few people."

Kalib brings a hand to his chin before responding. "An all out brawl to see if we meet your expectations then?" He lets out a laugh. "Sounds like a plan to me! We won't disappoint!"

Hmm.... don't think it was you. But your outfit is very distinct.

Philemon takes a step back as the air itself begins to shake. A slight afterimage can be seen as he steps into place and reality itself seems shaken. He smiles gently at those who would take his test as a brilliant white light fills the area before everything becomes dark once more. As the room returns to normal a massive swarm of golden butterflies appears behind Philemon. They cluster together to form what seems to be a giant copy of himself. I'll allow you all the first move. I advise you that if you value your life you should not hold back. If you do I fear the worst may happen to you. Philemon looks forward with a smile. It appears as though he has no fear in his eyes.

Butterflies....? I've seen ones like that before. But more.... blue, like your outfit!

Man, you sure talk fancy! Let’s see how the power of my buds stands up to you! As Gentaro says this, he’s already putting on the belt and flipping the switches. [THREE! TWO! ONE!] Henshin! Once more Gentaro is clad in his Fourze Armor, doing his signature pose. It’s space TIIIIIIIIIME! Let’s start with some extra heat to match our burning souls! [Fire! FIRE ON!] Loud sirens can be heard as a blazing presence fills the arena. Gentaro’s white suit is now a blazing red. In his right hand he is holding a cannon of sorts.

"I suppose the outfit is 'distinct'. This sort of design and shading is... how should we say.... 'custom made', for me and my sisters. Who might I ask, was wearing such striking attire?"

Suddenly he steps up to the front, Apollo bursting to life behind him as the man takes aim at Phil. The flames in Apollo's hands seem brighter than normal. Tatsu pulls back the trigger of his gun and a few bullets fly towards Phil's mask, he's clearly shooting to kill. Apollo on the other hand sends two jets of flame straight towards the man. The fire burns blue as Tatsuya grins at Philemon, seems like he's going all in from the start. "Don't mess around with him guys. Philemon is no joke even by my standards so give it your all!"

Her name was Agatha, worked for Big Nose. Weird duo those two were, helped enough I guess. *Her gaze drifts to Gentaro.... and lingers for a moment.* Geeze, he reminds me of all the wrong things.

Kalib grabs his trident off of the display shelf above the drink bar. Returning to Gentaro's side he'd smirk at Philemon before speaking. "Everyone loves an underdog story! Here we come!" A card appears before him as he begins to spin his trident around himself with aplomb. "It's been awhile, but please lend me your strength! COME, LEONIDAS!" Kalib brings down the trident on the card and crushes it into the ground. A roar resonates throughout the building as the figure of Leonidas rises from a geyser of flame behind Kalib. "Let's get this show on the road! SPARTAN ROAR!" Kalib and Leonidas both let out a mighty war cry that shakes the building once more. The sound would cause a multicolored light to coat all allied combatants, boosting their attack, defense and speed.

Elizabeth tilts her head in confusion. "Big Nose must clearly be referring to my Master, Igor. But... Agatha? I have many sisters, but I have not once heard either Master nor my sisters mention this name to me before."

Very well. Then I shall not go easy on you. The bullets hit Philemon dead on but he simply stands there as they fall to the ground flattened out. He walks forward casually as the swarm follows him. He points his hand forward as a massive blast of energy pulses forth towards the group of three. After a few seconds the beam fades away leaving the ground it touches burnt with crackles of energy sparking here and there. The swarm of butterflies begins glowing as they shape back into Philemon's form. It seems they're preparing something as well.

Well, how strange, then. Either way, seems there's quite the fight brewing, eh? I'll admit, I never realized there were other people with Personas out there. Even after hearing about these "Shadow Operative" folks.

What is this power!? It’s like he’s giving off pure Cosmic Energy! I guess I WILL have to give it my all! Let’s open with this! Gentaro takes the Fire switch out and puts it into the cannon. [LIMIT BREAK!] Rider Explosive Shoot!

*A blue door emerges from the floor as it gets kicked in, flying off into a wall before a certain knight walks out, carrying a plate of pancakes with syrup on top, he then moves behind the GYM counter and pours a bucket of protein powder onto his fluffy goodness before watching the fight Ooh! Looks like we a match between Tatsuya, Kalib, a new challenger and! *PK then looks over at Philemon and blinks for a second, quickly hiding the pancakes behind his back and inching over to the door he summoned, standing in the doorway to prevent anyone from seeing the mess he made, quickly retreating into and closing said door*

.... Well that was a weird moment.... How was he even able to fix the door after that?

The sheer force of the blast was enough send Kalib sliding backwards as he attempts to block it. However the attempt is in vain as his arms are riddled with burn marks from the attack. Kalib just grins. "Well this is already interesting! We won't hold back!" The spartan behind him huffs in agreement. "Alright! Let's hit him with all we got! INFERNO!" The spartan roars as he raises his arm towards the large Philemon. In a flash of red, a sea of flames would be sent crashing towards the large figure. Kalib's eyes come to life with a small spark as he puts on a wide smile.

Tatsu darts off to the side, most of the attack misses him but the beam does scrape his left arm and leave some burn marks. "Okay that hurts, geez you really are strong... Well I have a genius plan that's sure to work! Don't worry about friendly fire either guys I'll be fine!" After taking a moment to look around he sighs and focuses on the foe. Looks like it's time for something stupid, Tatsu's gun vanishes and he reaches up for his blade. Darting right at Philemon as Apollo's cover him, an aura of fire dancing around the man's skin and blade before he tries to slam it into Philemon's chest. Hopefully a solid stab can keep him in place for a bit.

A small, slender figure had just arrived, broom in hand. Immediately, they seemed panicked as they began cleaning up dust and rubble. I hope no one noticed I was late...

*Crashes through the roof and coincidentily lands on a chair* Oof! Oh hey a battle. *Grabs popcorn and sits*

As the fire from Kalib's Inferno passes over Philemon he walks out of the flames with barely a scorch. However, due to the bright nature of the flames, he doesn't anticipate Tatsuya's strike and thus the sword reaches his chest. The sword stabs at Philemon but is barely able to pierce him at all. The light stab is still able to hold him in place though it almost seems as though he makes no effort to remove the blade in the first place. The stack of butterflies from before is hit by Kalib's flames dead on as the swarm scatters before reforming. a few of the butterflies fall to the ground on fire as they flap their wings to try to extinguish the flames but to no avail as they burn up. You've done it! 10/3000 butterflies beaten! The butterflies reform into the large Philemon as they continue glowing brightly. The swarm raises its hands as a wave of light flows throughout the building aiming to hit Kalib, Tatsuya, and Gen specifically and drain their lifeforce. This may hurt you...Do take care.

Hmm? Oh, hey there. I don't think there's such a thing as too late here.

Well, this sure is a party, eh? Nothing wrong with one more, right? Now standing at the edge of the arena is Emerson, smiling at the match before him. His eyes flicker red, before returning to normal. Oddly enough, the front door seems to be intact for once. But sheesh, how many damn butterflies to we have again? Like, 3 entities made of 'em or something? That's just... a very odd thing to have in common with someone else, y'know?

Not on my watch! Fusion! Waffles! Salvation! A blue door opens above the GYM floor and PK falls out of it, hitting the floor with his nose piercing straight into the floor as he sits there, trying to get his mask out of the floor as he finally pops out with a chunk of rock stuck to it Whew! That was tough! Hey boss! I'll be fighting as well! Although my face does feel kinda heavy! Gak! Waffles then pops out of the door, crushing PK underneath it's feet as it shines a green light over the party, mending their wounds

What if, deep down, we're all butterflies? *says it all sagely and then just laughs* Nah, that's stupid. If you ask a friend of mine we're all money deep down, though.

Before Kalib can issue the command for Leonidas to guard him, the light had already hit it's mark. "Graaaaaah! Haaah! Gah...ahh..hah...!" The spark in Kalib's eyes seems to die down as he is dropped to his knees. Using his trident to keep him upright, he struggles to speak. "Hah...haah...okay...that one stung a tiny bit. But I'm far from finished...tch...just gimme a sec." His trident begins to glow brilliantly as he struggles to his feet, slipping a few times. He looks on at Philemon with great respect for his power, and as he does the spark roars to life once more as an inferno takes refuge in his eyes. "I can't fall after two attacks...I...got an image to uphold after all!" Kalib's eyes go wide as his wounds are mended. He turns in astonishment to find PK and Em. "You guys! Better late then never I guess! Let's go! LEONIDAS, SPARTAN RAIN!" The spartan let's out a mighty roar before loosing a volley of spears over Philemon and at the one made of 2990 butterflies.

*Noms on popcorn* Woop woop!

"Could it be... perhaps humanoid forms are made of butterflies! This could explain my Master's form... I should make a note of this and investigate it at once!"

He chuckles, before turning his attention to the stranger. I have a good friend who would say it's money as well, actually. Funny thing, how the world works. He returns his focus to the match, playing with a small ball of light that materialized in his right hand.

*Hears Elizabeth's comment* See here missus I'm not a human nor humanoid at the slightest. So what am I made of? *Noms*

I don't think that's how it works. Man, you must be the weird one in your family.

"Hm? What are you made of? I am not sure... I have not seen a being like you before. Are you a demon, or something else? Hmm... I cannot quite tell, but at first glance, I would say you are made up of what I believe the humans call 'cancer cells'!"

WHAT! I AM MADE OF ACTUAL MUSCLE TISSUE! I KNOW ENGLISH AND STUFFS! Actually I don't know how I know english...

Emerson catches Kalib's comment and looks over at Philemon, his left hand resting on the pummel of one of his longswords, and his right still messing with the ball of light. Well, are you down for more combatants? I'd love to play my role for once, although my break from combat has left me a but rusty unfortunately.

Tatsu... Runs right for Philemon once again, with the light based attack doing nothing to him he's feeling like pulling out something even dumber. Rather than use a weapon flames cover Tatsu's fist, and he slams it straight into the mask of Philemon, he's not quite sure why. But it had to be done.

Luka seems uneasy upon being noticed. Umm... I hope that is the case... I hope you are enjoying your time here.

Mmm, it's an interesting watch. Gets me anxious to try getting into this ring.

The spears fly through the cluster of butterflies as the swarm once more. A few are skewered by the spears. 20/3000 butterflies beaten. The butterflies fly back into the shape of Philemon as a single butterfly is sent out and begins rapidly changing color. It settles on blue as water begins spouting out of it at a high velocity. Wave after wave of water begins crashing from the butterfly and spreading throughout the ring. Somehow the water stops spreading as it reaches the spectators as if an invisible wall was blocking it. Feel free to join as you wish. The more who partake in this test the less need I have to hold back. Just as Philemon finishes speaking Tatsuya punches him directly in the face. His mask falls off. Under the mask is none other than Tatsuya's own face with a bruise next to his lip. Haven't we been over this before? But if that is your wish then very well. Philemon materializes a sword of pure energy from his other hand. It appears he condensed the power of Photon Canon into a physical state. He takes a swift yet casual swing at Tatsuya before taking a stance similar to Tatsuya himself. Now, give me your all!

Emerson smirks, before quickly throwing the ball of hard light at Philemon in the shape of a long dagger, before leaping out onto the battlefield. Very well! Let's tango, comrades! Crushing a sparkling blue card in his hand, a white ball engulfs him before it forms into Saul. Buffing is go, Marakukaja! A wave of blue light begins to wash over him and his allies, raising their resistance to blows.

Hnnng! Waffles get off! PK then slowly gets out of Waffles iron grip as he wipes himself off, taking the rock off his face and dusting off the dust, before seeing the second Tatsuya, as well as getting hit with a blast of water Woah! I must've hit my head hard! I'm seeing double! Oh wait that's Philemon! Okay then! Here we go! Waffles! Thunder Reign! PK then jumps atop of Waffles to get away from the water as it begins to spark with energy, charging up PK's laser sword as it grows in size, PK then smiles as he jumps into the air Okay now! Pancake Hammer! PK then presses a button as the laser blade morphs into the shape of a hammer, getting incredibly heavy with gravity dust as it falls onto Philemon

Tatsu darts back out of the way and laughs for a moment, before he narrows his eyes and tosses his sword out of the ring. One might notice the small cut on his chest, but he's certainly not worried about it. The waves however are of more concern to him, Apollo forms a large dome of flames around the two, Water and fire clashing for a while before some break through. Tatsu stumbles back as they slam into him, but still stands back up regardless. "Oh I'll give you my all, and then some for that matter! If I can't make you get serious then I've failed my own test so bring it on! APOLLO NOVA KAISER! " Apollo rushes behind Tatsuya, a burning blast of light and Almighty forming in the Persona's hands, spinning around it before taking the shape of a longsword that floats down to his hands, his stance shifts to match the copy of himself. "Now then I've done enough messing around here haven't I." The swordsman darts forward, blade made of energy crackling before it slams into Philemon's own, Tatsu pushing into it with all his strength... Before moving his left leg to smash right for Philemon's own, hoping to set him off balance during the little contest.

Kalib holds fast as the waves crash continuously around him. "Tch. You're drowning my poor GYM..." Kalib smirks as he quickly does some stretches. "Hey, you guys focus on Philemon because I got an idea!" Leonidas appears again behind Kalib with a huff. The spartan would grab the man and toss him above the giant figure. Flames begin spiralling around the trident as he reaches the apex of the throw. "Try this on! Sensei Style: FLAME DIVE!" With that shout his decent towards the target begins. The flames keep growing and growing in intensity until Kalib becomes enshrouded by a raging inferno shaped like a drill.

Philemon slashes the ball of light to pieces as he quickly turns to face Em giving him a warm smile before turning back to Tatsuya. As PK's sword slashes down towards Philemon the swarm of butterflies solidifies into a humanoid form of a slightly smaller size with a massive sword in hand. It points the sword upward as it tries to push against PK's laser sword to slightly some avail. It seems I'll have to be a little more creative with my approach this time around. The swarm of butterflies begins shotting out butterflies one by one to reach a maximum of 3. The butterflies are enshrouded in a golden light before other copies of Philemon wearing Tatsuya's face take form each holding blade made from Photon Cannon. They each jump down to meet one of the challengers. The remainder of the butterflies continues repelling PK's blade as they begin struggling with their loss of mass. Now, let's see how you handle this. I do hope you can prove your strength. Philemon meets Tatsuya's newly made blade of flames with his own. Tatsuya smashes his leg into Philemon's seeming to knock him off balance but Philemon on instinct seems to react by jumping backward with his other leg. He rushes up to Tatsuya again but this time slashes low aiming for Tatsuya's own legs. As Kalib's drill flies towards the Philemon fighting Tatsuya the Philemon sent after him raises his hand in the direction of the drill. Photon Canon is fired off from the Philemon's hand as it clashes against the fire drill. Another Philemon approaches Emerson and seems to jump straight at him with its own blade of energy high to try and hit Saul directly. The final Philemon approaches PK and releases a butterfly next to him that flashes different colors. The butterfly fixes on orange and begins unleashing a volley of giant boulders in all directions.

Man, three of him now? These guys have no chance of winning like this.

Knocked off course by the sudden attack, Kalib is dropped to the ground with a resounding thud. "Argh! Missed him by thaaaaat much!" Kalib scrambles to his feet as he crushes a card again, summoning Leonidas. "Fine! Here comes everything I got! Let's do that move, Leonidas!" The pair then charge towards the Philemon that struck Kalib. As they get closer to him they let out a ghastly howl. Kalib prepares his trident for the attack before speaking once more. "This is my power! BRAVE BLADE XROSS!" Right before colliding with the Philemon copy, Kalib and Leonidas cross paths to slice the left and right sides respectively. After the slash occurs there remains a bright red "X". With an overly dramatic pose, Kalib and Leonidas both point at the copy. "X marks the spot!" After speaking, he would be forced to take a knee as Leonidas fades.

PK continues to keep the hammer down as out of nowhere, a boulder strikes him in the back of his head, letting go of the hammer he falls down to the ground and grunts as he slowly gets up Oof! No wonder your the Master of the Master of the velvet room! But we won't lose! Waffles! Salvation please! PK then calls upon Waffles to send out another wave of healing upon his friends, patching up all the scrapes and bruises from the rocks Don't falter now! We will win this match!

Tatsu slams the blade down to the ground, good news he blocked the strike. Bad news, his arm hurts like hell from the impact. Tatsuya leaps back and Apollo's place is taken by Sarasvati. "Yo Em I think I got a plan, let's see if we can't get it all gathered up yeah team!?" Spikes of Earth rise up from the ground, a line trailing right towards the X left by Kalib's attack, the copy in front of him would likely be forced to dodge back on reflex. Or simply be picked up and tossed there. "Now for the others! it's been ages since I've had to actually try and deal in positioning." The Persona raises her hands up, for one copy a wall going straight at the X attempts to push it straight there... Another a fist slams into after shooting from the ground, aiming him at the same spot. And finally a rock shoots through the air from her hands, aiming to skewer one and shoot it straight to the pile. Tatsu on the other hand simply pants and his breathing hastens, seems he's not doing great after all this. "Okay Em now's the Time to follow up on this! Just make em stay there alright? We gotta get a clean shot before going in so let's make it work."

Em smiles, unsummoning Saul and pointing towards the Philemons' point of intersection. Yeah, I gotcha, Tats. Let's go with... Heavenly Prison! Emerson concentrates for a moment, his body beginning with a soft glow and rising to an almost blinding light, before he quickly makes a square motion with his hands, and a blast of Light heads towards the Philemons at their conjunction point, before expanding, attempting to trap them in a box of hard light. Whether they're inside of it or not, there's a large box now.

Kalib's next attack seems to hit Philemon dead on. He actually stagers for a moment not expects The impact the blow inflicted as he's knocked back. Ugh! Good! It seems you have some real power behind your words! I suppose I should honor such power with my own. The Philemon raises his arm as a white glow begins gathering around it. Eternal whi- Just as the Philemon was building up for an attack the other Philemon's are forced towards the X as they try to dodge and are pushed by the earth magic. Hmmm...? It seems you've thought of something. The wall of hard light begins expanding around the Philemons' as they put their masks back on. In a flash of white light, they all become one Philemon who has returned to his original form. Unfortunately, you can't have expected me to have gone with this so easily, Could you? Philemon closes his eyes as an overwhelming aura begins clustering together within the walls of light. Whatever he's preparing is beyond comprehension.

Quintus sits somewhere inside the gym. It seems he entered while everyone was distracted fighting pretty much god. He seems deeply intrested in the fight as he observes every detail if it. Wow... This is the best live show I've seen. Of course, this is just a dream... I must be pretty creative if my mind made this up.

A man in suddenly appears within the walls of GYM, a gentle smile on his face as he watches the battle unfold. Ah, humanity's champions battle against it's greatest ally. Or...perhaps it's greatest foe? How intriguing, and truly wonderful at the same time. He floats above the ground, crossing his legs calmly as he observes intently.

Well, this screams "bonds testing" attack if I ever saw one. *yawns a bit* Honestly I expected more out of them. Guess this guy's out of their league. Hey, I could probably crush them.

Alright, guys, I have an idea! Emerson creates a small ball of light, and throws it up into the air. It begins to float above their heads. Throw any and all magic you've got into this orb! Once it's charged, we'll bash it into him, together! Speaking of charge... A mask appears on his face, and Samson appears behind him as he rips it off. The secondary Persona then begins charging. We don't have much time until he lets that attack loose.

"Oh, you could crush them, could you?" Elizabeth turns to gaze deep into Haruko. After staring at her a couple minutes in silence, she finally lets out a giggle. "Ah! I see, this must be what you call a 'joke'! Ahaha!"

Right! I've got your back Emerson! Here we go! Waffles! Waffles then tosses PK his spear and they lock eyes, nodding once before PK overcharges it with all his remaining energy, sucking up even the overcharge from the laser sword as it sparks and crackles in the air, sending PK's hair in all directions, PK then throws the spear straight into the orb, adding a burst of power Alright! I'm ready to finish this! Let's do this everyone!

"Well... I haven't got anything better planned Em so okay! Let's get this show on the road everyone." Tatsu's Persona vanishes for a moment, the man drawing his lighter and holding it up towards Em. Apollo appears behind him and waves of fire rush from both the Persona and lighter, meshing into the orb as a red glow begins to fill it... By the time the fires have gone out Apollo vanishes again, seems Tatsu's throwing most of what he's got into this plan. "Okay Em show us what ya can do with all this magic! I'm looking forward to the result... Heh, hard to believe you've come this far in a few months isn't it? Oh well, we gotta a god to fight there'll be time for that stuff later!" He smiles at the others and absently twirls the lighter in his fingers, clearly he's excited to see what happens when they pull this off.

Kalib stands up with a wide smile as he dusts himself off. "An attack relying on our bonds huh?" The flames in his eyes begin to glow a brillaint blue as he laughs. His eyes hold nothing but respect for the man they've been fighting. "Looks like we've got your number Philemon! I trust these people with every ounce of my being, and I'll use every ounce of my strength to aid them!" Slashing at a floating card, Kalib summons Leonidas once more. The pair let out a mighty roar for a moment. "Now then, take all we got Em! And show him just how strong we humans are! INFERNO!" Kalib and Leonidas both raise their arms at the glowing orb of light, they let loose a massive torrent of blue flames at it. The heat radiating from it is more intense than anything Kalib has used thus far, however blood begins to trickle down from his nose. "Just a little more dammit! We won't lose here!" The flames increase in volume and intensity, however the bleeding also increases in speed and severity.

Philemon smiles as energy builds around him. He opens his eyes to look upon the ones who he decided to test. Not once have I ever underestimated the might of mankind. There's a reason I bet on humanity each and every time and a reason why humanity survived in one sense or another throughout the years even without my interference. Now, it's time for you to show me just how strong your bonds have become. The energy within Philemon causes the very air within the light prison to begin glowing as cracks start to form in the hard light.

No joke. I assure you, I'm tougher than I look. I could take that one, that one, and that one I'm sure. Not at once. *She points at Kalib, Em, and PK as she rattles off that ones*

Well, we certainly won't be disappointing you! Behind him, Samson finishes charging, roaring in completion. Alright, here's the trick. I gotta throw a good pitch here... Snapping his fingers, he creates a small ball of light. He twirls it in his hand, before throwing it towards the box of Hard Light, making a very small hole in it, which begins to crack under the force of Philemon's power. Okay, good to go! Samson, Gigantomachia the ball please, if you would. Bashing his fists together in preparation, Samson next grabs the newly powered-up orb, and smashes it between his palms with intense force, shrinking the ball of energy down with pressure. He then tosses it to Tatsuya. It feels extremely dense, although its quite easy to handle surprisingly. Looking at Em's face, he's clearly struggling to keep it contained. Think you can make the shot? I just need it inside the box. You got this, right?

"It must surely be a joke. I will give you that anyone could easily take on the one in red, but the other two? Surely you just. Someone of your caliber against them? I'd certainly enjoy seeing you display this power if it is true."

Quintus seems to give Haruko a bored look. He looks back to the fight as it reaches it's climax. Saying you can do something is one thing. What's the point of being proud to be able to beat people up anyway? Is the only point of being strong really just to show off? That sounds pretty boring honestly.

Tatsu nods at Em, before quickly tossing the ball into the air, seems he's got something a bit showy in mind. "Yeah Em should be a breeze for me! Now watch and learn... Oh and Kalib? Be more careful you dumbass, it's not like good friends are easy to come by so don't get yourself killed got it." Tatsuya smirks and leaps into the air, slamming the blade of fire into the ball sending it flying straight at Philemon... And causing the orb to take in it's power on the spot, he lands on the ground on his hands before dusting himself and getting up with a grin.

As the ball slips into the cage, the group slowly steps back as Emerson releases his hold over the orb. The orb sits inside for a few seconds, before a loud burst of orange energy explodes from inside, barely keeping the hard light box intact. After a few seconds, nothing... UNLIMITED FRIENDSHIP BURST!! A second delayed blast comes from inside, and begins to engulf the arena, reaching the ceiling quickly. It's sharp orange energy tears the floor apart, and almost floods the entire arena, however this energy seems to fade in its power fairly somewhat quickly once it travels from the explosion, leaving the bystanders unharmed. As the smoke clears, glittering shards of light from the bursted box of light fill the air, gleaming against the light of the sun. The smoke began to fully clear around where the box had once been...

Nothing is seen as the smoke clears. It seems as though Philemon has somehow been decimated completely. The world is doomed now that all the good left in it is dead. Soon the forces of darkness shall rise once more and destroy this world. The Nexus will slowly crumble under the rule of these evil forces and soon with it the rest of the known universe. None shall survive this purge as the balance eternally shall shift to chaos. BAD END: THE DEATH OF PHILEMON

Aw yeah! Nice one everyone! We sure were a well syruped pancake! I hope Philemon is okay though! That final strike was devastating!

Kalib sneers as he dizzily wipes the blood from his nose. "I ain't the type to die that easy! Hehe! Don't worry about it!" Whistling at the amazing explosion, Kalib can't help but grin...that is until he notices the lack of a body. "OH NO! WHAT DID WE JUST DO!?" Kalib runs over to the spot Philemon was and drops to his knees due to blood loss.

Tatsu looks over at the smoking crater... Most would be dead from that, Philemon though? Highly doubtful. "Don't worry so much PK, he's not going to die from something like that... I'm not even sure he could due at honestly."

Philemon shows up behind Kalib looking down at him before offering him a hand. Are you alright? You've lost a lot of blood.

Elizabeth blinks multiple times. "Oh my... Quite an unexpected result, indeed. Master Philemon, are you all right?" With a smug grin, she turns to Haruko. "Do you believe you are still capable of combating our guests here?"

*Velvet walks by the Gym, and considers going in... But, a sudden feeling of unease over the sounds inside washes over her, and she backs away from it* If this is what city dwellers do for free time, then I think it's best for me to not go in there for now. I rather not tip my hand just yet.... Still have my own problems to deal with after all. *she continues walking, muttering under her breath as she does*

Kalib dizzily stands up after hearing Phil's voice. "I....but you...and then..." Kalib sighs with a look of relief on his face. "I'll be fine Philemon, just...don't pull a disappearing act like that again, please?"

Emerson chuckles, smiling at Philemon's return. Ah, I love this "job" sometimes... And being able to sense energy presences is fun too. Does spoil some people's fun though. Or butterfly's fun. He puts his left hand on the back of his neck. I will admit though, I got worried for a sec.

Hehe! I suppose I shouldn't expect anything less from Philemon! Whew! That fight took a lot out of me though! I'm going to go to bed! Night everyone! PK then resummons a door and his flops into the doorway, his persona following closely behind as the door closes and disappears

Tatsu sighs and shakes his head, the Giant Of Light by Hyperion appearing in front of them. "Gah I can't believe you would do that... Well at the very least I think this went better than last time though. Maybe one day I'll get good enough to fight you by myself... Heh, then again I think that'd miss the whole point. Anyways! SALVATION! " A healing light washes over the team as Tatsuya glances around, for some reason he feels like someone was outside... But it probably doesn't matter much in the end. "Oh come on Em, it'd be too prideful even for us to think we could actually kill him of all people, I may have faith in us and shit but that's beyond our strength alone if I'm being honest. Anyways that wasn't what I expected, but it was pretty exciting!"

You need not worry about me. I was only using a fraction of my true power. Any more than that and you all might have been unable to win. That being said, you all performed marvelously. Philemon walks to the wall of the GYM or what's left of it as a swarm of golden butterflies seems to appear from nowhere and spread around the building as well as the group. Specifically, they seem to cling on any injuries they may have. In an instant, the butterflies turn into a golden light that fuses with anything it touches and restores it to its previous state.

Elizabeth sighs with relief as she wiped the sweat off her brow. "Thank the stars! For a moment, I thought you all had managed to scratch Master Philemon's mask."

The man stands from his...invisible seat and claps, a delighted smile on his face. Well done, truly! The potential of humanity always impresses me, no matter how often I witness it. The man's beaming face turns to Philemon as well. You too were impressive, Philemon. I feel humanity is in good hands with you, and for that I must thank you.

Oh, I know, Tats, I just have a bad habit if getting overly worried about stuff like this. I believed what my eyes saw before the energy signature, unfortunately. Anyway, ciao. I'm off. Don't get killed. Emerson gives those left in the building a little goodbye gesture before leaving GYM.

Quintus sighs as he gets ready to leave. He grabs a backpack he seem to had behind his chair the entire time and puts it on his back. Well, the show was good while it lasted. Guess I'll just go back to being bored or something.

Philemon looks over towards everyone watching and the group one last time. This was a good test. I feel as if humanity has nothing to fear with so many who look towards the betterment of it. With all said and done, I must depart. I do have some news to share later as well as another prophecy to tell. Farewell for now. Philemon vanishes in a swarm of golden butterflies that fly out of the roof of the building.

"My my, it was indeed quite a spectacle. Congratulations on making it as far as you did. With my Masters departure, I am afraid I must go as well however. Perhaps one day I shall take it upon myself to test you all in a similar manner. Individually, of course." Elizabeth placed her hand on her chest and bowed. Standing up she looked around, awkward walking out of the door, since she is unable to do the same as her Master Philemon. Sadly, her lawn chair remains. Press F for the lawn chair left behind.

With his wounds tended to and his blood loss stopped, Kalib staggers over to the drink counter and grabs a cherry protein drink from the fridge. "So I didn't flunk a test for once? Go me!" He opens the bottle with shaking hands before downing half of it in one go.

Tatsu shrugs, certainly eyes can be useful... But sometimes ya gotta roll with your instincts. "Heh, I guess we're something else yeah" He walks over to Kalib and sighs, looking a bit concerned.. That's pretty weird for him actually, but oh well. "Well we've made it through another fight haven't we? But geez Kalib one a these days you're gonna learn to be a little more careful right? Being reckless is valid sometimes I guess, but you take it way too far." He shrugs and leans back on a wall, considering everything that's happened it's pretty neat doing something like this. Haven't really spoken to anyone in a while come to think of it. "Anyways, the hell you been up to these days man? I've been kinda outta the loop or something so yeah, we haven't really spoken much lately. But hey good to see you at least!"

He looks away shyly at the mention of his recklessness. "How can I worry about being careful? The best defence is a good offence right? So being reckless and beating them quick is the best strategy right? Haha...ha...ha..." He shuffles slightly as he leans against the counter, his brow furrowed. "I just want more power... I've been working so hard with nothing to show for it..." He brings a fist down on the counter. "How can I protect my friends if this is my limit!? How can I save anyone if this is as far as my power takes me!?" Tears begin to well up in his eyes. "I've been gone for so long training in the Metaverse, but it was all to no avail! Nothing is changing! What the hell is wrong with me dammit!?"

... Tatsu sighs, tch. Not too different from himself really, sounds like back when he was playing hero trying to keep everyone out of it almost. "Getting stronger isn't easy Kalib, and you should know by now that going off on your own isn't the way to get anything done." He looks around, flames dancing in his hands as he considers if it's a good idea to say this... "Guess I'll tell ya this. A long fucking time ago I thought I could do everything myself, I didn't want anyone getting hurt. Especially not Maya, so rather than try to work with anyone? I went off and hunted down Nyarlathotep all on my own, or tried to till it went horribly wrong as one would expect... You may not have fucked up that bad, but it's the same thing at heart. Trying to keep people out for their safety, it doesn't work Kalib I'd know." Tatsuya waves around the rubble from the fight, torn up floors and burns marks all around them. Basically a warzone really. "Even with all this shit here we are, somehow we did alright against him tonight. PK's an idiot but his heart's in the right place. Em's Em what's there to say except that? You're... Well you're probably one of the nicest people around here, and maybe if you learn something about defending yourself you'll actually be really frigging good at this. And me? I'm just a paranoid lunatic with too much time on his hands. But even so... Together we stood against a god and didn't fail instantly. That right there? It's true strength more than anything you could get from training if I'm honest with ya. So don't sell yourself short Kalib, it may not always seem like it but we really do need you man.. So stop giving me even more reasons to worry. I have plenty of problems without it ya know." Tatsuya smirks at him, for the most part he's been dead serious... But that last bit really just sounded more like he's messing around for once.

His eyes go wide as he listens to Tatsu's words, either amazed at the similarities or appalled by his own blatant ignorance. He'd look around the building at the scorch marks from the previous battle. "So we were the same all this time... I've always wanted the power to protect everyone alone, but that was what held me back the most." He laughs to himself as a brings an arm to wipe away the tears in his eyes. "Today proved that I really am stronger when I fight with my friends instead of fighting for them. Hahaha! I never gave my friends the benefit of the doubt...such amazing people and I couldn't trust them to stay safe. So instead I was a sinful mess...only focusing on making myself more powerful and saying it was for the sake of others, when in fact, it was all for myself." Kalib grins and looks back at Tatsuya. "Well, can you give this sinful fool a chance to change? I think it's high time that I truly work with my friends!" He stretches out a hand to the man before speaking again. "So whatcha say? Can I come along for this ride?"

Tatsu smiles back and shakes Kalib's hand, seems like he's actually said something that might be helpful... Heh, good he stuck around tonight. "Yeah I'd say so... It'd be pretty hypocritical of me to do anything but that after all, heh. For all I've said this kinda reminds me I should trust people more too, sure I've been trying but eh. Maybe not always succeeding? Either way, we'll both have to do better now!" As Tatsuya speaks a voice rings out in his head. "I am thou and thou art I. Thy hast gained the ultimate form of the Temperance Arcana, may it take thee to greater heights." He sighs and rubs the back of his head, those voices sure do have interesting timing. "Geez them again? Apparently we're best friends now or something, don't ask me I don't get this Social Link crap man... Don't guess ya heard anything there?"

Kalib smiles at the response he got and returns the handshake before pulling back his hand. He cocks his head to the side at the mention of voices however. "Again with those? They've stopped for sometime didn't they? And I've never heard them before so why would I n-" He would suddenly stop speaking and wear a confused expression. "So you've finally come to your senses then? Realizing brute strength isn't the solution you were looking for is a chance at rebirth." "Rebirth?" "Indeed. A voyage from who you are now to the you that was hidden all along. You've finally accepted your weakness, but you've also awakened a new strength. Use that strength to stand beside your allies from now on!" "Of course I will but who are you?" "I am thou, thou art I. Thou hast finally awakened to the truth of your strength and it shall be that strength that will aid your comrades. With galantry and valor, may your righteous flame never be extinguished. So says I, the noble Paladin Roland! My blade will cut down all who would dare stain the beauty of tomorrow!" Leonidas would suddenly appear above the pair before shining a brilliant white. As the light fades, all that remains is a paladin clad in red and black armor, its body remains like that of a phantom's. In the next moment it disappears, leaving Kalib thoroughly dumbfounded. "What...was that?"

Tatsu looks up at the Persona, absently flicking his lighter and chuckling for a moment... Seems his guess was right then. "That my friend, is your new Persona as far as I can tell. Seems you've finally awakened to your true potential, well I'll be waiting to see what you can do now that you've gotten things figured out a little better! Anyways, I gotta go home and pass the hell out... Geez Maya's not gonna be happy. Specially not after I nearly looked dead from fighting Yu, at least this didn't leave us any injury right?" And with that a very worn out Tatsuya Suou departs. Smiling to himself a humming a bit... And wondering if Kalib has any idea what he's talking about with Maya, oh well he'll figure it out eventually. Either way this night went pretty Damm well in the end.

"Roland huh? I look forward to working with you!" With a reinvigorated pep in his step, Kalib finishes his protein drink and throws it out before heading back up to his apartment.