Ai Kisaragi's Persona / Is Kaguya Shinomiya Another Agent of the Mysterious Person?

Bocchi: "Well, I'm focusing all my energy on the band right now. Commuting and practicing every day takes up a lot of my energy, so I probably won't have time to fight in the Impression Space anymore. How about you guys get me a new phone and I'll just use my current phone as a shared account in the group?"

Shinomiya Kaguya blinked. She had originally wanted Gotou Hitori renting or bidding to decide the fate of the phone, so that she could use her own financial resources to have more control over its use.

But it's not bad as it is now.

Although there are quite a few girls living in Tokyo, after more than a month of investigation, she found that there are not many women with strong will and a fighting spirit.

Moreover, all the girls still have to go to school. After she transfers from the Shuchiin Academy next month, only Yotsuya Miko and she will be able to go to the Impression Space to train during the school week.

With this in mind, Shinomiya Kaguya expressed her approval in the group chat without much hesitation. She even suggested that she share some of the materials and money she obtained in the Impression Space using Gotou Hitori's phone with Gotou Hitori.

At the same time, she also sent Hayasaka Ai to speed over and take over Gotou Hitori's phone. After all, as the richest person in the group, it was most reasonable for her to temporarily manage the phone and allocate the usage time to the girls in the group according to their needs.

However, apart from Gotou Hitori who could directly get it for free, Ai Kisugi and Chizuru Ichinose both expressed that they didn't have that idea yet. Judging from their attitudes, they wanted to take a look around the Impression Space first before making a decision.

Sudo Ayami: "How about we take you to see the surface of Impression Space tonight at nine o'clock?"

The You Know Who wanted the girls in the group to improve their skills as soon as possible to demonstrate their value, so she should work a little harder; this would be her way of repaying him.

Her Persona abilities have been tested by the You Know Who; currently, they consist of physical skills and curse skills.

As long as you remain cautious, you should not encounter any danger in the first level of the Impression Space.

It's highly likely that Gotou Hitori Shinomiya Kaguya Ichiri's phone. She now possesses strength comparable to a level one, and with Shiina Mashiro also receiving a reward, her strength shouldn't be too weak either.

If the two remaining girls who secured a spot can awaken their Persona tonight, then they can almost certainly explore deeper areas.

"I wonder if the girl who had contact with the You Know Who earlier is among these people," Sudo Ayami sighed, and then began preparing for tonight's journey through the Impression Space.

Meanwhile, Miyauchi Hiyage was indeed making preparations for Shiina Mashiro.

Although this wasn't Shiina Mashiro's first time entering the Impression Space, it was indeed the first time she had entered the Impression Space with someone else without her own company.

Even though they would most likely only wander around the first floor for a while tonight and then come back, Miyauchi Hiyage still made ample preparations for Shiina Mashiro.

The Imagecrafter's full set of equipment was confirmed to be on, and enhancement magic was used. A set of universal cards imbued with the Calamity Power ensured that Shiina Mashiro would not encounter any danger, and a number of extraordinary ingredients made into snacks sustained her life.

"If you encounter any danger, just secretly call out my name, and I will come to help you immediately."

Chapter 291: The Persona of Ai Kisugi

Under normal circumstances, Shiina Mashiro would not encounter any danger in the first layer of the Impression Space. In this area dominated by ordinary people, even if dozens of shadows gathered together, they would not pose a significant threat to them.

Miyauchi Hiyage's only concern was that if they stayed in the Impression Space for too long, it might cause a powerful shadow, the "Hunter," to appear in the Impression Space.

In her previous Miyauchi Hiyage had been defeated by the opponent several times, and it was only in the late game or even the second playthrough that she was able to turn the tide after assembling a good team and mask.

Although he has never encountered the Hunter in the Impression Space in his life, and even if he did, he was confident that he could capture the Hunter, if those girls were unlucky enough to encounter the Hunter, there was a real possibility of an accident.

Miyauchi Hiyage waited like an old father for his "daughter" whom he had raised with great difficulty.

But at Impression Space, it was a completely different scene.

The other girls didn't change much when they entered the Impression Space. They simply appeared at the entrance, introducing themselves to the other girls as they waited for everyone to gather.

Chizuru Ichinose nervously greeted the girls and introduced herself.

Shinomiya Kaguya felt the strain of using her telekinetic powers within the Impression Space.

Shiina Mashiro then picked up her paintbrush and began to draw the environment in the Impression Space.

"Your spirit-drawing magic looks pretty good. But is this outfit also part of your reward?" Shinomiya Kaguya looked at the extraordinary aura emanating from the clothing and couldn't help but show a curious expression. "Could you demonstrate your offensive capabilities to me?"

Shiina Mashiro nodded. "Hikage also helped me strengthen it, and I feel very strong."

She wielded her paintbrush, casting the Tri-Color Magic in turn, as well as the short-distance displacement spell "Quick Paint," which she had mastered at Miyauchi Hiyage's request.

This skill consumes a lot of Mana for her now, but with her enhanced equipment and the special Baumkuchen made for her by Miyauchi Hiyage and Shiina Mahiru, she can release Quick Paint several times in a row, ensuring that she can escape the danger zone as soon as possible when she encounters danger.

"This Spirit Painting Magic seems to be too versatile, and since you are also a painter, it seems to have a good compatibility with you. If you keep practicing, it shouldn't be long before you reach level one."

Shinomiya Kaguya was still holding back when she said that.

After all, ever since she received the two awards, the barrier between the You Know Who and Miyauchi Hiyage in her mind has become increasingly blurred.

She got two rewards, so there's no reason why Shiina Mashiro would get worse ones.

Moreover, with the help of Miyauchi Hiyage, the profession of Imagecrafter, which requires imagination, seems to have a higher ceiling than she could ever hope for.

In comparison, her telekinesis gave her considerable immediate combat power, allowing her to confidently give her father an explanation.

However, it seems that this reward locked in the upper limit of telekinesis from the beginning. Although she can feel her ability growing, the growth rate is not fast, and she may encounter a bottleneck at any time.

As they discussed the future potential of their respective abilities, Shinomiya Kaguya's gaze suddenly fell on a yellow figure that had just entered the Impression Space, and a look of surprise appeared on her face.

After spending the whole night preparing, Ai Kisugi, fully armed, was somewhat surprised to find that none of the things she had prepared all night had been brought into the Impression Space when she entered.

Even her clothes were somehow replaced with the yellow bodysuit she wore when she was acting as Cat's Eye's Eye.

And for some reason, a mask appeared on her face, covering half of it.

This unexpected turn of events caught her off guard. She had originally planned to observe the situation further before confronting the girls in the group, but who would have thought that the Impression Space would come with an automatic box-opening function?

Even Chizuru Ichinose, who had been envious of Shinomiya Kaguya and the others, was stunned for a moment before realizing what was happening when she saw the outfit she was wearing.

"I feel like I've seen this outfit somewhere before..."

Shinomiya Kaguya gave an affirmative answer, "It's Cat's Eye, but I didn't expect you to choose to appear in front of us like this."

She still thinks that Ai Kisugi deliberately dressed like that to enter the Impression Space.

However, Sudo Ayami, seeing Ai Kisugi Ai's somewhat helpless expression and the half-face mask in front of her, had already guessed what was going on.

"In the Impression Space, everyone's state will change according to their mindset. After awakening their Persona, sometimes their clothing will also change."

As she said this, she also summoned the ghost mask onto her own face.

Her clothes remained unchanged, but this was the most comfortable outfit she usually wore. According to the You Know Who, although her clothes appeared unchanged, they were actually the "initial equipment" constructed by her perception. Even if she later acquired better defensive equipment, it would be replaced by her perception with the appearance of this outfit when she entered the Impression Space.

Unless her mindset undergoes a significant change in the future, this seemingly ordinary outfit will accompany her to the very end.

She briefly explained the issue of clothing and then addressed Ai Kisugi, saying, "I think you must have confronted your inner desires and had a firm goal before entering the Impression Space. Therefore, you naturally became qualified to awaken your Persona after entering the Impression Space."

After learning about Ai Kisugi's identity Cat's Eye, she was no longer surprised.

The other person is the same age as her, but in order to find out the truth about her father's disappearance, she and her two older sisters decided to act as phantom thieves at night, and they could be arrested by the police at any time and have a criminal record.

Even with such a huge risk, the other party showed no hesitation and did not put on much of a disguise each time they appeared.

Since the other party has already gone this far, it's not surprising that they were able to obtain the Persona.

At this point, Ai Kisugi looked at the outfit she was wearing and seemed to have realized something.

Since everyone recognizes her, she has nothing to hide anymore.

She nodded to the four girls in front of her. "Yes, I am a member of Cat's Eye. My real name is Ai Kisugi, and Alexia is my German name."

"I didn't tell you my identity before because I was worried that it would give you bad ideas, and I didn't want my identity to cause any changes to my sister's actions. So I haven't revealed my identity in the group for the past month."

"However, I have no ill intentions. The three of us sisters just want to find out the truth about our father's disappearance. I think you can also know from the You Know Who's diary that we have no other intentions."

"I came here to use the power of the Impression Space, to see if I could investigate the truth of what happened back then through those shadows," she said, touching the mask on her face and looking at Sudo Ayami. "So, I can summon Persona now?"

Sudo Ayami nodded, guiding Ai Kisugi, just like the You Know Who from yesterday.

"I think you must have felt it deep down too. When I awakened, I heard her voice telling me what to do next. Or do you think that awakening like this is meaningless and that you need an enemy to practice on?"

Ai Kisugi had indeed heard a seductive voice in her ear, and she also vaguely knew the type of power she possessed.

She nodded slightly. "I can sense something. She doesn't seem to be the kind of Persona that fights head-on, but if it's just a single enemy, there shouldn't be too many problems."

"Then let's head in that direction. I have a feeling there are enemies not far away in that direction," Shinomiya Kaguya said, using her telekinesis to explore outwards and quickly providing her answer.

As she said this, she didn't forget to remind the last ordinary person present Chizuru Ichinose, to walk among them to avoid any danger.

Although Chizuru Ichinose can't strictly be considered an ordinary person.

After a month of training in Ripple Chi Kung, another half month in Ripple Sword Technique, and a few days in Kusanagi-ryu Ancient Martial Arts, if she were to compete in a women's fighting competition of the same level, although she might not necessarily win the championship, she should still be able to reach the top four in terms of raw strength—this is an objective assessment based on the strength of high school-level martial arts champions like Ran Mouri and Makoto Kyogoku.

But in front of these girls who genuinely possess extraordinary powers, it doesn't seem like there's much of a problem with her being called an ordinary person.

All she can do now is familiarize herself with this somewhat oppressive Impression Space and awaken her own Persona as soon as possible.

Otherwise, even if she is reluctant to part with the app on her phone, she cannot feel at ease occupying the spot without being able to do anything.

"So this is the shadow?" Looking at the humanoid monster shrouded in darkness, Shinomiya Kaguya turned to look at Sudo Ayami.

"These are the shadows of passersby formed by the collection of negative emotions of humankind. They do not belong to anyone. Similarly, even if we eliminate them, it will not have any impact on humans in reality. At most, it will only reduce the probability of a few people having nightmares," Sudo Ayami recalled the You Know Who's explanation.

"If we have enough people and can eliminate these guys quickly enough, we might have a chance to turn the entire Tokyo into a utopian ideal city in the future. However, that's not our job. Moreover, the deeper we go, the more likely we are to encounter the shadows of those superhumans. They might be able to exert even greater power in the Impression Space than in reality. Until we are confident, I think we should all act according to our abilities."

As she said this, Sudo Ayami, who had no intention of changing the world, reached out and covered her face with the demon mask. With a flash of light, the mask transformed into the silver-haired demon girl with obscured features, clad in armor, behind her.

"Alright, awaken your mask. I'll assist you from the side."

There were few ups and downs. Since there was no hesitation Ai Kisugi my heart, I didn't need to go through any human struggle or consideration. I just needed to follow my heart, tear off the mask on my face, and smoothly awaken my own Persona.

She was a glamorous dancer. Although her face was veiled, obscuring her features, her alluring eyes made even the girls present feel their hearts race when they looked at her.

"Mata Hari, so this is my Persona," Ai Kisugi, looking at the sexy dancer and recognizing her abilities through the information she had been given.

This is definitely not a Persona focused on direct combat; she has heard of the other party's name.

Mata Hari herself was a female spy in history, and the kind of wicked woman who used her body to manipulate men. She could even be considered one of the most famous spies in history.

After transforming into Persona, her greatest skill lies in using the power of charm to make these shadows submit to her desires and become the power she controls.

Those alluring eyes are called "Yang Eyes." They can not only charm enemies, but even if the charm fails, they can still reduce the enemy's attack and defense, and even seal the enemy's skills.

In addition, the mask itself comes with some attack skills and some rather ambiguous healing skills, making it a fairly comprehensive support mask.

"It looks pretty fitting for our Cat's Eye image, but it would be more normal for the eldest or second eldest sister to awaken with this mask," Ai Kisugi muttered to herself as she manipulated her Persona to charm the passing shadow.

After all, she is only 16 years old. Although her appearance is no less than that of her older sister, she is still a bit immature.

Compared to her eldest sister, who is already a mature and sophisticated woman, and her second sister, who is gentle and intellectual, she still lacks a certain charm.

However, she could also sense that after awakening Mata Hari's Persona, this power had caused a subtle change in her aura, and this change was mainly concentrated in her eyes.

Perhaps one day in the future, she will be able to bring the power of the other party's "Yang Eyes" into reality.

Under Mata Hari's charm, that lowly shadow naturally could not escape the fate of being bewitched.

So Sudo Ayami directly taught Ai Kisugi the blackmail tactics that the You Know Who had taught her, and successfully used Tomoe Gozen's strength and Mata Hari's charm to complete their team's first blackmail operation against the Shadow.

Let's talk about "Teaching by Doing, But a Journalistic Approach".

Chapter 292: Is Shinomiya Kaguya another spokesperson for the You Know Who?

The shadows on the first level are indeed all poor people. Even when they are bewitched and obedient to their Ai Kisugi, they can only empty their pockets and produce one or two thousand yen and some soul stones that can be imbued with a weak Mana.

According to the You Know Who, although these soul stones can be used to restore some Mana, the efficiency is really not very good.

Moreover, the mental energy she needs to manipulate the Persona is just enough to serve as low-level rations for the Persona. Perhaps eating more of it can improve the Persona's attributes?

Besides money and these useless junk toys, their other gain was a bunch of equally meaningless gossip gleaned from these bewitched wandering shadows.

For example, who secretly hid their money, or who didn't flush the toilet after using it.

The shadows on the first layer can only reach these things.

"Even though I was mentally prepared, it still felt really strange to see these guys willingly taking money out of their pockets. And then there's the fact that these shadows actually care about this gossip. The Impression Space and shadows are indeed quite a strange power," Shinomiya Kaguya remarked, while carefully examining the money she had extorted.

It has been confirmed that all the money is real. However, many girls in the group are worried that if they spend too much money in the Impression Space in the future, it might cause problems in the real-world economic system.

"There's no need to worry about such things. Even if we can acquire hundreds of millions of dollars in the Impression Space every day, it won't cause too much of a stir in the market. Of course, if you really need to worry about the source of this money in the future, our Shinomiya Conglomerate can also charge some handling fees to help you launder this money," Shinomiya Kaguya replied in the group.

Overall, the experience of extorting non-human life forms is quite rare, and it was precisely because of this action that Chizuru Ichinose was originally a little uneasy, breathed a sigh of relief.

She herself went up and tried to fight the shadow that had been bewitched by the Ai Kisugi.

Although these shadows looked quite frightening, they weren't as strong as she had originally imagined. Even if it wasn't the other girls who made the move, if it were her, she could probably barely handle it in a real fight.

"After all, this is only the first level, and we are currently at the entrance to the first level. The shadows that appear here can be said to be the most superficial manifestations of desire. To give an example, it's like when you're not very hungry, you smell the aroma of food and feel a little bit of craving, but it's just a subconscious thought in your head for a while before you stop thinking about it. The shadows near the entrance are pretty much all such collections of desire. Even if we ignore them, they will automatically dissipate after a while. As long as we overcome our fear of their appearance, it's relatively easy to deal with them using Ripple and Breathing Swordsmanship."

Sudo Ayami dutifully performed her duties as a "guide," reciting the lines given to her by the You Know Who.

The girls present had a slightly unsettling feeling as they listened to Sudo Ayami's description, but considering that she was the recipient of the reward and hadn't really spoken much in the group before, and that even Shinomiya Kaguya only learned of Sudo Ayami's name after entering the Impression Space, they hadn't investigated her family background beforehand.

Afterwards, Sudo Ayami briefly explained the size and situation of this layer, "The first layer is relatively safe if you have awakened your Persona or have supernatural powers. However, everyone should still be careful occasionally. It can be troublesome if you attract too much attention from the shadows at once. The first time I was in the Impression Space, I was in danger because I attracted too many shadows."

As Sudo Ayami spoke, he led everyone toward the save point, and along the way, he also modified his own encounter with the You Know Who in the Impression Space.