Bats in the Belfry PT.2 [Nighttime]

Without having the extra stamina to exchange pleasantries with the other cadets and with the prince departing. Athena decided to leave as quietly as possibly and seek help from one of the paramedics. She had pushed her limits hard enough for this night, there was no need to keep this up.

[exit]

Seeing as everyone else was leaving, Nebula decided to take her leave as well. She wanted to go home take a shower and rest, and even if she didn't... Well, the less time she spent in a place as eerie as this, the better.

[Lazy exit]

As Athena's body fused with her Persona, Cecilia would feel her eyes drift away from Rika and to her comrade, shivers rushing down her spine as she witnessed the transformation. For a moment she thought they had another demon to fight, that Athena's mind had fallen prey to one while she hadn't been paying attention. Maria had undergone a somewhat similar transition earlier in a battle prior to this, but even then she had still been humanoid, despite the unnatural shift in appearance and the sudden burst of rage.

Her worries would be dispelled soon enough though. When Athena attacked Jezebel, it became clear that she was still in control, and that eased the girl's concern. She refocused on the mission and following a powerful strike imbued with monstrous strength connected with the demon's arm, the group charged in to free Rika and bring the night to a close. Pride swelled and festered within Cecilia's heart. Just as she had said, the group had triumphed, and with plenty of strength left to spare too. They had even managed to do it without spilling a single drop of human blood. She felt a light smile creep across her face and her body got a little less tense, the girl feeling a surge of reassurance course through her, a tiny bit of weight she didn't even notice was there dropping off her shoulders down to the ground below.

Of course, there was still Sera to deal with, though he wouldn't be too much of a problem outnumbered by this. Cecilia prepared herself to jump back in and resume battle, but before she could even take a fighting stance he was down, secured and defeated by Serenity. Without a hostage to hide behind, he was no match for the royal family. Something strange happened however. When all was said and done, an entity rose up from his body, revealing itself as the puppetmaster as it floated away from him. Cecilia's eyes once again took on a golden glow and she called out to her Persona, but it was too late. Before Svalinn could manifest in physical form the entity disappeared into a green fog, the Persona making its escape before she could intervene. The grin faded and her lips curled into a frown, a frustrated sigh escaping from them as she dismissed Svalinn, who had arrived seconds too late to do anything.

With the hostage secured and the invisible entity driven out of the boy, it seemed their work was done. Julius asked them to forget what they had seen, but before Cecilia could even respond she found that Maria had beat her to the punch. The nun-in-training stole the words right from her mouth, though Julius dismissed them nevertheless, insisting that it wasn't coddling. Perhaps that was the truth, but even so, the insistence on forgetting what had happened left somewhat of a sour taste in her mouth. Something they couldn't handle? It didn't matter what she could or couldn't handle! She had no right to cling so desperately to her own life, not after her selfishness and cowardice during the Divide.

...but it wasn't her place to question, was it? If the prince himself was the one demanding she focus on other duties then it would be nigh blasphemy to disobey him. Maybe she could prove her worth in time, convince him that it was something she could handle, but it seemed unlikely. Perhaps she was just being foolish; the royal family could handle this themselves. Her aid, as much as she wanted to lend it to them for this task, was ultimately unnecessary. It'd be better spent elsewhere.



She gave her best salute and let out a sigh as the group began to disperse. Nodding her head at Maria, Cecilia summoned Svalinn and healed everyone one last time for the night as they headed away. It didn't look like anyone had any injuries left, but there was no harm in it. Then without another word she made her own departure, stopping for a second to look at the unconscious Rika with concerned eyes before continuing out the door and into the night. It was late, but she wasn't feeling too tired. Maybe she'd stop by one of the shops on her own way home; there was no harm in treating herself a little after a job well done.

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