The fighting continued on as swarms of monkey shadows were cut down. Rui was keeping the shadows from overrunning them while everyone else tried to get some damage down on the monkey, but as soon as their attacks would land on the larger monkey, they would notice a sort of effect emanating from it...

"It's weak to fire, and lightning, but... There's a strange veil around it, it's not visible to you guys though, but this veil is healing it's wounds and keeping its weaknesses from working", it's probably another one of those things huh?

"I see...", so this looked difficult, for now.

"I've confirmed that the shrine that the other group has run into is linked to the veil, likely once it is destroyed, the monkey can be taken down", the sooner the better of course.

"Understood, everyone hold your ground", he said, as he motioned to go into a tighter formation to make it easier to outlast. The swarms weren't going to end, so the best they can do is survive and wait.

---

"Now!", Kami let loose a Mazionga as everyone else piled their spells on. He directed Mako to aim the Agidyne at whatever was survived the original volleys. As expected, their move cleared out almost all of them, and amidst the confusion he led a charge right in, to strike down whatever was left with their own weapons. The shadows did attempt to fight back, but they were in disarray and somewhat damaged already, making it easy.

"Alright, now we clear the way, destroy the shrine", he ordered in quick succession, summoning Zeus as it went to strike it down.

Kotori Shirohane - Sapphire Inn: Floor 2 | Sunday, July 5 2015

Stuck on the defensive, the group quickly took to warding off any would-be attackers with spells, arrows and sword attacks; a faintly glowing layer surrounding everyone as Akane cast a defensive spell to aid them in holding out for now. As the shadow monkeys attacked, the distinct lack of spells or other attacks that affected an area as opposed to a single target made itself clear as Rui was the only one who could sweep away multiple attackers whilst Sato, Akane and Kotori were left with taking out anything that got around his slashes and, in the occasional lull in the swarms, to make strikes of opportunity at the larger leader shadow.

Unfortunately, neither of these things seemed to be doing all too much - whilst they were able to at least hold off any monkey from actually reaching them, their numbers didn't seem to be decreasing noticeably whilst the shadows' leader seemed to just shrug off any spells being fired at it. If things didn't take a turn for the better, Kotori feared that they would succumb to sheer number sooner or later - but just as that fear began to creep up, Megumi's telepathic voice spoke up; confirming what they'd seen - the larger shadow was indeed nigh-on impervious. However, just a moment later she also revealed that this was not necessarily a permanent thing but rather that it was being powered by a shrine near the second group; similar to how the incense pot had been blocking the others' progress.

Rui came to much the same conclusion as he quickly ordered a completely defensive approach for the time being - rather than waste any effort on the larger shadow, they could just focus on keeping any would-be attackers off them. Between the long-ranged attacks from both Sato's bow, Chronos' wind spells as well as Kikuri-Hime's lightning strikes and the slashing and stabbing at closer range from Rui and Akane, they should be able to hold on for the moment - and even if anything got through, Akane's Matarukaja should prevent the worst of it whilst Kotori, even as she readied another Zionga to be fired at an approaching shadow monkey, keep a close eye on the others and herself in order to immediately cast a healing spell should anyone have need thereof.

While Rui cut down the crowds, the other three members of the team tried to get in on the main monkey. Their attacks did actually connect, but whenever the attack hit, they could see a strange cloud over it. Megumi quickly chimed in with the fact that it had some kind of barrier that was undoing all the work they had been doing on the shadow. The barrier was apparently linked to something the other group was dealing with, so that left Rui's group with little else to do but stand their ground. It was essentially the opposite of the last battle.

The group closed the distance between each other at Rui's command. If they couldn't take down the leader, all they could do was survive the onslaught of monkeys all around them. Sato couldn't help but feel a bit anxious, especially considering there was only one person in the group with particularly wide-aimed attacks. They'd have to be more precise than usual to keep the heat off, but with both the offensive and defensive buffs available to them, they could tear through the adds with little effort. It was just a war of attrition, to Sato. All he could do was make sure nothing got in on them.

Akane Hanazawa // Sapphire Inn - F2
Sunday, July 5th, 2015

While they have managed to cut down a number of the swarm, this battle is going nowhere. While the onslaught of monkies doesn't even seem close to ending, the leader monkey just doesn't seem to want to go down. They keep attacking and attacking it but it keeps on fighting as if their attacks meant nothing. Though, Megumi would then shed light on this fact saying that strange veil around it is not only constantly healing its wounds but also is keeping it's weaknesses from taking effect.

Kind of like it's got an anti-most or whatever on, huh?

It also appears that this battle will never end unless the other group is able to destroy that shrine they ran into, somehow allowing the monkey to be taken down. This will be A battle of endurance, they just need to keep holding on for a little longer.

@Sho Minazuki@EnterTheHero@itano123

Ryan summoned Erec and threw out another Gale Slash to clean up the remaining Shadows and a Garula at the shrine because Kami said to do that. Not totally sure why but he would accept it now and question why afterwards when they weren't in life threatening danger. There was probably a good reason to destroy the shrine and he hadn't been paying attention. Still weird though.

Matt -- Sapphire inn cavern

It looked like Matt had gotten what he had asked for... and he didn't regret it one bit, it seems all he was here for at the moment was perfectly sanctioned violence to let out some ugliness he kept locked up.
After being told to attack the shrine in the area Matt didn't really understand why but he wasn't going to argue with a chance to set shit on fire.
"Hey can I light the shrine on fire? oh who am I kidding I'm going to do it anyway" Matt Joked about as he summoned Kresnik to cast Agidyne.

As the battle dragged on, the veil over the monkey was beginning to fade. He saw his chance, and it seems Megumi picked it up on her scanning too. The small monkeys were little problem, but they couldn't keep this up forever, it was fortunate the battle seemed to now be swinging in their favor.

"The veil's fading away!",

"I see that. Megumi, call in Zeke right now", she gave a quick affirmative. As soon as the veil on the monkey faded, a hawk's screech could be heard as flaming crimson explosions littered the area around them, clearing out every single one of the small monkeys instantly, and damaging the alpha a fair bit.

"Now's our chance, hit it with everything you've got!", he declared, summoning Askr for a Mighty Swing as he swept in alongside, leading the charge.

---

As the shrine was left to become a burning heap of wood and broken ornaments, they could see a doorway behind it. Though before any of them could try and clear this rubble, flaming splinters flew everywhere as a knight charged out and broke down the door. Kami was first to intercept it as everyone else got into position.

"Ayano, give us some support. I don't think we want to spend too much time on this knight", he said, as he pushed the knight off with the help of Zeus.

The moves used during the attack on the shrine were valid for Ayano to make use of, so this fight may go a lot quicker than the first knight they encountered.

Just when they thought their troubles were behind them, a new threat began to emerge from the very door they were going to enter. Ayano clicked her tongue and furrowed her brows, they weren't making it any easy for them to advance. Shrugging off the annoyance, the brunette bolstered up and prepared for what was the party's next challenge. It was a knight. Clad in armor and looking fierce and ready to beat some skulls in with the way it carried itself. Before it could could actually cause damage though, Kami denied its attempt, and he called on her for some help.

A sly grin rose from the corners of Ayano's mouth. "I'm on it! Give me a second." With the press of a few keys, Dantalion's projecting screens began to play a looping segment of Kami's earlier interception of the knight. A few presses and she slowed the video down and could see that he had cast Ziodyne to block the attack. The brunette touched the monitor showing the image and dragged it at the center screen, flicking her fingers so it could zoom in. Chuckling, the girl knew exactly what to do. The knight recovered from the shock of the blast and was preparing another attack, but just before he could land the blow with his weapon, the brunette quickly made use of her fast fingers and typed in a command, and as she pressed the ENTER key on her keyboard a powerful bolt of electricity had struck the knight, denying him again of landing a hit on the party.

Ayano brought up her microphone to her lips and said, "They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and I'm sure you guys will be flattered to know that I can copy the skill you used during the last turn. Just...Make sure you time it right, okay?" Her newfound skills giving her a burst of energy, the girl was ever alert and ready should the time arise that the team needed an extra arm in either healing or dealing massive damage. Who knows, they could probably set up sick wombo combos with this skill.

Kotori Shirohane - Sapphire Inn: Floor 2 | Sunday, July 5 2015

Megumi's warnings about the protective veil surrounding the shadow monkey leader were only reconfirmed whenever a gap in the shadowy attackers allowed for a brief attack on it - but to no avail; the attack glancing off the nigh-invisible shroud and the superficial damage being healed just moments later. As such, there was little more for the group to do than holding on until a chance to strike back appeared - not exactly a situation that Kotori was fond of finding herself in. Still, grouped up close together, Rui and Akane were able to hold off any shadow monkeys trying to get too close whilst Sato and she could thin out the incoming numbers with arrows and spells - and if any attack did manage to get through, Kotori was ready to cast a healing spell at a moment's notice.

Fortunately though, this turned out to be unnecessary - though with a seeming endless number of foes, the monkey were getting a little closer every time, the other team managed to disrupt whatever was powering the protective veil in time; a faint shimmer around the larger shadow monkey intensifying before fading into nothingness. Still, even with that gone they still had to deal with the large horde between them - unless they called for aid. And call they did - a call that was answered with a hawk's cry moments later as explosions ripped through the hot springs, sending up fountainous sprays of water and blasting dozens of shadow monkeys away, all the while leaving both the shadowy leader weakened and a path to it clear.

The group had fought through enough of these dungeons to know an opportunity when it presented itself, even before Rui ordered a full-on assault. As such, Kotori was quick to nod in acknowledgement as she called upon her persona's powers once more. "Kikuri-Hime," she said as she aimed for the large shadow monkey, "Zionga." Her words were immediately followed by a thunderous roar; the lightning crashing down and striking the shadow leader - and hopefully keeping it in place long enough for the others to deliver the final blow.

Before the monkeys could prove too cumbersome, Megumi suddenly chimed in and informed the team that the veil of the leader shadow was fading away. The other team must've done something good if that was the case, so Rui immediately called in a 'Zeke'. Sato tried to rack his brain for who the hell Zeke was, but that question was quickly answered as a screech resounded throughout the area before explosions lit up the onsen. The bombs luckily didn't hurt the persona-users, but the monkeys on the other hard were practically obliterated save for the boss monkey, who got out with some scratches.

With that having cleared out the crowd blocking the way, the team immediately jumped into a rush-down assault. It was obvious enough to attack, even without the signal from Rui, so Sato summoned his persona and began hitting it with all the spells he could, blasts of wind and light knocking it around as the others hit it with blades and personas. After they pretty much wore it down, Kotori hit it with a powerful crack of lightening, knocking it down perfectly for a finishing blow. Sato was neither close enough nor powerful enough for anything stylish, so he waited cautiously for Rui or Akane to take it out.

Akane Hanazawa // Sapphire Inn - F2
Sunday, July 5th, 2015

"Nothing like having Air Strike Support," mused Akane after seeing Zeke come in and bomb the monkies sky high, clearly amused by the sight. It definitely makes things less irritating, that's for sure. And with the veil around the boss having faded, it meant that the other team has succeeded at the shrine and that they can finally finish things.

With the end in sight, Rui gave the command and began the final push. As everyone began unleashing a flurry of attacks, Akane called forth Setanta for one final attack. "Vile Assault!" she commanded as she went in herself, Katana in hand, for her own strike.

==~==

Mako grinned as the knight charged through the burning splinters that were once the shrine. A mobile target would be much more satisfying to take down. First things first- bring down its capabilities to engage. He clenched his fist, calling Israfil forth, and directed a Debilitate at the knight. As he did so, and the aura of frailty settled around the knight's form, he felt slightly light-headed. He blinked, shaking his head to try and shake off the sensation, as his instincts about his Persona came forth once again.

Hmm. I guess I can only use these attacks so much before I run out of stamina. Fine, then. He readied a Spirit Drain, waiting for the knight to make a move.

"The knight's been debilitated. Again. Let 'im have it!"

@Sho Minazuki@EnterTheHero@itano123

Ryan ducked his head slightly as a knight burst into the scene, minor bits of wooden shrapnel flying by his head, one scratching his cheek a bit. Kami stopped it in its tracks and Ryan summoned Erec, firing off a Garula after Mako used Debilitate on the Shadow.

Ryan looked to Kami and noticed he was taking a bit of damage from all the tanking he had been doing throughout the dungeon, so he cast Diarama to heal him up some.

The Monkey didn't seem to realize its veil was off, and so as it took the attacks head on, it quickly realized its mistake. Attack after attack had blasted the monkey shadow away, chunking it bit by bit and soon it was slain, dissolving into a black ash. With that cleared, and the smaller monkeys now retreating after their leader was defeated, the party deliberated to move forward.

---

A combination of the Debilitate and barrage of spells made short work of the knight, any attacks it mustered were easily warded or evaded, and any attacks that it took were taken front on and with withered defenses, letting the armor shatter as a person fell out. It was another of the people trapped in here. With some deliberation, Ayano had someone from the defense party come and retrieve them while everyone moved on ahead.

---

As the party moved through, Rui's party came up through the main entrance into a courtyard, and before them was what looked like the grand entrance to something. A sign at the top said it was the "Royal Suite". The place was gaudy, golden and red littered the shining and overly lit up decorations for the Japanese-style innhouse. It was somewhat unnatural.

"If this was a game, there'd be a save point right about... There", he said, pointing at a spot in the garden right by the stairs onto the veranda. As soon as he said that, they heard a noise to the side, the rocky wall had begun sliding open a part, and revealing Kami's party.

"Well, isn't this a surprise. I guess the path joins here", he said.

"So we'll be tackling this boss with two parties...?", he questioned.

"You'll need it, based on some of my readings. Ayano can confirm too. There seem to be a lot of readings up there similar to the knights you had all encountered", she stated. So it was going to be a large battle up there.

"Right... Well there's no point rushing, we'll take a moment to rest, then move out", he said. They couldn't rest for too long. Who knew what was happening up there...

Kotori Shirohane - Sapphire Inn: Floor 2 | Sunday, July 5 2015

The lightning bolt struck home and the monkey was sent to the ground - which proved to be just enough time for the others to finish things up. Already weakened by the previous bombardement and Sato's spell-slinging, Akane and Rui rushed in for a final assault which that left the large shadow monkey roaring - before dissolving into black dust that was swept away into nothingness by an unfelt wind. However, there were still several smaller shadowy monkeys scattered throughout the hot springs - survivors or newly arrived reinforcements after Zeke's area-clearing attack - but they seemed more than a little hesitant after seeing their leader fall and beat a shrieking retreat - a fact that Kotori was only to happy about, seeing as it gave everyone a moment of respite after that fight.

Kotori Shirohane - Sapphire Inn: Royal Suite | Sunday, July 5 2015

As soon as Megumi confirmed that the area was now clear of any foes - and oddly silent due to this - Rui pressed onward, leading the group to the next area. Following the hot springs, they arrived at a courtyard of sorts that preceeded a rather large entrance which was immediately obvious the moment they set foor in the place, given the sheer amount of decorations and colours surrounding it. Whilst it seemed that the general theme of this place was staying consistent, it was getting ever odder the further they got - though Kotori was a little more preoccupied with worrying about any new threats which might be creeping around any shadows or hiding just out of sight.

Rui meanwhile seemed far less tense and instead joked about how this whole thing would be if it were a game of sorts - which might have eased some tension if it wasn't for the fact that as Kotori's eyes followed his extended finger from behind her glasses, a sudden sound echoed across the courtyard as a wall began to slide aside. The unexpectedness of it caused Kotori to almost jump in surprise as she turned to face this unknown threat - at least until she realised that said threat was simply the second group which found its path converging with that of hers. Breathing a sigh in relief as the two group leaders exchanged some words, Kotori was glad to see that all of them were still standing and didn't seem hurt in any serious manner.

However, relief was only short-lived as Megumi spoke up once again to inform of what was coming up - as Ayano confirmed, there were several knights ahead, or at least something similar to them, which meant that they would have a serious fight on their hands when just one such an enemy required a whole team to efficiently take down. Even with her worries returning at the prospect of what they had to face, Kotori was nonetheless grateful for a moment of rest before they would head out; taking the opportunity to catch her breath - both from the previous fight and the sudden fright that had been the hidden door.

As she did so, Kotori glanced over to the second group - though seeing as they had linked up, it was rather more a singular if larger group now - only to notice that by the looks of things Matthew had tagged along to take Shizuka's place; though any worries Kotori might have had were quickly quelled when it turned out that this wasn't due to any harm coming her way. Similarly, none of the others - Kaminari, who was discussing matters with Rui, Ryan, who still looked a little nervous, and Mako, for whom this was the first time willingly entering the Mirror Realm - were injured even on closer inspection, putting her somewhat at ease - both because she didn't need to cure any ills that had come their way and because it meant that they had not been met resistance that was too much to handle and instead made it through safely.

Still, given that everyone was gathering up before they made their way onwards as a full group of eight Kotori took a deep breath as she prepared herself for the upcoming fight that Megumi had already announced - though she did feel some confidence with their own increased numbers, it also increased her worries as that meant there were now twice as many people who might get hurt in the fight as well.

The entire team jumped on the moment before any other shit, blasting the monkey with everything they had. Luckily, the shadow failed to realize it was even taking damage, so it was a quick moment of going all-out before the shadow was ripped apart into a fine black dust that was swept away in the breeze created by their wind attacks. With their leader defeated, any remaining small shadows fled into the mist with a single look, the lack of purpose and chance of winning driving them away.

With that done, Sato took a deep breath, breathing in the thick onsen air. He looked over to Chronos, who was standing over the spot where the leader monkey had been, and, like it was just a dream, the persona disappeared into nothingness as well. A vague sense of vertigo overtook Sato for a moment, a pounding in the back of his skull stopping him in his tracks as the team was starting to head forward. He'd felt it before; back in a few battles against peoples' shadows. It soon faded with a moment of rest, the mental fatigue dripping away like water from wet clothes, and he caught up with the rest of his team.

The party moved on through the dungeon, and before long, Sato found himself walking out of the inn-like tunnels and into a courtyard area, a "Royal Suite" being garishly advertised by an entrance to somewhere. The bright lighting and haphazard decoration of a traditional architecture did little to ease Sato's tension, and even when Rui joked about being a save-point room, Sato couldn't help but feel like something would jump out at them as some kind of miniboss. Even as the other team emerged from behind a wall, he couldn't feel as though something was amiss.

Regardless, though, Sato found himself ignoring his anxiety and shifting his focus from the shadows and onto the merging of the two teams, and more specifically onto Mako. After the entire squad had a brief chat regarding what they were doing, when everyone broke away to rest up a bit, Sato decided to inch over to Mako.

"I don't exactly know how it was for you guys, but it looks like the two teams had to rely on eachother to get here. It's a good thing we had enough people, if that was the case." He said, fingers clutching tight to his bow. This would mark the first time they had fought with this many people at once, but they had two navigators to help out, so maybe it would work out well. Sato wasn't really sure how to help out, though; besides buffing defense, Sato didn't really have much to help out beyond throwing garus at shadows' faces. Maybe that was all that was necessary from him, though... Was he a DPS class?

"Looks like we'll be tackling this next shadow together, though. How are you holding up?" Sato gave a smile, trying to show legitimate concern through the stress on his face.

==~==

Mako walked through the hole in the wall ahead of them, still hefting his hatchet with a nervous energy. While the situation had been manageable so far, especially given this was his first voluntary jaunt into this Mirror World, but he was still concerned for a number of reasons. He thought back to his own kidnapping, and the Shadow that had emerged once the team came to his rescue. Assuming things remained consistent between trips like this, there would be such a creature awaiting them here, too. And even with everyone here to help, he was rather unsure of his odds in that matchup.

He looked around the garishly-decorated courtyard, wincing slightly at the brightness of the scene. It looked like a casino had thrown up on a traditional inn- made his eyes hurt just to look at it. He looked around at the other investigators as the team leaders and navigators discussed what likely awaited them up ahead. It sounded like they had a party waiting for them. Mako grimaced.

My abilities are more centered on dueling one-on-one than with groups. That's irksome. I wonder if there's a way to change that? I'll talk to Rui later, maybe he knows something. I suppose I'll just have to make do with what I have.

Movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention, and he turned to see Sato making his way toward him. Unbidden, a relieved smile worked its way onto his face, and he walked over to meet the upperclassman. He nodded as Sato went on about the teams having to work together to get this far.

"I think you're right- it seems like actions we took affected your side, and vice versa. Whatever the case, it seems to have worked out all right for us." At Sato's additional questioning, Mako shuffled a bit before answering.

"It's... been going. I'm not exactly kitted out for dealing with groups, which has been most of what we've faced. All this is taking some getting used to. On the other hand, I'm good at taking down priority targets; I have a skill that weakens a single enemy significantly, so... whatever big baddie is waiting for us up here? I can manage that."

He paused for a second before continuing.

"Look, I... I know you're the one with experience in this sort of thing. A lot more than I have, anyway. But watch yourself in there, okay? I'll try and keep an eye on you as much as I can, but if I can't, don't let yourself get sucker punched, all right? Losing anyone on this trip would suck, but... it would really, really suck if it was you.

"Umm... that's all." he finished lamely, averting his eyes toward the floor and blushing.

God, I'm such a moron...

Akane Hanazawa // Sapphire Inn | F2 -------> Royal Suite
Sunday, July 5th, 2015

Doing away with the Monkey boss, they moved along through the main entrance and entered a courtyard, arriving before a grand entrance to something. Giving the gaudy look and sleazy coloring and decorations....she imagined that 'something' being the gateway to hell. Though, more of the disgusting variety more than anything. Given the last few areas, she didn't really expect much but she never would've thought the look and such would be getting worse.

It kind of reminded her of Shizuka's dungeon but her's was morely on the irritating side, this one was definitely the most tasteless by far. Well, when coming to a dungeon you're either be terrified of the monsters or the interior designer (dungeon creator). But speaking of getting worse, a noise could be heard to the side accompanied by part of the rocky wall opening, revealing Kami's party. Clicking her tongue... Kami...why couldn't he just fall of a cliff or simply taken out by a horde of shadows already?

Sighing to herself, she perked up once she heard Megumi mentioning that there were readings of a lot more of those knights waiting for them. She just hoped the party increase won't prove to be a hindrance. As long as they don't get in the way and take away her targets, it should be fine. Though eager to get the fight started, there wasn't anything she could do but wait until everyone was ready.

As soon as everyone appeared to be ready, Rui and Kami led the group through. They stepped up onto the verandah and continued onwards towards the long and many steps, it was basically a giant diagonal hallway, the giant doors at the end slightly ajar. They could hear talking from beyond. It seems this was indeed their objective.

The decorations around them were gaudy and almost immaculately placed. It seemed almost as if it was freshly made, like there was someone to impress, although that was if one would ignore the content of the decorations. They seemed to be quite... Liberal, all kinds of images of girls. Although none of them were their target at all, every single one was different, and whenever you would look away and look back, the picture changed to another.

The context of these walls as they climbed the steps was that of display, the blank and simple backdrop along with plaques that changed just as often as the pictures.

Soon, they managed to reach the goal and swing the doors open as they witnessed yet another person's shadow.

Jun's memory was hazy as she stood up to find herself facing a mirror. No, it was no reflection looking back at her. The eyes were wrong.

"You wear my face, but I don't have a twin. What trickery is this?" She demanded, having had enough of this strangeness. She had been here long enough to know this place was not normal, but to think she was standing face to face with a clone, in this bizzard realm... This must be where the kidnapped kids go. She realized. They had all seen this place. If that's the case, I'll be fine, right?

"Not a twin, no, though that is an appropriate term, in some regards. I am who you wish you could be... Free of responsibilities to the clan. Free to love who you wish, without interference from a close-minded father. Free to lose yourself in passion and desire and power. I am you, Jun. The part you don't wish to acknowledge. The lesbian love child of a yakuza boss who takes pride in being a disappointment to her parents... A cliche of a rebellious teenager." The alternate her spoke, giving voice to the part of her that she denied existed.

"Fuck off. Like you could ever know-" Well, not to play the part of rebellious teenager, but who would freely admit the darkest parts of themselves existed? This ghost of her might have her face, but she was not the same Jun who had lived.

"What it's like to feel shame for kissing a girl you're attracted to? To know that the gaze you feel upon your back is the wrath your father will bring upon her, just for touching and indulging you? I know, because you know. I know it's a rush for you to know you will anger your father by flaunting your sexuality and rebellion in his face, and damn whoever gets hurt along the way as long as you can keep rattling your chains. It's the only way you know to fight back... because you're too weak to escape."

The words cut deep. She has my memories. Jun figured. It happened enough in movies for her to guess this strange place was where people's worst fears and secrets were brought out before them. Was this her trial then? Did she have to defeat this evil twin in order to escape? Anger boiled in her blood as she processed those words. How dare this poor imitation presume to take her burdens and pain, claim it as her own? How dare this copy claim to know what it's like living a life where one wasn't allowed to be who they are, with who they loved?

How dare this shell dare to say her life amounted to nothing more than a sham?

"No! That's not it at all! You're not me!" Jun yelled as she picked up a katana that had been lying around, ready for a fight. She was met with mocking laughter as the form before her warped and shifted.