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Chapter 17: 4/20-4/21: Prison Labor (New)
This update covers Part 16 of the original LP.
Music: King, Queen, and Slaves
Let’s go do that fusion we mentioned last update. We’ll need it before we face the upcoming boss.
Music: Aria of the Soul
We are introducing a new regimen to your rehabilitation in the form of Challenge Battles. For these trials, we will permit the cognitions of your comrades to fight at your side. Hmph, cry your tears of joy!
Depending on your results in combat, you will receive some form of compensation for your efforts. Should you prove successful, there is no doubt that you will be rewarded and strengthened in body and mind.
We’ve even prepared a special stage for you to undergo this part of your rehabilitation.
Take this opportunity to demonstrate the furthest reaches of the strength you’ve gained up to now. Should you wish to attempt this at once, we shall oblige you.
Sweet, new bullshit! 
So, to summarize: Challenge Battles are a new feature added in Royal that allows us to win fabulous prizes for getting high scores in special trial fights. We go in with full HP and SP with our current party, as well, since it’s just “cognitions” of them. Whatever. We’ll get to that in a second.
First, we fuse this Obariyon from Jack-o’-Lantern and Kelpie.
Then, this Berith from Succubus and Silky. We give it Dormina.
Here’s the Challenge Battle menu. We can scroll through different types of challenges left and right, or increase the level and difficulty of the current challenge type.
Suffice it to say that each of these will be tougher than the last.
We’ll just be taking on the Level 10 Trial Battle for now.
Remember: no All-Out Attacks in these fights.
These are the rewards for this fight. The top reward is an accessory that grants Agi to one party member, oooooh.
Here are our bonus conditions. We’ll earn 10,000 points if we clear the battle within 20 party actions, using Wind will triple the points of an action, and using Ann will multiply it by 7. We have Garu on Ann currently, so casting Wind with her will, in fact, multiply her points by 21. It’s also worth noting while we’re on the subject of points that you earn 1 base point for every point of damage you do.
And here are the enemies. Not super helpful, but in a Challenge Battle the game isn’t coy about hiding affinities from you and will just tell you what’s weak to what if you analyze. It’s very handy.
Let’s begin.
Music: Prison Labor
Okay, let’s do this.
The Kelpie is weak to Electricity, so we zap it and Baton Pass over to Mona to hit the Jack-o’-Lantern with Wind, then Panther to hit the Koropokkuru and Jack Frost with Fire.
Our score is pretty low for this round, unfortunately. We may have to rethink our strategy.
Also, this happens.
This has gone south, we’re gonna bail.
So we try again, but this time our score is even worse!
The Apsaras is weak to Fire and Electricity, the Onmoraki is weak to Ice and Bless, and the Mokoi and Inugami are both weak to Wind. We hit them with a lot of Wind, but…
...still only 18k.
Music: Triumph
Not good enough.
Music: Aria of the Soul
Jeez, I get it.
We’re going to resummon Silky from the Inmate Registry and try this one again, this time trying to maximize our point gains by hitting the Wind weaknesses with Panther instead of Mona, and hitting them as often as possible.
Score! It worked!
(If you want to see video of a successful attempt at this one, well, my capture card glitched some of the footage here, but I did re-record it with the same basic strategy. That video is here)
We put that Ember Ring on Joker, but before we leave, there’s one more thing I didn’t mention…
There are also Challenge Battles against the main characters of Persona 3 and Persona 4! I haven’t actually ever attempted these, but maybe we’ll get to them eventually.
We also fuse this Genbu (with Tarukaja) from Cait Sith and Silky before we leave.
Music: King, Queen, and Slaves
Mkay, all we gotta do now is steal the Treasure that shows up, yeah? It’s finally time.
But we need to send the calling card first. When should we do it?
Just hold on. Let’s retreat for now, then we can t alk more about that stuff back at the hideout. Oh, and well done today!
After School → Evening
Music: Beneath the Mask -Rain (Instrumental Version)
That’s my secret, cat. I’m always tired.
It hit me like a goddamn ton of bricks right when I sat down…
Yeah, we did do a lot today…
So Kamoshida’ll change if we steal that Treasure, huh… It’s up to you when we send that card, Maaku.
Call us up when you’re ready.
The real challenge is coming up. I hope you’re ready.
The weather may not be great, but it’s easier to focus on making infiltration tools when you’re stuck inside.
We’re going to go make some Lockpicks now that we can again. But I’ve buried the lede here: we can do stuff the night after heading into the Palace without having to call Kawakami! At least, stuff in Leblanc! Rad!
I’m also realizing in retrospect that I should have studied at the table downstairs instead because it’s raining and we’d get more Knowledge, but unfortunately I’m dumb. Whatever, it’s not like we get nothing for crafting Lockpicks while it’s raining; we can make one more than normal, giving us an extra chance at the bonus craft proc and the extra point of Proficiency that comes with it. Knowledge is just the stat that takes the longest to rank up, unfortunately.
Music: Everyday Days
And we get the bonus craft proc! Maaku gains Proficiency +3.
Early Morning
Music: Beneath the Mask (Instrumental Version)
I wanna start watching from the beginning now. I wonder if there’s anywhere I can borrow season one…
(Shallow College Student) How about the video rental shop on Central Street? If you become a yearly member, you can borrow as many DVDs as you want.
Oh? They’re a pretty big chain, so they probably have it. Thanks, I’ll stop by later.
The video rental shop on Central Street… Oh, they must mean that giant building right in front of the book store. Being able to borrow as much as you want sounds tempting. Let’s check it out when we have the time.
Yep, instead of a never-enforced late fee for DVD rentals, the DVD place on Central Street now just offers a subscription fee to rent whatever you want for however long you want. It’s a lot less fake-stressful.
Well, you know, it’s—
We found the Treasure, so all that’s left is to send the calling card. We have some time until the board meeting though. What do you want to do today?
I see… We found the Treasure, but I guess we still don’t know what else is there.
Actually, we are doing it today, I just had stuff I need to take care of first and didn’t feel like getting forced straight into the hideout menu after school like we would if I said “yes.”
We still have time, and I don’t want to make mistakes just because I was being impatient. I’m glad you’re the calm one, Maaku, but let me know if you change your mind.
Early Morning → After School
Music: Beneath the Mask -Rain (Instrumental Version)
I bet she jumped because team practice was too much for her. She was too soft and couldn’t hack it.
Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck you!
Kamoshida approaches once again…
Where’s that worthless buddy of yours, huh? Hey, answer me!
You really are trying to make me lose it, aren’t you? Your attitude’s pissing me off! Well, garbage in, garbage in, garbage out, I guess—
That’s not what that means.
—It’s like you don’t even regret getting on my bad side… Hope you’re looking forward to that upcoming board meeting. I know I sure am. Everyone’ll be so happy when you get expelled. I’m sure they’ll cheer like trash like you is gone!
Kamoshida’s the kind of guy who’s clearly way too into his own insults for them to land correctly. Like, you’re just watching him spit vitriol at you, clearly working himself up and getting super pissed, and that’s objectively hilarious. It makes me wonder how he’s managed to keep the mask up all this time.
I’m going to use the quick travel menu to pop into Untouchable and sell all this garbage for 25k. Nice haul.
When we leave, we get the scene where the Velvet Room appears in the real world.
Music: Suspicion
Never, ever gets old.
Actually, it wasn’t by choice…
I provided this door so you can come here from the real world.
…Was that all you wanted?
Yes.
Be grateful, Inmate!
We next head over to the Secondhand Shop.
We want this DVD player.
But it’s raining… so I may get an influx of people with colds.
Next, Takemi’s.
We’re going to buy 3 Takamedic-Alls (50 Hp restore to the whole party) and 2 Revivadrins (50% HP revive from KO). That’ll cost us about 7-8k, but we’re good on money at the moment.
Now we head to the hideout.
Why didn’t we just send one at the start?
The effect only lasts about a day.
But it only took us a day to find the Treasure anyway.
…Shut up.
This joke is inaccurate in like eight different ways but I like it too much to cut it so there 
We’re sending the calling card.
Music: Suspicion
Okay, so we need to show him the calling card that morning, and steal the Treasure by the end of the day.
Right. Are you worried?
Just confirming. I’ve waited too long to make this bastard pay.
Perfect. So, who’s going to write the card?
Oooh! Oooh! Pick me!
Wait, really?
Why not?
Because this is important and you’re gonna mess it up. Let’s have Maaku do it.
I *can’t*. I keep telling you people this. Are you mocking me? Why are you so cruel?
C’mon! I gotta pay that asshole back! Please?
Fine. But when he fills it with weird shit lifted from his dumb shounen manga and everyone instantly finds out it was us, just know I warned you guys.
Yessssssssssss!
After School → Evening
Music: Beneath the Mask (Instrumental Version)
I made us a sick-ass logo and everything!
I regret this already.
Everyone rest up. Tomorrow’s gonna be huge.
I’m sure it’ll all go well!
Just remember, we can’t trust any shitty adults. That’s why we gotta do this ourselves.
Good to remember. Thanks, Ryuji.
Yep, let’s study.
Maaku gains Knowledge +2.