Kamoshida follows through with the motion, spiking the ball down hard. A fiery conflagration fills the room, obscuring all from view, blasting the Thieves with wind and whipping at their clothes.

And then it clears, and they're unharmed.

"WHAT!?"

Joker takes the opportunity to duck behind a column and stuff a second painkiller in her mouth. Her injuries heal further — and the slow regeneration of the first pill's had a few moments to work now, too. 

She breathes for a second, trusting her team to cover her.

Panther grins. "You're nothing, Kamoshida! Even your killer spike's worthless against Paladin!"

Paladin blushes at Panther's praise—

But glares resolutely up at Kamoshida.

"You will never hurt the people I love again."

"That fake student is how he's getting volleyballs to spike us with. If we destroy it, maybe that'll stop him!"

Mona batters the cognition with a gust.

Panther hesitates for a moment, but then tears her mask off again.

"Carmen! Burn him down!"

Flames scorch the cognition, charring it beyond recognition.

Kamoshida snarls.

"You destroyed my whipping boy!"

And then he slashes at them with his knife.

Panther jumps over Kamoshida's frustrated swipe, and redirects Carmen to strike directly at Kamoshida's demonic form. 

Her movements are slowing. Persona fatigue must be setting in.

Joker shields from the swipe behind her pillar, and looks up at the balcony for any sign of Ryuji. 

He's getting into position, but not quite ready yet.

"Bah. Mishima was always worthless anyway.

"Send in the next slave!"

And out steps a cognition of Shiho, in a skimpy bunny costume.

"Here you go, Kamoshida-sama!"

Panther looks over. 

"Oh god —"

She barely ducks another stab of Kamoshida's fork and scuttles backwards, away from the fake Shiho. 

"No fake of me gets to stress Ann!"

She lunges, with a sharp swipe of her spear.

"Nnaaah!"

The fake screams, falls, and dissolves.

Shiho darts backward, looking down at her hands for a moment, then shakes her head and rushes to check on Ann.

Ann shudders, hearing the fake Shiho's scream, but at the sight of the real one coming to save her she rallies.

"Together!" She advances again with her whip in hand.

Joker breaks cover and advances as well. "Together!"

"You brats!"

And that's when Skull dives off the balcony, kicking Kamoshida's crown from his his head and landing in front of the rest of the group.

"Together!"

He tears off his mask.

"Captain Kidd!"

The tyrant must fall!

Lightning cracks, Skull's full-strength Persona raining down bolt after bolt on the weakened demon king. 

Joker rips her mask free as well. "Julie!"

He must feel the pain he has inflicted!

Cursefire ravages Kamoshida's body, leaving toxic-looking black veins everywhere.