Lady XIII pushed herself off the counter, her long, flowing dress swaying slightly as she approached Agung, circling both the chef and his colossal, glowing Persona. She studied the towering figure with its chef's toque and batik sash, her silver eyes sharp with analysis.
"Intriguing," she murmured, her gaze lingering on the giant Wok of Purification the Persona wielded. The scent of ozone and the power of the summoned entity only slightly penetrated her eternal boredom.
"Most Personas manifest for combat—they are either beasts of legend, figures of war, or titans of destruction. Yours, Fool, is a glorified kitchen deity." She tilted her head, a hint of genuine curiosity finally overriding her aloofness.
"Tell me, what are the abilities of this 'Star Chef'? What does the power of Creation and Sustenance actually do when faced with the Shadows of the multiverse? Does it merely conjure perfectly cooked rice, or can it genuinely affect the journey?"
She pointed a thin finger at the massive pestle and mortar held in the Persona's other hand.
"Define its function, Agung. What are the limits and strengths of The Star's Chef?"
Agung felt the immense presence of his Persona, The Star's Chef, towering behind him. It didn't speak, but its purpose and abilities resonated in his mind with perfect clarity—a set of skills tied directly to his role as a cook, a counselor, and now, the Fool who guides.
He looked at Lady XIII, a confident, knowing smile replacing his initial shock. His Persona's abilities were indeed unconventional, but devastatingly effective for a safe-haven dimensional hub.
"Lady XIII, my Persona, The Star's Chef, is built on sustenance, clarity, and the power of transformation," Agung explained. "It doesn't fight by firing elemental spells; it fights by resetting the condition of the soul."
He ticked off the abilities, each one a direct counter to the pain and despair his customers faced:
The Star's Chef: Persona Abilities (Broken)
1. Wok of Purification (Ailment Cure)
* Ability: Gulai's Balm (Restores Psyche).
* Effect: This ability allows the Star's Chef to instantly cook a specific, culturally resonant dish (like the Gulai Kambing or Bubur Ayam) that doesn't just nourish the body but forcibly resets the psyche of the consumer.
* Mechanics: It automatically cures the highest-level negative emotional status effects in the Persona universe—Despair, Fear, Trauma, and Madness—by replacing the chaotic emotion with profound, instantaneous Comfort and Clarity. It can be applied to allies (customers) or used against low-level Shadow enemies where their power is tied to emotional chaos.
2. Pestle & Mortar of Truth (Clarity and Revelation)
* Ability: Sambal of Insight (Reveals the Lie).
* Effect: The Persona uses the pestle and mortar to 'grind' down a specific truth or falsehood. This ability bypasses magical deception and mental blocks.
* Mechanics: It forces the target (be it a customer suffering from a delusion or a villain who is hiding a crucial fact) to perceive the primary, most painful Lie sustaining their reality (e.g., exposing Kyubey's contract to a Magical Girl, or forcing a villain to confront their original trauma). This doesn't force confession, but it forces perception, setting the stage for change.
3. Rice Paddy Stalks (Defense and Sanctuary)
* Ability: Field of Plenty (Area Neutralization).
* Effect: The Persona grounds itself, causing the Overworld Restaurant to temporarily extend the protective field of the hub to an immediate surrounding area.
* Mechanics: If the restaurant is attacked or if a highly powerful entity (like a fully summoned Persona or a Tailed Beast's chakra burst) is brought near, this ability reinforces the existing Nullification Field and creates a pocket of absolute, safe neutrality, preventing collateral damage and maintaining the hub's integrity. It ensures that the current customers remain safe and emotionally stable regardless of external chaos.
4. Chef's Toque (Guidance and Future Sight)
* Ability: The Navigator's Menu (Path Prediction).
* Effect: This ability draws directly on the Fool's connection to destiny (reinforced by the Star Arcana).
* Mechanics: When cooking for a customer, Agung receives a flash of crucial, high-stakes information about the next major turning point in that customer's timeline—a prophetic vision that allows Agung to tailor his advice and food for the challenge ahead, acting as a genuine guide rather than a blind counselor.
Lady XIII listened to the explanation, her silver eyes widening marginally with each ability. She understood that while The Star's Chef wasn't suited for brute force combat, it was arguably a more powerful existential tool, perfectly tailored to disrupting the narratives of despair and corruption in the multiverse.
"A terrifying suite of skills, Fool," Lady XIII commented, a flicker of something akin to respect in her voice. "You are not a fighter, you are a narrative surgeon. Very well. Let us see how quickly you can put that to use."
"And because my world aren't infected by shadows, i'll just use it as passive cooking ability to help my customer." He said that with a smile plastered on his face