Matters of the Heart

April 2nd 20XX, 5:37 pm (Tuesday)

"Here we go, a simple blade."

'Pause Camera program activated!' Ichika pressed the button on his P.A.D. just after he moved behind his IS to a certain point where the camera could barely see his body.

That way, it will look as if he was busy installing the blade to his IS while in reality, he was doing something entirely different.

Ichika went ahead to the Fabricator that he discreetly modified and hacked so that the records of the things he produced could be modified with some random designs of his, which he would send to the government so that if they tried to steal his designs, they would only get fake ones that would waste their time.

Hacking the camera feeds would allow him to make whatever he wanted so long as he kept the composition of the material stockpile consistent among other factors.

He plugged in the designs for certain components he needed to re-haul the Shirokishi.

It didn't take long for the components to be made, he spent an hour or two working on his special equipment that he wasn't likely to use.

Specifically, he swapped out the simple blade for a High-Frequency Blade.

He gained the inspiration from Metal Gear Revengeance, where a cyborg ninja had this fucking awesome katana that cuts through everything like paper.

Whilst he did make less efficient versions of High Frequency blades before, they never worked that well in the Metaverse for him to consider it worth using due to the fact that normal weapons worked equally as well thanks to how the cognitive world functioned.

But this is reality, and so he decided to take his work to the next level.

Ichika went for broke and picked his superlative katana that he forged himself using Dan's grandfather's family forge. While Dan's parents own an eaterie, their parents were blacksmiths by trade back then.

Using some materials from enemies that were immune to physical and fire damage from the Metaverse, he brought them over in order to craft a Katana, while it didn't carry over all it's properties, it was more than enough to make the best Katana that Japan could ever wish for.

And now, he converted it to a high frequency blade. The blade would be reinforced by a powerful alternating current and resonate at extremely high vibration frequencies. This oscillation weakens the molecular bonds of anything it cut, thereby increasing its cutting ability.

Next, he ensured that the Harmonic Balance was in place so that the vibrations wouldn't transfer to his hand, but be diverted for another purpose of his.

He quickly installed it into his IS, got Shirokishi into its ring form (why is it's portable form a silver ring on his left hand he'll never know) and went to the Cafeteria for dinner.

As per usual, he was swamped by a crowd. Thankfully Houki, Honne, Kanzashi came to occupy the seats next to him. At least they weren't the crazy talkative type that would ask him the most intrusive and inane questions that come to mind.

"Ichika, is everything alright with your IS?" Houki asked with some concern despite her serious typical frown.

"Yeah, everything's cool. I just finished installing a blade, although, I doubt I'll need it." He replied while stuffing himself with lots of meat.

"Oh! Does that mean you have a secret weapon Orimu?" Honne started using her overly long sleeves to slap against his uniform.

"It wouldn't be a secret if I told you now, wouldn't it Nohotoke-chan?" He replied back with a question, chuckling at her mock pout.

"It can't be that simple… I mean, core compatibility has to be considered. IS Cores are temperamental when it comes to installing frames and equipments." Kanzashi questioned, while advising him about the few measures used to measure how compatible equipment are with the drives and cores.

"There doesn't seem to be any problems now. Although, I am sticking to what the core is used to, to an extent." Ichika explained, avoiding specific details.

"So the core has been used in experiments before that?" Kanzashi deduced, speaking in her usual concise tone.

Personally, Ichika thought she looked really fragile and had mistaken her for a junior high school student, but decided that she was probably quite capable in engineering or long range shooting from a glance.

"A few…" Ichika answered, a little unsure of how many times it's been tested and also on what exactly Kanzashi was getting at.

'It's interesting how she's curious about the core. I know that it's Core No.001, but normal people don't. No one would be interested on what IS core it was unless… they already knew about how special that core was.' Ichika figured that since the Sarashiki family was quite important, they definitely had government connections that he should investigate into.

"Kan-chan, I don't think you should be fishing for too much from Orimu!"

"Ah! I didn't notice Honne. I-I'm sorry, Orimura-kun."

"Why are you apologising? Eh, no worries." Just as Ichika said those words, his alarm set for his P.A.D. had rang, playing the video game song that he had assigned for his alert.

"Violence breeds violence, but in the end it has to be this way-"

"Oh? Time already?" Ichika remarked in a professional manner.

"Huh?" "You're busy?" "What?" Houki, Honne and Kanzashi looked quite a bit curious.

"It's time to head back to the workshop, got some stuff on the Fabricator assembly line I got to check up on. Oh, right! Gotta get the ingredients from the kitchen too, thank goodness they have allotted some for student personal use." Ichika hurriedly said goodbye and went back to work in his usual time efficient manner.

Now that it wasn't Day 1 in IS Academy, he had immediately gotten to planning his time super efficiently once again.


Back at the workshop, he brought out the Shirokishi and got inside it while using a voice command to activate the camera hacks on his P.A.D.

"Yo, Shirokishi. How's the new blade feel?" Normally, one would have to be schizophrenic to talk to an inanimate object, but an IS wasn't a mere inanimate object.

After all, it's core was essentially an A.I. plus power source 2-in-1 combo, so in a way, he was definitely talking to it.

Ichika took the simple blade he made earlier from under the workshop table, thankfully, the Shirokishi was very much smaller than other IS's, being very similar to a human… well, to be more exact it's only slightly larger than himself and a bit of a tight fit thanks to his muscles.

"Still saying nothing. Hey, wanna hear a story? I visited this Casino once and this shadowy figure, *cough* Shadow *cough* actually talked to me and sold me some stuff. Pretty cool if I say so myself, I'm used to them not saying much outside of the stock conversational exchange but… I've gotten used to not always getting a reply, even if I know they can hear me."

"What I'm saying is that you and me? We have quite a bit of a history. I mean, Tabane-nee and Chifuyu-nee were… friends I guess, and I know that the only person that could have hacked all those missiles and all is a certain Shinonono older sibling. And the only person she could trust to stop that attack would be a person as strong as my sister."

"I heard you were shot down at some point, but you came back new and improved. First or Second Shift, I take it? You healed Chifuyu-nee that way, didn't you? … Thank you, for saving her."

Ichika placed held the simple blade above him horizontally with his left hand while materializing his new High Frequency Blade in his right hand.

"You've changed, given up some parts of yourself to come back anew. It's like a cycle… and I think that with me here, we're going to be doing a lot of that."

Ichika lightly swung the HF-Blade down on the simple blade, it was split apart like butter to a hot knife.

"Change, can be bad or good. But, trust me on this. I may change lots of your parts a lot, you might think it's crazy, but hey, it's going to be really awesome. What do you say, Partner?"

[...Query?]

A small sentence appeared in the middle of his visor's screen, although the IS gives 360 degrees vision, to Ichika the text looks as if it would be right in front of him.

"Yes?"

[More Speed?]

"Oh, trust me on this. I have a need for speed."

"I am thou, Thou art I…

Thou hast acquired a new vow.

It shall become the wings of revolution

That breaketh the gears of fate.

With the birth of the Death Persona,

I have attained the wings of blessing

that shall lead to freedom and new power."

"Heh...Everyone is going to crucify me for this but I don't give a damn… muahahaha!"

[Query? Wut r u doing?]

Ohohoho! Internet Meme language?

"I'm gloating, it's therapeutic. Try that sometime later."

[Query? This unit desires to 'Rekt' newer models. Newer Cores are condescending on the I.S. Core Network.]

'What the hell? The Cores are talking to each other?'

"Well, let's keep each other secrets and I promise you, you'll 'rekt' every single I.S. out there like the scrubs they are."

[It should be 'Brutal. Savage. Rekt.' Brats should not get so cocky.]

'I should be concerned with the fact that Shirokishi is talking to me so casually, but then again, I have Persona's that take the form of ancient and mythical beings, plus my Social Link aspect of the Wild Card does crazy things.'

At midnight, Lavenza had informed him that she would only tell him the answers to his questions if he would defeat her in combat.

Bugger.

On another downside, for some reason, IS's cannot recharge their energy within the Metaverse.

It's possible that the cognitive world actually downgrades real I.S.'s due to lots of people not knowing how the Cores actually work.

Still, Ichika got in some decent training with Shirokishi within the cognitive world as Dan and Ran allowed him to handle the mob shadows while going through their marathon of infiltration's.


April 3rd 20XX (Wednesday)

"Ta-da! Hahaha! Oh, this academy thought they could stop me from cooking huh?! Not on my watch!"

"I'm starting to believe that you think everything is out to get you, Ichika." Houki muttered while keeping her eyes glued to the elaborate and exotic bento boxes opened in front of her.

"I-is it really alright for us to have this?" Kanzashi asked meekly, trying to not be bothered by Houki's stronger than usual frown of disappointment at Ichika making food for everyone, and not just herself.

Still, Houki reasoned that this was so like Ichika to have included his new 'friends'.

"Om Nom Nom! Seconds please!" Honne held up her empty box to Ichika, hoping for more.

"Oh? I believed you've said that you would make up the difference in snacks yesterday?" Ichika smiled pleasantly while hiding the underlying smugness within him.

"Wah! Orimu! Don't do this to me!"

"Muahahahaha! There it is, suffer in agony from your own shortsightedness!"

"Noooo!"

"Oh, here's your bento for your lunch later. Just in case you won't be able to make it to the cafeteria."

"You're the best Orimu!"

"I am thou, Thou art I…

Thou hast acquired a new vow.

It shall become the wings of revolution

That breaketh the gears of fate.

With the birth of the Alchemy Persona,

I have attained the wings of blessing

that shall lead to freedom and new power."

'Alchemy? The ability to solve and combine, to turn something plain into something precious. One of the ways that Arcana can represent… I believe.'

"Thanks. Although, there's always someone better, or at least, that's what I believe." Ichika replied before turning to answer Kanzashi. "It's my pleasure to be able to share the finer things in life with others, so don't worry about it Kanzashi-san." Ichika used her first name and the '-san' suffix since he had the feeling she wouldn't appreciate using her last name as much.

An odd feeling, but one he trusted nonetheless.

"Oh! Then you better call me Honne-chan in return you know. Or I'll feel really left out Orimura-kun." Honne urged him to do so, which he agreed without much hesitation, much to Houki's chagrin.

Not that Houki would do much while she was currently enjoying the food. Eating is an important ceremony that must be conducted properly, after all!

Classes went by as usual.

There was some talk about some high-profile politicians in the US, Russia and China admitting to some rather heinous stuff… curiously, they all said they got a calling card from these 'Phantom Thieves of Hearts' the day before in the form of a metal card with a logo on it.

Each calling card was personalized in the official language of the country, and had specifics on their twisted desires and crimes.

The girls in the academy were already talking about it, saying that there was no way this was a coincidence for a 'change of heart' to happen.

Ichika looked up the site that Dan helped him set up in a few countries for a 'Phan-site' for the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, the pun was so punny and was killing Ichika on the inside, but figured it would be good to increase the chance of going viral.

The Poll was at 10% right now, not too bad.


Later that day, their now new usual group of four students, 3 of them from Class 1-1, and one of them from Class 1-4 (Kanzashi) ate the lunch Ichika prepared for them after asking the Cafeteria staff to heat it up for them.

"Mmmm! No, why is this so good? This can't possibly be real! Once was happenstance, Twice is coincidence, there's no way that this can be reality!" Houki seems to be suffering a mental breakdown from the fact that Ichika would probably be a better house husband/wife than she could ever be.

'Eh? Is Houki crying? It's probably tears of joy.'

"It smells so good! It tastes so good! Orimu is like a max stat protagonist from an RPG game, GM please nerf!" Honne exclaimed right as she finished her lunch at Guinness World Record level time.

"If I get nerfed you won't be able to eat such tasty food." Ichika reminded her, making a small smug grin.

"...You're really too good Orimura-kun… maybe I'm still dreaming, did I watch too much anime last night?" Kanzashi was swaying about, her curls were going all over the place.

"I suggest getting a pair of glasses that blocks blue light if you're watching anime at night. The less you harm your sleep cycle, the better." Ichika advised her with great concern.

"I'll look into that. T-thank you…"

"Oh, I just remembered to ask. Kanzashi-san? Who's your class representative?"

Kanzashi stayed silent before for a minute before finally answering.

"Well… there's a duel for the position. The Swiss Cadet Representative against the Japan's Cadet Representative." She told him, she seemed a bit uneasy.

"Cool. I guess it will be an even match then?"

"N-not really. Japan's Cadet Representative's Personal IS is still being worked on and I- *cough*, I mean, our country's representative is better at long ranged combat while her Personal IS is specialized in short ranged combat." Kanzashi explained to him, correcting herself at a certain point.

"... That seems hardly fair. Bloody officials and their commitments to their pet projects, I bet they couldn't be bothered to dismantle the Byakushiki and decided to just put another core inside."

"How did you know about the Byakushiki!?"

"Hmm? They offered it to me, I declined."

"But why? Was it for politics?"

"I just didn't think it was right that the IS was meant for someone else but would be altered for me instead. I rather walk my own journey, and I happened across a rather obsolete model that I wanted more than their super prototype nonsense. So, yeah, I'm basically remaking my own IS at this point."

"...By yourself?"

"If I can, then why not? If I can't, then I'll ask for help."

Honne and Houki, seeing as the two were wrapped in their own conversation, worked to keep curious busybody bystanders from listening in with their own methods.

"...You're really amazing… you have an amazing older sister but, I think you're surpassing even her in all aspects." Kanzashi said in a mixture of awe and resignation with a forlorn expression on her face.

"Whether that's true or not remains to be seen. But even so, I don't compare myself with my older sister. She has things only she can do, and I have things only I can do."

'Like, Persona adventures, building my own advanced weaponry, mastering all sorts of martial arts, cooking, and my favourite… Dancing!'

"Is that so…"

"Hmm, Kanzashi-san? Can you get me a meeting with Japan's Cadet Representative?"

"Eh? Why?"

"I'm a Martial Artist, and I can say that I'm very proficient at teaching others useful combat abilities. If I can help someone even the scales, why wouldn't I?"

"Orimura-kun… I'll say it bluntly then, I'm Japan's Cadet Representative."

"Ok. I'll message you the place where we'll be training right after school then."

Right after Kanzashi gathered the resolve to reveal her status to him, Ichika was utterly accepting of it as if it wasn't a big deal at all.

"... I'm uh, I'm not sure if I can do very well physically…" Kanzashi tried to back away, remembering the crazy drills he did yesterday that her best friend (and personal maid) Honne showed her yesterday through pictures and videos.

"If you're not sure, just try it out. I believe in you, you'll do fine. Trust me." Ichika reassured her with a confident smile and soothing voice.

Kanzashi found herself staring at his outstretched hand and brilliant smile, before reaching out and taking it after a bit of hesitation.

"I am thou, Thou art I…

Thou hast acquired a new vow.

It shall become the wings of revolution

That breaketh the gears of fate.

With the birth of the Priestess Persona,

I have attained the wings of blessing

that shall lead to freedom and new power."

Houki looked on at Ichika offering Kanzashi a helping hand, and reminisced on the past while stomping out her jealousy as hard as she could.

'Ah, Ichika… you are just as kind as ever. Even now, I still… love you.'


April 4th 20XX, (Thursday)

Ichika settled into a bit of a routine, making food for everyone, chatting with Shirokishi, training Kanzashi in some martial arts, spending some time catching up with Houki in their room, bantering with Honne, working on things in his workshop and sweeping the surveillance devices from places he frequents.

And at night? That was when he, Dan and Ran would work overtime in the Metaverse to move their plan forward.

Well, that night was a bit unusual when Ran snuck back into the Metaverse after Dan left to catch up with Ichika a little.

"Ichika!"

"Ran? What's wrong?"

"It's um… Nothing's wrong but I was wondering if I could have a little of your time…"

"Is that all? You don't have to ask me for my time, you're one of my bestest friends in the whole wide world."

"... Yeah, about that… Ichika? Oh, I can, um, call you that right?"

"Of course."

"I, well my brother said it first but, I want you to know that you can always count on me too! I won't be left behind or be a burden to the both of you."

"I know. And Ran? You've never been a burden nor will we ever leave you behind-"

"But the both of you are always protecting me!"

"Only because you've been protecting us just as well! I can't remember the times you pushed me out of the way of a dangerous attack! I owe you a lot Ran."

"Well, the same goes for you too…"

Ran trailed off before resolving herself to ask the question after checking with Ichika some things.

"Ichika, I want to stand beside you all the way. No matter what path you take."

"Ran… that means a lot to me."

And it did, even if Dan just told him that some time ago, hearing those heartfelt words and the resolution in them strengthened Ichika as he knew that his journey would be a tough one and that he couldn't do it alone.

Ichika continued on. "I… I can't do this alone. Dan doesn't want me to do it alone even if he knows I don't want you or him hurt if possible. You… you probably feel the same way, don't you?" Ichika had a knowing but sad smile plastered on his face.

Ran removed her mask without summoning her Persona, and walked up to Ichika, leaning her body on his chest.

"Yeah… I know that by choosing to follow you, we'll be in danger, but even so… you'll be in all sorts of danger too. If any of us could, we'll carry each other's burdens alone. But in the end, if everyone feels that way, we may well cover for each other, huh?"

"I guess that's the only fair solution, heheh…"

Ichika wasn't sure what to do about this situation. On one hand, a pretty curvy redhead was leaning on his chest. On the other hand, this was his best friend's sister!

"..."

"... Ran? Um… I… I'm not sure what's going on."

"... Of course you don't. You're my silly combat crazy Ichika who can do everything but understand girls!" Ran laughed while clutching his black cloak, pulling away slightly.

When Ichika looked down, he could certainly see quite a bit of her cleavage down her loose kimono. He tried his best not to look, and he certainly made it an obvious effort.

"I-I'm not that combat crazy, am I?" Ichika asked while removing his own mask, thinking that reciprocating the gesture is always a good rule to follow.

"You're a little bit violent, but I like that side of you too… it makes you look, domineering, decisive and really manly."

It has been a long time since Ichika blushed, mostly because 'manly' wasn't usually a compliment in this day and age, but he certainly felt that it should be one and considered it to be one in his case.

To him, it meant quite a lot when it came to how she saw him.

"Thank you, Ran."

"...Ichika, I think I… No, I know I love you."

' has crashed. Please reboot.' Ichika mentally tried to process those words, wondering if she was talking about a particular aspect of himself but in the end, there was nothing he could find that denoted that it could have meant anything else.

He didn't know how to react. He knew his sister loved him, he knew that Dan loved him as a brother, he knew that Houki had probably been infatuated with his younger self… but he never considered that the girl he cared for like she was his own younger sister would feel this way for him.

'Younger sister… hah… that's absurd. I wouldn't know how to love a younger sister anyways, because I never had one. In the end… didn't I care for her as a friend, just like Dan? But if that's the case, is she just a friend or…'

"Ichika? How do you see me? Please… tell me. Am I just my brother's sister to you or..."

In his head, several options flashed through his mind. If he said 'like a younger sister', or 'Dan's sister', then that'll be a lie. She was not just someone else's sister to him nor like a sister to him.

She was the type of girl that would fight to protect them, he still recalled the way she awakened her Persona even as he was knitting his other half of his body together… he remembered the way she steadfastly supported him in school and in combat, even pushing him away from danger many times.

To be honest, in a real life combat situation, there was no other girl right now that he could trust with his back… and not just that, she was also someone he could trust to stand on her own without her brother and himself when push comes to shove.

Plus, he'll be lying if puberty didn't play a part in his answer considering several biological responses he had to both her casual and formal dress at home that showed of her curves and feminine side respectively.

Also, scarlet red hair.

But… he remembered Houki who waited for him all this while, which he believed was unhealthy, but couldn't be helped due to being at an impressionable age.

What could he say?

"Don't even think that you are 'just' Dan's sister. You are equally as important as him, if not more so at times. You're a beautiful young growing woman and don't let anyone else think otherwise."

"I see… will you let this beautiful woman stand by your side then? I want to try, to at least try to heal that soothe that desperation in your heart."

"W-what? Desperation?"

"You should know it by now. Even if you knew it was unreasonable guilt, you hated the feeling of being weak so much that you sympathize with the oppressed and vulnerable out there… why else, are you trying so desperately to change the world?"

Ran's words cut right into his heart.

'She's right. And I knew that all along. Even if it was unreasonable to blame myself for being kidnapped, I could never forget nor forgive the fact that an evil act like that was committed on a child… on me. Never Again. I told myself, Never Again. I would never again let this happen when it was in my power to do so. So I trained hard, studied hard, helped as many people as I could while thinking of the long term… because never again will I let someone feel as as helpless, guilty, vulnerable, weak, in despair as I was.'

"...You're right. But Ran… you know I'm messed up, so why?"

"It's because no matter how messed up you are, deep down there your reasons are pure, admirable and considerate to others. Even if you resort to cruel means, you always have lines you know that you won't cross even if you don't know all of them yet. To me, you're amazing. How could I not fall in love, then simply be in love with you?" The way she asked him rhetorically and with the most loving smile he had ever seen on her face made his heart almost melt.

'Those words… that meant that she 'fell' in love at some point but the crush had faded, giving way to mere 'love' as an act or state of being… ah, this certainly isn't some childish fleeting thing. She loves me for who I am.'

"Ah… ha… how could I not see it all this time? With how much I care about you, how could I not have loved you all this time as well?" Ichika leaned forward and kissed her then.

Unfortunately, his phone's alarm rang loudly, alerting them to the fact that they had a schedule to keep.

"Ran! I, forget this we can keep on-"

"No! This, you have to get back to the IS Academy now. This can wait, you need to be there. I need you to be there. This is your journey, we'll have plenty of time…"

"But…"

"Idiot! If you don't go now I'll tell Onii that you forced a kiss on me!"

"Bwah! What?!"

"Just kidding. But seriously, go!"


April 5th 20XX, (Friday)

As per usual, the routine continued, Ichika tried not to let thoughts of the early morning distract him but…

It was damn hard to forget the feeling of her lips on his.

It was even harder when he felt as if he betrayed Houki by not even giving her a chance back there.

"Ichika. If I may bring up a suggestion?"

'Nicodemus? Oh thank Jehovah you've got a suggestion! Gimme!'

Nicodemus sighed in his head. The robed man within his mind looked reluctant to provide this suggestion.

"The Lord would disapproved of this but due to the nature of your… magnetic charisma and this power of yours… along with your loving heart. I do believe that so long as you do not let your spouse's import their beliefs into your heart to lead you astray… you should consider Solomon's reign."

'Huh? Wait, are you seriously suggestion the multiple wives and concubines thing?'

Ichika's question was met with silence as Nicodemus retreated somewhere to pray for forgiveness within his mind.

Arcana List

Fool - Orimura Ichika (Nicodemus), Not yet attained.

Magician- Gotanda Dan (Kokuten Hachiman), Rank 10, Maxed

Chariot - Gotanda Ran (Kaihime), Rank 9

Strength - Lavenza, Rank 7

Tower- Kuromochi Hiro, Rank 1

Fortune - Shinonono Houki, Rank 5

Empress- Orimura Chifuyu, Rank 5

Death - Shiroshiki, Rank 1

Priestess - Sarashiki Kanzashi, Rank 2

Alchemy - Nohotoke Honne, Rank 2