AN: It's been a little while since the last chapter, I know! But here we go! Please read, review, etc!
Chapter 11: A Night in Blood
|April 8th|Kansei High School – Foyer|8:20 am|
Having changed into his school shoes, Shintaro was about to head into his class, when he saw Hideki walk by.
"Morning, Yoshinaga-sensei!" Shintaro said, warmly.
"Good morning – wait, Shintaro-kun?" Hideki said. "You look happier than you've done in any of my classes...you okay?"
"Better than ever." Shintaro said, happily. "Oh, and congratulations." He pointed to the silver engagement ring. "Masato told me all about it. Setsuna, isn't it?"
"Y-Yeah!" Hideki said. "...Wait, are you and him friends again? Seriously?"
"What, he hasn't told you yet?" Shintaro said. "...Well, if he does, pretend it's a surprise."
"...Got it. But...this is great! I was worried about teaching your class once I saw you and Kohaku, but..."
"Worry no more, sensei." Shintaro said. "You've been a good teacher so far."
"Thanks, Shintaro. I think you'd make a good teacher someday as well." Hideki said. "You've certainly got the grades to make it there. It's a tough road though. College work is hard, and that's if you get in."
"My dad's a teacher too, remember?" Shintaro said. "I'm going to ace those entrance exams. I know I will."
"Pretty confident, kid. Well, as your teacher, and friend, I'm going to help you get there. We are friends again, right?" Hideki said.
"...Yeah." Shintaro said. "You used to have to chase after the four of us back in the day, huh? And Masato always knew the best hiding places."
"Oh yeah, finding him always took the longest. But just one piece of advice. You're still young, okay? Don't waste it. Your studies are important, but your friends even more so." Hideki said, chuckling to himself. "A bit of a cliché, huh?"
"A little, but I'll keep that in mind. Thank you, Yoshinaga-sensei." Shintaro said.
"Oh, there you are, Hideki-kun!" Mrs Suzuki said, suddenly behind him.
"Whoa! Where'd you come from?" Hideki asked.
"I have a talent for appearing near unsuspecting students. It works on teachers too." Mrs Suzuki said, laughing slightly to herself. "The Principal wants a quick word with all teachers before classes start today. So we need to get to the teacher's lounge...quickly, she said."
"Ah, good old Principal Hashimoto...she reminds me of my mother. The smell, mostly." Hideki said, shuddering. Shintaro laughed, and as the teachers left, Hideki waved fondly back at him. Just as Shintaro was about to climb the stairs to the second floor, he heard a familiar voice.
"Oh, hey!" Kohaku said, having just entered the school with Akari. "Morning, Taro-kun!"
"You look happier than you have all week. Ah, it's about Kohaku told me about last night!" Akari said, cheerily. "You cleared the air with Masato, right?"
"Y-Yeah..." Shintaro said. "It's not like I can forget what happened completely...but I can't just ignore the fact he's trying to face up to what he did."
"You're starting to become a real man, Shintaro. I'm proud of you." Kohaku said, happily. "So Akari, your first shift last night turned out okay?"
"Of course!" Akari said. "I even bumped into that really cute neighbour I told you about!"
"Just how many guys have you met you think are 'really cute', Akari?" Shintaro asked, amused. "Are we on four now?"
"Hey, it takes a lot to impress me. I don't just swoon over every semi-attractive man I meet!" Akari said, annoyed. "But Kaii – that's his name – is way better than all the others I've mentioned. Even cuter than Yoshinaga-sensei, Katashi-senpai, or Keiya!"
"Who's Keiya? Oh, the card guy?" Shintaro asked.
"Yeah, him. I still don't know how he did it. Or why so many people are getting these new 'Gnosis' phones." Akari said.
"...What did you say?" Kohaku asked, concerned.
"Well, you and Shintaro have them now, right? You keep trying to hide them from me, but they're the same model Kei has. And I saw Keiya using one, too!" Akari said. "Let's get to class. I wanna tell you all about Kaii!" She went off to Class 2-1, without a care in the world.
"I don't like what this means..." Kohaku said, worried. "Why would Keiya Tsukino have a Gnosis?"
"He might be like us. Someone, or something, gave him one." Shintaro said. "If he was just like Hisaya and her two boytoys, his would be red. But Akari didn't say anything about it being red, did she?"
"...True." Kohaku said. "But is Keiya an ally? Or..."
"If he truly does have a Gnosis, we'll find out for ourselves soon enough." Shintaro said. "We know that Nisa Liat and about eight others on Bythos seem to have genuine Personas. Problem is, we don't know their names."
"Then we can only hope we don't run into them...right?" Kohaku said, worried. "For now, let's just get to class and indulge Akari. Although I don't really want her going after some guy in his twenties..."
"As long as he doesn't look like EX-NIHILO, I'm sure Akari will be fine." Shintaro said. Kohaku laughed at the thought, and they went up to class.
|After School|15:36 pm|
The day of school had ended, and thus the first school week of the term was over. The group were just outside the front doors, and the sun was shining brightly in their eyes. Without any clouds in the sky, the school shone beautifully, even if the eight buildings around them towered over them like giants.
"I'm off. See you!" Akari said, walking off with her friend Suzu Nogami, a girl with dark brown hair in pigtails. They quickly left the school grounds, talking enthusiastically among themselves.
"So, this Kaii she's now besotted with. I'm sure he's a nice enough fellow, but to fail his entrance exams? Can't have hit the books that hard." Shintaro said, with strong disapproval in his voice.
"Hey! Those are really difficult, you know." Kohaku said, harshly. "You shouldn't be so judgemental. Just because the two of us score highly doesn't mean everyone's so lucky."
"I...I'm sorry..." Shintaro said, a little ashamed of himself.
"Hopefully he can succeed next time. There's a lot of support these days." Kei said. "So, are we going to Sogen Park?"
"That's right. We'll probably get there before Masato does, but we shouldn't wait around." Shintaro said. Before they could move forward, however, they saw a familiar face leaning against one of the larger trees, to the right of the school path. A tall, slim student, looking around, apparently waiting for someone.
"Oh, that's the guy we saw at the ticket office. Noburo, I think." Kohaku said.
"I don't remember seeing him around. Then again, we don't really hang out with the first years." Kei said. "Those are the first-year ties wear, right?"
"Yeah, they go for blue ties, we go for red. The third years take green." Shintaro said. "I don't really know if it's symbolic or not, but it makes it pretty easy to tell us all apart."
"Noburo...hmm." Kei said. "The first years and I are in the same boat, when you think about it. We're still new to this school. But you two can call this home, in a sense."
"It'll feel like home soon enough. Just keeping hanging out with us and Akari." Kohaku said, happily enough. "...Maybe we can talk to Noburo another time. We've got places to be."
"Indeed. Let's get moving." Shintaro said. "Let's see, the fastest way there would be if we take a left, then -"
"Noburo-kun! There you are!"
Running past the three students, frantic, was another first year student, a girl with pale pink hair. It was tied up in a spiky ponytail, complete with a white ribbon. She ran straight at Noburo, and flung herself into his arms. Elated to see her, he tightly embraced the petite girl with his strong arms, and gave her a long, passionate kiss.
"...Did we just stumble into a shojo series?" Shintaro asked.
"Only a week of school and they're already digesting each other." Kohaku said, dryly.
"Jealous, are we?" Kei asked, winking.
"No way!" Kohaku said. "He's not that handsome! Uh...um..."
"I'm only teasing, Kohaku...you don't have to get that upset." Kei said, laughing. "They do look happy together, though. Although those other girls over there don't seem so pleased." She pointed to a trio of girls, also from the first year, who were glaring at the loved-up girl with intense envy.
"Ah, poor things." Shintaro said, sarcastically. "Anyway, time for Sogen Park! I'll lead the way." Shintaro said.
The group continued walking down the path, trying not to look at Noburo and his beloved, and ventured outside of the school grounds. Sogen Park was not too far, and on a warm sunny day like this, the walk would be quite pleasant. Not so much in the Theio Kosmos of course, what with Shadows roaming around, but at least there wouldn't be rain.
|Sogen Park|16:15 pm|
Sogen Park, located in the north of Totsuka, was a grand beauty of a park, filled with tall trees, meticulously planted and arranged flowers, a myriad of ponds that attracted many ducks and birds with their beauty, and a large play-park in the north-eastern section, which had a gigantic slide.
The park was laid out into four sections of equal sizes, each separated by long white stone paths, lined with street lights resembling Chinese lanterns. In the centre of this park was a giant fountain, and within this fountain was a Norwegian-themed statue of mermaids spouting water from their mouths. On the north-west and south-east sections of the park were two competing cafes, each very popular.
"Wow! This place is even better than I remember. Reading about, that is." Kei said, looking straight ahead at the fountain.
"It's beautiful. One of my favourite places to relax." Kohaku said, smiling. "Apparently this place was inspired by one a gardener saw overseas. I think it was..."
"It's right there on the sign." Shintaro said, pointing to a large yellow sign next to the community news bulletin board. It stated that said gardener, a Toshiro Hagiwara, had traveled to New Motus City in the summer of 1975, and had the pleasure of visiting Nova Albion's Aurelia Park. Thus, he attempted to capture the beauty he saw in that park when he returned to Japan.
"New Motus City?" Kohaku said, curious. "I hardly know anything about that place."
"It's quite a cosmopolitan city, actually. Their Takanawa district is almost a miniature Japan." Kei said.
"You sound like you've been there, Kei." Shintaro said.
"My parents took me there once when I was young. My aunt was there too. It was a good trip..." Kei said, fondly.
"By the way, where exactly in this park are we meeting Masato? It's quite a big park." Shintaro asked.
"I'd go for the centre fountain. There's not too many people hanging about there, and he'll probably recognise us from the uniforms." Kohaku said.
After a short walk down the path, they reached the majestic fountain, where some people were sitting on the large edge chatting happily among themselves. Kohaku went to get some sodas from a small kiosk nearby, and while she was away, Kei and Shintaro sat on one of the white benches.
"So, Shintaro..." Kei said. "How do you feel?"
"Huh?" Shintaro said, taken aback. "Oh, about Masato?"
"Well, yes, but...I just mean in general." Kei said. "Ever since this whole thing started, we haven't had a proper chance to talk, just the two of us."
"To be honest, I'm really scared." Shintaro said. He turned to face her, and their eyes locked. He hadn't been this close with Kei before, and his heart was pounding. "Every single battle has a chance of one of us dying. I know, I shouldn't think like that, but...what if something happens? If either you or Kohaku got hurt, I'd..."
"It's alright. I think all of us feel the same way." Kei said, looking deep into Shintaro's eyes. "Truth is, I've barely slept since we discovered the Theio Kosmos. A little voice inside me wants to run away from everything, and just live a normal life as a student."
"But we can't do that, can we?" Shintaro said.
"No." Kei said. "Bythos have plans for this city, far worse than what they did in Hanashima. Doing nothing to stop them will only bring doom. There's only four of us fighting them so far – if we give up, who's left to take them down?"
"Kei..." Shintaro said. He slowly reached for her hand, and held it tight. Her face went red, but she smiled regardless. "You're right. We've come too far to run now. I'm not alone – and neither are you. We'll face this head on."
"Thank you, Shintaro." Kei said. "You've been with me ever since I came to school. This week has been challenging - but I'll always be grateful for having someone like you by my side."
"...This is a bit of a heartfelt speech, isn't it?" Shintaro said, grinning. "Not that I mind...I feel a bit happier now."
Kei looked away from him, her own face red. "Hehe...I got a bit emotional, didn't I? Well, as long as it's with you, I don't mind..."
"I'm back – oh, am I interrupting something?" Kohaku asked, carrying the cans of soda. Shintaro quickly grabbed his lychee flavoured one, and stood back up.
"Not at all." Kei said. "I was just worried about Shintaro, that's all. Our forays into the Theio Kosmos do take their toll, physically and mentally. It's another pressure on our lives, after all."
"True...but he's always been able to handle himself." Kohaku said.
"Yo!"
A certain redhead came rushing at them, and ground to a halt. Panting for breath, he wiped sweat from his brow.
"You guys been here long?" Masato asked.
"No, not really. Oh, here! You still like Cielo Mist, right?" Kohaku asked.
"Ya got that right, mon!" Masato said, in one of the worst Jamaican accents Shintaro had ever heard outside of TV.
"...Mon?" Kei asked.
"Never mind." Shintaro said. "How was school?"
"Ah, alright. God, sitting in the same class as Hama-Sama is really annoying though. All she wants to talk about his her stupid videos, and her ad revenue. Lately she keeps giving me dirty looks." Masato said.
"Who exactly is Hama-Sama, Masato?" Kei asked. "I think I've heard Akari mention her a few times."
"Her real name is Asami Hamasaki. But her fans – and there a lot in this city – keep calling her Hama-Sama. I know, it's horrible." Masato said, rolling his eyes. "Basically, she posts videos at least once a week. Mostly stuff like how to 'be yourself', 'don't give in to peer pressure', 'my top ten ways to study for exams', 'worst vending machine drinks in the city'."
"...Riveting stuff." Kei said, completely deadpan.
"I think she's pretty good at her videos, actually. She speaks from the heart on a lot of issues. It's easy to see why so many people look up to her." Kohaku said.
"Hmm, I've never seen the appeal of her material, but each to his own." Shintaro said. "I take it she's good friends with Natsumi?"
"Oh, you bet. Always going on shopping trips and giving each other makeup tutorials...I just leave them too it. Oh yeah! I didn't get around to telling you last night - I've got a girlfriend now!"
"What, really?" Kohaku asked. "That's great! What's her name?"
"Dorothy Phillips!" Masato said. "She's from New York. A Yankees girl, through and through. We met on a baseball forum. Ever since then, we've been talking every single night. And about a month ago, we were talking over an online call...and she asked me out."
"She can speak Japanese?" Kei asked, curious.
"Yeah, she's got a Japanese grandfather, so he taught her how to speak it. Pretty convenient, I know! She's not fluent just yet, and when she says the wrong words, she gets really upset...but I'm crazy about her. I'm even paying attention in English class just so I can speak her language too." Masato said, pleased with himself.
"Ah, then perhaps Shintaro can help you. He's quite multi-lingual these days." Kei said, winking mischievously at the linguist of the group. "English and French."
"French?!" Masato said. "Damn, is there enough storage in your brain to store that much info?"
"It's a beautiful language!" Shintaro said, somewhat defensive. "Plus, there's a book series – yeah I know, another one – called Leanne Rouge by this French author. Her name is Celestine Courtois. I tried to order a Japanese copy, but I ended up getting a French version instead, so I started learning how to read French, and...here we are."
"Oh, I read about her! She's living in Shinshuto for one year, to write her next book!" Kohaku said. "She's rather beautiful, too. No wonder you like her, Shintaro."
"Older women just appeal to him, it seems. First Suzuki-sensei, now Courtois-san." Kei said, amused.
Masato burst out laughing, while Shintaro wanted to die from the embarrassment.
"And you gave Akari a hard time for having so many crushes!" Kohaku said, sighing.
"Okay, can we get back to the task at hand?" Shintaro said, aghast. "We've got to get to the Theio Kosmos. Our two Totsuka destinations so are the Bella Donna and the Yorokobi Clock Tower. So we'll have to go to one of those to warp -"
"Not necessarily. Take a closer look." Kei said, looking at the fountain. When she went to the edge, she saw another QR code, printed on the stone – but it was no ordinary code.
"Just how many places in town have these?" Masato asked.
"It's beginning to feel like every significant location in this city has one." Kohaku said.
"Quite. Masato, will you do the honours?" Kei asked.
The baseball maniac nodded, and grabbed his Gnosis out of his pocket. "Aye aye, captain!" He opened the camera app, and took a scan of the code. In mere moments, the four of them were whisked away to the other version of this park. And no one seemed to bat an eyelash at the quartet of disappearing schoolchildren.
|Sogen Park, Theio Kosmos|16:23 pm|
The alternate version of this place was much eerier than Shintaro had expected. The fountain seemed almost alive when he looked at it – or at least, it felt like all of the mermaids were staring directly at him. The grass and flowers had an unearthly dark blue tint to them, and there was a mist gathering around each of the lights.
"Huh. This is kinda trippy." Masato said, blinking. "This place looks really weird compared to the normal one. But Chieki didn't seem that different when we were there last night. What's up with that?
"There must be something about this Kosmos we don't know yet..." Shintaro said. "It's not simply just another version of Shinshuto City with Shadows running around. Some buildings look far different than they do here. Like Hanashima Hospital."
"...Yes. Everything was so turbulent with Masato and EX-NIHILO, so I didn't have a chance to bring that up. But what on earth was going on with the Hospital?" Kohaku said. "How could it be an actual island over here?"
"Clearly, we're not familiar with the fundamentals of this world to understand that just yet. But let's go to Bella Donna for now. It's time for Masato to stock up on some supplies, and learn more about this world." Kei said.
"Cool!" Masato said. "Let's go, then. This park is creepy as hell..."
The team vanished from the area, leaving it in a state of ethereal tranquillity. One that would soon be disrupted.
|Bella Donna|16:25
"So Kei, where are you from?" Masato asked, as they arrived.
"Oh, I'm from Yokohama. Home of the BayStars, as you of course know."
"Sweet!" Masato said, joyously. "Their stadium's amazing! But I've still never been. Wish I could see a game there..."
"Doesn't Shinshuto have a baseball stadium?" Kei asked.
"Yeah, but it doesn't even compare to the one in Yokohama." Masato said. The group were heading to the 'Arms Race', which had a banner of a flexed arm holding a rather large sword, and silhouettes of other weapons adorning the rest of the sign. "Isn't Shinshuto kind of a downgrade from Yokohama?
"It's not that much smaller. And, well...the reason I came to Shinshuto is to find out-" Kei said, but she suddenly stopped. Gulping, she walked on.
"...Find out what?" Masato said.
"Nothing. Nothing at all!" Kei said, laughing forcefully. She walked in, tense.
You're so weird sometimes, Kei. What kind of life did you have in Yokohama? I suppose I shouldn't press her on it. She'll tell us in due time, if she wants to...
|Arms Race|16:28 pm|
The minute the group entered here, they were blasted with intensely loud electric guitar music, blaring from an overhead speaker.
"Oww! My ears!" Shintaro screamed.
"Oh my god! I love this song!" Kohaku said, excited - and somehow unfazed by the song's volume. She began tapping her feet with the rhythm. "It's Armageddon Armistice by -"
As if by magic, a giant stage appeared behind the counter, with a hole inside. From below a platform raised the performer to the shop floor.
Shintaro blinked a few times to take in what he was seeing. This was a man with a giant mowhawk that was deep pink, with red highlights. The rest of his head was covered with tattoos of what appeared to be Greek gods, each one meticulously detailed. Donned in a long black leather coat, that was opened to reveal a blue t-shirt with a red logo, he also had ripped jeans and black leather pointed shoes.
" - the Titan Tyrant!" Kohaku finished, excitedly.
"What the hell...?" Masato said, seemingly just as confused as Shintaro. "You know this guy, Kohaku-chan?"
"Not intimately, but he's Kazushi Hiramoto. On stage, he's Titan Tyrant. Hence the tattoos on his head. You know, the Greek Titans." Kohaku said.
"They don't look like the ones Hercules defeated..." Masato said.
"...The actual Greek Titans, Masato." Kohaku said, exasperated. "Although that was a good movie. Anyway -"
"Ah, we got a fan in the pantheon! What's your name, girly?" The Tyrant asked. He put aside his rather large electric blue guitar, and walked down the stage to the counter. Shintaro noticed that one of his eyes had a bright blue contact in it. At least, he assumed it was a contact.
"It's Kohaku! But what are you doing in the Theio Kosmos?"
"Ah, it's a long story. But I like hearing myself talk – killer voice, right? So here we go!" The Tyrant flopped black onto a chair, a rather tacky one that supposedly was meant to evoke Ancient Greece. "So, you guys will all have those black Gnosis phones. Right?"
"Yes. We still don't know anything about them. They can do everything a normal smartphone can, but in this world, they act as a conduit for summoning Personas. As well as other paranormal functions." Kei said.
"Paranormal? You mean cool!" The Tyrant said. "Well, here's the thing. One night, I get back home earlier than normal. It's weird being home at midnight. There's a package at my door, no return address. Not even a shipping label or anything. Thinking it's just another gift from one of my ever growing legion of fans, I open it. And what do I find?"
He reached inside his jacket's pocket, and pulled out a green smartphone. A Gnosis, no doubt. He turned it on, and it showed the same OS – albeit with completely different applications.
"The minute I turn it on, it warps me here. And this baby goes on and on about how I can set things up so people with these Persona devices can come here to get weapons. Basically, this is a 'Merchant' style of the Gnosis you guys have. Weird, though...you're the first customers I've had in a long while with black ones."
"...Do your other customers have red ones?" Shintaro asked.
"Then, you're in league with Bythos!" Masato shouted.
"Whoa, slow down there, slugger! I ain't on anyone's side. Aside from my rocking music – new album's on sale by the way, pick up a copy sometime – I'm really into weapons. These aren't just any weapons, though. They're made up of energy that fills this entire 'Kosmos'. That's why you're able to make them pop in and out of these phones at any time." The Tyrant said, grinning.
"So...do you know who sent you the Gnosis now?" Kohaku asked.
"Nope. But it's cool. Another thing, you know how Shadows sometimes drop random junk when you beat them?" The Tyrant said. "Give that junk to me. You can send that stuff to me, and sell it. With that stuff, I can use an app to create even better weapons. Problem is, I ain't got a Persona myself, so I can't use any of these weapons. This shop's Shadow-proof, though."
"...I see." Kei said. "So are there others who were sent these Merchant Gnosis devices?"
"There are a few guys, yeah." The Tyrant said, putting his feet up on the table. "There's that crazy lady in RainBow -"
"Yes! We gotta go there next!" Masato squealed with delight.
" -and there's some other woman running some weird crystal healing place. Basically, just pop in there and she'll heal you right up. Not for free, obviously. We gotta make a living somehow. Out of the money I get from this job, 50% of it goes straight to me, the other goes...somewhere else, I guess." The Tyrant said. "I don't always have to be here to make this shop work. But I gotta come in at least once a week, according to this thing."
"Cool! Then let's hurry up and get a weapon for me! Then we can check out RainBow!" Masato said.
"Your sweet tooth strikes back..." Shintaro said, amused.
"Yeah! Let's see..." Masato said, looking at the rack of basic weapons. There was the same type of rapier, katana and naginata that the other three had. Yet he was struggling to find one he liked the look of. "...I got it!"
"Got what?" Shintaro said.
"Why not just go with what I know best?" Masato said. He had pulled out a baseball bat from one of the shelves, and this one was no ordinary regulation bat – it was heftier, and dark blue with a yellow bolt on the upper end.
"Not bad, Masato. That looks like it'd hurt." Kohaku said.
"Yeah!" Masato said. "So, how much do I owe ya...uh...Tyrant-san?"
The Tyrant laughed out loud. "It's just Tyrant. And your first weapon is free. You gotta start somewhere, right? But that's the weakest baseball bat here. I've got tons of different weapons you can get here. Some of them are pretty out there...one guy's even using cards to kill Shadows."
"Cars?" Masato said. "...How does that work? Hit and run? Must be one hell of a car."
"No, he said cards." Kei said. "...Hang on. Cards? Who bought those?"
"Hey now, I can't go telling you about what other customers have come in so far. But let's see...I can tell you how many I've had. Other than the red Gnosis guys – cause who cares about them but themselves – there's been about fifteen guys with the black ones. You guys make it nineteen, I guess. That right?" The Tyrant asked.
"...Nineteen Persona users." Shintaro said.
"Wait. I thought there were eight of these Aeon Administrators. Add Nisa Liat to that, we get nine. Then who are the other seven...?" Kohaku asked.
"Eight Aeon Admins? Word to the wise, they actually found a new guy a few days ago. But that's all I can really say. Apparently, if I blab too much about other customers, I'll get 'suspended'. I don't really wanna know what happens after that, so there you go." The Tyrant asked.
"So we're up to nine of these guys and a crazy Princess?" Masato said. "Man, we gotta get ready to kick all of their butts!"
"...Not even scared?" Shintaro asked.
"Not one bit! They could have a thousand of these Aeon Admins, and I'll beat them all!" Masato said.
"We'll be off..." Shintaro said. "See you another time, Tyrant."
"Yeah! I'll be seeing your show in June!" Kohaku said.
"Catcha later, my Amber Belle!" The Tyrant said, winking. As the group left, he continued playing his songs live, to no one in particular. Shintaro wondered if perhaps he considered the tattoos on his head the audience.
Well, he might be good at selling these things, but I think I'll let Kohaku go to his gigs herself.
|RainBow|16:37 pm|
"Wow!" Masato said, running around and gazing at all the apparatus. "This place is way better than that crazy mohawk guy's store! It all look so good!"
"It does, yes." Kei said, watching the red-haired teenager roaming around in amusement. "Has he always been this obsessed with sweets?"
"Oh yeah. Although I figured he'd have grown out of it by now." Shintaro said, grinning.
"It's like something out of a kid's book, this place." Kohaku said. "Shintaro, you know the one I'm talking about right?"
"Course I do. This seems weird even by that book's standard, though. Like, that strange machine with all the flashing lights. Look at how fast it's pumping out candy floss." Shintaro said.
Masato looked up at this machine, and smiled in amazement. Just then, however, something came hurtling down – a giant rainbow chair on a cloud-shaped platform. Sitting on this chair was a girl dressed in a dark purple suit, that seemed to be covered in sprinkles. The cuffs and collars were a light blue, and this girl was also wearing a rather large top hat – one that seemed to have chocolate oozing down.
"Whoa! Where did you come from?!" Masato screamed, falling onto his bottom yet again.
"She's prettier than the Tyrant, anyway." Shintaro said, blushing a little.
"Welcome, favoured – and possibly flavoured - guests! Especially you, my candy-craving friend!" The girl said, pointing at Masato. "By day, I am but the dutiful maid Reiko Ishitani, at your service! But by night, I can finally unleash my true genius. I am the heir to the RainBow fortune, the pot of gold that grows by the day!"
"Heir?!" Kohaku said.
"Of course. My parents run the business, and are millionaire. I, of course, intend to take up the mantle one day. I'll of course need to complete college, but if that's as easy as passing the entrance exams, then I'll be Master Raine of RainBow before you know it. That's my name here in this world, by the way. Say it with pride and admiration!"
"...Entrance exams? Easy?" Shintaro said.
"Rote memorisation is child's play. I want to use my gifts to invent crazy new chocolates! Fantastic new sweets! Here, in this world, I can let my imagination run wild, and create technology impossible in the restraints of the Akarharto Kosmos. This green Gnosis – which the Tyrant explained to you before, I hope – has opened the floodgates. I will be the Master of RainBow in both Kosmos!"
"...This girl's crazier than the Tyrant, too." Kei said, quietly. Shintaro nodded, but Masato was eager.
"Hey, um...I'm new. What do you recommend?" He asked. "Wait a minute. You guys said this stuff restores your health after battle? How does that even work? Aren't these just ordinary candy?"
"You'd think that, wouldn't you?" Master Raine said. She got up from her chair, and walked over to some of the toffees on the light pink shelves. "The ones in Akarharto are ordinary – in the sense that they're made of normal ingredients. The ones here, though? They're made entirely via mind matter. It's like the weapons the Tyrant told you about. These sweets stay in your Gnosis and can be retrieved later when needed."
"So they're more of a placebo? Is that what you're saying?" Kohaku asked.
"That's quite close, Teruya-san. They won't affect your actual metabolism, and you won't actually be digesting them after you eat them. But their taste and sensation remain the same. And those will give you the energy you need. Some of them simply replenish spent health. Some others will cure whatever ails you. Others? That's a secret. I'm always working on new products." Master Raine said, grinning with pride.
"Interesting." Shintaro said. "When we first arrived on Monday, no one was here, so -"
"Ah, that's right. I got a notification you three received some of the free packs. As far as I understand it, a 'Merchant' like myself has to make at least one appearance in this store every week for it to remain. Not that I mind. This version of the store is far more fun than the real life one. I'd spend all day here if I didn't have other commitments. But that's life." Master Raine said.
"So do I get another free pack?!" Masato asked, cheerily.
"Hmm." Master Rain stared intently at Masato, scrutinizing his face carefully. "...You may make a fine test subject one day. I'm sure a boy like you would scream with joy at the chance to taste the many new flavours I plan to introduce to this store. So here you go!"
She pressed a button on her Gnosis, and a bag of basic sweets appeared in front of Masato. He took it in his hand, only for them to vanish into his own phone.
"That's all I can give your group for free. From this point on, I expect cold hard cash. Although I accept all major credit cards, cheques, human souls...just kidding about that last one!" Master Raine said, giggling.
"Thank you, Master Raine! I'll be back, I swear!" Masato said.
"Of course you will. Don't get beaten, stabbed, crushed, or whatever it is Shadows can do to you, okay?" Master Raine said. "Right...now then, how many things can I invent this week? Ten, twenty..."
The group decided to leave Master Raine to it, and ventured outside – hearing a loud explosion and crazed laughter behind them.
"So, what do you guys wanna do now?" Masato asked.
"I've not really thought about it." Kei said. "But we could explore Sogen Park a little more. There was something odd about that place..."
"That's fine with me. I love going there anyway!" Kohaku said. "...The normal one, anyway."
"Then let's just warp there and save some time." Shintaro said. "One, two...three!"
Upon his command, the Gnosis whisked them all away to the park, just as billowing pink smoke and Catherine Wheel fireworks came flowing out of RainBow's whimsical doors.
|Sogen Park|16:58 pm|
The second the group arrived, they realised they had company. And not particularly welcoming company, either.
"Oh no..." Shintaro said, shuddering. "You all again? Really?"
The group were surrounded by another one – specifically, the three members of the Claret Squad. Fumihiro and Ryosei were grinning evilly, while Hisaya was full of indignation.
"I've been waiting for this. You think you can get away with humiliating us? Think again, you morons! I'll crush you into dust!" Hisaya taunted.
"Who the heck are these guys?" Masato asked.
"Don't you remember what we told you last night? These are Bythos soldiers. They call themselves the Claret Squad. They're pretty weak overall, though..." Shintaro said, disdainfully.
"Oh, fuck you! We're not as weak as we were last time." Hisaya said, withdrawing her knives. "It doesn't even matter if you've got a fourth guy on your team. We'll kill you this time for sure!"
"Huh? Wait a minute!" Fumihiro said, looking at Masato with shock. "That's the guy that was suppose to die last night!"
"Yeah, that's right." Ryosei said. "Why the Aeons want to kill him so much, I dunno, but -"
"Guys?! They can hear you!" Hisaya said, irritated. "But since we're here, let me ask you a little question. Did you think that EX-NIHILO was on your Gnosis by accident?"
"...What do you mean?" Masato asked, apprehensively. "The heck is this about me dying? Did you guys put the Gnosis in my bag?!"
"Dumb as rocks..." Ryosei said. "You and Fumihiro have a lot in common."
"Yeah, like this guy has the balls to try to kill a teacher." Fumihiro said, yawning.
"Don't you get it? That Gnosis was put in your bag for a reason! Not by us, though. It's all because someone in the Aeon Admins wanted you to die. And not in a calm, peaceful way either!" Hisaya said.
"What? Why me? I've never even met any of these Admins!" Masato said. "Why'd they be trying so hard to kill me?"
"...Never met one? Are you sure about that?" The knife-toting girl said, grinning wickedly. "You don't even know any of their names or faces. What makes you so sure that you've never, ever come across one of them?"
"Whatever this is, you're not going to succeed." Kohaku said. "We defeated you once before."
"And we will again." Kei said. "You want to fight us so badly? Then let's go!"
"Alright! Time to die!" Hisaya screamed, pulling out her knives "Go! Mermaid!"
Having lost the evil bird, Hisaya had been bestowed a green haired mermaid with a silver tail, with similar scales covering parts of her torso. She was perched on a rock, with waves crashing on it out of nowhere, and spiralling around her were two skulls, that were set aflame.
"You made a fool of me last time. I don't like it when that happens...so you're not gonna like what I'm gonna do with you! Bilwis!"
Fumihiro's new Persona was an almost cartoon-like depiction of the Bavarian/Austrian demon. With solid yellow slits for eyes, and a diminutive, simple blue body, it held a giant rake and had small sickles locked around its feet, and a bag of hay on its back.
"Gagyson, come forth!" Ryosei said, calling upon his new Persona. This one was a deep pink bird-like creature, with an almost humanoid body and large bat-like wings, complete with a long pointed tail.
"Nice Personas. I'll have to get them on my own Gnosis sometime." Kei said. "Course, mine will probably end up being stronger than yours..."
"Ugh! You're so confident, aren't you?!" Hisaya shouted. "Well, how confident will you be after I stab you to death?!"
"...I guess we'll burn that bridge if we cross it. A pretty big if, of course!" Kei said, rolling her eyes. "Go! Ostara! Petal Step!"
Her faithful Persona sent forth her sharpened petals at Hisaya, piercing her badly. Annoyed, she called forth the watery power of her Mermaid, in the form of an Aqua. She sent it at Masato, who doubled over with pain as soon as he was hit.
"Argh! That hurts, you whore!" Masato yelled.
"Oh, that hurts my feelings!" Hisaya said, pretending to cry. "Too bad for you I like hurting bodies more. Just like what I did to my father!"
She dashed at Masato, but her blades were blocked by Kohaku's naginata.
"...You killed your own father?!" Kohaku asked, horrified. "How could you?!"
"Like I need to explain why to a perfect sheltered student like you!" Hisaya screamed. "But thanks to Bythos, I got a chance to escape from reality! This is the only world I can live freely in now!"
"Killing your father was an 'escape' for you?" Kei said. "That's...!"
I can't believe I forgot it. It was in the newspapers about a month ago. A man in some dingy apartment block was found stabbed to death, but the police weren't able to find any evidence. If someone like Hisaya is in Bythos, what are their bosses capable of...?!
"We've got to fight them..." Masato said, stepping forward. He summoned his baseball bat at last, and without relent, he struck Hisaya hard. "You're sure as hell not going to kill us!"
"Damn straight! Masato-kun, we'll do this together!" Shintaro shouted. "Ogma!"
With a quick Rakukaja, he bolstered the newcomer Masato's defences.
"Hey, what did that spell do?" Masato asked.
"It makes you take less damage." Shintaro said. "Enjoy it while it lasts!"
"Enjoy?" Masato said. "...I feel a bit tougher after that, actually. And I think I know how to make it even better! Camulus! GO!"
For the first time in a proper fight, Masato summoned his Persona. The initial rush of power he felt upon its release was gone, but he was in control. Via instinct, he cast upon himself Tarukaja.
"Hell yeah!" Masato said. "I'm gonna beat these guys faster than it takes for me to remember all their names! Let's see, Tattoo Boy, Knife Psycho, Curly-haired spear waste of space...yeah, that'll do."
"Damn little upstart!" Ryosei tried to pierce Masato with his spear, but his target leaped out of the way, and swung hard across the face with his bat. "Argh! Are we really going to stand a chance against four Persona users?" He asked, cautious. "I know we were given more compatible Personas, but -"
"Quit your bitching! We've fought tons of Shadows ever since we started with Bythos. We'll win for sure!" Fumihiro said. He crackled his knuckles, and stomped the ground. "Bilwis, you fat piece of shit, kill something!"
Bilwis, apparently ignoring his master's complete lack of respect, swung his scythe with a powerful Scratch, hitting Shintaro sharply. Wincing, Shintaro hit back with his sword, jabbing as fast as he could.
"Shintaro! Be careful!" Kei said. She stared down Ryosei, and their weapons clashed loudly. He held his spear tightly, desperately trying to block her attacks. His weapon seemed more than able to stand up to her attacks – perhaps that was on advantage of these weapons being made up of pure data, rather than actual physical matter.
"You're tougher than you look, Ryosei." Kei said. "I'm guessing you haven't attempted or committed murder, either. It's a pity you're associated with scum like her and him."
"Oh, and you're a saint?" Ryosei said.
"I'm well aware of my own faults." Kei said, darkly. "But I will never go down your path of evil! Ever!" Her anger surprised him, enough for him to lower his guard – and be struck across the chest in the process.
"This society needs reform. How could a child like you understand?" Ryosei said. "The amount of pressure on every facet of society is far too great for us to handle anymore. We'll rebuild Japan...starting with this touted new utopian city!"
Before Kei could offer a rebuttal, he and Gagyson summoned forth the atomic energy to form the Frei spell. It exploded, hurting Kei rather badly. It seemed Ostara wasn't so resilient to Nuclear attacks...
"Kei, are you alright?!" Shintaro asked.
"I...I'm fine..." Kei said, wincing.
"Take this!" Kohaku yelled, slashing Ryosei from behind. He collapsed to his knees – and Kohaku kicked him hard. Fumihiro came rushing at her, but his wild fists hit nothing but air as she somersaulted away – higher than she thought possible. Further back from all the fighting, she summoned Airmid. "Magna!"
Fumihiro was struck badly by the power of Earth, stumbling from the impact. Shintaro tried to strike him again, but the tattooed criminal rolled away, and punched him hard across the face.
"Hehe! Bilwis, go give him something else to cry about!" Fumihiro ordered. The Persona, laughing slightly, sent a bright purple ball of miasma at Shintaro. Coughing, Shintaro felt himself suddenly overcome by a strange, yet uncomfortable, sense of sickness. Poison, in other words.
"Ugh! That damn Poisma spell!" Kei said, annoyed. "I didn't think he'd use it. I never bother using it myself."
"What? Why not?" Kohaku asked, trying to swerve away from Hisaya's knives. She swung them with immense skill, as if they were extensions of her own body.
"It's so much faster to just attack and kill Shadows." Kei said.
"...You know, she's right. Why not just go all out and attack, Fumihiro?!" Hisaya screeched.
"Quit yelling at me! It'll make him easier to wear down and kill!" Fumihiro said, proud of his strategy.
"Not before I get rid of you first." Kei said. "Come forth! Jack Frost!"
A new Persona appeared from Kei – one that Shintaro didn't remember seeing before. It was a rather cute ice fairly, with an adorable smile and blue hat.
"Hee-ho! I'll cool down things for you all tonight, ho!"
It clicked its fingers, and a large clump of ice in the form of a Bufu spell hit Fumihiro. This hurt him gravely, as he fell to his knees reeling from the pain.
"Not bad, Kei." Shintaro said, sweating. This affliction he was under was unpleasant. Getting rid of it was paramount. But how could one remove this Poison?
"Camulus!" Masato cried. He sent a bolt of lightning at Hisaya – via the Zio spell. Shocked, she struck back, striking him with her knives – her favourite 'toys'. "Oww!"
"Like these knives? I've had a lot of practice with them! Course, they're actual weapons, so they give me an edge over a piece of shit like you!" Hisaya taunted. "Maragi!"
Flames spread out, and singed everybody – hurting Kei especially. Jack Frost may have the power of ice, but hee did not cope well with flames, ho.
"Too hot for you?" Ryosei asked, glaring at Masato. "Well, let me be the one to cool you off!"
"...You couldn't think of something wittier to say?" Masato asked.
"Ah, just shut up and die!" Ryosei snapped. His Gagyson cast a Bufu of its own at him, and team were a little worse for wear from all the attacks the trio had thrown at them.
"No! I refuse to die to the likes of you!" Kohaku shouted. "Media!"
Airmid appeared. She took one look at Ryosei, and her gentle face became enraged. Upon looking at her master and her friends, however, she became calmer, and spread her healing aura around them all, curing some of their injuries.
"Thanks!" Shintaro said. However, the acidic ailment was still ravaging him inside. "Ugh...No. I can hold on a bit longer. I have to fight! Ogma!"
Retaliating, he and his Persona blasted the Claret Squad backwards with the winds of Magaru. Hisaya almost fell into the fountain, but managed to balance against the wall. Further annoyed, she hurtled forward, knives ahead, but Shintaro skillfully manoeuvred his blade – blocking stab after stab.
"You should have gone for a more elegant weapon." Shintaro said.
"Tch! I don't need to elegance to beat you!" Hisaya screamed with rage. She aimed a kick at him – and while she hit him, she got slashed badly as well. "Ugh!"
"Ow..." Shintaro moaned.
"I'll support you! Nadja, Posumudi!" Kei said, changing Personas again. The other fairy of Kei's repertoire, she cast a soothing spell of pink light – that seemed to absorb the miasma in Shintaro's body, and neutralized it in a flash. "Now! Get her!"
"Gladly!" Shintaro said. "Ogma!"
Swiftly, Ogma sent forth a Jet Flash – and while Hisaya was struck by wind, Shintaro immediately appeared behind her.
Is it wrong to be fighting other humans like this? What if...I kill her? No, I can't think like that. They'd only do the same to us if we show mercy. This is a true battle!
He struck Hisaya from behind, finishing with a upward swing. He leaped back to the group, smirking.
"Nice, Taro-kun!" Kohaku said.
"You were great earlier too!" He said back.
Fumihiro and Ryosei, snarling, came rushing at them, and before long, they were in a major scuffle, weapons flying everywhere. The Claret Squad may have lacked any genuine Personas, but their combat skill were clearly on top form. Yet in the eyes of Shintaro, these three were pure evil. They deserved no respect, only a trouncing defeat.
"Guys, get a grip!" Hisaya shouted. "...Fine! Malaqua!"
Her Mermaid, while beautiful, had a haughty air. She did a headstand on her rock, and sent the waves of Malaqua to attack all four of her foes – once again causing great pain to Masato.
"Heh! Thanks, Hisaya!" Ryosei said. "Your natural Persona powers aren't a ticket to victory! Rakunda!"
Gagyson, with a loud caw, sent forth the diminishing curse at Kei – lowering her guard. Fumihiro, laughing, wasted no time in summoning Bilwis. Rather than use his scythe, he steered the wind of Garu at Kohaku, knocking her to the stone ground.
"Argh! You...scumbag!" Kohaku yelled.
"Go easy on him, Haku-chan." Shintaro said, helping her up. He saw Ryosei charging with his spear, and got ready to block. "Not. Gonna. HAPPEN!"
"Dammit...you're so protective of her! What, is she your girlfriend or something?!" Ryosei said.
"Maybe I'm just friends with people who aren't murderers or sociopaths!" Shintaro said, glaring at his enemy.
"So what? Fumihiro and Hisaya are victims of an unjust world..." Ryosei said, bitterly. "Even if we tried to tell you, you're too self-righteous to listen!"
"Speak for yourself! We don't need Bythos to become stronger. I can make up for my mistakes without becoming like you!" Masato yelled. "Camulus! Iron Impact!"
The war god Camulus appeared, and with a strong hit of his club, he sent Ryosei flying in the air. His body landed with a heavy thud on the concrete ground near the fountain, and he groaned with pain.
Shintaro whistled, impressed, while Masato punched the air with pride.
"Hell yeah! We're gonna beat these three in no time!" Masato cheered.
"Don't be too cocky. Here!" Kohaku said, casting another Media. The group were healed up again. Shintaro wondered if either Gagyson, Bilwis or Mermaid had healing spells as well.
"Dammit, why can't you heal us like before?!" Ryosei asked, annoyed, as he stood up.
"Cause they didn't give me a Persona with healing spells, okay?" Hisaya said. "Why do I have to be the team nurse? I'm sick of looking after you two!"
"That's...disgraceful." Kohaku said. "I never asked to have healing spells myself. But it's an honour to heal my friends! Maybe if you felt that same way, you'd have a chance of developing a real Persona."
"You're not even human at heart, Hisaya." Shintaro said. "You're nothing but a worthless demon!"
"Yeah! So go to hell!" Masato added.
"...I kind of feel their statements had more gravitas than yours." Kei said, raising her eyebrow.
"Hey, keeping it short and sweet works for me!" Masato said, cheerily.
"You think I'm just a demon? Like father, like daughter, right?" Hisaya said. "If you knew just how hard growing up was in that apartment, then – no! I'm not going to waste my breath on you!"
"The pain of your upbringing must have been truly tragic, yes..." Kei said, with an air of pity. "You can't simply strive to cause others pain. That won't heal whatever pain is in your heart. My friends think of you as a demon because you haven't shown them any other side to you."
"W-What?" Hisaya said. "I don't have to change who I am because of some speech of yours! I hate my dad! Even though he's dead, he's still there, in my nightmares! I can't get away from him!" Tears streamed down her cheeks.
Her father must have been an awful person. The full story must be even worse than I can imagine. Hisaya Ueda, you've suffered badly. Some day, I hope you find the help you need. Until then, if you insist on killing all three of us...then I'll fight you to my dying breath!
"Ryosei! Fumihiro!" Hisaya shouted, stomping the ground. "Team up! NOW!"
"Oh, a Fusion attack! Nice!" Fumihiro said. "You ready, Ryosei?"
"I'll do whatever it takes!" Ryosei said. "Gagyson, ascend!"
"Bilwis, you fucker, get in there!"
Gagyson began menacingly chanting, and became surrounded by tiny ice crystals. Bilwis, in the meanwhile, prepared to lash out with its rake any minute, laughing evilly. Eventualy, the ice crystals grew larger, and surrounded Bilwis – fusing with it and its claw. The creature became made of solid ice, and skating across the ground, it slashed Shintaro viciously with its Arctic Claw.
"Argh!" Shintaro screamed in pain, doubling over. "No..."
"Shintaro, no! Please, hang on!" Kohaku screamed, eyes wide with horror. "Airmid, please! Clocha Ghlais!"
Airmid, gazing at Shintaro with an almost motherly concern, summoned the healing stone – its waves of restorative light bathed the team of four, giving them both vitality and hope. The stone quickly became a burden of death, and was hurled at Ryosei, sending him backwards into the fountain.
"Argh! You..." Soaking wet, he leaped back out, and stabbed forward at Kohaku – but someone else had leaped behind him. With a huge whack to the head, Ryosei fell down, in too much pain to continue. "Bastard!"
"Ha!" Masato said, twirling his bat in his head.
"You're pretty tough. I guess being part of a group of school bullies teaches you something!" Hisaya said.
"...How'd you know about that?!" Masato shouted.
"Uh, hello?" Hisaya said, irritated. "Did you forget what I said earlier? One of our superiors wants you dead! Problem is, you're harder to kill than we thought."
"Gee, sorry." Masato said, sticking his tongue out.
"...Mermaid! Maragi!" Hisaya shouted. Burning flames scorched the battlefield, and their heat was painful just to watch. She was at the end of her tether...desperate to prove herself.
"Shintaro!" Kei called. "It's time you and I joined forces."
"...But you guys are already in the same time, right?" Masato said, blinking in confusion.
"She means a Fusion Skill, dummy." Kohaku said.
"Kei! Let's go! Ogma, give it your best shot!"
"Ostara, I'm counting on you!"
"Whirling Step!"
Ogma's sword became a baton, as he conducted the winds that billowed through the park. Ostara held out her arms, floating above the ground, and before long, her petals became guided by the wind of justice, slashing through all three opponents before them. Finally, when they were done, Shintaro felt a sudden burst of strength.
"Yes!" Shintaro said. "Kei, that was awesome!"
"I couldn't have done it without you, Shintaro." Kei said, smiling. They gave each other a high five, blushing at each other.
"Damn...damn you all to hell! We're not getting anywhere, are we?!" Hisaya screamed.
"They're much stronger than we thought. Should we retreat like before?" Ryosei asked, barely able to stand.
"We've already failed once. What do you think would happen if we failed twice?! You went to college! You should be able to figure this out!" Hisaya barked.
"Well, we'd probably be tortured and executed..." Fumihiro said, pondering this to himself.
"Exactly! The Princess doesn't tolerate failure, and you know it! And I'm not going to let that happened, not after all this time!" Hisaya said. "I won't give up! Not until all four of you are dead!"
"These three are relentless..." Kei said, disturbed.
"To be fair, we have basically insulted them throughout the entirety of this battle. They're gonna be at least a little pissed off." Shintaro said.
"I'm just glad there's only three of them." Masato said. "C'mon, we can take them down if we just keep fighting as -"
Before he could find this, however, all three members of the Claret Squad were surrounded by a dark seal circle, that was glowing a dark blue outline. It began absorbing darkness itself from the atmosphere, then caused a terrifying dark explosion of both black and navy smoke, that towered over the whole of Sogen Park. When it was over, Hisaya and the two boys were defeated, lying on the ground, and completely unconscious.
"...Huh?!" Kohaku said. "What just happened?!"
"I don't know! That wasn't me!" Shintaro said, panicking.
"Me either. None of my Personas have any skills like that." Kei said. "But according to the Gnosis's Battle Report app, it's recorded the last attack as 'Phantom Nexus'."
"Then, someone else defeated them? Who?" Masato said, worried. "Hey, whoever's there, show yourself!"
From the west side of the park, they could make out someone walking towards them in the distance. A tall man, in his mid forties, with black hair that was slicked back, and his face sported a large amount of stubble. Judging from his stature, he was quite muscular as well – and had a rather imposing look on his face.
Masato, gulping, stepped back. Kohaku and Shintaro exchanged frightened looks, but Kei gestured for them to calm down. She stepped forward.
"Thank you for your help." She said. "My name is Kei Kakusa, sir."
"You were careless. Few places in the Theio Kosmos are safe. If I hadn't been here..." The man said, harshly. He crossed his arms, and glared at her. She stood tall and firm, however, and crossed her own arms in defiance. "Hmmph. You're not without skill, I suppose."
"...Is he bashing us, or praising us?" Masato asked.
"Let me formally introduce myself." The mystery man said, pulling up his fingerless gloves. "My name is Shigeru Komatsu, of the City Council's Education Department. And, for the past five months, I've also been the Director of the Persona & Shadow Secret Investigation Bureau."
"What kind of group is that? I've never heard of it before now!" Shintaro said. "Wait a minute. I've seen you before. At the Sodai Box Office, with your son Noburo -"
"That's quite enough." Shigeru said, frowning "Come with me, and I'll educate you further on the Theio Kosmos. Perhaps you can teach us, as well. Either way, it's to both our advantage if we cooperate. Let's be on our way – I'll send someone to collect those weaklings over there later, for questioning." He tapped his own black Gnosis, and before long, he and the group were whisked away to parts unknown.