A/N:
Well, I was thinking of posting two chapters today and then leave the next until Saturday Morning, but I saw how short this chapter was, and decided I would post chapter 26 today as well. So after this chapter is posted, I will post 26 around 3 in the morning, EST. So in about three to four hours from seeing this one. However, I won't be posting a new set of chapters until Sunday, as I am currently immersed in my story and want to continue writing as much of it as I can. I have weekends off so it's perfectly fine. I was finally able to purchase a new computer for myself, so I will be able to write more and post more as a result. Worry not, it is insured so my dick hole cousin won't pour soda on it. I hope you like this chapter, I assure you you are all going to like the next one. So I'll see you all in a few hours!
Persona 5
Codename: Songbird
Chapter 25
Infiltrate the Palace: Ryoutaro Shimizu
Date: Friday July 22nd 20XX
Time: After School
Location: Chiyoda General Hospital(Chiyoda/Akihabara)
Weather: Sunny
Objective: Gather Information on Ryoutaro Shimizu
Beware Medjed and Alibaba
xxx(Take Your Time)xxx
"Haru?"
The girl seemed quite happy at the sound of her own name. She ran up to the boy, hugging him tightly, almost knocking the two to the ground. Mitsuhide just watched, still confused by what was happening. Takumi groaned a bit, his arms practically pinned to his sides.
"I can't believe it's you! I saw you at the fireworks festival, but I wasn't sure it was you. But here you are, right in front of me! I thought I would never see you again."
"Uh well...all you had to do was look up at the billboards in Shibuya. I'm sure my face is plastered across one of them." he said jokingly. The girl released him from his hug, a stern look on her face.
"That isn't fun Taku-kun! What happened to you was awful so you shouldn't joke about it."
"Um...still confused, might you explain how you know my brother?" Mitsuhide asked. Haru glanced down at the ravenette, kneeling down to her eye level.
"So this is your little sister? She's adorable...I saw you holding her, but I didn't know who she was." she replied, patting her head, much to Mitsuhide's chagrin.
"Yeah...Haru what are you doing at the hospital?"
"Hmm? Oh right...I came to deliver something to the president of this hospital. They made a deal with Okumura Foods, they're planning on adding a Big Bang Burger so the staff doesn't have to go out of the hospital for food. I like to visit some of the patients here and reassure them that everything will be fine. There's a girl from my school here who's in rehabilitation, so I came to bring her some flowers." she replied.
"Still as sweet as ever I see...man, it really has been a long time. The last time I saw you, we were both fourteen. What's been happening in your life?" he asked. She frowned, brushing some hair behind her ear.
"Quite a lot actually...my father has become very strict. Since you refused my hand years ago, he decided to wed me to someone else. Sugimura...the heir to one of our partners. He says our union will bring a mutual benefit for both companies."
"It sounds to me like he's still treating you like a goddamn doll." he replied.
"Yes...but, I am his daughter so he knows what's best for me. Anyway, let's not talk about that...what's up with you? What are you doing in this hospital?"
"Oh...uh, Mitsuhide needed some blood work done. She was a trooper so now we're heading out to get some food for the road." he said, patting his sister's head. She blinked a few times, understanding what he was doing.
"Indeed, it was required for my school entrance physical. I shall be attending Shujin Academy next term. I will be joining Class 1-C with my older sister Ayumi."
"Shujin Academy? But you're so young!"
"She's a genius...her doctors say she's ahead of her generation. She's so intelligent they allowed her to skip several grades. She was able to complete the entire middle school curriculum in two years. That's why she's being moved up to high school, in fact the two of us will be going there next term...well I'm going there now."
"Wow...what are the odds of that. What class are you in?"
"2-E...wait...do you go to Shujin?" he asked, earning a nod from Haru, who let out a small giggle.
"Small world huh? To think we might have passed each other in the halls and never even noticed. Then again, I have so much free time on my hands that I usually tend to the plants on the roof."
"Hmm...so those were yours? I saw them a couple times when I snuck up there, what are you growing?"
"Vegetables mostly...tomatoes and cucumbers...they're easy to grow. I've worked quite hard tending to the soil. If you want to plant something, I've got some room up there. It'll be like when we were kids."
"I remember that...you ended up growing flowers all over the place. You've got a real green thumb." Takumi said happily.
"Big brother...I don't mean to break this up, but we are late. We must return to our dwelling before mother starts wondering where we are."
"Oh...you have to go?"
"Sadly...hey we can meet up in school tomorrow right? Let's exchange phone numbers and Chat ID's. I promise, I've gotten better at texting then when I was younger." he said, holding his phone out. She did the same, transferring her contact information to him.
"I can't believe we ran into each other again...I really do hope we can rekindle our friendship. I...don't have many friends, so please if you have time, don't be shy. Text me whenever you like."
"Alright...I'll do that. It was nice seeing you again Haru." he said, giving the girl a hug.
"It was nice seeing you too. Be safe, nice meeting you Mitsuhide." the girl said, giving the two a wave as they entered the elevator.
"Fiancee?"
"When I was thirteen, it had been about a year since my father had first ruined my career. He wanted me to produce an heir for the company by the time I was twenty. So he sought out an available young girl from a partnering company for me to marry. That was Haru...we were both sat down and told we were going to wed at sixteen and by twenty we would have to produce a child. An heir for both companies, someone who could rule both empires like a king. I refused of course, but my word meant nothing. Haru's father left her with us for an entire year, hoping something would happen."
"Hoping something would happen? What do you mean by that?"
"The legal age of consent in Japan is thirteen, so if we wanted to engage in certain activities...we could. But I didn't...I refused to marry Haru. She was more of a best friend than a girlfriend...we just didn't see each other that way. We had to fake it, act like we were that to be left alone." he said.
"Hmm...what a horrible set of parents we were both given...truly disgusting. But not as disgusting as Shimizu...I'm glad Haru saw us. You were about to do something foolish." she replied.
"I was not! I was going to do what was right...like I said, I was just going to check to see if he has a palace. I'm not stupid enough to infiltrate without back up."
"Yeah...right...nothing I say is going to stop you is it? I suppose I am a little curious. Okay...let us venture into the Metaverse...but we shall remain outside of the palace entrance. We check to see if he has one and then we leave. We shall inform your friends posthaste after our confirmation." Mitsuhide said.
"Fine...but just outside of the palace...but we can't go today. It's way too late, on top of that we aren't armed. I need to prepare first and that means getting necessary supplies, just in case something happens." he said.
"Alright...I shall leave it to you then." Mitsuhide said, giving the boy a soft smile.
xxx(Take Your Time)xxx
"More blanks...what the hell are you doing kiddo?" Iwai said, giving Takumi a curious look.
"I'm an actor, so I go through a lot of these. We use model guns in our short films to make it more realistic. Since we are amateurs, we go through a lot of this stuff, thanks to people messing up." he replied.
"Amateur...kid you were in movies...how are you the amateur?" he asked. Takumi chuckled, rubbing his neck in embarrassment.
"I'm not...but my idiot friends are. They like firing their models for shits and giggles without a care in the world. Anyway, I need something else...for more personal defense, do you have any batons?"
"A baton...you mean like the type the cops use?" Iwai asked curiously.
"Something like that...something that's easy to hide and fast to deploy. But also hard as hell so I can crack a bastard over the head if I need it." Takumi replied. Iwai nodded, reaching into a drawer behind him, placing a box on top of the counter.
"Here you are...this one is 2,000Y. Once you extend it, press the switch on the bottom to retract it. Anything else, aside from the blanks?"
"Hmm...how much for that model Barnett C5 Wildcat?"
"With or without a scope?"
"Surprise me."
xxx(Take Your Time)xxx
Date: Saturday July 23rd 20XX
Location: Shujin Academy(Aoyama-Itchome)
Time: Lunch
Weather: Sunny
Objective: Infiltrate Shimizu's Palace
Beware Medjed and Alibaba
xxx
"Hey Takumi, do you have some free time today? I found this sweet spot for us to practice on. Come on, you've been busy all week!" Toni cried, earning a frown from the boy.
"Sorry Toni, I'm a little busy...I got something to do in Akihabara today. I was able to score an acting role so I'm gonna meet with the director." he replied. He was honestly glad he was alone, he knew that if one of his friends was with him, they would have insisted on tagging along.
"Muu! You don't like me anymore do you? I thought what we had was special!" the brunette cried, earning a scowl from the him.
"Goddamn it, we don't have anything...listen sweetie, I'm really stressed out okay? I got a lot of shit on my plate and I'm trying to fix my career. If I have some free time next week, I will go with you where ever you want, okay?" he asked. She nodded, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
"You better not bail on me...summer vacation starts Monday. So don't be an ass...see ya at home!" she cried, giving him a wave as she ran off. The boy sighed audibly, slamming his face onto the table, rattling the two empty soda cans that rested atop of it.
"Having lady troubles Taku-kun?"
"Haru...hey, what's up?" the boy said, lifting his head up at the sound of his friend's voice.
"Nothing much...just saying goodbye to my teachers for the summer. I know we've got that assembly on Monday. But since we aren't going to be in class, I figured I could say goodbye now. I've only got four classes so it was quite easy."
"That's sweet of you...I'll have to do the same with my teachers. Have you had lunch yet? There's a cafe nearby that makes some really good sandwiches. It's better than the crap they serve here." he said.
"I packed my own...I actually already ate. I saw that you were talking to that first year and decided to speak with you. You know, to catch up." the girl said, sitting down across from him.
"Okay...I guess I can ask the questions...what happened after we split up?"
"Father was quite disappointed in you. He said that he was expecting you to be a man and take care of his daughter. I told him we were just too young to think about marriage. He left it alone for quite awhile, but as of last year, he has betrothed me to someone else...Sugimura."
"Right...you mentioned him at the hospital. Is he nice?" he asked.
"Sugimura...? No...he isn't...he's actually quite mean...he believes that because we are to be wed, that he owns me. He acts like I'm just a means to an end, there's no love between us...just convenience and money." she replied.
"Oh Haru...I'm so sorry. You deserve a man that loves and treats you like a woman, not someone who sees you as a means to an end. You're such a sweet girl, you don't deserve this crap."
"I know...but father knows best...even if I don't like it, I have to go with it. I've told him countless times that I am not going to marry Sugimura. He insists that I will have to handle my responsibilities as both an heiress and a daughter...I really wish I could just...change his heart." she said, causing the boy to go wide eyed.
"Change his...heart...?"
"Mhmm...you know, like what happened to Kamoshida. He was a disgusting bastard, tried too many times to lay his hands on me. But since father was a sponsor for the school, he knew if I spoke out, he would remove his funds and this school would lose a major backer."
"That bastard's lust knew no bounds. I'm glad I didn't meet him, I'm sure I would have socked him across the face, the prick. But still...you can't long for something like that...I doubt the Phantom Thieves will handle something like that...without proof I guess." he said, finishing his drink.
"But I do have proof of something. According to the workers, my father treats them poorly. He doesn't give them a good pay, and forces them to do things they don't want. On top of that many have said they were fired for no reason, or that he holds their jobs over them, so that they're forced into working the way he wants. It isn't one or two people...there are some small factories threatening to shutdown." Haru said, causing the boy to frown.
"So...you think that corporate greed has changed your father...turned him into a different beast all together?" Takumi queried, earning a soft nod from the girl.
"He's different from before...when I was younger, he was still a loving father. Even though he was disappointed about your refusal to marry me, he was fine with it. But the last two years have been hell, it was only a year ago that he forced me to accept Sugimura's proposal. I can't accept it, knowing he will treat me like filth." she said, bowing her head in shame.
"Damn it...I feel so bad for her...Haru used to be such a happy girl. Seeing her like this, subservient...with her hair cut short...it makes me mad."
"It angers you...seeing this young woman being so distressed...I sense power within her. Perhaps she has the same potential as you...it is clear that she is being oppressed...you are a Thief, make a deal with her, if only for your own benefit, but also for hers." Eric said firmly, causing Takumi to look up at the ceiling. He narrowed his eyes in thought, a small smirk on his face.
"Haru...you want to change your father's heart right?"
"Huh? Of course...if it makes him a better person, and frees me from my engagement to that horrible man, I would be willing to do anything."
"Anything? That's a good answer...alright, I've got a deal for you...if you agree to help me, then I think I can help you. But you have to follow my every order, your life depends on it." he said firmly. The girl looked around for a few moments, before giving him a nod.
"I will."
"Wonderful...meet me at this cafe at 4:00PM today. Find yourself a weapon, anything that can be used for self defense, you're gonna need it." he said.
"Okay...what is this about?"
"You'll see...trust me." he said, giving the girl a wink.
xxx(Take Your Time)xxx
Date: Saturday July 23rd 20XX
Location: Shibuya Underground(Shibuya)
Time: After School
Weather: Sunny
Objective: Infiltrate Shimizu's Palace
Beware Medjed and Alibaba
xxx
"A woman was threatening Boss?" Makoto asked, trying to confirm what Ren had said to them. The boy gave them a firm nod of reassurance.
"Yeah, she was going on about domestic abuse and taking the case to court and stuff..." Morgana said, causing Makoto to clam up.
"You okay?" Ryuji asked.
"It's nothing...so to summarize what you've told us. Futaba is Boss's daughter, and he's abusing her? I don't know him very well...is he really like that?" she asked curiously.
"Of course not...he would never do that. How he was talking to her, it wasn't like that of a man who would abuse a child." Ren replied, earning a sigh from the young woman.
"I would like to believe so as well, but we don't have any conclusive evidence, do we...?"
Ren's phone suddenly started beeping, causing the young man to draw it from his phone. He swiped the screen, opening his Chat.
"Is it Alibaba?"
"Yeah...let's see what he said." Ren replied, clicking on the new chat that had opened up on his phone.
Alibaba: I've given you the calling card and told you the target's name. You should be ready for this.
Alibaba:Why aren't you doing it?
Alibaba: I told you I'd help you if you stole her heart. What seems to be the hold up?
Alibaba: I also said I would report your identities to the police if you didn't help me.
Alibaba: Are you okay with that? I'm serious here!
"What a selfish person." Yusuke muttered, clearly annoyed by the chat conversation.
"Well, he does have information on us..." Makoto added, a frown on her face.
"Anyway, does this Futaba he's talking about have a Palace? If so, we'll need the keywords to get in. Try messaging him about that." Ryuji said, earning a nod from Ren, who typed out the response.
Ren: Does this person have a Palace?
Alibaba: Palace? What are you talking about palaces for? That has nothing to do with our conversation!
Alibaba: Are you saying random stuff to change the conversation?
"What are we supposed to do about this?" Ann asked, a disappointed tone in her voice.
"Explaining everything through chat is a pain in the ass. Alibaba doesn't know how this shit works, so it would be way easier speaking face to face." Takumi added.
"He's got a point. We'd be able to figure out Alibaba's identity if we meet up with him. Try asking him if there's any way we could meet up.." Morgana said, earning a nod from Ren, who typed out his next reply.
Ren:I want to meet you...
Alibaba:You wish to meet with me?
Alibaba:That will be difficult...
Alibaba: I have reasons for not being able to go out...
Alibaba: That's why I'm contacting you like this...
"What the hell...he can't go out?" Morgana exclaimed with surprise.
"How much you wanna bet this guy is a hikikomori NEET wanting attention? He was able to figure all this shit out, but doesn't know how it works and doesn't want to meet up with us. This is a waste of time, we could be out there looking for other criminals right now." Takumi said, a look of annoyance on his face.
"I understand you are stressed out Takumi. We are too, but we must check every avenue before we decide if this is worth our time." Yusuke said, calming the young actor down.
"There's another reply." Ren said.
Alibaba:I get it...
Alibaba:You have to steal a person's heart directly... that makes things complicated...
Alibaba: Extremely complicated...
Alibaba: Hold on...I'm thinking...
Alibaba: Okay, the deal is off...stop looking into Futaba Sakura...
Alibaba: Forget this ever happened. I won't report you to the police either, don't worry. Sorry for taking your time...now if you'll excuse me...
Ren hurriedly typed one last reply, but the message failed to send, making him lower his phone in disappointment. The others were just standing there, completely confused about everything that just happened. For a few moments, no one said anything until Ann broke the silence.
"Did he just shut the whole operation down?"
"This doesn't make any sense...not only can Alibaba not go out, but he won't let us meet Futaba either?"
"Well, it's none of our business now...we can't even contact him anymore." Ryuji replied, shoving his hand in his pockets.
"But...what do we do about Medjed? We won't be able to get Alibaba to help us with them now."
"Maybe that's just a prank too...see, I told you not to worry about someone you can't see. Sometimes it's better to focus on what you can see instead of what you can't, saves you the trouble." Takumi said firmly.
"He's right...they made that huge declaration but they ain't done shit since. I bet you we've got them all freaked out."
"You mean they backed out because they're afraid we'd change their hearts?" Morgana queried, earning a shrug from the blond.
"Yep, now it would look lame if they came out and apologized!"
"But-" Makoto was cut off by Ryuji who wrapped his arm around her, a grin on his face.
"So...since Alibaba backed out, can we just say this case is closed?" he asked. She sighed, giving him a nod.
"I guess it's safe for us to relax a little."
"Hell yeah, and since we don't have to worry about those Medjed fuck offs, let's go tomorrow night! What do you say about that Takumi?" Ryuji asked, startling the young man who had been looking at his phone screen.
"Huh? Oh yeah, sure...tomorrow...whatever. I gotta go, I'm meeting with my sister in Akihabara, she's gonna tell me how far the movie is. If anything changes let me know." he replied, turning to leave.
"Let's talk about something else...the fact that you are researching Ryoutaro Shimizu and haven't told us anything about it." Ren said firmly, causing the boy to stop.
"What? What are you talking about?" Takumi asked. Ren pushed his glasses up his nose, a smirk on his face.
"Do you actually think I'm stupid enough not to read that fax? Just because it was in Latin doesn't mean I can't scan it and translate it. You're sister is being blackmailed, isn't she? You think he has a palace, don't you?"
"What...the famous Ryoutaro Shimizu, is blackmailing people?" Ann cried in surprise.
"It's not true alright, that man is too nice to actually blackmail people. That fax I sent you last night was just something her manager wanted a copy of...and before you ask about their copy machine, don't bother. I asked the same question and it turns out they don't have one. It broke on them and they haven't gotten a new one. If there was anything serious going on, I would tell you guys, you're my friends after all." the young actor said firmly.
"Would you though? I thought you hared liars Takumi, yet here you are lying to me and your friends. If something serious is going down, let us help you. Don't go on a suicide mission..."
"Nothing is going down man...besides, you all seem to be busy worrying about Medjed. Like I said, if anything changes let me know. I just can't waste my time focusing on something that could very well be a prank. Sorry, but I'm out...I'll text you all later tonight." he replied, quickly taking his leave.
"He was acting strangely...what was this form he faxed you?" Yusuke asked curiously.
"A release form, it was written all in Latin...if someone was writing a legal form like this, they wouldn't do it in another language. I'm not sure if anything is happening with Shimizu...but I trust that he would tell me his findings."
"So wait...you think that man has a palace? And you think he's going to go in there alone?" Ann asked.
"No...he wouldn't go in there alone. He isn't that dumb...he's actually quite smart. If he's covering his bases, that means he plans on letting us know the second he finds concrete proof. Let's just focus on Medjed right now...I'm sure our scout will tell us his findings when he feels ready."
"Ah...scouting the skies for the rest of the flock to go in...that Takumi sure is smart." Ryuji said, scratching his nose.
"Yeah...smart." Ann muttered, a worried look on her face. She didn't know why, but she had an urge to run after the boy. Even if she did, he was probably long gone by now.
xxx(Take Your Time)xxx
Date: Saturday July 23rd 20XX
Location: My Own Maid(Akihabara)
Time: After School
Weather: Sunny
Objective: Infiltrate Shimizu's Palace
Beware Medjed and Alibaba
xxx
"Are you sure you can trust her?" Mitsuhide asked softly, looking into her brother's eyes. He gave her a firm nod.
"Of course I can...Haru is a fighter. We can't go in there without backup and she's the only person I can rely on right now. The rest of the team is handling Medjed, the invisible bullshit website. Like I said, we aren't going anything dangerous, we're just going to scout it." he replied, patting the guitar case beside him.
"Um...why are we whispering? I can hear everything just fine." Haru whispered yelled, causing the half siblings to look at her. Mitsuhide sighed, crossing her arms shifting her gaze to the wall.
"It was a necessary observation...I needed to know if you were able and capable. Where we are going lie some very dangerous creatures...we needed to assess you a bit."
"And by we, she means she...sorry Haru. My little sister is taking this seriously, despite it being her first time. Now then...I am going to explain where we are going, so keep this between us."
"Okay, I'll commit this to memory."
"Alright...there is another world, beside this one. We call it the Metaverse...this is a world in which humans desires manifest into reality. This is a realm where a person's shadow gives birth to desire...these places are called palaces. Each palace has a ruler, the shadow that stands over everyone else. If someone has a distorted desire, a palace will manifest." he said.
"So...this world is a place where whatever you want becomes real. So if a child molester wanted to own his own daycare so he could abuse children, his palace would be a day care center?"
"Jesus Christ, are you serious?"
"Mitsu! Don't react that way...also Haru don't say stuff like that. God forbid a palace like that exists. But yes, what you said is the gist of it...the Phantom Thieves, infiltrate these palaces in order to find the ruler's treasure. Once it is found, they send a calling card to make it manifest, and when it does, they steal it. That triggers the change of heart...if you help me steal Shimizu's treasure, I will in turn help you steal you're father's treasure. I'll set you free." Takumi replied. Haru remained silent, finishing the last of her tea.
"So...if you are offering me this...does that mean the two of you are Phantom Thieves?"
"I'm not...but my brother is...he has experience in there...and you will follow his orders to the letter...is that understood?" Mitsuhide asked, earning a nod from the young woman.
"I do...but first let us shake on it, so our deal becomes solidified." the girl said, holding her hand out. Takumi wrapped his hand around hers, giving it a firm shake.
"I am thou, thou art I, thou hast acquired a new vow...
It shall become the wings of rebellion that breaketh
thy chains of captivity...
With the Rebirth of the Empress Persona, I have obtained the winds of
blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power..."
xxx(New Confidant Acquired: The Empress)xxx
"Haru Okumura, we've got an accord...come on, we have to go." he said, standing up from his seat, grabbing a hold of his guitar case. He placed his payment on the table, following one of the maids outside.
They walked quietly through Akihabara, glancing around at the tourists and anime lovers. It was a beautiful sunny afternoon, so everyone was wholeheartedly enjoying themselves. Takumi kept a smile on his face, being surrounded by anime always made him smile. He often times wished to be as carefree as some of the cosplayers in Akihabara. Even though it was all an act, they conveyed true joy, and that was something that took a lot of skill to achieve. They came to a stop at a nearby alleyway, two blocks away from Jadis and Associates, not noticing they were being followed. They arrived at the middle of the alley, away from people, but near a couple back alley shops that weren't as popular as some of the bigger ones.
"Um...is this the Metaverse?" Haru asked curiously, as she watched Takumi take out his phone.
"No...the key to getting into the Metaverse is this, an app." he said, showing her the phone screen. She looked at it oddly, quirking a brow.
"You travel to this world via cellphone app? That is rather weird."
"I'm surprised to hear you say that. You've been hanging on his every word since he made you this offer huh?" Mitsuhide asked, earning a flush from the girl.
"Anyway, here we go. Ryoutaro Shimizu."
"Candidate Found."
"Candidate?"
"The person who's the ruler of the palace." Mitsuhide explained earning a nod from the heiress.
"Jadis and Associates."
"Candidate Found."
"Alright...that's a name and a location, finally the distortion. The girl at the hospital said he considered this place a sacred temple. Let's see if it leads us anywhere. Temple." Takumi said, watching the application's loading bar spinning rapidly.
"Candidate Found."
"All three criteria have been met...why aren't we going in?" Mitsuhide asked.
"Hold your horses...and there we go." Takumi said, hitting the search button.
"Beginning Navigation."
Takumi smirked as he saw the expressions on Haru and Mitsuhide's faces. They were both surprised, seeing the area around them bend and distort, disappearing entirely. They were brought into the alternate Akihabara, noticing that aside from the overall red coloring of the area, nothing had changed.
"Huh...did we really go anywhere?"
"We did...trust me." Takumi said, placing his phone his pocket. Haru let out a surprised yelp, pointing at the boy.
"What happened to your outfit?" she cried. Mitsuhide sighed, crossing her arms.
"That is his spirit armor...the power of his Persona protects him from distortions here. The two of us are more susceptible to them without our own armor, which is why we asked you to bring your own weapon." she replied.
"I did...I hope this will do." the girl said, reaching behind her back. Literally from thin air, the girl produced a large battle axe, which she swung around for a few moments, the blade glinting in the light.
"Jesus...something small would have sufficed. Here you go sis, I got you a crossbow. It has a crank so you can set the string back in place. I was also able to get you these foam bolts, but in this world they become quite real." he said, handing the weapon and the quiver to his sister. He opened his guitar case, reaching for his Springfield Super Mach, which he slung over his shoulder. He pulled out his spare pistol, handing it to Haru.
"Here, it's got four spare magazines, use it only if you have too." he said, handing her the magazines. She nodded, placing them in her pocket, along with the gun which she placed behind her back.
"Well...let us see what monster awaits us beyond the gates." Mitsuhide said, earning a nod from Takumi. He took the lead holding his rifle tightly in his hand. They all walked out from the alleyway, jaws dropping at what they saw.
The building Jadis and Associates occupied was entirely different from what it normally looked like. Instead, the area around it looked like a giant cinema, the buildings at the bottom had bright posters on them, each advertising a film made by Ryoutaro Shimizu, all of them having his face on them. There were two large spotlights near the entrance, the bright beams reaching high into the sky as they moved back and forth. A large crowd of people lined the side of the street, cheering loudly as confetti fell around them. Takumi cut through the crowd, noticing the path that lead to the building was lined in a red carpet, and at the end of the street was a luxurious white limousine. He looked closely at the building, glancing all the way up.
Though the bottom looked like a cinema, the building itself looked like a Japanese shrine. Every floor had an angled roof, painted red with white railings. The posts were covered in traditional lanterns, with oil lanterns hanging from hooks at the edge of the roof. The very top floor was the one that was different, there was a large balcony, at least from his point of view. This part of the building seemed to be the largest, as several thick posts were attached to the main structure, holding this part firmly. He could see some trees around the edges, meaning it was the site of a garden. The top floor looked exactly like a temple, almost like the Meiji Temple in fact. He noticed the two golden dragon statues placed in front of the entrance, which bore traditional Japanese markings, painted red. The words, Love and Peace written on the lamps the dragons held in their mouths.
"Yukari was right...Shimizu does see this place as his goddamn temple." he muttered.
"Wait...this is Jadis and Associates? I've been to this building before, it looks nothing like it!"
"Like my brother said Haru...this is what Shimizu sees this place as. He is well known for starting young idols on the path to cinema stardom. He can always get fresh meat for his movies here, thus he considers this a sacred temple, the idols are his shrine maidens." Mitsuhide explained, earning a nod from the peach haired girl.
"He sounds like a scumbag."
"He is Haru...he is. The people around us are just part of his cognition, don't bother with them. We need to get inside that building to see what lies within." Takumi said, about to jump the gate when he felt a hand grab his shoulder.
"You aren't going in there Takumi, at least without explaining what the hell is going on here?" the woman said, causing the boy to swallow hard. He turned around, seeing the smiling face of Rise Kujikawa, staring back at him.
"R-Rise! What are you doing here?" he asked. Mitsuhide face palmed, the slap resounding through the area.
"What happened to all of that being careful stuff you spouted earlier? Did you not notice we were being followed?"
"Clearly not, if she was able to sneak up behind us." Takumi replied.
"You aren't a very good thief Taku-kun." Haru added, earning a glare from the boy. He took a hold of Rise's hand, pulling her away from the crowd.
After a few minutes of explaining everything, they remained silent. Rise had her eyes closed, head bowed slightly as she let everything digest. She placed a hand over her heart, a small smile working its way onto her face.
"So...that's the way of it huh? You know...a few days ago, when we shook hands, I felt a familiar power course through me. I didn't think anything of it. But here I am...back in a place like this...I can still feel her within me." she said.
"Huh? Feel who?"
"Kanzeon, my persona."
"Excuse me, let me get this shit out of my ear. What did you say?" Takumi cried, earning a giggle from the idol.
"What...do you actually think I would follow you and be defenseless? Still...to think you were a Phantom Thief all this time. You've got some major explaining to do. But now, we have to deal with Shimizu...I take it you want to scan the area right?"
"Yes...for both enemies and the main man himself...I want an explanation for why he is doing what he's doing to my sister." Mitsuhide said.
"I just want to relieve my pent up anger." Haru said, the sweet smile never leaving her face. Takumi cleared his throat, glancing at the three girls before him.
"Alright...rules...we're only going in there to scout, if we meet opposition we run. Oh, and we go by Codenames in this world...call me Songbird, we can't have people finding out our true Identities here." he said.
"Songbird?"
"I'll explain the meaning later. Mitsuhide, your name will be Rook."
"Alright, I shall wear it proudly." she replied.
"Okay, Haru you will be Knight, and Rise you're name will be Bishop. Yes, I'm using chess pieces, but that's because after this...none of you will be coming back here." he said.
"You wanna change this man's heart outright?" Rise asked curiously.
"No...what he means is, after this mission is over, he plans to tell his friends, the other Phantom Thieves about it. They will handle it, all we are here for, is information." Mitsuhide replied.
"Okay...I totally understand! I shall follow your lead Songbird!"
"Right...then let's go." he said, grabbing a hold of his gun.
The four walked through the alleyway, walking through the crowd toward the edge of the iron barrier. They walked around it, walking up the red carpet straight toward the building. Songbird opened the door and walked inside, aiming his gun in all directions.
The lobby of the building was a giant movie theater. The carpets were bright blue, and there were some felt ropes marking the place where the crowd would be lining up for their tickets. The ticket counter was at the very left of the lobby, there were three in all, along with digital boards displaying what movies were currently in theaters. There was a large snack bar at the very back of the room, with soda fountains, machines and popcorn machines. To the right was a small arcade, where people could waste some time waiting for their movie to start, finally right in the center was the information booth. There was a large entrance to the back that lead to the viewing rooms, twenty in total. There was a large set of stairs leading to the second floor, which lead to the much bigger cinemas, five in total. The entire room was being lit up by a crystal chandelier attacked to a golden chain in the center of the room.
"This place is fancy...I didn't think it would be a movie theater though." Rise muttered.
"Well, if Jadis and Associates is his temple, then the bottom floor is his cinema. He can watch movies all he wants down here while creating movies upstairs. What an egotistical piece of shit, every single movie available here has him as the leading role." Songbird said, lowering his rifle scope.
"Such is a man with a little grasp of true cinema quality art." Haru added, earning a weird look from Mitsuhide. Songbird started walking toward the information booth, noticing a receptionist behind the counter. She didn't have any discerning facial features, as they were being covered by a mask, in the shape of a movie reel. It was rather odd, but he didn't really say anything.
"Welcome to Shimizu Cinema and Film Studio, would you like a directory?" the woman asked, her voice sounding distorted.
"Nah...I wanna know where Shimizu is...I got a bone to pick with him."
"The Kunnashi is busy at the moment...he cannot take any visitors. If you'd like we could contact the Shrine Maiden to assist you." the woman said.
"Shrine Maiden...fine, may I see her? The temple is on the top floor right? I'm sure we can manage." he said, spotting the elevator on the second floor. The doors were gold and had various markings on them.
"Wait...you forgot your pass, without it you cannot access the elevator. I hope you enjoy your time here." the woman said, giving the young man a bow. He didn't say anything, holding the card tightly in his hand as he walked toward the elevators.
"A kannushi? So he sees himself as a goddamn holy man...Jesus, as if his movies were that damn good."
"He probably sees himself as a cinema god...but since he is human, the closest thing he can be is a holy man. It makes sense when you think about it." Rise replied. The boy slipped the card into the elevator's slot, willing the doors to open. He saw the Japanese characters for the numbers 2-10 instead of the actual numbers. He pressed the button for the top floors, the doors closing slowly.
"Get ready, we don't know what awaits us here." he said, flicking the safety off his rifle. He took a deep breath, masking his anger with a blank face. He didn't know what was going to happen next, but he would be ready to fight, especially because his little sister and former best friend were with him.
xxx(Confidant Ranks)xxx
Ren Amamiya 0 The Fool(Rank 4)
Morgana I The Magician(Rank 2)
Makoto Nijima II The Priestess(Rank 3)
Haru Okumura III The Empress(Rank 1)
Yusuke Kitagawa IV The Emperor(Rank 3)
Ann Takamaki VI The Lovers(Rank 4)
Ryuji Sakamoto VII The Chariot(Rank 3)
Billerica Isoshima XI The Strength(Rank 1)
Kotone Otonashi XV The Devil (Rank 2)
Ayumi Isoshima XVII The Star(Rank 1)
Mitsuhide Isoshima XVIII The Moon(Rank 4)
Rise Kujikawa XIX The Sun(Rank 3)
Igor XX The Judgment(Rank 3)
Justine & Caroline XXI The Aeon(Rank 3)