Deliberations and training
And here we are with another one!
Without delay, on with the chapter!
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters.
Unknown location.
'Why humans think being omniscient is a good thing is honestly beyond me.
Perhaps they believe that being able to see everything will help them make better decisions? That they can prevent certain things from happening? Or improving them?
It certainly must not be because they believe there is something interesting to see.'
Those were the thoughts of Yaldabaoth as he observed humanity's movements; the indolent masses just going with the flow during their everyday, most of them barely even thinking.
'And yet, that damn Igor thinks that there is something more in them than wanting to be controlled.' He growled, remembering the moment he trapped him. 'That damn attendant had the gall to laugh! It was certainly smart of him to contact the Trickster so soon.' Reigning in his animosity, the deity gave credit where credit was due and moved on. 'You are a fool for betting on these foolish creatures, nothing can stand in the way of the control humanity desires; I will make sure to give them what they wish for.' His vision focused on certain individuals in different places. 'Humans have free will, sure, but they are also easily suggestible.' Letting out a dark chuckle, Yaldabaoth put his plan in motion. 'You made a good move, Igor, but you're wrong if you think I don't have more moves available to me.'
Leblanc's attic.
Akira isn't sure how long he has stared at his phone, the same message saying 'you can call me Alibaba' showing on the screen.
It doesn't look like this Alibaba has any intention of reporting him, not that there is anything to report at the moment, but the fact they just conveniently send him a message when he was trying to get information was more than a little suspicious.
'For now… I can't accept the information, not without knowing who they are and what they want.' Akira thought with a scowl. 'They already told me they have their reasons for helping but that's just a polite way of saying 'it's none of your business' so I won't get more than that…'
"What will you do?" Morgana asked.
"I don't know." The teen mumbled. "For now, I need to figure out how Alibaba knows I'm looking for that guy's name or at least why."
"I suggest we discuss the information we have available." Arsène chimed in. "It might help us realize something."
"Well, we never talked about that man before so Alibaba must have found out about us wanting to do something today." Zorro mentioned.
"Yeah, but how did they know to follow us today of all times?" Morgana asked in turn.
"Why assume it was us they were following?" Arsène suggested.
"They might be trailing that man and happened to overhear us." Akira added. "But…"
"I can't say I was paying close attention to every person we ran across but if someone was following us… I think I would have noticed." Morgana said, although he sounded unsure.
"Not only that, why would they choose to suddenly follow us if they're actually after that other man?" Zorro frowned. "It's not like Akira left just after that man did, at least a few hours passed."
"That's true, and Morgana and Zorro told the two of us about what that man talked about with Boss before Akira put his phone to his ear so he could join." Arsène remembered.
"True, I…" The teen's eyes opened wide but he fought the reaction down almost immediately.
"Akira?" The not-cat called out.
'Shit, could it be…? Even if I'm wrong, I can't risk it.'
"What the hell am I gonna do?" The teen thought out loud.
"What are you talking about?" Morgana tilted his head in confusion.
"…alright, if you're meowing that much then you must be hungry, I'll think more on this later." Akira said before dropping his phone on his bed, face down, and grabbing Morgana.
"Ah… are you alright?" Zorro asked.
Without making a sound, Akira brought a finger to his lips, signaling for silence; he then moved to his desk where several school supplies were, took out a pen and a notebook and wrote on it.
"There is a chance my phone is wire-tapped." He wrote before showing it to Morgana and the two Personas.
"What?!" The not-cat shrieked.
"Crap; that's… that's really bad." Zorro face-palmed.
"That's an understatement, my friend." Arsène sighed.
"I'll pretend I don't know anything for now; Alibaba can't understand Morgana or hear either of you so they must think I'm just thinking out loud or bouncing ideas off my cat." Akira wrote down and added after a moment. "Or that I'm crazy."
"Shouldn't you turn your phone off or something?" Zorro suggested.
"Not a good idea, at least not right now, if that's indeed what's happening, it could tip Alibaba that we know." Arsène answered.
Akira nodded.
"But what do we do now? Do we accept Alibaba's offer?" Morgana asked.
The three remained silent for a minute before Akira wrote again.
"Do you think Boss or Futaba could be in immediate danger?"
"Boss already paid that man so he shouldn't be a threat for now." The not-cat answered.
"In that case, I suggest we wait… two weeks at most; if that man comes back before that time then Morgana can follow him and find out where he lives, if not, then we'll contact Alibaba again."
"What if Alibaba demands that we do something now?" Zorro mentioned.
"Then we know Alibaba is a lot more interested in something being done about that man and we'll have a card to play."
The four exchanged looks before nodding in agreement to this plan.
Closing his notebook, Akira walked back to his bed and grabbed his phone.
"Alibaba; for now, I have no reason to believe that man will do something to Sakura Sojiro so I will wait to see what information I can dig up on my own." He began. "However, depending on the circumstances, I am willing to make a deal with you; I will contact you again in due time."
"This isn't the kind of stuff you should procrastinate." Alibaba answered almost immediately. "But fine, suit yourself."
'…it feels like my life turned into one surprise after the other since I got here.' The black haired teen sighed.
The following week was challenging, to say the least.
Knowing that there is the possibility of Alibaba listening to what he says through his phone means that he has to be careful with his words but, at the same time, if he suddenly stops 'talking to himself' or 'bouncing ideas off his cat' then that could also tip them off that he knows his phone is being compromised.
In other words, he has to think twice about everything he says when not with someone in order to avoid suspicion but can't just remain quiet.
'I need a break.' Akira sighed.
Unfortunately, since he isn't going to school, the only person he talks to on a daily basis is Sojiro and, while he certainly isn't as cold as when Akira first arrived, they aren't so close as to make small talk.
The only other people he talks to are Shinichi, Kasumi and Sumire.
The first one is mostly just a client, he always talks when he comes to Leblanc but not someone he sees on a daily basis to have a conversation.
Kasumi and Sumire are a bit of a weird case; the two are usually busy with their gymnastics training but the three exchange messages every other day but that's done through his phone and since he suspects Alibaba is listening to what he says through it, he wouldn't put it past them to also read his messages so, once again, he has to be careful about what he says.
"You look exhausted." Arsène commented as he watched Akira work.
The teen rolled his eyes at the obvious.
"Perhaps you could ask those girls to meet? I'm sure it would be good to be able to talk out loud without having to second-guess everything you say." Zorro suggested.
Akira thought for a moment and nodded.
'They did say they have training almost every day but I can at least ask when they have a free day.'
…
During his lunch break, Akira decided he wasn't on the mood to leave so he got some of Sojiro's curry and went upstairs to eat it.
He sent a message asking when they're available to the chat between him and the twins before saying a quick 'thanks for the food' and digging in.
He was about half-way done with the curry when his phone rang.
"We have a free day next week." Kasumi answered. "We can meet then if you want."
"I'd appreciate it." The teen sent back.
"…is everything okay?" Sumire asked. "This is the first time you sent us a message asking us about our free days." Before he could answer, he saw the three dots signaling that Sumire was still writing. "Not that I'm complaining! I just found it curious…"
"Don't worry; nothing much, I just want to talk; Boss' is skilled in a lot of things, small-talk isn't one of them." Akira answered with a grin before adding. "Don't tell him I said that, haha." The two sent a laughing emote. "I'll let you get back to whatever you were doing; see you next week?"
"Sure!"
"Until then."
Kasumi and Sumire answered in turn.
Pocketing his phone, Akira finished the last of his curry with a wide smile on his face.
It was Sunday now and, as much as Akira may joke about it, Leblanc does have a rush hour; it probably isn't much when compared to other places but enough to keep him and Sojiro busy.
However, there was one person inside the café he did not expect to see that day.
"G-good afternoon."
"…Sumire-san?" He mumbled, his eyes wide.
"H-hello." The red haired girl said as she walked forward and took a seat at the only spot on the counter. "Sorry for dropping in unannounced."
"No, not at all; I was just surprised." Akira answered before getting his bearings back. "I thought you would be training."
"It's my lunch break and…" She trailed off while averting her eyes.
"Why don't you go take your lunch break? I can handle things here." Sojiro suddenly said.
"…I owe you one." Akira said to his guardian before taking off his apron. "Do you mind if we go somewhere else?" He asked Sumire.
"Not at all." She got up and bowed towards Sojiro before the two left the café.
"…now that I think about it, if it's your lunch break, we could have eaten at Leblanc." The black haired teen sweat dropped.
"I don't mind, we can go somewhere else."
"Do you have any place in mind?"
"Oh, um… not really."
"What about the diner in Shibuya then? Oh, wait, do you have time?"
"It's okay, I can make it back to practice if it's just at Shibuya; I checked the trains' timetable."
"Alright, let's go then." Even as he says this, Akira can't help but think he is forgetting something.
The trip to Shibuya was over pretty fast and the two made a bee-line for the diner; they were lucky since there was a table open.
"So… I'm certainly not complaining but why did you come over? I'm sure it would be easier if you ate your lunch somewhere near the… gym? I'm guessing?"
"That's a good guess." Sumire nodded as she eyed the menu. "It's just…"
"Yes?"
"…" Sumire hid behind her menu before whispering. "You said you wanted to talk yesterday so… I didn't want to make you wait until next week."
"…" Akira blinked once, twice, until her words finally registered. "Sumire."
If she was surprised that he suddenly referred to her without honorifics, Akira couldn't tell because of the menu.
Smiling softly, he reached over and slowly pulled the menu down until he could see her eyes.
"Thank you, Sumire."
The red haired girl held his gaze for a few seconds before nodding.
"Don't mention it… Akira-kun."
If the black haired teen had to guess, she was smiling just as he was behind her 'cover'.
"Oh, my." The moment was interrupted by the waitress. "My apologies, I will come back later."
Akira almost let her but then remembered they're on lunch break and Sumire will likely have to go soon.
"No, wait, we're ready to order."
The two gave her their orders and the waitress smiled before leaving to get them.
"Sorry about that; we're on a schedule after all." The black haired teen said sheepishly.
"N-no, it's alright, I didn't notice her either." Sumire assured him, a light blush dusting her cheeks. "So, um… about what you wanted to talk about… is it that thing you were having issues with?"
"No, I actually managed that after our conversation last time." Akira grinned. "Just needed to find the right reason for doing it… I'm fairly certain that was just the easy part compared to what's coming, though."
"I'm glad, I wish you luck… and tell me if you ever need someone to talk to about it."
"I'll take you up on that." Akira smiled. "By the way, your dad mentioned you last time he came to Leblanc, he said you were in a slump?"
"Ah… yeah." The red haired girl sighed. "I don't know what I'm doing wrong… I keep messing up my routine"
"…I wish I could help but I don't know the first thing about gymnastics." Akira admitted while scratching his neck. "I'm happy to listen if you want to talk."
"I would like that."
"Here is your order." The waitress came with the food and let it down on the table. "Enjoy."
"Thank you." The two said in unison before digging in.
"So, did your coach say anything about why you're in a slump?"
"Sort of…" Sumire frowned. "She is a great coach because she doesn't hold our hands all the way, she gives us a push and lets us figure out the rest on our own."
"So what 'push' did she give you?"
"She said my movements were too stiff, that I had to make them feel more natural but…"
"You don't know how to do that?" Akira offered after she trailed off.
"Yes." Sumire looked down. "I've practiced the moves for a long time and I know I can pull them off but it always feels like I need to force them to; Kasumi already has them perfected."
"…does she now?"
"Yes, she even stays with me for extra practice to help me get them right." She sighed. "She already has her own training to do and still…"
"…can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"Are you… trying to imitate Kasumi-san's moves?"
"I… I suppose so, we've always trained the same things so…"
"This is coming from someone that doesn't know the first thing about gymnastics but wouldn't it be better if you learn moves that suit you? Maybe the reason for your slump is that you're trying to imitate her."
"That's…" Sumire looked like she was about to deny it before her expression turned thoughtful. "I mean… we have to imitate the moves in order to learn them; it's all about repetition."
"I agree, that's true for any sport, but doing the exact same thing others do may not work for you." The black haired teen pointed out. "It's not that it's wrong to learn the same moves Kasumi-san learns but perhaps the problem is that you're thinking 'I have to move as Kasumi does' and that's why they feel forced." He said before chuckling. "Well, I say that but, again, I don't know the first thing about gymnastics so maybe I'm just talking nonsense."
"…" Sumire just stayed quiet, looking in deep thought. "You… you may have a point but…"
"But?"
"It's just… we're twins, we should be able to do the same things." Even as she said that, it sounded like Sumire was trying to convince herself of that.
"Didn't Kasumi-san mention that you're the cook between the two the first time you came to Leblanc?" Akira asked.
"Eh… ah, I think she mentioned that, yes; why?"
"Does she know how to cook?"
"Well… yes." Sumire said after a moment.
"Let me rephrase; are you a better cook than your sister?"
"I… I suppose so."
"So, you're both twins, yet you are better at cooking than Kasumi-san." Akira pointed out the obvious. "Even if 'you should be able to do the same things'; right?"
"H-hmm." Sumire nodded.
"So, doesn't the same apply to gymnastics? Just because 'Kasumi can do this move this way' doesn't mean you have to do it in the exact same way."
"…"
"…Sumire, are you okay?"
"Eh? Ah, yes!" She yelped. "S-sorry, it's just… I always compared my performance to Kasumi's so hearing that I shouldn't imitate her feels… weird."
"…in a good way? He asks hopefully." Akira said with a joking tone to try and lighten the mood.
"I… I'm not sure but…" Sumire smiled. "I think… I will try and not just imitate what Kasumi does."
"I'll be cheering for you." Akira smiled back as he took a sip of water.
"Do you mind if I ask you something?"
"Go ahead."
"You said that imitation and repetition is true for any sport, did you do any sport in your hometown?"
"Volleyball." He answered almost immediately. "I wasn't exceptional but I was pretty good if I say so myself."
"Oh, what…"
"What is it?"
"I was going to ask you what position you played but… I don't really know them." Sumire admitted with a sheepish smile.
"I can teach you if you want."
"Yes, please." She nodded happily.
"Alright, I played 'Opposite Hitter', it's a position you could call 'balanced' since I have to both attack and defend."
.
.
Akira was in the middle of telling a story about his time on his previous school's volleyball team when Sumire's phone rang.
"Oh, please excuse me." She accepted the call and put the phone to her ear. "Kasumi? What's wrong?"
"Sumire, where are you?!" Kasumi asked urgently from the other end of the line. "Lunch break ended almost half an hour ago!"
"What?!" Sumire shrieked, checking the time. "Oh, no, no, no; I lost track of time! Coach Hiraguchi is going to be so mad!"
"'Going to'? Sumire, she is glaring at me right now; she is the one who told me to call you!"
Sumire's face paled.
"I'm so sorry! Please tell Coach Hiraguchi I'll be there as soon as possible!"
"You better hurry." With that, the call was ended.
"I'm sorry, I-"
"I got the gist of it." Akira assured her as he called for the check and quickly payed for their food.
"Ah, wait." Sumire took out her wallet and payed for her part. "I caught you by surprise by coming to Leblanc, it would be rude to make you pay."
"I-"
"I won't accept the money back." She said firmly.
"…alright, then." He raised his arms in mock surrender.
They grabbed their things and exited the diner.
"I'm sorry, I lost track of time and-"
"It's my fault as well, I should have at least asked when your break was over." Akira interrupted. "But we can apologize later, Boss is probably going to want my head so let's hurry back and we can exchange notes about how bad we were punished later." He said jokingly
"Hehe, alright." Sumire giggled. "Sorry and thank you, I'll message you later." She did a quick bow before running off to the station.
"Don't you want to follow her to the station?" Arsène materialized behind him and asked.
Akira sighed before starting to walk in the opposite direction.
"Ah, different trains, I understand." The Persona nodded. "She is a very pleasant person."
The teen smiled in agreement.
"Do you perhaps have feelings for her?"
Akira almost tripped at the sudden question.
"No one can blame you if you did; she is kind, polite and pleasant to talk to."
Akira agreed to all that but frowned.
"Ah, that's true, fighting Yaldy takes priority." Arsène sighed. "While I agree with that, it's not like you're fighting him or preparing to fight him all the time, you're still human after all; it's good to take a break."
Akira's frown deepened.
"You're wondering how I can answer what you're thinking, right?" Arsène said. "And no, I can't read your mind."
He sent the Persona a look that said 'then how?'
"Remember what I said during our contract? 'I am thou, thou art I', that is not a figure of speech; we may have certain differences but we are still essentially the same; my face never changes yet you can always tell if my words are serious or meant as a joke, can't you?"
Akira's expression turned thoughtful.
'Interesting.'
"Agreed."
Akira gulped before entering Leblanc and saw the place empty save for Sojiro sitting at the counter with a newspaper.
"You're late." He said with a neutral expression.
"I'm sorry, I lost track of time, it won't happen again." He bowed.
"Eh, not a problem, the worst of the rush hour was over by the time you left." Sojiro shrugged before smirking. "I take it you two had a good time."
Akira hid his blush by pushing up his glasses.
"We did." He answered once he calmed down. "Thanks again."
"Don't mention it." Sojiro shrugged again. "Now, it's time for your training so get behind the counter."
Akira chuckled and did as told.
"Welcome home." Kasumi said when she saw Sumire drag her feet inside the house. "…are you okay?"
"I'm never forgetting the time ever again." She mumbled. 'But… I feel strangely well.'
"Where did you go anyway? You just gave me my lunch and said that you had to go somewhere before running off."
"I… I went to see Akira-kun." She admitted.
"Come again?"
"I went to see Akira-kun." Sumire repeated, confused at her sister's expression.
"So… '-kun', huh? Not '-san'?" Kasumi grinned widely.
Sumire's face flushed red at the implication.
"A-ah, it's just- we-"
"Relax, I'm just teasing." Kasumi said with a giggle. "So that's why you lost track of time."
"Y-yes…" The younger twin wanted to hide her face inside her jacket out of embarrassment but she looked up after a moment. "Ah, but it wasn't his fault! He also needed to go to Leblanc but we got to talking and then lost track of time so it's not his fault!"
"Sumire, relax." Kasumi walked forward and patted her head. "I'm not going to be angry because you wanted to spend time with a friend; I just hope this getting late to practice doesn't become a habit."
"It won't, I promise." Sumire assured her with a smile. "Sorry, but I'm tired, I just want to take a bath and forget about training for a bit."
"That bad, huh?" Kasumi winced; she knows as much as Sumire that Coach Hiraguchi doesn't like it when they're late without a good reason.
"I… would rather not talk about it for now."
"I understand." Kasumi nodded and moved to let her pass; she grinned just as Sumire opened the door to the living room. "Tell me what you talked about with 'Akira-kun' later~"
The red haired girl blushed and almost tripped, especially when she saw her parents staring at her with a curios look.
.
Dinner was a bit uncomfortable with Kasumi constantly making remarks about 'Akira-kun', her father's and mother's amused grins didn't help either.
'That was so embarrassing.' Sumire thought as she lay on her bed. 'Well… I can't say I hated it.'
PING
'Hm?' Her phone pinged with a notification and she took it from her nightstand.
"So, I'm willing to bet that you beat me in the 'who got the worst punishment' competition; am I right?"
She let out a giggle at the message before beginning to type her reply.
"Well, Coach Hiraguchi made me repeat my entire routine for an hour after normal practice was over, then practice the basics for another hour and then help her clean up; what about you?"
Akira winced from his spot on the bed.
"Yeah, you definitely beat me, Boss wasn't even mad when I came back; he just made me practice making coffee a bit more than usual." He sent it before adding. "And teased me about being late because I was with you but that would have happened even if I was on time."
"You're texting that girl with the red hair, aren't you?" Morgana asked as he jumped onto the bed.
"He is." Arsène answered for him.
"Well, I'm glad I didn't get you in trouble then, sorry again for losing track of time."
Akira frowned at the message.
"It's not like I didn't do the same so it's not your fault alone; let's just make sure we set an alarm or something next time."
There was a minute without any replies or even a signal that she was writing but before Akira could ask about it, he saw the three dots appear.
"Of course, we'll do that next time." Sumire answered. "I'm sorry but I'm really tired now, can we talk more tomorrow?"
"Of course, good night."
"Good night."
With that, he locked his phone and let it fall on the bed.
He then looked at Morgana who looked to be waiting for him.
"I wanted to talk to you about training." The not-cat began. "We don't have a target or the means to find one, we don't know when that guy threatening the Chief may come back and we don't have many options except to wait or contact Alibaba but while we're waiting, we can go to Mementos and train." Morgana smiled smugly. "You can even practice talking with Shadows and convincing them to join you."
The teen looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding, he then pointed to his left wrist with his right index finger.
"I think it's better to go after your turn at the café is over, I don't have to remind you how tired you usually are, do I? And that was when we were fighting just one shadow to try and trigger your awakening."
Akira grimaced at the memory but nodded in agreement.
"Anything I should know?" He asked out loud to pretend to be 'talking with his cat'.
"It's better if I explain everything once we're there; just make sure to bring the model gun with you and be ready for a fight."
"That, I can do." The teen said before going to sleep.
After his shift at Leblanc was over, Akira made his way towards the Shibuya train station with Morgana inside his bag.
"Hmm…"
"What is it?" The not-cat asked.
"He is thinking that we may not want to enter Mementos in such a crowded area." Arsène provided.
'Arsène, I like you more with each passing day.'
"Thanks." The Persona said and Akira knows he is grinning.
"You make a point but I wouldn't worry too much, just find an alley or a place with less people and that should be plenty."
Akira gave the cat an unsure look.
"Relax, no one is watching us and people won't think 'a kid came out of nowhere' they'll just convince themselves that they didn't see you before."
'If you say so.' Akira mumbled and moved to the alley where Untouchable is located, discreetely waving at Lavenza who was standing beside the door to the Velvet Room.
The petite girl smiled and waved back.
"Good luck on your trip, Trickster." She added with a bow.
"Thanks." He muttered before moving next to the wall so people in Central Street can't see him and he introduced the keyword. "Mementos."
The world shifted around him and soon enough, he was in his Metaverse attire with Morgana standing on two feet next to him.
"Let's go!" The not-cat said as the two made their way to the subway entrance. "Did you bring the gun?"
"Of course." He looked in his coat and took out the gun and his knife. "…wait, where did I get it from? My bag didn't come with us."
"That's another effect of the Metaverse." Morgana said with a grin. "This is a world of 'cognition', if you think of something as true then it becomes true."
"…it can't possibly be that simple." The teen said with a skeptical look.
"It actually is; the catch is how you can make use of it." Morgana looked into the pockets of his belt and got a bottle of something that looked like medicine. "Tell me, where did I get this from?"
"…your belt but you don't have that as a cat in the real world…"
"Exactly, except for the cat part; however, it's still 'something that's mine and I use'." He said. "This is the best way I can explain it; once inside the Metaverse, whatever items you deem as 'yours' and 'useful for your work' will automatically be with you at all times; you just have to search any pocket in your outfit and you will find what you're looking for."
"So if I bring, say, another knife with me, it will be somewhere inside my coat and I can pull it out at any time?"
"Exactly."
"…"
"What?"
"Don't think of this world with commons sense… it just works, Akira." He mumbled to himself.
"Of course, they won't come back with you from the Metaverse unless you want them to; if you happen to have a lot of weapons then you can't exactly walk around with them on you without looking suspicious."
"Tell me, if I had left the gun at home and you explained all of this, would it have come to me on its own once I know of it?"
"That's… complicated." Morgana frowned. "Once I showed you the medicine and explained all this, then maybe, but you could still be thinking 'I left the gun at home' so it wouldn't appear on you." He grinned smugly. "Buuut, now you experienced not having only your gun but also your knife that appeared out of nowhere, your cognition should be adapted so any other weapons you get will be with you once in the Metaverse."
"What happens to the real world version of the model gun, then?"
"It depends; this time, it will stay with you once we go back, from now on, you can keep it in your room and it will be… 'transported', is the best word I can come up with, to you when you enter the Metaverse."
"I'll have to put it somewhere no one will see it disappear by accident, then." Akira thought out loud as he put away his weapons. "But that's something to think of later… wait, you say this is a 'world of cognition' so if someone sees this gun and thinks it's real…"
"Then it becomes real." Morgana grinned. "You may know it's just a model but shadows don't and when it comes to weapons, it matters more how the shadows in the Metaverse think of them than how you think of them."
"…it just works." He mumbled. "So, what do we do now?"
"We'll find a few shadows and train against them, there are certain aspects of combat I still need to teach you." Morgana replied as they walked down the stairs. "If we can, we'll try and make use of your power of the wild card as well."
"Find a shadow and coerce them to join us…" Akira mumbled. "I'm still not sure how I'm supposed to do that."
"It will come naturally with time; for now, just focus on defeating them." Akira nodded as they arrived at the station and jumped down to the railings. "Are you ready?"
The teen pulled at his gloves before smirking.
"It's Showtime."
With those words, the two set off to find targets.
.
It took less than five minutes to find a Shadow.
"Want to take this one?" Morgana asked with a smirk.
Akira smirked back and waited until it had its back to them before running forward, jumping on top of it and ripping off its mask.
He jumped back as it dissolved and the familiar silhouette of a Jack-o-lantern appeared in front of him.
"Watch this." Morgana called out. "Zorro!" His Persona materialized behind him and moved its rapier making a 'Z' in the air and sending a green gust of wind towards their enemy, striking the shadow and making it fall to the ground in a daze. "Follow my lead!" Morgana said as he took out his sword and dashed forward.
Akira did as told and followed while brandishing his knife.
The two jumped to opposite sides of the downed shadow and began slashing at it while jumping around it, eventually jumping back as it disintegrated.
"I just targeted that shadow's weakness with a wind skill." Morgana explained. "Every shadow, and Persona, has specific 'affinities' that they are weak or strong against and their skills usually reflect that; you experienced that when you first awakened Arsène, didn't you?"
"Yeah, I used a skill similar to the one you used… thinking back, I just 'knew' what that did, even if the name 'eiha' doesn't really mean anything or, at least, nothing I'm aware of."
"'I am thou, thou art I' is not just a figure of speech."
"Arsène mentioned that too." Akira chuckled. "Hmm… it seems Arsène is strong against 'curse' but weak against both 'ice' and 'bless'."
"Zorro is strong against 'wind' but weak against 'electricity'." Morgana revealed. "Make sure to remember this going forward, targeting a shadow's weakness is the most efficient way to defeat them."
"Got it." The teen nodded. "Shall we go find more 'sparring' partners?"
"Lead the way!"
.
.
"I'm not exactly complaining but don't you think there are way too many Jack-o-lanterns here?"
"Yeah…"
"Are you alright, Morgana?"
"Using skills takes a toll on you." He answered. "There are different types but they are divided in two major groups 'physical' skills and 'magic' skills."
"I'm guessing that wind you keep throwing around would be a 'magic' one, right?"
"Yep, it's called 'garu'." The not-cat nodded. "It uses your… mental fortitude, I think would be the best way to describe it; if you use magic skills too much then it will tire you out to the point that you can't use them anymore, you will also experience something similar to a headache."
"I see…" Akira focused in Arsène for a moment. "Eiha is magic and Arsène also has a physical skill, I'm guessing the same applies to it?"
"Yes and no; using physical skills takes away your stamina instead of your mental fortitude, you will get more and more tired the more you use them; while using magic skills can give you a headache, using physical ones can, in the worst case scenario, make you pass out."
"So use them in moderation, got it."
"I have a magic skill that can recover our stamina but I can't do anything about our mental power."
"I'll keep that in mind for the future; do you want to call it a day?" The teen asked worriedly.
"…yeah, better not to overdo it, we already trained enough for now." Morgana nodded.
The two turned around to being the walk back to the entrance.
"Hm? There is a shadow there." Akira whispered after hiding behind a wall, pointing at the Shadow standing between them and the platform.
"I can fight one more battle, let's finish it quickly and go." Morgana assured him.
"Alright, on my mark." He looked around the corner and waited until the shadow had its back to them. "Now."
The two lunged forward, Akira using his hands to make a stepping stone for Morgana and launching him on top of the shadow.
Morgana pawed away at the mask until it came off and jumped back as it morphed into its true form.
"…well, just as I said that there were too many Jack-o-lanterns here." Akira chuckled.
The shadow that appeared this time looked a lot more humanoid, it stood around Akira's height, its arms a bit too long in proportion to its body, with a pointy nose reminiscent of Igor's, red skin and black hair that looked like a porcupine's spikes.
"I doubt this one is weak to wind-" BANG
Morgana hadn't even finished talking when Akira pull out his gun and shot at it; the bullet hitting its left shoulder and sending it to the ground.
"Looks like he doesn't like guns, let's go!" Akira pulled out his knife and dashed forward, ready to jump and attack.
"Wait! Wait!" The teen stopped on his tracks as the shadow called out, raising his uninjured arm in surrender. "Don't kill me, I'll give you whatever you want!"
Akira blinked in shock before looking at Morgana.
"I guess you get to practice using your power; tell it to join us." Morgana answered his unspoken question.
"I want you to give me your power." Akira said, his knife ready to parry an attack just in case.
"My power? I'm just a weakling you knocked out immediately, are you sure you want that?" The shadow asked.
"Yeah, that's what I want; besides, anyone would go down if someone suddenly shot them."
"Huh… well, when you put it like that… wait!" The shadow's eyes went wide as it moved to stand up. "I remember now, I'm not a shadow that belongs here!" It began to shine with a familiar blue light. "I am thou, thou art I; my true name is 'Goblin', take care of me from now on." With those words, Goblin turned into a mask and the mask turned to light before being absorbed by the one Akira has on his face.
"…so that's the power of the wild card." Akira mumbled, feeling a second presence next to Arsène. "Persona." Taking out his mask, he focused on the second presence and summoned Goblin. "…this will be very useful." He smirked as he recalled his mask.
"Well, what do you know? You even got a new Persona." Morgana said happily. "I'd say this was a very fruitful trip, wouldn't you agree?"
"Definitely." He nodded with a chuckle. "Great job, Morgana." He moved his arm towards him and opened his palm.
The not-cat grinned as he jumped and high-fived him with his paw.
Here is another one!
I want to clarify, I did NOT forget about the Mona-mobile, it just won't play a role yet since there is no reason for Akira and Morgana to go further than the first floor of Mementos; I assure you, it will appear later on.
Since I'm on the subject, I know I haven't used the code-names yet either but those will also play a role later; I have an explanation as to why Morgana hasn't mentioned them yet and… well, kudos to you if you manage to guess it, hehe.
Also, the 'Goblin' Akira made a Persona, is a demon from the SMT series; I never played the series but I do know of it and I searched the wiki for demons to add to the Persona roster since the normal one feels like it would be short now that I have two years worth of stuff to write instead of one.
Welp, I think that's it; I hope you enjoyed the chapter and don't forget to leave a comment~
Until next time!