Chapter VIII: Spiritual Training
Okinawa Island (沖縄本島)/Beach/January 14, 2019 (2019年1月14日) (Reality: January 14, 2021)/9:30 AM (JST)
Ocean currents splashed against the peaceful shore where a couple stood facing the beautiful morning sky. Joining hands, the couple walked around in their summer clothes.
"It's gorgeous scenery, isn't it, Skyler?"
"Yeah."
"For as long as I've known you, you're not like other vampires. You would be ashes right now and I'd be carrying your remains around in a jar."
"Wow, morbid much, Hifumi?"
Hifumi giggled. "Sorry, but like I said you're not a normal vampire."
"Well, my friends aren't and I exactly the conventional vampires you and the public have come to know," Skyler said, firmly gripping Hifumi's hand.
Hearing that, Hifumi put a finger to his lips. "But, just know if you ever feel you need to suppress your thirst." She pulled down a strap of her bikini top, exposing her neck to him. "You have my full consent to drink me."
"C'mon, Hifumi…"
"No excuses, Skyler. I want you to be strong and healthy for me."
A smirk adorned Skyler's face as he and Hifumi leaned over for a deep romantic kiss.
Shortly after, they were on top of each other on the beach, ignoring the waves crashing near them. Suddenly, the sun started to set. Skyler and Hifumi were right back to the intercourse they had. They kissed each other all over; from their lips, cheeks, and even each other's chest. Hifumi licked Skyler's left nipple. Skyler started sucking and even bit Hifumi's right breast, drawing out a little blood to lick. Hifumi let out a low gasp and smiled.
"Yes, drink me, Skyler Jones. Don't hold back!" Hifumi erotically smiled as she arched her body forward and threw her head back. She let Skyler get on top of her as he licked a trickle of blood from her breast.
Then, as they started to suck each other's nipples.
They finally awoke back in their bed and inside their apartment.
Additionally, they saw Io laying on top of them. The couple then realized they were not sucking each other's nipples, but rather sucking on Io's enlarged breasts.
"...Io…?" The couple balked as Io greeted them with a playful smile.
"Good morning," the pale-skinned Persona Vein greeted them with a morning surprise. She saw that Skyler and Hifumi had awkward glances upon awakening up from their erotic dream. "What?"
"Maybe we should just call you Ioobs from now on," Skyler sardonically replied, letting out a deep sigh. "And that was an awesome dream."
Upon hearing this, Hifumi blinked. "Tell me, did you dream of us at a spa?"
Shaking his head, Skyler frankly replied. "Nah, we were at a beach in Okinawa, why?"
Smiling softly, the Shogi player answered. "Oh, nothing."
Staring at the couple with confusion, Io innocently blinked. "...sorry, but what am I missing here?"
Sophia University (上智大学)/Chiyoda, Tokyo (千代田区, 東京)/February 11, 2019 (2019年2月11日) (Reality: February 11, 2021)/1:30 PM (JST)
After gathering her belongings, Hifumi left her last class of the day. Between school and the late-evening training at Meiji Shrine, the young woman wanted to catch up on some sleep. She stopped by the Shogi club on her way out of the campus and heard a chorus of galvanized 'oohs and 'ahhhs' from Shogi playing students.
Upon entering the club, Hifumi poked her head to see a sizable crowd watching a game between two: a young man, whom Hifumi has consistently played with and beaten, and a young woman.
"Ah, Hifumi-san! You came just in time! Kento's about to lose this game!" A male Shogi enthusiast said.
"Kento?" Hifumi blinked as she scanned toward the players' table. When her eyes fell on the woman, she immediately recognized her. "Miki?"
"You know Nakamura Miki?" He asked her.
"Yes, we met once."
After making his last play, Miki decisively beat Kento and received cheers from the club students. Willfully drowning out their cheers, a wistful Miki turned away from her opponent, seemingly bored with facing regular Shogi players. Then, as she faced Hifumi, her eyes filled with radiance.
"Ah, Togo Hifumi. Am I glad to see you again?" Miki smiled, walking up to greet the Shogi champion. "My apologies for not giving you a heads up I'd be here today. I lost track of time."
Nodding, Hifumi replied. "No apologies are necessary. I'm glad you took time to come here and visit our Shogi club."
"I was hoping I'd play with you today, but one of your friends insisted I had to beat him if I ever wanted to play you. Something about a 'rite of passage', even though I'm a renowned Shogi champion like you."
Hifumi calmly chuckled. "Is that so? A 'rite of passage'?" She looked past Miki and saw a dejected Kento twiddling his thumbs. "Don't feel bad. Kento takes pride in Shogi. Although he has yet to defeat me, he's shown me a lot of promise."
"Is that right? Well, I don't, but then again I've only played him once."
"I take it that you still want to play me?"
Miki smiled and looked at her watch. "I wish I could, Hifumi, but I have to be somewhere and I'm running late. Perhaps another time?"
"Sure, you're more than welcome to come here. I help run the Shogi club twice a week Tuesdays and Thursdays."
"Then, I'll stop by whenever time allows me. One day, you and I must play together."
"I look forward to it," Hifumi nodded.
"By the way, you look like you could use some sleep. Get some good rest before our inevitable game. Farewell and take care, Hifumi-san," Miki bowed her head and walked out, leaving Hifumi to watch her leave the university grounds.
"Hifumi!" Skyler was heard calling out behind her. When she turned, Skyler walked up carrying a bag of bottled water. "There you are. I thought you were waiting for me in your classroom."
"Sorry, but I wanted to check in with the Shogi club and then I saw Nakamura Miki."
"You mean that Shogi player we met recently?"
Hifumi nodded in response. "Yes, she came by and played with one of my club members. She, of course, won and she said she'll stop by another time. I was surprised to see her visit unannounced."
"Well, didn't she say she'd surprise you?"
"Mmhmm, yes, but just not this soon. I asked if she wanted to play, but she said she had some commitment to attend with."
"I think you two will get along great, Hifumi. I hope to see you two play. I could definitely learn from two pros."
"Perhaps, yes. Anyway, should we get going then? Thanks for bringing us some water. We're going to need it for tonight's training."
"Training's been rough. Look, I'd make sure to get plenty of rest between school and evening training."
"Of course," Hifumi said, holding Skyler's hand. "As long as you or Io are sleeping beside me."
"Maybe using Io's Ioobs like pillows could help make you sleep better."
Hifumi lightly scoffed and pinched his butt.
"Ow!"
"I don't need Io's breasts to help me sleep, Skyler. I'll get enough sleep during my free time."
"Just thought I'd offer a suggestion."
"I know, and Io inside me just said she's ok with me sleeping with her to help with my sleep deprivation."
"Problem solved then."
"Yes, now let's get back to the apartment. Speaking of rest, I could use some."
Skyler nodded. "Then, I'll prepare an early dinner for us."
"Thanks."
Meiji Shrine (明治神宮)/Shibuya, Tokyo (渋谷区, 東京)/12:30 AM (JST)
It was another night of training at the Meiji Shrine. As arranged with the historical spirits, the Thieves, and the others, they would receive side training to better prepare for the next Yami Matter event. Io warned that there may be another relatively soon. Taking matters seriously, Ren and Sion proposed they'd train three days a week at the shrine.
It was nightfall. Past midnight to be specific. The Phantom Thieves, the Vein Remnants, and the Spiritual Gamblers arrived and met with the historical spirits. It was the first night that all the groups showed up to train. The first couple of training sessions have only involved certain individuals in each group. For example, Joker, Panther, Sion, and Tennyo would show up one night. On another night, Queen, Noir, and Sekiken would show up. Other nights have had just the Spiritual Gamblers show up for training.
Mina and Kyosuke were present to help supervise their training. Among the historical spirits present: William, Hanzo, Okatsu, Hide, Tokichiro, Mumyo, Giant Toad, Muneshige, Honda, Yukimura, Masamune, Nobunaga, and Nōhime voluntarily came forward to train their subjects.
Yuriko, the other spirits, Nekomata, Hakutaku, Fuku, Sasuke, Shigezane, and Senji Tome sat out to watch the training sessions.
To improve their fighting, Mina and Kyosuke previously proposed the Thieves train without utilizing their Personas. Likewise, the Remnants have been asked not to use their Blood Veils and Gifts. Even Tennyo was instructed not to use her special abilities. However, the Spiritual Gamblers were allowed to use their Guardian Spirits since they had the least combat experience.
To make use of the spacious area the shrine had, the spirits split the three groups up into smaller units. Everyone moved from the shrine and into Meiji Shrine's forested locations. Joker, Panther, and Skull ended up sparring with William, Hanzo, and Okatsu.
Having drawn out his katana, William beckoned the Thieves. "Come! Let's hone your skills, young warriors!"
Joker charged forward as he readily drew out his Paradise Lost Dagger. Skull came prepared with his Ruyi Jingu Bang mace. Panther had her Naraka Whip in hand. They sprinted around the trees and headed off the three spirits.
Joker slashed William with his dagger, but the Englishman countered with Joker's strikes with his katana. William was impressed with how well Joker kept up the pace. The Phantom Thief's quick strikes were easily being countered by William's katana blows.
Panther tossed her whip at Okatsu, who hopped over and landed on a tree branch. The red-clad cat woman threw her whip to break the branch, but Okatsu jumped off and threw several kunai. Panther barrel-rolled and took cover, letting the kunai fly past her. Panther stood up only for Okatsu to swiftly get behind her and put a kunai to her throat. Panther then conceded knowing she required more work on her speed.
Skull charged head-on with Hanzo, swinging his mace around like mad. Hanzo humored the blonde-haired Thieve and lured him to fight him in close quarters. Hanzo dodged Skull's unfocused swings. As Skull swung and went for Hanzo's gut, the ninja vanished and slipped behind Skull. Hanzo swiftly chopped the back of Skull's back and knocked him back. Fuming, Skull roared and went for a punch, but Hanzo conjured a cat from his garments and held it out in front. Skull withdrew his fist and watched the cat meow at him. With his guard completely dropped, the Hanzo holding the cat vanished and the real one came up behind Skull. The crafty ninja pulled Skull back and slammed him down.
Watching his two friends being outmatched by the ninjas, Joker lost focus as William smacked his dagger away. With the Englishman pointing his katana at him, Joker backed off.
"Ugh, how was I supposed to know he'd trick me with that cat?!" Skull snapped.
"It's called deception, young one," Hanzo smirked. "Never drop your guard around ninja."
Panther picked up her whip. "I'll say. I'm still having trouble keeping up with Okatsu."
"You should try blocking my kunai with your whip. You keep ducking like that and I'll easily come up behind you." Okatsu advised Panther.
"You should never keep your eyes off your opponents, especially if they're ninja," William stated.
"We're still getting used to fighting without our Personas," Joker took a few heavy breaths, wiping his forehead.
"That's because you kids have gotten too comfortable letting your Personas protect you," Mina interjected into their conversation. "I know how it's like to have a spiritual manifestation guard you against enemy attacks, but there may come situations where you can't call on your Personas. It's why I implemented fighting skills and trained my body to its physical peak to better resist attacks. Remember just like those Yokai you fought months ago and last month, you'll be dealing with physical beings."
"Hey, she's got a good point, guys," Skull sighed. "We're not fighting some weird ass cognitions. They're real monsters that can do serious ass damage."
"Right, and we can get hurt if we're not careful," Panther stated.
"Well, that's why we're here. To hone our fighting skills so we can better guard ourselves and conserve on relying on our Personas," Joker concurred with his colleagues.
Mina popped her neck and stepped in. "I hope you don't mind if I cut in. Besides, Miss Panther here could use an oomph in her physical training." She called Panther to train with her.
"Why me though?"
"Because I'd rather train you than train with that unpredictable Yumeko. To make it fair, I won't use Saoirse in our training."
Panther chuckled. "Oh right. Can't say I blame you." She brandished her whip and followed Mina. Okatsu went to watch their spar match.
"You two. Let us continue," William said as he and Hanzo beckoned Joker and Skull.
Joker watched Panther leave.
"Hey, dude. She'll be ok. Let's just focus on beating these two," Skull assured his friend.
"Right, thanks," Joker picked up his dagger and faced William.
"And as for you! No more of those kitty tricks!" Skull pointed his mace toward Hanzo.
As Panther and Mina faced off, the red-clad Thief charged with her whip and tossed it. Mina purposefully raised her right arm and let the whip seize her. The muscular woman quickly tugged and pulled Panther forward. While the Phantom Thief struggled to pull back, Mina was quickly overpowering her. Mina then tossed Panther around and tossed her into a tree.
"Ugh!" Panther grunted, her face grimacing from the pain as her back hit the tree.
Yanking the whip off her arm, Mina tossed it back to Panther. "Yes, I can tell you're going to need to work on your strength. That said…" She charged with her katana and slashed Panther, who nimbly rolled away and jumped high into the air.
Cracking her whip across, Panther snatched and pulled Mina's katana away.
"I grant you do have resilience, but that won't be enough!" Mina jumped high and punched Panther, sending her crashing down.
Scrambling to her feet, Panther picked up her whip and cursed. "Damn it, I'm falling behind the others. I have to get better for the sake of others! I can't let them down!"
Mina furrowed her brows. "Then, stop doubting yourself and keep working to improve yourself, Panther."
Knowing full well she has the highest magic power, Mina exposed Panther's main weaknesses: her endurance, agility, and physical strength; though, she was physically stronger than Futaba. She was nowhere near Queen's strength levels.
Once Panther and Mina engaged in combat, the former nimbly dodged the muscular woman's punches. When Panther tried dodging, Mina shot an elbow into Panther and knocked her down.
"You also need better focus, Panther."
Panting hard, Panther shook her head. "Damn it. Maybe Joker is right. I should try and meditate more."
"Meditate? Yes, that's a good idea. You can sharpen your mind, which will improve your concentration. Then, we can work on your strength. Have you considered joining a gym?"
"Well, Ren sometimes does. He has a membership at the Protein Lovers Gym."
"And you don't?" Mina queried.
"No? I mean, I do some light running and have cut back on carbs but I never do any of that lifting stuff."
"Then, I'll put you on my membership. We can train together regularly. Trust me, weight lifting and proper exercise will enhance your strength and endurance."
"That's good and all, but I don't think I'd want a body like yours, Mina. No offense."
Chuckling, Mina patted Panther's shoulder. "Don't worry. You're not getting a body like mine overnight. It took me years of dedication and healthy eating to achieve this peak physique!" She flexed her right arm, showing off her large, rock hard bicep. "No, we'll be working with lighter weights until you're ready for the heavier stuff. Then, we can do some boxing to help with your striking power, which should enhance your whip throwing skills. When I'm done with you, I promise you're going to be a new Panther!"
"I'm looking forward to it, Mina," Panther bowed her head before sitting down to clear her mind and meditate. Mina, too, joined her in deep meditation. Internally, Panther pressed herself to get stronger by any means. Accepting Mina's training proposal was her next step to physical self-improvement.
In another section of the forest, Sion and Tennyo sparred against Sekiken and Queen. Sion and Queen went head to head while Tennyo and Sekiken contested each other.
Sion stopped Queen's Sabazoi knuckled right hand with his Queenslayer Blade. Amazingly, the blade didn't break against her devastating punch. As Queen went for a left hook, Sion withdrew his blade and tucked his head from her earth-shattering blow. Sion saw an opening and shot an elbow into her abdomen. Queen saw it coming and kneed his face, knocking him back.
"Slick move, but you're gonna have to do better than that, Sion!" Queen harshly chided him.
Sion coolly smirked, wiping the blood from his lip. "Sheesh, loosen up, Mako-kins. We're just sparring."
Hearing the nickname the old Sion used to call her irked Queen. This was the last name she ever wanted to hear again. Sion knew he was hitting the right emotional buttons, but reminded himself to be cautious of her devastating punches. Sion and Queen circled one another, both waiting for the other to attack. Queen watched Sion turn his blade and clenched her fists. Sion took the chance and swiftly lunged at Queen, who charged him. Sion swung his Queenslayer Blade and Queen countered with a punch. Sion and Queen were caught in another standstill.
"By the way, Mako-kins, Futaba told me about that scared look you had when she scared you at her place!" Sion reminded her.
"She what…?!"
"Wish I would've been there to see your cute and timid face while you helplessly clung to Ren!"
Clenching her left hand, Queen roared and went for a straight hook into Sion's gut. Sion narrowly dodged Queen's blow and distanced himself from her reach.
Sion wore a sly grin. "Heh, is that enough motivation? I know what buttons to press."
"I am so going to lecture that girl when this is over!" Queen gritted, recalling that night she and the Thieves first met Futaba.
Withdrawing her Kunitokotachi ko-naginata, Tennyo and Sekiken watched Queen chastising Sion. Sekiken couldn't help himself but chuckle.
"What is so funny, Louis?" Tennyo curiously asked.
"Sion's having a fun time playing head games with Makoto. Also, that nickname he gave her is just plain cute."
"You mean 'Mako-kins'?" Tennyo asked. "Yes, the old Sion used to call Makoto that, too."
"The old Sion is starting to sound just like our Sion. I wonder if yours and Io's powers somehow passed some of his memories over to Skyler," Sekiken speculated.
Tennyo nodded. "Perhaps."
"And you're getting the hang of this, Hifumi. Skyler will be happy to know you've fully honed your battle skills," Sekiken said, readying his Enduring Crimson sword. "All things considered, we've been doing pretty ok without our Blood Veils."
Taking a battle stance, Tennyo brandished her ko-naginata. "Yes, and I haven't required Io's assistance."
"Let's keep it up, Hifumi."
"Yes, agreed!"
Tennyo and Sekiken quickly rushed each other. Sekiken swung his sword. Swinging around her ko-naginata, Tennyo swiftly countered all of his sword attacks. At one point, Sekiken went to slash her from behind, but Tennyo quickly turned and blocked his sword.
"Nice blocking there, Hifumi!"
Tennyo gritted as she kicked Sekiken back. "Thank you, but I'm not done yet."
Mircalla, Fox, Mona, Presto, and Oracle sparred against the largest spirit, Giant Toad. Giant Toad took out his big pipe and swung it at his adversaries. The group spread out and attacked from different angles. Mircalla readied her Brodiaea bayonet and fired at Giant Toad. In response, Giant Toad shot out his tongue and swatted away the rounds fired his way.
Blanching, Mircalla moved across and fired more rounds. Giant Toad's tongue deflected the bullets away and tripped her up with his tongue. Mircalla landed face first. Fox and Mona quickly guarded Mircalla. Fox drew out Usumidori katana. Mona conjured his Sudarshana slingshot.
"We've got you, Mia!" Mona cried out. With his slingshot, he fired and struck Giant Toad's forehead. After dazing Giant Toad, he let Fox dive into Giant Toad.
Fox unleashed multiple strikes on Giant Toad. However, that wasn't nearly enough to defeat Giant Toad. Oracle and Presto joined in to attack. Oracle jumped off a tree branch and slashed him from behind with her energy sword. Presto conjured Genbu to assist the three Phantom Thieves.
While the four fended off Giant Toad, Mircalla slowly propped herself up. She seemed ready to invoke her Blood Veil but restrained herself remembering the handicap that's been placed on her and the other Remnants. She grabbed her bayonet and rushed in to aid her friends.
"Make some room!" Mircalla called out, jumping up and shooting Giant Toad with her bayonet.
Even though the bullets seemed to bounce off Giant Toad, they hurt him enough for the others to deliver painful blows.
Tamamo, Noir, Omusubi, and Firebird surrounded Tachibana Muneshige and Honda Tadakatsu. When Muneshige swung his sword, he unleashed multiple flash-like strikes that drove the four back. Honda followed up by swinging his spear. Omusubi then drew out his Oni Bane greatsword and stopped Honda's spear.
Tamamo sprawled on all fours and summoned her Nine-Tails Guardian Spirit. Grinning wickedly, she beckoned her Guardian Spirit to attack Muneshige.
"Get up, Yumeko! You're not going to transform into that fox, are you?!" Firebird chastised Tamamo.
"Heheh. Nah. I just like being all on fours. Don't mind me."
"God, you're such a freak." Firebird then conjured Suzaku to aid Omusubi against Honda.
Noir helped Tamamo's Nine-Tails spar against Muneshige. The lone Phantom Thief took out her Fleurs du Mal axe. She rushed from Muneshige's side and went to slam her axe into him. Muneshige quickly evaded Noir's attack. The Nine-Tails then slammed into Muneshige and knocked him aside. Taking advantage of the situation, Tamamo mounted Muneshige's back and chomped on his left shoulder. The samurai grimaced over Tamamo's unorthodox fighting style and grabbed her head, tossing her off him.
"Yumeko, be careful! You'll break your teeth like that!" Noir called out.
"Pffft! Yuck!" Tamamo spat. "Huh, well that didn't go well."
"You'd think?" Noir gawked.
Muneshige scoffed as he charged with his sword. "How barbaric can a woman be to bite a samurai's armor?!" As he went to attack Tamamo, the Nine-Tails blocked his way.
"Then, perhaps you'd wish to duel a proper lady?!" Noir swung her axe at Muneshige, who then guarded with his sword.
Honda was in the middle of a scuffle with Omusubi. Omusubi swung down his greatsword and disarmed Honda's spear. Firebird directed Suzaku to launch small fiery blasts at Honda. Honda saw the fiery blasts raining down on him. He dodged the fire and kept his distance. Omusubi rushed at Honda and swung his greatsword. Honda quickly rolled away and snatched his spear off the ground. Honda got up ready to duel again.
"You two are quite proficient. I'll grant you that much," Honda complimented Omusubi and Firebird.
"Hearing praise from a renowned figure like you, I'm honored," Omusubi kindly replied.
"I'm getting fired up now!" Firebird cried out.
"Considering the element you use, literally or figuratively?" The Revenant teased the Gambler.
Firebird coolly smirked. "Both."
Brave and Azure sparred with Yukimura and Masamune. Before the sparring match, Brave summoned Janomecho. Azure manifested just Blue Dragon to assist her. On top of their Guardian Spirits, the two Spiritual Gamblers conjured their weapons to fight with. Brave wielded her spear. Azure conjured dual katanas.
Brave and Azure went head to head with Yukimura and Masamune. This would be the first time Brave and Azure were paired up. During the other training sessions, Brave would've been paired with her friends, Tamamo and Presto. However, Nekomata decided team members needed to work with others they're not accustomed to working with. In Nekomata's view, this was to help build trust in others.
Swinging her blade, Brave kept missing her mark on Yukimura. Yukimura continued dodging her straightforward attacks.
Masamune had little difficulty countering Azure's dual katanas. He relied on his fast speed and sword to dodge Azure's predictable attacks.
Then, the ladies sent their Guardian Spirits to attack Yukimura and Masamune. As the spirits kept the samurai men occupied, Brave and Azure rushed to attack their adversaries.
"I've got him!" Brave shouted.
"No way, I've got mine first!" Azure cried out.
Brave and Azure kept pushing each other. They saw their Guardian Spirits wearing down the samurai. As they pressed forward, the samurai noticed the women bickering. They decided to finish the match. Yukimura swung with his spear. Masamune slashed the air with his sword. The power from their attacks blew Brave and Azure back. The Guardian Spirits then returned to their summoners.
Shaking leaves off her, Brave snarled and berated Azure. "What the hell was that?! I had him!"
Azure growled. "You shouldn't have gotten in the way, you blonde bitch! I was doing just fine before your ass bumped into me!"
"You're not implying my ass is big, are you?!"
"If the panties fit…!"
"What did you say?!" Brave angrily cried as she lunged at and pushed Azure down. She got on top of Azure and reached for her eyepatch.
Azure grabbed Brave's hand and kicked her hard in the gut. As Azure got up, she went to punch Brave, but Firebird jumped in and restrained her. As Brave went for Azure, Presto pulled her back.
"LET ME AT HER!" Brave and Azure screamed with a fit of rage.
"C'mon, stop it, Mary!" Presto pleaded to her. "You and Midari are supposed to be working together!"
"That's right! We're on the same side here!" Firebird exclaimed, trying hard to hold back the frenzied Azure.
"Why don't I yank out that other eye of yours so you can go blind, bitch?!" Brave threatened Azure.
"Not if I tear every little strand off your head, you blonde bimbo!" Flipped out Azure, who wanted nothing more than to scalp the blonde into a bald woman.
"Well, this 'bimbo' made it far in that shithole academy and earned Yumeko's respect. I even got Kirari's sister to recognize me. You? Yumeko hated your ass and ignored your pathetic existence, but you were too dumb to realize that. It took a while for her to finally notice you again!"
These harsh words from Brave stung Azure, who angrily reached for Brave's head.
It didn't take long for the Phantom Thieves, the Vein Remnants, Tamamo, and the spirits to stop Brave and Azure's vicious in-fighting brawl. It finally took Mina to effortlessly grab Brave and Azure. She effortlessly lifted both ladies and tossed them down.
"Knock it off, you two! Unless you want me to kick your asses right now!" Mina snapped at Brave and Azure, quickly shutting them up.
"Seems a few here still need work on team dynamics," Nekomata observed Brave and Azure's differences.
Tamamo sat down next to Brave. "Hey, you and Midari will work things out. After all, I stopped ignoring her and started giving her attention again."
Brave frowned and pouted. "Yeah, right. As if I'll ever team with her again."
Presto pleaded. "Please, Mary. I know you feel more comfortable when you're paired with me or Yumeko, but the purpose of the training was for us to work with different people. If you keep teaming with us, you'll get too comfortable relying on just us. What if we're not around when you need us?"
"Then, why not pair me with Itsuki, one of the Thieves, or Skyler's friends?"
Sion spoke up. "Because it was decided by the spirits. Besides, I'm already working with Makoto. And so far, we're having a blast. Aren't we, Mako-kins?"
Queen scoffed. "Hn, speak for yourself, Skyler Jones."
Tennyo interjected. "And I've decided to train with Sekiken to get a better understanding of his battle skills. It's an interesting lesson to learn each other's styles."
"The same applies with you and Midari working together," Joker said.
"Now, are you two gonna kiss and makeup? Or, am I gonna have to shove both your faces together?" Mina, wearing a menacing glare, popped her knuckles as she conjured Saoirse to beat them down. Saoirse, too, sported Mina's intense look.
Sensing Mina's intimidating aura, Brave and Azure squeaked frightfully and turned to each other.
"Yeah, you two don't want to cross Mina," Panther said while rubbing her butt. "I learned that the hard way."
"Lady Ann? Do you need a massage?" Mona offered to treat her wounds.
"Nah, I think I'll be fine, Mona-chan!"
"So, can you two get along?" Presto asked the two ladies.
Sighing, Brave and Azure reluctantly reached over and shook each other's hands. After making a truce, the groups took a break from their sparring matches. However, that wouldn't be the end of the sessions.
Violet, Songstress, and Yaksha sparred with Mumyo and Kyosuke. As Songstress clashed with Mumyo, Kyosuke climbed up a tree to escape Violet and Yaksha tracking him down. However, once he reached the top of the tree, Yaksha sprang out and attacked him with her trusty Japanese greatsword, Nagimukuro. Kyosuke immediately blocked her greatsword with his ōdachi. While pushing their blades toward the other, Kyosuke quickly drove an elbow into the Revenant's stomach, knocking some wind out of her. This let him slip by Yaksha as he jumped across several tree branches.
"Get back here! That was cheap!" Yaksha called out.
"If you can't get me without relying on your supernatural abilities, you're in a heap of trouble!" Kyosuke retorted.
Huffing with frustration, Yaksha leaped across a few branches and utilized some of her gymnastics to catch up with him. Every leap she made, she grabbed a branch, swung around, and threw herself to the next branch, using them like trapeze bars.
With his focus entirely on Yaksha, Kyosuke had forgotten about the crimson-haired Phantom Thief, who swooped down out of hiding. Readily taking out her rapier, Violet unleashed quick strikes. Narrowly dodging Violet's attacks, Kyosuke countered her quick slashes with his ōdachi.
"You're quite skilled with your ōdachi, Kyosuke!" Violet complimented him amid their sword duel. As she went for a forward strike, Kyosuke quickly got around Violet and swung his ōdachi toward her side.
"Thanks, but less complimenting my style and concentrating on beating me!" As he went for a striking blow, Violet jumped high over the swordsman. Diving head-on with Kyosuke, Violet went for a forward strike.
Kyosuke then threw his ōdachi, knocking Violet's rapier from her hands. As he reached for the gymnast, the Revenant threw herself in front of Violet and swung her Nagimukuro toward Kyosuke's head. Timing Yaksha's strike in his head, he stopped her greatsword with his hands. With her sword just several inches from Kyosuke's face, Yaksha gritted fiercely as her eyes glowed bright red.
"Didn't we agree you wouldn't unleash that beast-like nature?" Kyosuke reminded Yaksha.
"Rin, please calm down. This is just a sparring match," Violet pleaded, causing Yaksha to withdraw her Nagimukuro. Once she calmed her down, Yaksha's red eyes faded.
"And you dropped your guard again," Kyosuke sighed, quickly seizing Yaksha's arm as he tossed her off the tree branch and sent her falling to the forested ground.
"Rin!" Violet called out, leaping off the branch to tend to Yaksha. "You shouldn't get too frustrated when we're sparring with our colleagues." She put an arm over Yaksha's shoulder, who cast her eyes on the ground. "Hey, it's ok. We can pick ourselves back up and…"
"You don't understand, Sumire. You're talking to someone who was a leader of a group of experienced Revenants. I'm talking about guys who were old enough to be my dad and big brother."
"Really?"
Nodding, Yaksha dusted herself off and passively chuckled. "It just feels humiliating to be so rusty. I'm only just now relearning what I knew."
Violet shook her head and smiled encouragingly. "Listen, sometimes we fall off during inactivity. Didn't you say your injury was what kept you from catching up to my sister? And then you kept being a gymnast?"
"Heh, who am I kidding? I never would've been Kasumi's equal, Sumire."
"Don't say that. I know you can and so does my sister. Since your leg is healed now, you can pick up gymnastics again. Use that gymnast spirit to keep you going." As Violet watched Kyosuke waiting for them, she placed a hand out to Yaksha. "Well? Shall we continue and beat Kyosuke together?"
Staring up at Violet's affectionate smile, Yaksha remembered Kasumi giving her this exact look. At several points, she messed up on her moves and spots. Just when it looked like she was going to give up, Rin's friendly rival, Kasumi, encouraged her to keep going. When Yaksha faced Kyosuke, she picked up her Hagimukuro.
"Let's show him we're not to be messed with, Sumire," Yaksha declared as she and Violet dashed forward and split up, circling Kyosuke.
"That's the spirit, Rin!" Violet called out as she and Yaksha double teamed against Kyosuke, who blocked their attacks with his ōdachi.
Meanwhile, as she matched running speeds with Mumyo, Songstress fired a few shots from her Libertador bayonet at the Yokai hunter. Finding herself locked in a fight with a Revenant, Mumyo tried not to view her as a Yokai and withheld any fatal blows that may otherwise harm the Revenant.
"Please do not hold back on my account. Treat me as if I'm a Yokai. Otherwise, I cannot get any stronger," Songstress pressed the Yokai hunter on. Readying her bayonet, she charged at Mumyo, who quickly defended herself by swinging her spear.
"Is this what you want? Be careful what you wish for," Mumyo warned her with an intense glare, which elicited a grin on the Revenant's face.
"That's much better," Songstress responded with a close-ranged bayonet shot, which Mumyo stopped with her spear. As the Revenant went for a speedy dash, Mumyo attacked with her spear, forcing Songstress to go defensive while dodging the Yokai hunter's quick strikes.
Elsewhere, and not far from Violet, Songstress, and Yaksha's duel, Crow and Hunter teamed up against Tokichiro and Hide. As Hunter attacked Hide with his Executioner sword, Hide blocked all of the Revenant's strikes with his sword.
Meanwhile, Crow grew increasingly frustrated with Tokichiro dodging all of his attacks.
"Your mind isn't clear, young one! If you want to strike me, you'll have to clear whatever troubles your clouded thoughts!" Tokichiro hounded Crow, who went for a straight thrust with his serrated swords.
"You don't need to lecture me," Crow gritted as he swung at Tokichiro with one of his swords. At that precise moment, Sae's face and voice filled his headspace, laying into him thick with disparaging remarks. "...ugh! Stop!" He screamed as he fell on his left knee. Cursing Sae internally, he raised his head and saw Hunter walking toward him.
"Hey, Akechi. Are you alright? C'mon, let's keep up with our training," Hunter calmly advised him.
Why was I seeing 'her'?! Why is that ungrateful Sae in my mind?! Why am I even thinking about Sae now?! Crow's frantic thoughts gave him nerve-racking mental anguish.
"Ok, I think we should switch things up. You two duel each other," Tokichiro suggested as he and Hide stepped away, leaving Hunter and Crow behind to face each other.
Brandishing his Executioner sword, Hunter intently glared toward Crow. As Crow readied his serrated swords, Hunter briefly sensed something off about Crow. Shaking his head, Crow quickly regained his composure and calmed his unhinged state of being.
"Begin!" Hide declared.
When the two combatants circled each other, Hunter mightily swung his sword and raced toward him head-on. Defending himself with his swords, Crow blocked all of Hunter's strikes. Hide and Tokichiro keenly observed the combatants, assessing their attack patterns and techniques. The first half of the duel ended on a decent note with Jack scoring two hits more than Crow, who was having a little trouble without his Metaverse powers, which he was forbidden from using during training.
"Hey, Akechi. Not bad, but you're going to have to be quicker than that. You're lucky they told me not to use my Blood Veil and Gifts."
Hiding a scowl beneath a deep breath, Crow faked a pleasant smile. "Yes, yes, well don't get too overconfident, my friend. The next round will surely be mine now that I've seen your moves."
"Let's have another go then," Hunter nodded, taking a swordsman's stance. As Crow rushed Hunter, the duel went smoothly with Hunter and Crow scoring equal shots to their bodies.
At one point, Crow swung his serrated swords toward Hunter's left side. The Revenant narrowly turned his body around, allowing him to get behind Crow. When Crow turned to defend himself, Hunter quickly wore him down with quick and decisive sword strikes. Going for a final blow to decide the duel, Crow's face contorted with dismay and anger when Sae reappeared in his mind to cast a scornful glare. The anger etched on her face matched her furious and disparaging tone.
"No, stop it…!" Crow seethed as he remembered the exact words Sae said to him that sealed the fate of their working relationship.
Sae's voice screamed inside Crow's headspace, filling him with despair. "As far as I'm concerned, you're just Shido's hellspawn!"
"Who are you calling a hellspawn?! Don't you dare look down on me, Sae!"
"How couldn't have I not known you were Shido's son?! All you are to him is a spitting image of that bastard. I don't even see a former partner, but Shido's hellspawn."
Her voice continued to echo and disparage Crow, further breaking down the walls surrounding his insecurities.
"YOU WILL NEVER DISRESPECT ME AGAIN, YOU BITCH!"
"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT! You shouldn't have come here. I'll give you to the count of 20 to get the fuck out of my office now! Or, so help me I'll make sure you never find a hiding spot in this city again!"
Screaming with fury, Crow blindly swung his serrated swords around without regard for Hunter, who got closer toward him. However, instead of Hunter, he saw Sae standing before him with Hunter's Executioner sword.
Seemingly seeing Sae ready to duel him, Crow let go of his unrestrained emotions and laughed maniacally. His distressed look contorted with an unhinged expression, which matched his mentally broken state.
"CALL ME A HELLSPAWN?! THEN, WHY DON'T I SPLIT YOU DOWN THE MIDDLE, NIIJIMA SAE?!" Maniacally laughed Crow, who rushed 'Sae' with murderous intent. Once he and 'Sae' clashed swords, Crow frantically unleashed his Metaverse-like powers. He overwhelmed 'Sae' with multiple strikes with his swords. Then, he swiftly brought 'Sae' down with Laevateinn, bringing her down to her knees as the Executioner sword fell from her grasp. "HEHEHEH, ANY LAST WORDS BEFORE I SNUFF YOU OUT, SAE?!"
"Sae..? Who the hell is Sae?!" 'Sae' screamed at him, trying to reasoning with the unhinged warrior
"ENOUGH!" Hide and Tokichiro quickly intervened. Then, it didn't take long for the others, including Joker, Panther, Sion, Tennyo, Skull, Queen, Noir, Sekiken, Tamamo, Brave, Presto, Azure, Firebird, Mina, and William, who all arrived first.
"Akechi! Stop!" Joker shouted as he seized Crow's hands and disarmed him. "What the hell is wrong with you?! That's Jack!"
"You could've fatally injured him, or worse!" Panther angrily chastised Crow.
"Dude lay off Jack! What the hell did he do to you?!" Skull berated him.
"Jack's a good guy. Why would you do this horrible thing to him?" Tamamo asked with concern for the Revenant's condition.
"You better tell us what happened here, Akechi!" Queen angrily demanded an explanation.
At that moment, Violet, Songstress, Yaksha, Kyosuke, and Mumyo arrived to see the commotion. Upon seeing her beloved Hunter sporting bloody wounds on his body, Songstress instinctively raced over to him.
"J-Jack…" Crow sputtered in disbelief. From his view, 'Sae' vanished and in her place was an injured Hunter, who was being treated by Songstress. "Oh my god…" As he approached Hunter, Songstress quickly aimed her bayonet at him.
"Back off, you bastard!" Songstress growled intensely, preparing to shoot Crow without hesitation.
"Holy fuck, man! Even I'm not that crazy! And I'm crazier as they come! You seriously could've killed this guy!" Azure exclaimed.
"That was messed up! You better fess up and talk!" Brave cried out.
"Ok, that's enough! This has gone out of hand!" Sekiken yelled out.
"Why did Akechi shout my sister's name?" Queen asked.
"I don't know, but he went off as soon as he said her name. He thought I was Niijima Sae. Isn't Sae your older sister, Makoto?" Hunter asked Queen as Tennyo healed Hunter with Panacea Essence.
"Yes, she is, but Akechi, be straight with me. Why did you curse my sister's name? Did you see her recently?" Queen asked Crow, who while feeling like an outcast already turned away.
On his way out of the shrine, Akechi eyed Hunter and openly apologized. "I'm truly sorry, Jack. Please…" Before he could finish, he walked out on the group, refusing to answer any questions.
Queen called out to him again. "Wait! What happened between you two?!"
"Get the hell back here, Akechi! Apologize to Jack!" Sion called him out, his eyes glowed red with fury. All it took to calm him down was Tennyo holding his hand.
"One of us has to bring him back," Noir suggested.
Biting her bottom lip, Violet turned around and bowed to the group. "I'll go after him. Maybe if I reason with him, he'll listen?"
"I don't know if you should, Sumire. No offense, but look what he did to Jack," Panther expressed concern for the red-haired Phantom Thief's bold decision.
"She's right. That bastard hurt my friend. I don't want him hurting you, too," Yaksha tried to talk Violet out of leaving.
"I greatly appreciate your concerns, but please let me go after him. I promise I'll approach him as delicately as I can."
Taking a deep breath, Joker nodded with approval of Violet's choice. "We trust you, Sumire, but be careful. Ok?"
"Thank you, everyone," Violet replied with the brightest smile she could muster and raced off after Crow.
As everyone else calmed down and watched Hunter healed up, Nekomata reappeared and assessed the situation.
"That young man has baggage he must unpack. If he continues shouldering this burden, he'll do himself no favors. You will have to help him clear his mind before he's stable enough to train here again," Nekomata advised the Thieves, the Vein Remnants, and the Spiritual Gamblers.
"We'll do all we can for Akechi," Joker said.
"Who's we? I ain't sparring with that nutjob," Azure scoffed.
"Yeah, count me out, too. There's no telling when something else triggers him and makes him go off on one of us," Brave concurred with Azure's sentiments.
"Yeah, I don't see myself training with someone who hurt my friend," Yaksha remarked.
"Hifumi, how is he now?" Sion asked Tennyo, who replied with an approving nod.
"He's been treated. I would suggest he not train anymore for tonight," Tennyo stated.
"Jack, thank god," Songstress sighed with relief as she embraced Hunter.
"Guys, I'm ok now. Hifumi and Io are true miracle workers with their healing abilities," Hunter reassured everyone. "However, do me a favor and don't hold anything against Akechi. During our duel, I noticed he wasn't being his usual calm self. Something was bothering him and it's no doubt related to your sister, Makoto. She must've said something to piss him off."
Queen tapped her chin. "Hmm, but why hasn't sis told me anything about seeing Akechi? She would've told me by now."
"Maybe she's waiting to put a warrant for his arrest? After all, he was traced to having connections with Shido," Fox reminded them.
"Well, he saw me as Sae and attacked me thinking he slaughtered her, but he learned the hard way things weren't what they seemed," Hunter pressed on. "According to him, I heard him say she called him a hellspawn, and he called me… or, rather, called her a bitch."
Clenching her fists, Queen scowled under her breath. "...sis, what the hell happened to make Akechi call you out so vehemently?"
"Mako-chan," Noir whispered, feeling worried for her girlfriend's situation.
"Don't worry. Whenever you're ready to talk to Sae, then you two can talk things out about Akechi. For now, we can only hope he'll come back and be on his best behavior," Sekiken stated.
Folding her arms over Hunter, Songstress smiled. "I'm so glad you're ok."
"Please don't hate Akechi on my behalf, Eva."
Furrowing her brows, Songstress sighed. "I can't make any promises distrusting him, but I won't kill him."
"Thanks, Eva," Hunter said as they kissed.
"Whatever's going on, I hope things can get resolved for our sake," Sion said.
"They will. He just needs time," Joker added.
"I think you're being too nice to him, Joker. Had that been one of my friends, I wouldn't be as forgiving," Tamamo said.
"Let it go, guys. I'm going to be fine now," Hunter reassured his friends and allies.
"Well, I suppose, but Akechi's going to have to do a ton to earn our trust again," Omubushi said.
"Oh yeah, that's for sure," Mircalla frowned.
"Well, Fox has something that just might lighten this rather dour mood," Mona addressed the others. "Well, Fox?"
Just then, Fox garnered everyone's attention. Oracle saw a few were too preoccupied recovering from their training sessions.
"Hey, Inari has something he wants to show us!" Oracle shouted, finally getting all eyes facing Fox.
"Thank you, Futaba," Fox smiled. "Ever since we started training here, I've started painting a theme related to the spirits of this shrine."
"Oh, cool! Show us!" Skull exclaimed.
"What do you think? Yusuke paints some elaborate art," Presto said to his friends.
"Sure, why don't we have a look?" Tamamo nodded.
A large assembly formed within Meiji Shrine. The Phantom Thieves, the Vein Remnants, the Spiritual Gamblers, and the spirits watched Yusuke and Futaba in front of an art stand covered under a gray sheet.
"Sorry for the 15-minute wait, but we needed to prepare! Now, for your viewing pleasure, allow Inari to show you his latest masterpiece!" Futaba proudly announced it to all. "Inari, why don't you show them our super awesome painting!"
"Our painting?" Yusuke raised a brow.
"Yeah, I collaborated and this painting is partly based on my ideas!" Futaba reminded him.
"So, it's a collaborator piece?" Ren asked.
"Well, she's technically not wrong," Yusuke sighed.
"C'mon, show us already!" Ann yelled out.
"Let us see!" Yumeko demanded the unveiling.
"What could you be keeping from us?" Rin curiously asked the artist.
"Yeah, the sooner we can get back to training, the better!" Ryuji impatiently shouted.
With a gleam from her glasses, Futaba sneakily grinned. "Ladies and gents, behold! Inari and I's masterpiece! We give you, Samurai Pocket Monsters!"
With that, Yusuke ripped the sheet from the art stand. He unveiled the latest painting piece he's worked on. Everyone except the spirits recognized the Pokémon characters spread across the painting canvas. The painting also depicted numerous samurai figures on opposing sides with these Pokémon.
"Whoa, that's so cool!" Yumeko gleamed over the art piece.
"That's a good piece," Mary nodded, her usually cynical self was intrigued by the painting.
"I know, right? This is a clever idea for an art piece!" Ryōta asserted, complimenting Yusuke's crossover work of art.
"Hmm, not bad," Louis nodded. "What do you think, Skyler?"
"It's a nice mix of archaic figures with modern pop cultures," he critiqued the art piece.
"It's great, but I doubt Yusuke intended to have Pocket Monsters in this painting," Makoto plainly stated.
"Yeah, I think we can tell who suggested the Pocket Monsters," Haru smiled.
As Haru said this, the Thieves, Remnants, and Gamblers veered toward Futaba, who whistled away playing innocent. She quickly cupped her ears.
"Oh, what do you guys ever mean? Nah, it was totally Inari's idea!" Futaba sneaked a grin.
"The Pocket Monsters was your idea and you know it, Futaba," Yusuke sighed with exasperation. "Though, in honesty, I wanted to draw something for the Pocket Monsters Tournament at this year's AnimeJapan."
"Mmhmm, and Inari asked me for some input. He wanted a nice clash between ancient and contemporary in one painting. He also wanted some kind of Red vs. Blue theme. So, I thought why not Red and Blue from Generation 1!"
"Well, the spirits seem to approve of it," Ren pointed out as Willian, Hide, Tokichiro, Hanzo, Okatsu, Nobunaga, Yukimura, Masamune, Mumyo, and the others surrounded the painting to give their artistic critique.
"These Pocket Monsters they describe look like legendary beasts and Yokai to me," William assessed the character painting.
Standing opposite each other, Yukimura and Masamune scanned the painting with their characters inscribed with specific team colors.
On the left side of the painting was Team Red, represented by Sanada Yukimura; Team Red's Pocket Monster roster consisted Mega Lizardon Y (Mega Charizard Y), Gallop (Rapidash), Butterfree, Fire (Moltres), Victini, and Primal Groudon. Yukimura eyed Mega Lizardon Y and nodded approvingly at his monster leader representative.
On the right side was Team Blue, represented by Date Masamune; Team Blue's Pocket Monster roster comprised Mega Lizardon X (Mega Charizard X), Gyarados, Burungel (Jellicent), Kairyu (Dragonite), Bohmander (Salamence), and Primal Kyogre.
Yukimura and Masamune briefly changed heated glares.
"Hmm, is it to your liking, gentlemen?" Cautiously approached Yusuke, who was hesitant to get between them.
"Um, I think they're really into it, Inari," Futaba nervously chuckled.
Bowing their heads, Yukimura and Masamune both gave Yusuke's painting their seal of approval. Yusuke returned a customary bow to them.
"If they like it, then I'm sure the showrunners of that Pocket Monster tournament will approve," Ann said.
"Guess we'll see," Makoto added.
"We can't wait to see it on display at AnimeJapan for more people to see!" Mia cried out.
"This AnimeJapan is a festivity you all celebrate?" William asked the Thieves, Remnants, and Gamblers.
"Yeah, you can say that," Skyler nodded.
"It happens yearly and people come dressed as characters," Hifumi briefly described the concept of the pop culture convention.
"Do they dress like us?" Nobunaga asked.
"Sure, but not y'all exactly," Ryuji tried to explain clearer. "More like other versions of you."
Jack added. "Yes, for example, Nobunaga, there are many versions of you in books and television shows."
"I see. So, we've been translated into works of art based on various sources about our lives."
Nekomata chimed in. "It's time to resume training, my friends." He motioned over to Ren, Skyler, and Hifumi. "You three will face two opponents." He turned over to Nobunaga. "You and Nōhime."
Upon hearing this, Ren, Skyler, and Hifumi stood up and walked out. Nobunaga called Nōhime over.
"Looks like the show and tell is over, you two," Makoto told Yusuke and Futaba.
"Let's check this out, Inari."
"Yes, this should be quite a duel."
"Akechi? Are you ok?" Sumire found him breathing hard outside the shrine area.
"I just need some space, Sumire. Please, let me go and clear my head."
Nodding, Sumire offered. "I'll walk you…"
"No, it's fine, Sumire. Go back with Ren and the others. I'll be fine."
"But…" Sumire watched him leave on his own free will. "Ok, as you wish. Anyway, I have to go home, too. Take care."
With that, the two parted ways and headed out to retire for the evening. Looking past her shoulder, Sumire saw Akechi nowhere to be seen. Perplexed, she wondered how he suddenly vanished instantly without a second's notice.
After Yusuke showed off his latest artwork, Nekomata summoned Joker, Sion, and Tennyo forward. The trio then faced their sparring opponents: Oda Nobunaga and Nōhime.
Nekomata declared. "Let this duel commence now!"
Once the duel started, Joker, Sion, and Tennyo spread out, splitting up Nobunaga and Nōhime. Nobunaga drew out his sword to fight Joker and Sion. Joker took out his Paradise Lost dagger and clashed with Nobunaga. With his Queenslayer Blade, Sion came charging to the side. Nobunaga barely sidestepped Sion's advance and took on the two blade wielders.
Spinning around, Nōhime unleashed an icy wind toward Tennyo. Tennyo quickly moved to the side, avoiding getting caught and turned to ice. Tennyo sprinted forward and slashed at Nōhime with rapid ko-naginata strikes. Nōhime conjured and tossed sharp icicles at Tennyo, who shattered them with a ko-naginata swing. Tennyo jumped forward and prepared to run her weapon through Nōhime. The Yuki-Onna quickly conjured an ice naginata and defended against Tennyo's ko-naginata. The maidens clashed and countered each other's fast strikes.
Meanwhile, Joker and Sion's teamwork proved effective against Nobunaga's adept swordsman skills. Sion spun with his Queenslayer Blade, clipping Nobunaga's sword out of his hands. Joker landed consecutive hits on Nobunaga with his dagger. Nobunaga tried and failed to keep up with the Phantom Thief's fast strikes. Joker then turned and knocked him back with a blow to his chest. Having been bested by the Phantom Thief and Revenant duo, Nobunaga fell.
After shattering Nōhime's ice shards, Tennyo unleashed a decisive ko-naginata slash that broke Nōhime's naginata. Tennyo then finished the duel with a ko-naginata slash, bringing the Yuki-Onna down to her knees. Tennyo quickly got behind Nōhime and lowered her ko-naginata blade to the Yuki-Onna's throat.
"We concede to you," Nobunaga surrendered on their behalf.
"A fine duel, my friends," Nekomata acknowledged Joker, Sion, and Tennyo's battle prowess. "Even better that you never called upon your Persona manifestations. Well done."
"All this extra training has been a big help. We couldn't have gotten better without you, great spirits," Sion expressed his gratitude to William and company.
"Thank you," Tennyo bowed as William and the others did the same.
"So, what do you think, Nobunaga?" William queried the famed warrior and figurehead.
"They've shown me great aptitude in their fighting skills. I hope they apply what they've learned in the future battles."
"We won't let anything you've taught us to go to the wayside, venerable ancestors," Joker said, putting away his dagger.
"Awesome moves, you three!" Futaba cheered them on.
"Hell yeah! You kicked ass!" Ryuji exclaimed.
"I can't wait to see us utilize what we've gained through this training whenever the Yami Matter strikes again. Whatever and whenever it might be," Louis said.
"Yeah, you can say that again," Makoto added, punching her right hand into her left palm.
After their sparring match, Joker, Sion, and Tennyo shifted back to their normal selves. Ren put on his glasses and approached Ann, who waited for him. Skyler and Hifumi sat together to treat each other's training scars, though they didn't suffer too bad injuries since they've not only gotten better at fighting but avoided getting hurt for the most part.
"Some of us have gotten better, but a few of us need some work," Ann reminded herself after taking a loss in her sparring match with Mina.
Hearing this, Ryōta, Yumeko, and Itsuki turned toward Mary and Midari. "Yeah, like you two. We need to cast any differences aside." Ryōta referred to Mary and Midari's heated scuffle during and after their sparring match.
Mary turned away and pouted. "Right."
Midari sardonically replied. "Whatever you say, man."
"You two will come to the shrine for more practice," Yuriko advised the two young women.
"And that's not an option for you either! I'll be there waiting for you two!" Mina harshly ordered Mary and Midari.
Yumeko chuckled. "Oh, that sucks for you! Haha, enjoy the torture!"
"While most of you have gotten better, keep in mind you're fighting enemies in their physical form. Some of you Phantom Thieves need to keep this in mind. Training your bodies is crucial." Mina advised the Thieves.
"Yeah, I hope our gym training goes well for me, Mina," Ann said.
"That logic can be applied to us, too," Mia addressed on behalf of the Revenants. "Since we have our full Revenant strengths, whenever we fight there's going to be collateral damage. We need to restrain ourselves if we can help it. We have to be mindful and not get too crazy, guys."
Yakumo concurred. "She's got a point."
Skyler added. "Yeah, but that allows us to adapt and fight more creatively. We at least can utilize our Blood Veils and Gifts when we need them most."
"Did you get all that, Io?" Hifumi asked the Vein Remnant resting inside her.
"Yes, I have." Io happily responded within Hifumi's mind.
"Guys, I hope I won't become too much of a burden," Ann shamefully addressed the Thieves.
"Of course, you won't, Ann," Ren assured his wife, kissing her hand.
"You think you need to work more? Hell, I've practically been too reliant on Al Azif! I gotta take extra training with that Amazon," Futaba muttered, referring to her physical sparring with Mina. "I have no doubt you'll do better than me, Ann."
"Thanks, I feel a little better hearing that," Ann tried to smile the best she could.
"Oh, Ann," Haru muttered, feeling genuinely sorry for her.
"Hey, here's a way to cheer you up, Lady Ann," Morgana poked in between her and Ren. "Let's have an outing together. I think we all earned it after all this training."
"Now that's a great idea!" Ryuji beamed over Morgana's suggestion for a group outing somewhere in town.
"Ooo! How about Akihabara?!" Yumeko suggested. "There's a lot of places we can explore and shop around!"
Futaba's eyes lit up. "I could go shopping for new figurines! And I hear there's that Sailor Moon Café! I wanna try their themed burgers, candy, and smoothies!"
"That would be a great way to relax. I do want to see what I can find at one of the art shops," Yusuke said.
"Then, it's decided then?" Makoto turned to everyone. They all nodded in unison.
"Akihabara it is then," Ren decided on their outing. "Let's meet in six days and hope everyone is off that day."
"Sweet! Akihabara here we come!" Ryuji energetically declared.
In six days, the Thieves, Remnants, and Gamblers anticipated their first leisure outing as an overall group. This would help them decompress after all the training, school, and work they've had to invest time and energy into as of late.
"Enjoy your leisure, my friends, but also be vigilant," Nekomata wisely reminded the urban warriors.
Chapter Soundtrack
Mnemosyne OST - 12 - Purity- Hifumi/Skyler's dream intercourse. Song immediately ends when they wake up and are actually sucking Io's breasts.
Nioh 仁王 OST - Kyushu Region Map Theme - First song of the Meiji Shrine training.
Code Vein OST - March of the Lost - Training sessions.
18. Mononofu I - NIOH DISC 1 OST - Sparing with Hanzo, William, and Okatsu.
Muramasa Rebirth {Okoi Chapter} OST - Second Act ~ B Version- Tennyo/Sion vs. Queen/Sekiken.
22. Mononofu II - NIOH DISC 1 OST - Sparing with Giant Toad, Tachibana Muneshige, and Honda Tadakatsu.
Nioh OST - Sanada Yukimura (Decisive Battle)仁王 Defiant Honor DLC - Sparing with Masamune and Yukimura.
Nioh 2 OST - Battle III- Training with Hide, Mumyo, and Tokichiro.
Muramasa: The Demon Blade OST - Ephemeral Glory A - Showing Yusuke's artwork and talks of AnimeJapan.
Nioh OST - Oda Nobunaga & Date Masamune - Sparing with Nobunaga and Nōhime.
Muramasa: The Demon Blade OST - Womanizing A - Last song of the chapter.
A/N: That opening scene was an intentional cop-out. Besides, did you really think Skyler and Hifumi flew out so quickly to Okinawa the night after the convention and a whole late night of erotic sex? Nah, you should've figured something was up. And I hope those two enjoyed Io's 'Ioobs'.
Before the training section, Hifumi meets Miki again, who beat one of Hifumi's usual Shogi opponents. This certainly won't be the last time these two cross paths.
This chapter was meant to showcase one night of the group's semi-daily training at Meiji Shrine. Some aren't faring well as others but they're working to better themselves without relying on their Personas/Blood Veils/Gifts/Revenant powers. Only the Spiritual Gamblers are allotted use of their Guardian Spirits since they're mostly novices (except, Yumeko, Mary, and Ryōta). Poor Skull gets tricked by a cat and now Ann has to commit to training with Mina outside the shrine visits. These duels helped strengthen new bonds and reminded others (namely Mary and Midari) that teamwork is paramount. It also revealed areas where certain characters are lacking without their Personas and Blood Veils: physical close-quarters combat.
Let's not even get into one of the highlights (if not the biggest one): Akechi's breakdown moment and letting Sae continue to haunt him. As she persists in living in his headspace rent-free, he starts to see random people as Sae and immediately attacks them. This will get problematic if he allows this psychological setback to persist. Thankfully Jack is a very forgiving guy, or else Eva would've ripped Akechi's spine out. Now, it'll be only a matter of time when Makoto talks to Sae about Akechi.
The Pokémon scene was fun to write because I've been imagining the stoic samurai trying to comprehend what these 'Pocket Monsters' are. Moreover, I may have indicated a chapter event with AnimeJapan mentioned. Keep reading.
The next part will be another breather chapter as our group heads over to Akihabara, the Tokyo haven for otakus and gamers.
That's all for this segment. Leave a comment and review. See you in the next chapter!