October 8th.
Hifumi was getting ready to leave for school. Once more, she was faced with the issue of knowing she wasn't going to be able to focus during school. It was hard to when all she could think about was the things she would say to her mother's Shadow later today. This made the expression on her face very serious. Just as she was going to walk out the door, she noticed her mother on the phone. "Good morning, Mother."
"Good morning." Mitsuyo was waiting for someone to pick up on the other line. She noticed Hifumi's expression and lifted a curious brow. "Is something the matter? That's the look you have when you're playing Shogi."
"Oh, um." Hifumi didn't realize she looked so serious, but it made sense. "Mother…the people I surround myself with, you don't like them, do you?"
"Not at all." Mitsuyo replied in a heartbeat. "I would prefer if you kept better company, but unfortunately I see that is not in my hands. I know your father is happy to see you making friends, but I know for a fact they are terrible influences on you."
"I see…" Hifumi expected that response. That didn't mean it hurt any less…she really just wished things were like this. "And Mika?"
"She's a peach, isn't she? I'm so glad you two have been getting along. I would hate for anything to happen to your relationship her." Mitsuyo had a bit of a knowing smile on her lips…although in reality, she didn't know anything at all.
"Mmm…me neither." Hifumi was just going to leave it at that. Whatever happened between Mika and her mother, Mika was clearly acting on her own. "I have to go now. I'll see you later." She forced a slight smile before exiting her home to go to school.
"I still have that trick up my sleeve if those Shujin students prove to be too much of a stain on my daughter's reputation. They will not destroy what I've built…" Mitsuyo grumbled once Hifumi was out the door.
.
.
It was lunchtime at Kosei. As usual, Yusuke and Hifumi sat together. Hifumi's stare was focused, yet distant. Yusuke obviously took note of this. "Is something the matter?" He asked to snap Hifumi out of her thoughts.
"Oh…" Hifumi shook her head a bit before turning to Yusuke. "I'm sorry, I was just thinking about later today."
"That's right; you did ask us about your Mother's Palace." Yusuke said. "Have you figured out what it is you want to say to her?"
"That's…what I'm struggling with." Hifumi admitted, letting out a heavy sigh. "I know what I want to say, but when I think about how I want to say it, I get stuck."
"I believe that's only natural." Yusuke replied while crossing his arms. "I know exactly how you are feeling in this moment."
"You do…?" Hifumi blinked once, then it clicked. Of course Yusuke would know, he took part in changing Madarame's heart after all. "…Was it hard for you, Yusuke?"
Yusuke closed his eyes. It had been nearly half a year since Yusuke learned the truth of Madarame…it was a struggle. At the time, in the heat of the moment, it was easy for Yusuke to claim that he had no pity for Madarame. But recently, it was hard for him to stick to that claim…he learned that at the end of the day, Madarame truly did care for him in his own, noticeable way. "I thought it was. You recall how I called you, Ren, Ann, and Ryuji to discuss my difficulties, yes?"
"Mhm." Hifumi nodded. "You were really stuck back then."
"For a while, I believed that discarding those feelings would be simple. But I found that impossible…and the more I learned about that man, the harder it became for me to truly say I hated him. What he did was completely unforgivable and I still stand by that, however in the end, he still took care of me."
"It's so hard." Hifumi sighed. "I don't want to hate my mother. I love her a lot…but the things she's been doing lately, I can't sit idly by and ignore it. Not when it's hurting people I care about. Shifting through these feelings is so hard."
"It's okay to let your emotions get the better of you in this instance." Yusuke told Hifumi. His expierence in this regard allowed him to help his friend. While Haru was going through something similar, Yusuke was able to see the aftermath of the change of heart as well. "Let your heart speak. Clearly, you are very passionate about this. That is the reason you are struggling so much. I can tell you, that as long as you say what it is you need to, it doesn't matter how many words you need to use."
"Let my heart speak?" Hifumi repeated those words to herself. She was thinking about it too much, but she knew in her heart what she wanted to say. It really was that simple, but here she was overthinking her words because she wanted it to be perfect. A burst of emotion was hardly perfect, but sometimes it was needed. "Thank you, Yusuke. Truly."
Hifumi seemed more at ease now. This let Yusuke smile a little bit. "You do not need to thank me. We are friends, and I know what it is you are going through. I figured I should do my best to help you in your confusion."
"It helped a lot." Hifumi then dug in her back, pulling out an extra sandwich for Yusuke. "Oh! And this is for you."
"F-For me…?" The artist was taken aback, cautiously accepting the sandwich that Hifumi gave to him.
"Mhm." Nodding, Hifumi pulled out a sandwich of her own. "With my Father in the hospital, there is plenty of food that neither I nor my mother can get through in time…and it would go to waste that way. Plus, I worry about you."
"I shall…graciously accept this gift!" Yusuke was already beginning to eat. His reaction to this mere sandwich told Hifumi that he most likely was not able to procure lunch for himself today.
Hifumi was glad to be of help, but at the same time…she really, really worried about Yusuke's spending and eating habits. "Happy to help…"
.
.
Afterschool, the group met up at Leblanc in the hideout. Ryuji leaned back in his seat. "Man…today was such a looong day…"
"You're telling me…" Hifumi was sitting on the couch, brushing her hair behind her hear. "I apologize for bringing this up so suddenly and bringing everyone here…"
"It's alright." Haru offered a small smile.
"If you say so." Hifumi was still a bit uncertain. "Oh, how is your father, by the way…?"
"He's still very reclusive and doesn't speak much…he looks tired and worn out." Haru responded. "Is that part of the change of heart?"
"The same thing happened to Madarame." Yusuke said. "If anything, I think this is a positive sign that his heart will fully change in the coming days."
"That's reassuring." Haru was still a little concerned, but she could rest easier if this was part of the process.
"So, what did you want to discuss, Hifumi?" Makoto, as usual, was the one to bring the conversation back on track.
"It's about my Mother." Hifumi said, biting her lower lip. "I've been thinking about it lately, and I wish to confront my mother's Shadow again. For real this time."
"Your mother?' Kasumi blinked a few times. "Oh, right…Ren-Senpai informed me of the situation on the way here."
"Yeah, she's a real…" Ryuji was about to say something, but Ann was quick to jab her elbow into his ribs to stop him from speaking. "Ack, come on…!"
"Don't be insensitive…!" Ann huffed. "This is really important."
"I get it…" Ryuji grumbled. Mitsuyo was far from a pleasant person, but Hifumi made no indication that she hated her mother at all. Haru was the same way with her father, despite his actions towards her in and out of reality.
"So you want to go back to your Mother's Palace, that's right?" Morgana asked. "Will you be okay?"
"Last time we were there…" Ren said.
"I know…" Hifumi rubbed her arm. She couldn't forget how easily she was strung up, becoming a dancing puppet for her mother's Shadow. She couldn't break free without the others saving her. "I was weighed down by a lot of devastation at the time."
"Not to mention, that force that weighed you down beforehand was your Mother's influence over you." Makoto crossed her arms. "The first time we visited, you couldn't really move at all…the second time you were able to move."
"I also lost my will to rebel briefly…it wasn't a pleasant time for certain. But a lot of things have changed since then. My resolve isn't as shaky as it was before." Hifumi was clearly determined.
"Then I don't see what the problem is! Let's get back in there and kick some ass!" Ryuji exclaimed.
"Don't be an idiot…" Morgana sighed.
"Kitty's right. We can't just rush in headfirst." Futaba said while adjusting her glasses. "As a whole, the Phantom Thieves have already been in there two times. I wouldn't be surprised if she's expecting a third. Plus we have that Cognitive Hifumi to deal with; I dunno what's gonna happen with her."
"I wish we didn't have to deal with her." Ann started to sweat. Two Hifumis at once was…an exhausting experience.
"But we do have one thing going for us." Yusuke started. "We already know where the Treasure is. So if anything, we merely need to clear a path. Business as usual, but we don't need to worry about the Treasure's location."
"Yeah, that's one less thing to worry about." Ren said.
"And you have Kasumi and I now." Haru smiled. "I would very much like to meet Hifumi's mother." Her tone was sweet, but this was Haru, so the others were aware of the somewhat violent undertones hidden within them.
"I'll do my best!" Kasumi said with her own smile. "We do have a pretty large group, so we should be alright. …Er, right?"
"We'll be just fine." Ren said confidently.
Hifumi was silent for a moment. Even after her hesitation before, she was glad to see that the others were holding true to their word and waiting for her say so. "I appreciate this a lot, everyone. A lot of this is because of my own selfish desire to hold onto the things I cherish. It's not something I had before meeting all of you. I don't…I don't know what exactly happened between my mother and Mika, but if it was enough for Mika to part ways with me, I worry my mother will try something to make the same happen to all of you."
"That's not gonna happen, I promise!" Ann said firmly.
Morgana turned to look at Hifumi. "Are you going to be able to do this? Stand up to your mother's Shadow, I mean?"
"Well…" Hifumi paused for a second. "After seeing Haru stand up to her Father…I think I can do the same. I don't know if I'll be as cool as her, though…" That was a slight joke, one that made Haru giggle a little bit.
Haru remembered what Hifumi told her before. Their situations were similar, and she wanted to help Hifumi just as Hifumi helped her, all the way back during the summer fireworks show. That was the whole reason she became friends with everyone in the first place. "If I helped you even a little bit, I'm happy to hear that."
"It sounds like Hifumi has leveled up since last time!" Futaba grinned. "If we're gonna do this, I'll give it my all as the navigator, trust me!"
"Alright then." Ren stood up from his seat. "Let's get going, shall we?"
"Yes!" Hifumi gave a firm nod. With their objective clear, the Phantom Thieves were going to make their way to the area in front of Hifumi's house, so they could enter Mitsuyo's Palace one more time.
.
.
The Phantom Thieves arrived in Mitsuyo's Palace once again. Noir and Violet were immediately taken aback by the golden statutes in the courtyard. "…This is the right place, isn't it?" Violet said with a small sweat drop.
"The aesthetic is simply too much." Noir shook her head. Since she was a rich girl, she could understand the idea that this Palace was going for, but it fell flat in her eyes. "All this gold takes away from everything else…the courtyard is nice."
"We're not here to evaluate the structure of this castle." Queen was already sighing. "We're here to get…up there." She pointed to the highest point of the castle, where there was boarded up hole in the wall. That was the throne room.
"What happened there…?" Violet blinked, tilting her as she gazed at the poorly repaired hole.
"That was from our last trip." Oracle explained. "We had to make a hasty retreat while in the heart of enemy territory. But we know that the Treasure is also up there! So our only way out way through the wall."
"I also…did most of that damage." Dragon said while rubbing the back of her neck.
"Hey, how are you feeling?" Panther asked Dragon.
"I feel alright." Dragon nodded. "I can move just fine, but there is still a little something weighing me down. If that force is still my Mother's influence, I don't know how I can shake it off. But I can fight, I promise."
"Don't overdo it." Joker said. "Anyway, we can get through the front door with no issues."
Skull was about to run ahead. "Hell yeah!"
"Wait!" Dragon said, causing Skull to almost fall flat. "Oracle…can you sense my other somewhere nearby?"
"The Cognitive you? That's right…" Fox glanced around, specifically at the roof. "She does have a habit of dropping in on us from above. She's practically our welcoming committee.
Oracle scanned the area, but shook her head after a few moments. "Nope. She's not around here, weirdly enough."
"That's strange…" Dragon thought to herself.
"That doesn't mean she isn't around. She might be inside, waiting for us." Mona warned. "So keep your guard up."
"Right…" She then turned to Noir and Violet. "I know this may seem odd to ask…but could you two hang behind the group a little bit? My mother's Shadow knows most of the team by now, but she does not know the two of you have joined our ranks."
"So you want us to sit back and wait to strike?" Violet looked towards Noir.
"I'm okay with that." Noir nodded, clasping her hands together. "If she tries to corner you all, I'll blast her with my rocket launcher!"
"D-D…Don't hurt her too much…?" Dragon wasn't the only one sweating at the way Noir phrased it. But they had a plan. The others would press on ahead as the lead force, while Violet and Noir were their aces hidden up their sleeves in case things went awry.
.
The door opened for the Phantom Thieves because of Dragon. With this easy entry, they had to find their way to the throne room, and luckily, they could recall the path Cognitive Hifumi took them on. They simply had to follow that path, but the castle was still guarded. Numerous armored knights were patrolling the corridors. The Phantom Thieves had to get creative and hide behind walls, small pillars, and support beams to peacefully walk past. They weren't here solely to fight.
"Her Majesty has been acting a bit more high strung lately…" A knight mumbled to another one.
"She's been especially strict with the Princess…" The other one mumbled in return. "With the King bedridden, there's not really a lot he can do about it, huh?"
"She seems to soften up only a little when he's involved, but that's rare. Ever since the Phantom Thieves showed up last time, she's really been working us…" The knight sighed.
Dragon frowned. Perhaps it was even worse than she thought. She didn't consider the possibility that their actions would be taken out on her cognitive self. But she shook her head. "We have to keep moving…."
"The first gate should be up ahead." Oracle told the others. She had the layout of the castle memorized from their trip. The others nodded and quickly, yet quietly, circled around the guards, pushing the door open to a large foyer with a big gate in front of it. "Here it is."
"This is the door we went through before." Joker said, carefully eying the door. He went to open it, but it was locked. "…Locked."
"Seems as though they only let us through because we were being escorted." Queen said, glancing around. She was wondering if there was something they could use.
"Ah ha!" Oracle gasped and ran over to a nearby terminal. "There it is! Give me a little bit and I can hack this!"
"Will it open the door?" Fox asked.
"Hmmmm…" And Oracle was already in her own little world, typing away at the terminal to see what she needed to do to open the door. A few seconds passed and she found it. "Ah ha! I see now this works now. Do you recall those three towers we saw outside? Turns out, we need to deactivate security in each one so we can open the three gates within the depths of the castle. There's no way we're getting any higher without that."
"We're already a few stories high…" Panther said with a sweat drop.
"I suppose there is no way around it. Let us just turn around and…" Dragon turned around, only to witness multiple shadows spawn around them. "Ah…!"
"Looks like we've got company!" Mona said.
"I knew you'd be back sooner or later." Shadow Mitsuyo said. The shadows parted to the side of the foyer, creating a line so their Queen could walk forward. "I've been expecting you, Phantom Thieves."
"How nice of you to roll out the red carpet." Joker said.
Shadow Mitsuyo scoffed and looked towards Dragon. "Do you truly insist on keeping this company?"
"They're my friends!" Dragon said, looking at Shadow Mitsuyo…and behind her, where Violet and Noir were waiting. "And I have some questions for you, and you will answer them…!"
"Are you taking that tone with me again?" Shadow Mistuyo glared at Dragon. The force from her glare made Dragon falter a little bit, but she stood her ground. "Don't you see your situation? You are surrounded and outnumbered. I know how all of you fight now…so there's no chance of you escaping with your lives."
"Oh yeah!?" Skull said with a cocky grin. "Didja really think we'd come back here without a plan for that!?" Of course he got to sound smart here, even if the plan wasn't even his idea.
"Now!" Joker yelled.
Violet and Noir sprang into action. Noir fired off her rocket launcher, the sudden explosion from the rocket blowing away numerous shadows. "What!?" Shadow Mitsuyo turned around, only to see Violet quickly sprinting between shadows and slashing at them with her rapier. It was quick assault, taking about half the room within mere seconds.
"So, you must be the mother…" Noir said while staring at Shadow Mistuyo. "I can already see how unpleasant of a person you must be in reality."
"Ugh…" Shadow Mitsuyo glared at Violet and Noir. "How dare you talk to me like that? Do you know who I am? I am the Queen of the Togo Kingdom! All of you are stains on the reputation that I've been building for Hifumi! I've built too much…I've come too far to lose it all now. Can't you see that, Hifumi?" She turned to Dragon. "Why are you so insistent on siding with these Phantom Thieves? Everything I've been doing has been for your sake?!" In a fit of rage, she swung her hands out, sharp strings shooting out from her fingertips. These strings were strong enough to leave noticeable gashes on the stone walls, leaving everyone to dodge the sudden destruction.
"What the hell!? It's just string!" Skull yelped.
"Careful!" Fox drew his blade to try and cut through the string, but to his surprise, it was like clashing with steel. The sudden resilience of the string threw him back. "What in the…!?"
"Watch out! That'll leave more than just a nasty cut if you get hit!" Oracle had to duck for cover, along with the others.
"Everybody watch out!" Mona yelled.
"Aegis!" Dragon jumped forward, in front of Shadow Mistuyo, taking the brunt of the fierce string attack. It hurt a lot, even with her resilience to physical attacks. In that brief moment of recoil, the strings wrapped around her limbs again to suspend her into the air. She tried to move, but the sharpness of them deterred her. "Ngh…"
"Oh no…!" Panther gasped. She went to move, but there were still Shadows in the room. "Agh…!"
"Mother…" Dragon's green eyes peered at Shadow Mitsuyo. "Do you really think what you're doing is best for me? Rigging my Shogi matches, pushing away my friends, ignoring Father…!?"
"I hate Shogi." Shadow Mitsuyo spat. "You and your father love it, but it's done nothing but destroy this family from the inside. The only good thing about that cursed game is the profit I've managed to make out of it."
"Do you…just hate everything I do…?" Dragon asked. It was a different question from before, but now that she thought about it…her mother never really approved of anything she did. Her hobbies, her friends, nothing. "Am I just some ticket to fame for you…is that all I'm worth to you, Mother?!"
"I need you to continue winning. That's the only thing you've ever needed to do." Shadow Mitsuyo said plainly. "No matter what it takes. Those friends of yours that you adore so much aren't helping our cause either."
"…And Mika?" Dragon asked. "What did you do to her…?"
"I didn't do anything to her." Shadow Mistuyo smiled. "But you know how she is…she'll do anything to boost her career, even if it meant just using you. Of course, I told her that if she wanted to avoid any…unwanted information about that from coming out, she would continue to do what I asked of her. I'll do whatever I have to if it means you can keep winning, because that means I win too! That's the only thing that matters in the Togo family now."
"…" Dragon had no response. If felt like her mother's words and thoughts grew harsher and harsher by the day.
"Now, Hifumi. You're going to listen to what I have to say." Shadow Mitsuyo glanced at the Phantom Thieves, who were doing a great job in fending off the shadows that were attacking them. "You're going to…!"
"No." Dragon's voice was low.
Shadow Mistuyo quirked a brow. That wasn't a word Hifumi has ever said to her before…she must've misheard it. "What did you say to me?"
"I SAID NO, MOTHER!" Dragon screamed at the top of her lungs. Right as she yelled that, a familiar, searing pain shot through her head. "Ngh…!"
"We speak once again. This time your heart screams out its most inner feelings!" Belle Star was speaking to Dragon, who was struggling and writing within the sharp strings. Her green eyes shifted to a burning yellow. "What matters to you most? Will you allow it all to be snatched from you, or will you fight back and steal it back with your own hands?" Dragon let out a few grunts of pain, forcing her arms to move against the string that cut into her. She fought against the restraints, the string on her right arm breaking with a powerful SNAP! "For ages now, your life has been ensnared in a web of lies, plunged into the very abyss of darkness…" Dragon managed to free her left arm as well, falling to the ground. The strings around her legs soon snapped as well. "It's time for you to shine the light of your truth down upon them!"
Dragon gripped her mask, screaming as it peeled off of her face, blood spurting from the agonizing action. "NO MORE!" A familiar blue pillar of energy exploded around Dragon, causing everyone and everything to stop fighting.
"Dragon…!" Panther gasped.
"Wait, this is…!" Mona's eyes went wide.
Dragon stood with her staff in hand, Belle Star next to her, and most importantly, the entirety of her mask off of her face. "…."
"Holy shit! Her face…!" Skull was grinning.
"…No more, Mother." Dragon glared at Shadow Mitsuyo, who was noticeably taken aback by her daughter's strong act of rebellion and defiance. "I'm not going to allow you to control everything in my life anymore!"
"H-How dare you stand up to me…!?" Shadow Mitsuyo scowled. "Guards, get rid of them! All of them…! I won't stand for this!"
"You ready?" Joker asked.
"Because we're right beside you!" Violet added. The others were ready to square up as well.
Dragon twirled her staff around, giving a firm nod. "I am. My resolve burns strongly, and I will let them hear my roar of indignation!"