~X~
~ May 5 - Meguro City, Tokyo - Midday ~
Yuki Emiya
"This is our house!?" Rei exclaimed.
"Yup," I stared at the house.
"It's… much more than I thought Rin would provide," Saber commented.
"Same here," I agreed with my Servant.
Morgana was silent and gaping from inside his carrier that Rei was carrying.
The four of us arrived at the address Rin gave us, and we were shocked at what was to be our house. Rin absolutely went overboard. The house she provided us was a large six-story house. This is just way too much for the three of us.
"Come on! Let's head in!" Rei ran inside with Morgana. Artoria moved to follow.
I stayed outside, still looking at the building. I was thinking back on my conversation with Rin earlier this morning.
Flashback:
I barged into the living room to find Rin sitting in one of the seats, reading a book. I needed answers from her.
"Explain this," I slapped the item I had just found on the table in front of Rin.
Rin looked at it and grimaced. It was a photograph and Rin was in it. But so were two other people. One was a male with short auburn hair and amber eyes. The other was a female who looked much like me, just shorter in height. They were in a hospital room, and the woman was lying on the bed.
What was most shocking was the two babies in the photo being held by the two people. It was pretty apparent to me who these people in this photo were.
Thanks to that test from the goblins, I could verify who my parents were. This photo now gives me a reason to confront Rin, who I suspected had known my parents.
"When were you going to tell me?" I crossed my arms.
Rin was silent for a minute before she answered. "I've been trying to do it since you first woke up. I just couldn't think of a way to bring it up," she looked away with a sad look in her eyes.
"Can you tell me about my parents? Like, how did they meet?" I asked.
Rin was silent once again. Probably thinking over how much to tell me. "Well, you do have a Servant, and you might help with these portals… So, I guess I could tell you everything," she whispered to herself. I wasn't supposed to hear that, but I did, thanks to Eavesdropping.
What she said floored me.
So… back in the year 2000. it turns out Rin, Shirou, and Mordred went through the Fifth Holy Grail War. The servants were the same, except that Shirou summoned Mordred as Saber instead of Artoria, and they fell in love.
Their war mostly followed the 'Fate' route, but after they killed Gilgamesh, the mud of the Holy Grail came spilling out at an alarming rate, consuming both of them and the fake priest. When they woke up, they were in a hospital, and Mordred now had a physical body.
A little while later, they met Amaterasu, who personally came to investigate when her faction discovered the tainted mud spilling out into the world. They were able to purify the Grail of the taint of Angra Mainyu and clear out the mud.
Rin explained who they were, the truth of their circumstances, and the Holy Grail War. Needless to say, Amaterasu was not happy that humans had been messing with dead souls in some death tournament, and that said tournament almost brought about the end of the world.
She ordered the Grail be dismantled and ordered everyone to keep quiet that this kind of tournament had been going on for a few centuries. She did not want the other factions to know. But, of course, no one knew it was going on in the first place, so it was easy to sweep under the rug.
Afterward, Rin, Shirou, and Mordred continued on with their lives.
With no way of getting back, they decide to build a life here
I had to take a seat to think this all over.
"Where are my parents," I asked the question I wanted to know the answer to the most.
"I don't know," Rin admitted.
"What do you mean 'I don't know?'"
"About a month after you and your sister were born, your parents just… disappeared with the two of you in tow," Rin explained with exasperation and annoyance. It wasn't directed at me but toward my parents. "I hadn't heard any news about any of you until two days ago when you came out of a portal with a Servant," she finished.
I was silent, thinking over that information in my head.
"What about you?" Rin asked.
"Hm?" I raised an eyebrow in question.
"Why don't you tell me about your life?"
I thought it over for a bit and nodded. There's no reason for me not to.
I explained that I grew up in an orphanage early on, was homeless for a few months, and was then raised by a yakuza. Not just any yakuza but Goro Majima.
Rin freaked out a little at that.
She freaked out even more, when I said Kazuma Kiryu raised me in another orphanage in Okinawa. The faces she made were pretty funny.
I finished the story by mentioning that I moved back to Tokyo for high school. I made no mention of the Metaverse.
We chatted a bit more until it was time for us to head back to Tokyo.
Quest Completed
[Family Legacy]
Objective: Go to Fuyuki City and see what connections you can find.
Rewards: Gandr Spellbook, 10000 Yen, 20000 EXP
Level Up!
Flashback End.
The trip was worth it. I learned a lot about my parents. But despite all the answers I received, I found the same number of new questions.
If my parents took me with them, why did I grow up in an orphanage? Did my sister grow up in one as well? Why couldn't we just stay with Rin? Where are they now, and what have they been doing?
These questions are going to take much longer than my previous ones.
"Come on, Yuki! What's taking you so long? You gotta check this place out!" Morgana called from inside.
I let out a chuckle and went inside. I can think about this stuff later.
~X~
~ Emiya Residence - Tokyo ~
This place is just ridiculous. It's bigger than it looks. Not only is it six stories tall, but also it has three basement floors as well. Here's the floor layout.
The first floor had a huge foyer. There were places you would expect, like the living room, kitchen, and dining room. There was also a library, some Japanese-styled rooms, and guest rooms.
"Wow, check this place out, Yuki!" Morgana was running in and out of the different rooms.
The second floor had several bedrooms, a master bedroom, and a study.
"I guess I found my bedroom," I said while peering into the master bedroom.
"I shall take the room next to yours," Artoria declared.
"And I will take the one on the other side," said Rei.
The third floor had even more bedrooms.
The fourth floor was the same as the third, with more bedrooms.
Guess what the fifth floor had. If you said "more bedrooms," you would be right.
What about the sixth floor? If you guessed "even more bedrooms," well, you would be wrong. The sixth floor was just a large open room. It was completely empty. I don't know what to do with this.
"We could use this place as a meeting room," Artoria commented.
The rooftop looked to be a communal garden. There were no plants, but there were flower pots and what looked to be a small vegetable farm. There was also a table and chairs to relax.
"You know, despite being forced to do it by my aunt, I actually did like taking care of her garden," Rei commented after seeing the rooftop garden. "Can we buy some plants?" she turned to me.
"Sure thing," I agreed.
The first basement floor had a lot. There was a movie theater, training rooms, changing rooms, and a large indoor bath. After a bit of searching, we found a couple of hidden rooms. One looked like a bedroom, and the other hidden room had several baths of various sizes. They were noticeably larger than the first bath we found on this floor and gorgeously decorated with ornate patterns and dragon statues.
"What the hell, Rin! This is too much for a bathroom!" I exclaimed after finding the hidden rooms.
The second basement floor had a heated indoor swimming pool.
The third basement floor was mostly empty. It looks to be a storage area.
All of these floors were accessible by using the elevator or stairs.
After exploring the whole place, I started cooking lunch in the kitchen while the others were sitting in the dining room close by.
"This place sure is big!" Rei said. "But don't you think it's a bit too much for the three of us?"
"Hey!" Morgana said, but Rei only heard it as a meow.
"Sorry, four of us," Rei amended.
"It definitely is," I said while lowering the heat on the curry pot. "But I feel complaining to Rin won't change a thing. She'd find some way to get us to accept living here. Besides, I'm fine with this place," I shrugged.
"What now, Yuki?" Artoria asked.
"Now, I need to summon some help," I said while taking off my apron. I made my way to a more open area.
"What do you mean?" Rei asked.
I said nothing as I took out my Companion Gem. Since everyone here knows about magic, I saw no reason to hide this. It would make it easier to explain why a new person is here.
I crushed the gem, and blue particles burst forth. The particles went on to form a person. This person looked to be an older adult in a butler's uniform. It was black, with gold trim, and he had a white tie. The man's hair and beard were entirely white and immaculate. There were visible wrinkles on his hollow face, giving off a gentle appearance. But don't let his elderly appearance fool you. Looking closely, I could see the muscle beneath his clothes, and his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's.
This man is Sebas Tian, the head butler of the Great Tomb of Nazarick.
Now, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. Sebas' loyalty was to Nazarick and the Supreme Beings. I belonged to neither of those. I had no idea how he would react to me. So, you can believe that I was stunned when he bent a knee, placed his right arm across his chest, hand over his heart, and bowed. What he said next was even more surprising.
"I, Sebas Tian, do hereby swear to the Supreme Being, Lady Elysia Pendragon, my undying fealty."
I blinked. He called me a Supreme Being.
Taking a glance back, I could see Artoria noticing the man I summoned was not to be underestimated. She looked unfazed by his oath. I guess that makes sense. She probably saw a lot of oaths when she was King. Rei and Morgana were surprised at what he said and curious.
I looked back at Sebas and used my Mystic Eyes.
.
Name: Sebas Tian
Race: Dragonoid
Alignment: Lawful Good
Level: 100
STR: 940
END: 920
DEX: 800
INT: 670
WIS: 720
LUK: 850
REP: [100/100]
.
Holy… Geez… And this is just his base stats. This doesn't include skills or buffs. I am very glad his first action was to swear loyalty to me and that my Reputation with him is maxed. He could kill me in a flash if he wanted. But I still have a question to ask. Why did he swear allegiance to me so quickly?
"You appear confused, Lady Emiya. I suppose that is to be expected as it hasn't happened to you yet. In the future, you will become one of the founding members of the Guild, Ainz Ooal Gown," he explained.
I raised an eyebrow at that. Founding Member? Does he mean one of the original Nine? I thought all those characters were already named.
"Your future self also explained that you have seen a possible history of the Guild. She asked me to convey a message to you, and I quote, 'while most of what you know is the same, the beginning is very different.'" Sebas explained further.
I thought about that. The beginning? Does my future self (and isn't that a surprise) mean the first nine members?
"Sebas, can you answer a question for me?" I asked.
"I apologize, but you should know that your future self has ordered me not to speak of a great many things to you. I will answer what I can, but if you ask a question I can't answer then I shall inform you that I can't. Once again, I apologize," Sebas bowed a little lower.
"It's fine, I understand," I assured him. "Can you tell me who the Original Nine were?"
"Yes, I can. The Nine were Lord Momonga, Lord Touch Me, Lady Yamaiko, Lord Tabula Smaragdina, Lord Amanonahitatsu, Lady Bukubukuchagama, Lord Peroncino, Lord Takemikazuchi, and yourself, Lady Elysia," Sebas answered.
…Those are not the Nine I know. Well, four of the names are, but still… I guess my presence changed some things. …Gonna have to deal with Overlord at some point, huh? Hopefully, that will be far into the future.
"I accept your oath of loyalty, Sebas. You may stand," he nodded and stood. "Your main responsibility is to be the head butler of this household. When I am not around, you are to act as Rei's guardian until I find someone else to take that role," I motioned to the girl in question.
"As you command, Lady Elysia," he bowed. I guess in Overlord they know me by my Pendragon name. That name will take some getting used to.
"Another thing. Call me by my other name, Yuki Emiya, in public unless I tell you otherwise. In private, you can call me however you want," I added.
He nodded.
"Good. Now, walk around the house and familiarize yourself with the place. Then return here."
"Understood," he bowed and then left.
In the meantime, I put together some plates of curry rice for everyone, placed them on the table, and took a seat. Things went pretty well with Sebas.
Told you. Didn't have to worry about a thing.
Definitely didn't expect him to know me. A future self, huh?
"What was that?" Rei spoke up, bringing me out of my musings.
"Magic." I shrugged.
"Hmm… okay!" Rei easily accepted.
On the other hand, Artoria and Morgana looked like they wanted to ask more but kept quiet for now. The four of us ate our lunch.
"Can cats eat curry?" Rei asked when she noticed Morgana eating it.
"Morgana can," I answered. "He's special."
"Hey, how come you and Morgana got less food," Rei noticed.
"Ah, he and I are heading out to meet up with some friends today," I answered. "You and Artoria will stay home."
"Okay," Rei shrugged.
~X~
~ Wilton Hotel - Afternoon ~
"Mmmm… So good…" Ryuji was enjoying the great-tasting food.
"No wonder Lady Ann chose this place," Morgana was also enjoying the food.
Ann really came through. The four of us were seated at a rather fancy table, eating our well-deserved buffet of food. This is some of the best food I've ever had.
"Oh yeah, I heard that the police are coming to interview some people at the school," Ann mentioned.
"That's troublesome," Morgana noted.
"Hmm, with all the rumors about us and Kamoshida, our names are going to pop up," I sighed. "They're probably going to want to talk to us."
"Still, it's kinda cool how we got 'em all pumped!" Ryuji grinned. "I keep hearin' people say stuff like, 'the Phantom Thieves really stole his heart.' Here, check this out," Ryuji pulled out his phone.
"The Phantom Aficionado Website?" Ann read aloud.
Ann and I looked closer and started reading some of the posts.
"Well done, Phantom Thieves."
"Now I can keep going too!"
"Thank you for giving us hope."
"Wow," Ann smiled.
"Pretty cool, huh?" Ryuji's grin somehow got bigger.
"Hm." I didn't say much, but I was smiling. Knowing that your actions gave some people hope does have a good feeling to it.
"So, what are we gonna do now?" Ryuji asked me.
"I'm going to get more food," I said, standing up and walking toward the buffet with Morgana in my bag.
"Huh? OH, we only got an hour to eat!" Ryuji now noticed.
~X~
"Have you heard, my dear? The news about Kamoshida is absolutely dreadful," a snooty older woman said as I made my way to the seafood table.
"Ah, right. That teacher at Shujin Academy, caught doing such indecent acts. Shameful, really," the other woman replied in an equally haughty tone.
I turned my full attention to this conversation as I slowly added some seafood to my plate.
"And they still haven't managed to solve those horrible psychotic breakdown episodes, have they? Ugh, I wish they wouldn't let themselves be distracted by such a… tawdry scandal," the first woman responded.
"Perhaps it's a sign of how peaceful this country is," I almost snorted at that statement. "I honestly pity those poor Shujin students though." the second woman replied.
"Huh, sounds like the Kamoshida incident is the talk of the town," Morgana noted.
"Speaking of students…" it seems they took notice of me. The first woman was staring at me in condescending disdain. "How did a child like this end up in here?"
The woman's voice was quiet but clearly meant to be loud enough for me to hear, as if the woman was hoping to offend me.
"Indeed, such a scruffy-looking girl." the other woman said.
Scruffy!?
"A leather jacket and… are those rips in her jeans? And bleached hair?"
This is my natural hair color, woman!
"Ugh, I hope she didn't bring friends. I prefer my meals to remain hooligan-free, thank you very much," she finished in annoyance.
"Come, let us go," the other woman said with one last derisive sneer in my direction.
However, I got the last laugh. When the women made eye contact with me, I let out as much Killing Intent as I could, directed solely at those two. The women flinched and paled rapidly before they scurried off.
I smirked, and Morgana, who didn't notice what I did, let his feelings be known.
"What's so bad about kids coming to enjoy a buffet!?" Morgana snapped.
"Just forget about them," I said.
Morgana sighed. "Anyway, it seems people are talking about the Kamoshida scandal. Let's eavesdrop on other conversations while getting some food. I want to hear what others are saying!"
I nodded and made my way to a table with various rice dishes. There was another interesting conversation to listen to close by.
"So the rating for the news were really that good?" A stylishly dressed woman asked an older, gray-haired man in a suit. "It's because of that sexual harassment scandal with an ex-Olympic athlete. Kamoshida, right?"
The older man chuckled. "It's all about how you frame it. You've got to cater to the idiotic public. Ratings go up when you show them crude, sensational news and make it easy for them to understand."
I frowned at that. Are ratings all he cares about? He's going to ignore what all the victims went through in favor of sensationalizing it? I knew there were people like this around, but hearing about them and actually listening to them speak are two different things.
"How can he be so insensitive?" Morgana grumbled. "A student nearly killed herself because of Kamoshida…"
"What about that 'change of heart' thing? Do you think that's real?" the stylish woman asked.
"Well that's- Hm?" he paused and glanced in my direction in suspicion, prompting me to choose some white rice for my plate.
"So because he had a sudden 'change of heart,' he just confessed to all his crimes?" the woman asked again.
"Hahaha, who knows?" the man replied. "Well, I need to get going. I have a very important meeting to get to. I'll call you when it's over."
"A sudden change of heart, huh? I can't blame them for seeing it that way," Morgana popped his head out after the two moved on. "Let's get some more food. I think the meat table is right over there."
I nodded and made my way. The number of meat dishes looked really good. I always did like eating meat.
"Ah, meat!" It seems Morgana agrees. "I'm no Ryuji, but a meal is just not the same if you don't have any-" he stopped. "...I got distracted."
"...When you really look at it, he's just an ex-athlete who overestimated himself," spoke a man with clean-cut hair and wearing an expensive suit. "He should have just accepted his lot in life and quietly done his job as a teacher."
"It's not even an incident we can take seriously," replied an older gentleman in a black suit. "The whole story is pretty ridiculous. Sure, we should probably look into it, but we can just make the low-ranking scrubs handle it."
Huh, it sounds like there's going to be an investigation. These two sound like they're associated with the police, but they don't seem thrilled about it. They're treating it more like a chore than anything else.
"He's gonna be arriving soon," the first man glanced at his watch. "We don't want to keep him waiting, so we better get going too."
"What is he gonna discuss with the higher-ups?" the second asked as they started walking out. "Well, I'm sure it's more important than lunch."
"Huh, pretty shady guys," Morgana commented. "Let's move to the next table. That should be dessert! Don't skip out on the cake! Oh, and don't forget the whipped cream!"
I stared at the cat for a bit, then moved to the desserts.
"News travels quick. It's already all over the internet," a man in his 20s in a suit spoke up. He looked to be talking to a young woman. "You know, the story of how Olympic gold medalist Suguru Kamoshida got his ass kicked by some world-reforming heroes…"
"It doesn't sound like a serious story to me. Some of the details are pretty far-fetched," the woman replied.
"Don't worry about it. We just have to do what they tell us to do," the man said. "It's all rumors made up by school kids, anyway. If it's gripping news, who cares if it's not true."
I blinked at his statement. "Huh, it seems they don't believe it."
"But they're making up stores to make the Phantom Thieves seem real…" Morgana then chuckled. "...And they're doing this in front of the actual Phantom Thieves."
"It's almost time for the meeting. Let's go," the man said, and the two left.
"Hm, I don't think there are any more conversations we can listen in on," Morgana said. "But it's shocking… So many of the adults here don't seem like nice people."
"I'm not all that surprised. After all, if adults can ignore a homeless kid for months, then they can be apathetic about this," I said, referencing the time when I was homeless.
Morgana frowned at that. "Now, according to what we heard… It seems most adults aren't very interested in news about Kamoshida."
"Eh, whatever. We got a nice variety of food. Let's head back to our table," I said, and Morgana instantly lit up when reminded of the food.
~X~
So, when we returned to the table, there was a lot of food. Of course, all this good food could not go to waste, so the four of us really worked hard to eat it all. Ryuji and Morgana had stomach aches by the end of it, but I and, surprisingly, Ann could still go for more food. I would have eaten more, but I had to take Morgana to the bathroom, and Ryuji went as well.
The two finished, and we were now waiting in front of the elevator to head back to the restaurant.
However, I noticed the people behind us whisper and back away. I turned around to see a group of men in suits approaching the elevator. Without breaking stride, the man in front roughly shoved Ryuji and me out of the way.
"What the-" Ryuji was shocked at the man's audacity.
"Hey!" I shouted at him in indignation.
The man didn't look at either of us. Instead, his attention was on a taller bald man with tinted glasses in the group's center. Unlike the others, his blazer was open, showing a pinstripe white shirt underneath. Like the first man, he and his group paid no attention to us.
"There's still no updates on the case?" the bald man asked while waiting in front of the elevator as the other men surrounded him.
"Not yet, sir," a man walked up. "Excuse me, but why are you so involved? It's not something you should be concerned with…"
"I don't care about your opinion, you incompetent buffoon," the bald man snapped harshly and turned to face the one talking to him. "When I say pick up the pace, you do it!"
"Hey, you're cuttin' in line!" Ryuji snapped toward them.
"The hell do you want? We're in a hurry," the man who shoved us earlier turned to face us with a look of clear annoyance.
"Oh, I'm sorry. So you can butt in front of other people when you're in a hurry?" Ryuji hissed.
The bald man scoffed as he continued to face the elevator. "It seems the customer base has changed since I was last here. Have they started a daycare?" his tone was dripping with contempt.
The man who was talking with the bald man earlier spoke to him again. "Sir, we don't have time for this," he urged.
"I know," the bald man replied. At the same time, the elevator door opened.
"Hey!" Ryuji snapped, only for the first guy to shove him hard in the chest. Ryuji stumbled back and would've fallen over if I didn't catch him.
"Don't bother with them!" the bald man snarled, then entered the elevator. The men with him followed suit, and the doors closed.
"Just who the hell does that guy think he is?" Ryuji scowled at the elevator doors.
"Shouldn't we head down? Lady Ann is waiting on us." Morgana popped out of my backpack.
"Yeah, but…" Ryuji growled as he pushed the elevator button. "That prick really pissed me off. He wasn't even tryin' to hide the fact he was lookin' down on everyone!"
"Hey, don't lose your temper over this," Morgana cautioned. "He may have been really rude, but there's not much we can do about It."
"Well, yeah…" Ryuji let out a rough sigh. "I just hate adults like that! Thinkin' he can do whatever he wants just because he thinks he's better than everyone else! It's just like, friggin' Kamoshida!"
"Ryuji, calm down," I sternly said. "You're getting yourself worked up. Take some deep breaths."
Ryuji let out another rough sigh and took some time to get himself together. "Right, I'm good now,"
The elevator opened at this time. "Let's go," I said, our mood now soured because of this.
…
I just remembered this is the part where we first meet Shido, one of the main antagonists.
…There's nothing I can do about him right now. I'll just have to keep moving forward with what I know.
~X~
"What took you three so long!?" Ann snapped at us once we returned.
"Geez, what's got you all worked up?" Ryuji asked, raising an eyebrow.
Ann sighed. "Sorry… I just had a run-in with some woman a second ago," she explained. "She bumped into me. Said it was my fault she dropped her plate." Ann crossed her arms, annoyed just by thinking of the encounter.
"Ugh, another one of those kinds of people," I sighed.
"All the restaurant workers stared at me with this disapproving glare…" Ann continued.
"As of you don't belong here? Yeah, I've felt that too," I agreed.
Ryuji and I took our seats, and a silence fell over us. All of us were annoyed by the scrutiny we seemed to be under.
"Hey, Morgana," Ryuji spoke up.
"What is it?"
"...Anyone can have a palace, yeah?" Ryuji asked.
"Anyone with a strong, distorted desire," the cat clarified.
"Same for them havin' a change of heart if their treasure gets stolen?"
"That would be the case," Morgana verified.
"Why are you bringing this up all of a sudden," Ann asked.
"We had some trouble earlier too. These selfish pricks who just looked down on everyone else…" Ryuji sighed and shook his head.
"You're wondering if we can change those kinds of people," I caught on to what he was thinking.
"You mean… continue as the Phantom Thieves?" Ann widened her eyes.
"...I've been thinkin'. We put a lot of work into changin' Kamoshida's heart, but nobody believes in the Phantom Thieves. Plus, those guys who had no other choice but to just with it are thankin' us. Us of all people," Ryuji explained.
"That is true. If it weren't for us, Kamoshida would've ruled the school, and no one would stop him," I said. If we didn't do anything, Kamoshida would continue his reign of terror in that school. No one would even try to get justice for those abused by him. Even after what happened to Shiho. So, it's a good thing we stepped in and put a stop to it.
"...You're right," Ann replied. "If we ignore people who are in trouble, I'd go back to being the same I was before…"
"Well, with you three under my tutelage, there's nothing we can't accomplish as Phantom Thieves!" Morgana boasted.
"So, we should be able to help more people?" Ryuji asked.
I nodded, "Right, with this power, we can help people who aren't able to help themselves."
"But that means we'll have to fight more Shadows, right?" Ann asked, concerned.
"Indeed. That can't be avoided," Morgana verified.
"Eh, I'm sure we'll manage," Ryuji said.
"Heh… Even if you guys are still just fledglings, this means that we're an actual organization now," Morgana said.
"Fledglings? Haha, that's actually pretty fitting for us." Ann smiled.
"Then it's settled," I said.
"Alright! We're gonna catch all those rotten adults by surprise and make ourselves known to the world!" Ryuji replied with excitement.
"And you're okay with being the leader?" Ann asked me.
"Sure, I don't mind," I replied.
"No objections here. I can't handle all that responsibility stuff," Ryuji said.
"Well, considering what I know about you, I think you'd make a great leader," Morgana added his opinion while winking at me.
"Well, should we decide on a new name for our group?" Ryuji asked. "I went with Phantom Thieves of Hearts last time, but don't you think-"
"No, that name is perfect," I cut him off. "No need to change it."
"For real?" he asked, and I nodded. "Alright then. Guess all we need now is a target. There are tons of rotten adults and all… Why not stick to targeting big names?"
"Like a celebrity or CEO?" Ann asked.
"Yeah, something along those lines. If we go after some bigwig, it's gotta get on the news, right?" Ryuji said. "Don't you think more people would believe in us if we did that?"
"That's not a bad idea for you, Ryuji," Morgana replied.
"True. If we become better known, we might be able to give courage to a lot more people," Ann said. "Although, I don't like the idea of picking someone at random."
"Right. We need to pick someone all of us can agree on," Ryuji said.
"Heh, now the Phantom Thieves of Hearts are officially in business," Morgana stated proudly.
Ann's face suddenly became dismayed.
"What's wrong?" I asked her.
"Our buffet time ran out…"
"I guess we'll just have to talk more tomorrow," Ryuji waved his hand dismissively.
Looks like this is the start of a new beginning.
"I am thou… Thou art I…
Thou hast acquired a new vow…
It shall become the wings of rebellion
that breaketh thy chains of captivity.
With the birth of the -̴̢̾̅̚͜͝ͅ-̶̨̙͉̗̈̈́͐͝͝-̴̖͎̯̦̝͔̔͠-̵̡̈͋̓̓͒̕͝ Persona
I have obtained the winds of blessing that
shall lead to freedom and new power…"
[-̴̢̾̅̚͜͝ͅ-̶̨̙͉̗̈̈́͐͝͝-̴̖͎̯̦̝͔̔͠-̵̡̈͋̓̓͒̕͝ Confidant (Phantom Thieves of Hearts) has reached Rank 1.]
…
…
..What the hell?
~X~
~ ? - ? ~
As much as I wanted to return to my new house in Meguro, I had to go back to Leblanc for the night, or Sojiro would get suspicious. I mean, I could tell him that I met someone in Fuyuki that was a friend of my parents, and that person gave me a house in Tokyo to live in, but… Haah, how do I put this…
It just feels weird to move out of here after only being here for one month. I mean. Sojiro graciously took me in as a foster kid so I could come to school here in the city. To me, moving out so quickly just doesn't feel right. I feel like I'm insulting him somehow if I do that. If that makes any sense.
Point is, I'm not moving out of this place anytime soon. Rei will stay in the house in Meguro with Artoria and Sebas. Also, since I can now summon Personas in reality for little to no cost, Aphrodite decided to take it upon herself to act as Rei's caregiver when I wasn't around, even though I had already given that duty to Sebas. That was pretty surprising, but I was okay with it, and so was Sebas since he wanted to focus on other things. Turns out Aphrodite loves to take care of children. I can trust those three to look after her.
So, in the meantime, I'll still be staying at Leblanc.
"Hey! Inmate! Are you paying attention!?"
Ah, right. I've been taken to the Velvet Room. Igor was going on about how my rehab was going well and to spend time cultivating my relationships with the people I have contracts with. Basically, increase the ranks with the people I have Solical Links with.
To be honest, this was pretty boring to me. I knew who was in front of me, but I also knew I was nowhere near powerful enough to deal with him. So, I'll play along.
One more thing. There was one interesting thing that happened at the very end.
[F̵͎̓ơ̷̥o̴̥̐l̸̫̍ Confidant (Igor) has reached Rank 3.]
First, a Social Link with the Phantom Thieves was glitchy with the Game, and now this? There's no way this isn't connected.
~X~
~ May 6 - Shujin Academy 2nd Floor - Lunchtime ~
Ann and I met with Ryuji by the stairs. He messaged us just before lunch, saying he wanted to show us something.
"It ain't much; we've been gettin' more postings on the Phantom Aficionado Website." Ryuji showed us his phone.
"I want to make my friend apologize for not returning the stuff I lent him." I looked over to his screen and read aloud the first post I saw.
"Seriously?" Ryuji's face fell as he read it himself. "Ugh, deal with that yourself!"
"You know that Phantom Thieves rumor about stealing Kamoshida's heart?" A girl, who just walked out of our classroom, spoke to another girl, prompting all of us to Eavesdrop. "I wonder if it's true."
"It's got to be made up," the other girl replied. "Do you seriously believe they exist?"
"But look what happened to Kamoshida," the first girl pointed out.
"He probably just couldn't keep hiding it after that girl tried to kill herself," her friend said.
"Yeah… you might be right," the first girl gave in. "I guess there's no way they really exist."
"Most importantly, it seriously sucks that our school is going to be known for stuff like this!" her friend stated.
"I wonder if this will affect our college entrance exams…" the first mused, and the two walked off.
"That's probably a normal reaction for now," Ryuji frowned. "But they'll see soon enough! If we can take care of two or three famous guys, people'll have to believe we exist."
"So about those bigshots, we don't have any leads yet, right?" Ann asked. "Then there's that rumor of you two threatening Kamoshida too."
Morgana popped his head out of my bag. "Looks like you'll have to live a normal honest school life for the time being," he said while giving me a nudge. He knows about my other circumstances. "Still, make sure you stay prepared just in case anything comes up, alright?"
"I'll keep an eye out for info on any bigshots that might be comin' around," Ryuji said.
"I'll try to dig up some dirt online," Ann said.
"And I know some people to ask for this kind of thing," I finished.
Ryuji sighed. "We went and formed the Phantom Thieves group, and we can't even find a target."
"Finding the right target takes time," I crossed my arms. "You just got to be patient."
"Heh. Ryuji? Patient?" Morgana chuckled.
"You're right. What was I thinking? This is Ryuji we're talking about." I mocked a sigh of disappointment.
"Hey!" the man in question shouted.
~X~
~ Shibuya Central Street - Evening ~
[Lovers Confidant (Ann Takamaki) has reached Rank 2.]
"Bye, Yuki. I'll see you tomorrow," Ann waved goodbye and headed to the station to catch her train.
I waved bye as well.
"So, where to?" Morgana asked.
"Work. I got a new part-time position at a beef bowl diner close to here," I answered.
"All right then," Morgana settled back into my backpack.
.
Quest Completed
[Part-Time Job: Beef Bowl Diner]
Objective: Complete your shift. [x]
Rewards: 3600 Yen, +2 DEX.
~X~
~ May 7 - Shujin Academy Rooftop - After School ~
"None of these posts are any good. Everyone's just complainin' about their parents or their boyfriends," Ryuji groaned as he leaned back in his chair. The four of us have met on the rooftop to search for clues leading toward a Palace. So far, no luck.
"We can't get everything online," Ann said, feeling down. "Finding a post with a name and location is asking a lot."
"Guess we'll have to look for one ourselves then."
"Are you seriously suggesting we look for a target that even the police have overlooked?" Morgana asked while he was relaxing on a desk.
"Yeah, I guess you're right…" Ryuji sighed.
"Exams are next week," I spoke up. "Maybe it's best if we wait until after they're over."
"Yeah, gotta study first…" Ryuji grumbled. "We can worry about comin' up empty-handed later."
We heard the sound of the rooftop door opening, and the three of us looked in that direction while Morgana hid. Someone very familiar approached us.
"You do know this place is off-limits, right?" Makoto Nijima asked, a stern look on her face.
"We'll get out of here once we're done chattin'," Ryuji released an annoyed sigh.
"Do you need something," I asked, trying to hide my annoyance, but I think it seeped into my tone.
"Hm," Makoto crossed her arms and made a show of observing each of us. "The troublemaker, the center of gossip, and the infamous transfer student," she tapped her chin in thought. "Quite the interesting combination…"
If she's trying to be mysterious and intimidating, it's failing. If she's trying to annoy us, it's working pretty well if Ann and Ryuji's faces are any indication.
As for me, I glared and crossed my arms. "What does that have to do with anything? In fact, why is it even your business?"
I already know why. The principal asked her to look into the Phantom Thieves, and we're her best lead considering the rumors.
She ignored my questions and approached me 'til she was about a few feet away. "It seems you got to know Mr. Kamoshida pretty well," she commented.
"Heh, where'd you get that idea?" my glare didn't let up.
"I heard Mr. Kamoshida used a volleyball team member to spread the details of your past, being raised by yakuza," Makoto explained. "Don't you hate him? Mr. Kamoshida, I mean?"
I couldn't help but mentally critique her questioning skills. Don't ask leading questions. It gives away what you're thinking and can lead to misleading answers.
"I saw you at the assembly, and I'm sure you've seen the interviews. Then you'd know that Mr. Kamoshida made a lot of enemies," I responded coldly.
"What the hell is this about," Ryuji snapped. "My friend here's no troublemaker! Maybe you oughta look at her past grades, and you'd know she's top of her class! I wouldn't be surprised if she has top grades here, as well!"
"...Sounds like a pretty dedicated student to me. Despite what you seem to think of her," Ann added in a low tone. You can tell she's annoyed with all of this.
"I don't mean to offend. Many students have been shaken up by what happened with Mr. Kamoshida," Makoto replied. "The rumors about that odd, calling card-esque posting aren't going away either."
"I didn't think tactless stuff like that would be something you cared about, Nijima-senpai," Ann responded.
"I dunno that it was tactless…" Ryuji mumbled, then leaned back in his chair and glared at Makoto. "Anyways, we done here? We can't leave if you keep talkin' to us."
"At least try to understand my position," Makoto ground out. The anger on her face was apparent despite her efforts to calm down. "Being forced to deal with this horseplay."
Horseplay? Really? That's how you want to describe what you're doing?
I took a step closer to Makoto and decided to cut right to the point of all of this. "Are you accusing us of being involved somehow?" I asked sternly and leaked some Killing Intent.
"I'm not accusing you of anything," Surprisingly, she stood her ground, Though I did notice a cold sweat. She then recomposed herself and smirked. "Ah, yes, by the way… It's been decided that this place will be closed off due to the incident. I heard some people are coming up here without permission after all."
I sharpened my glare and released more Killing Intent.
She visibly flinched this time. "...I-I'm sorry to have interrupted you," she turned and walked away, or more like ran.
"What was that about!?" Ann shot up from her chair, anger clear on her face.
"Was she just tryin' to piss us off," Ryuji growled. "Cuz if so, it worked!"
Yeah… I can see how Makoto can come across as stuck-up and snobbish. If I didn't know her backstory... Haah, I can't wait for her to change. Because even with my knowledge of her and her circumstances, I still got pretty angry. I even impulsively let off some Killing Intent. In hindsight, that was probably a bad idea.
Morgana jumped down from his hiding place and frowned. "She's onto us."
"Seems that way," I said. "Fortunately, it also seems that she has no proof of anything, or she would have reported us instead of trying to question us."
"True… But she seems pretty sharp. We should be cautious around her," Morgana said.
"Talk about a pain in the ass…" Ryuji grumbled.
"Speaking of pains… We still have exams," I turned and smirked at Ryuji. He groaned in response.
"That's right! So, study hard. Especially you, Ryuji!" Morgana stated. "Keep in mind that everything you do in your daily lives has an impact on your abilities. There are bound to be traps that need to be solved with brains."
"True, studying wouldn't be so bad if we just think of it as helping us prepare to be phantom thieves," Ann said with a smile.
"I guess you got a point…" Ryuji sighed. "But man, it's just so lame… I was all fired up about helpin' people, not about studyin'..." he complained.
"Well… I do have somewhere interesting to show you beforehand," Morgana had his smug look again. "You guys did originally promise to help me out with my mission, after all."
"Mission?" Ryuji asked.
"Follow me," the cat walked off, and we followed.
~X~
~ Shibuya Station - After School ~
We were all standing by the entrance to the station.
"So, what now?" Ryuji asked.
"Pull up the Phantom Aficionado Website," Morgana said.
"Alright, it's up," Ann pulled out her phone.
"What are we looking for? I asked.
"A post with a full name on it," Morgana answered.
"But there aren't any bigshots on here, remember?" Ryuji protested. He scrolled through his phone, and his face grew more concerned. "Damn… people actually put someone's real name on here? That's some scary stuff."
"'He won't listen to what I say' …No wait, there's no name on this one," Ann muttered, reading one of the posts.
"'Someone's bad-mouthin' me in online chat rooms' …This one's got a name," Ryuji read another.
"Ignore those," Morgana let out a sigh. "Aren't there any posts about more serious trouble?"
"How about this one? 'This girl is a part of the Yakuza! I heard she extorts money from other students! Her name is-' Oh, this one is for me," I read the post.
"For real?" Ryuji asked, surprised, as he looked over at my phone.
"Yeah. Heh. It's pretty funny. Asking me to steal my own heart… Haha!" I laughed at the irony.
"I think I got one," Ann said. "'I don't know what to do about my ex who's stalking me. His name is Natsuhiko Nakanohara.' Says he's a teller at city hall."
"A government worker's stalkin' someone?" Ryuji pulled up the post on his phone.
"I think we found our target," I said. "Who knows what he'll do if we don't stop him."
"Hell yeah! Let's do this!" Ryuji replied.
"I'm in as well," Ann said.
"Right, so we need a name and a place," Ryuji pulled up the app.
"Actually, we don't need a location this time," Morgana said. "Just use the keyword 'Mementos.'"
"What? What are you tryin' to pull?" Ryuji asked.
"Mementos," I said into the app on my phone, not wanting to wait any longer.
"Candidate found," the app stated.
"We got a hit!?" Ryuji shouted in surprise before noticing it was much quieter.
"Everyone disappeared?" Ann looked around, also noticing the lack of people.
"Are we in that Nakanohara guy's Palace now?" Ryuji asked.
"That's half right but half wrong," Morgana answered. "This is a type of Palace, but it's different from the normal ones. Come on, let's head down. That's where we need to go."
Quest Added
[Beware the Clingy Ex-boyfriend!]
Objective: Change the heart of Nakanohara. [ ]
Rewards: Attachment Pearl, 5000 Yen, 1000 EXP.
~X~
~ Mementos Entrance - After School ~
"What the hell is this place!?" Skull shouted.
We reached the entrance, and we were shocked at what we saw. This place was dark, with this dim red light lighting up the place. There were these… red veins that were all over the place. It was on the floor, the ceiling, and the walls. There were also these… things jutting out of the walls and tearing up the entire place. This place gives off an eerie vibe. Seeing this place in the game and reality are two very different things.
"Our clothes have changed," I was behind the two and saw they were in the Phantom Thief outfits. I looked down to I was in mine as well.
"The Shadows know we're here?" Panther asked Mona.
"Since the moment we step foot in this place," he replied. "Don't worry; they don't come up to this floor. They always stay below."
"More importantly, what is this Mementos!? It's about time you start explaining," Panther asked.
"Mementos is… everyone's Palace," Mona declared.
"Whaddya mean, 'everyone's,'" Skull asked.
"A Palace as grand as Kamoshida's only forms when a person's wishes are extremely distorted. So, instead of many individual Palaces, the general public has one gigantic shared Palace," Mona explained. "That's where we are now… Mementos."
"When you shared, you mean they're all put together? Even though they're strangers?" Skull asked.
"Think of it as the collective unconscious," Mona answered.
"Collective unconscious?" Skull asked in confusion.
"Never mind, you wouldn't get it," Mona shook his head dismissively, and Ryuji growled at that.
"So, what you're saying is, using this place, we can change the hearts of the people who don't have a Palace?" Panther asked.
"Yup! The steps to do so are slightly different though," Mona explained.
"But this place is pretty huge," Skull walked over to the escalators that lead down. "Are we gonna be able to get around just by walkin'?"
Mona started to smile. "It seems the time has finally come…" he said dramatically.
"Huh?" was Skull and Panther's reaction. I already knew what was coming.
Mona leaped into the air. When he landed, he struck a pose with his paw raised high in the air. "Morganaaa… Transfoooooorm!"
With a poof of smoke, he transformed into the Mona-Van. It was black with a yellow stripe going down the middle, the headlights were the same blue color as Morgana's eyes, and a cat's tail poked out the back.
"Panther? Joker? Ladies first~." Mona sang.
"You're a car!?" Panther asked, surprised.
"No way!" Skull was also in a state of shock.
"This comes from the way cognition materializes in the Metaverse, plus a bit of extra training. It's similar to how you guys transform," Mona explained.
"You turnin' into a car is totally different than our clothes changin'!" Ryuji exclaimed.
"For some reason, cats turning into buses is an extremely widespread cognition among the general public," the front end of the Mona-Van bobbed up. I assume that was a shrug.
"Why a bus though?" Panther asked.
"No idea?" Mona-Van shrugged again.
"Wait, why didn't you do this at the castle!?" Ryuji demanded.
"Are you serious?" I asked Ryuji. "The castle was cramped, there were a ton of stairs, and do you think this van could jump from chandelier to chandelier?"
"Exactly," Mona agreed as we nodded at each other.
We looked at Skull, but he wasn't standing where he was before.
"Where'd he go?" I asked.
"Hey, Skull! Ladies first!" Panther jogged to the side door where Skull was getting in.
"Hey, stop pullin' me! That's dangerous!" Skull complained.
The Mona-Van jumped up a bit. "Panther! Please be gentle!"
"Heh," I shook my head in amusement.
I climbed into the driver's seat and looked for a way to start the van. There was a button where the ignition would normally be. So, I pressed it, and the engine started up.
"Mmmm. That feels sooo gooooood…" Mona cooed as the engine purred.
"Uh, is that purrin' I hear?" Skull asked. "What a creepy car."
"Don't underestimate my meowtary engine," Mona declared. "We're going full throttle! It's time to fly!"
"You do know how to drive, right?" Panther asked.
"..."
An old memory came up at this moment.
Flashback: Yuki - 8 years old. September 2009.
"You're going to teach me how to drive, Uncle Goro?"
"That's right!"
"Uh, boss? Are you sure this is a good idea?"
"Ya worry too much, Nishida. There ain't anyone here. Underground parking lot place is pretty much empty."
"Well, yes, Boss. But we could still crash into a wall."
"We'll be fiiiiine."
"But-"
"Shut the hell up! I know what I'm doin'!"
"Boss-!"
"Now, Yuki-chan. You see the pedal on yer right?"
"Uh-huh."
"All ya gotta do is press it to the floor. Ya understand?"
"Yup!"
"Alright then! Let's get this show on the road."
"Uh, Yuki-san, there's more-"
*VROOM*
"WOAH! Yuki-san! Slow down!"
"Make sure ya use the wheel to turn!"
"Okay!"
*SKREEE*
"Yuki-chan, ya see the pedal on the left?"
"Uh-huh."
"Don't look down, Yuki-san! Keep your eyes on the road!"
*SKREEE*
"If ya press that one, the car stops."
"Okay."
"PILLAR! PILLAR!"
*SKREEE*
"And there ya go! That was pretty easy, huh!"
"Yeah!"
"...get me out of this death trap."
"Ah, quit gripin', Nishida!"
Flashback End.
.
"Yeah, I know how to drive," I said.
[Due to certain actions, a new skill has been acquired.]
[Riding] Level: 10 [0%]
A skill denoting the user's ability to ride mounts and vehicles.
~X~
~ Path of Qimranut ~
It didn't take long to find the right path. In front of us was a spiraling vortex where it looked like the train tracks were taken out of the ground and twisted into it.
"Dude, the hell is this?" Skull asked.
"This is the place. I sense the target up ahead," Mona said.
"Then let's go," I accelerated the Mona-Van through.
On the other side, the tracks were gone, and we were now in a tunnel made of stone. Skull, Panther, and I exited the van, and Mona turned back to normal. Off in the distance looked to be a person. We approached him, and I got a better look. He looked to be a young man in a business suit with shining golden eyes and black and red smoke coming off of him.
"You must be Natsuhiko Nakanohara, right?" I called out. At the same time, I materialized my Nihil Sword.
"Who are you?" Shadow Nakanohara demanded.
I ignored his question. "You've been stalking your ex-girlfriend. Harassing her and making her fear for her life," I glared at the Shadow.
"She's my property! I can do whatever I want with her!" the Shadow snarled and waved his hand dismissively at the accusation. "She treated me like a plaything! What's wrong with doing the same!?"
"You can't treat someone like shit just 'cause they did it to you!" Skull snapped. "The Phantoms Thieves are going to change the hearts of all the people like you!"
"There are millions of people far worse than me! What about Madarame!? He stole everything from me, but you're letting him off the hook!?" Shadow Nakanohara yelled back.
"Madarame? What is he talking about?" Ann asked.
The smoke coming from the Shadow increased before bursting apart and reforming into Obariyon.
"Skull, take point!" I ordered.
"Got it!" Skull charged forward, trying to hit the Shadow with his nail bat.
I took this as an opportunity to use my Mystic Eyes.
.
Name: Shadow Nakanohara
Level: 15
HP: 3000/3000
STR: 60
END: 60
DEX: 65
INT: 60
WIS: 60
LUK: 55
.
Hmm, he's weaker than I thought. However, I did get a lot of EXP from Singularity F. With how I am now, I can beat this Shadow by myself.
As for my teammates…
They're all around the Shadow's level, and their stats are pretty even as well. Some are higher, and some are lower. We can do this.
Ryuji ran forward and swung his nail bat at the Shadow. It jumped back and snapped its fingers. A large arrow came flying from behind it, flying and hitting Skull at lightning speed.
"Argh! This thing hits hard!" Skull quickly got back to his feet.
I drew Ivory and took some shots at it, hitting it a bit.
"Persona!" Panther tore off her mask, and Carmen appeared. She unleashed Agi, hitting the Shadow.
"Zorro!" Mona's Persona hit it with a Garu.
The Shadow hardly looked damaged. It snapped its fingers again, and he was bathed in red light. I think it just used Tarukaja. It then vanished from sight. All of us were suddenly hit with multiple blows from all around before the Shadow reappeared in front of us.
"Tch, where'd that burst of speed come from?" I grumbled. It was probably one of the skills that hit everyone multiple times. "Medea!" I summoned the Princess of Colchis, and she cast Mediarama to heal everyone.
"Argh! Rip him to shreds, Captain!" Skull tore off his mask.
Captain Kidd materialized, unleashing a Zio spell. The Shadow screamed out in serious pain, getting thrown backward, and seemed dazed.
"That looked super effective," I commented. I pulled out Ebony and Ivory and pointed them at the downed Shadow. The others followed suit, trapping him in a holdup.
"Alright, time for some pain!" Skull called out.
The four of us jumped into the air. The Shadow barely had time to scream as it was assaulted from all sides, all of us moving as blurs until an attack from above viciously knocked it to the ground. The four of us landed in front of it.
"Heh. That's all she wrote," Skull pumped his fist at our success.
"Are you finished?" I asked Shadow Nakanohara as he reverted back to his human form.
"I-I'm sorry… Please forgive me…" he staggered to his feet, holding his chest. "I-I couldn't stop obsessing… N-Not after this person I trusted used me and then disposed of me…"
"Are you talking about that Madarame guy you mentioned earlier?" I questioned.
The Shadow nodded in response.
"So, some selfish bastard was making you suffer too," Panther said. "Still, this doesn't excuse you from dragging your ex into your mess."
"Yes, I know that now," Nakanohara replied. "I… was afraid of being thrown away again, like some worthless thing… I'll end my obsession for her," he sighed, then straightened up. "Say, you can change people's hearts, right?"
"That's right," Mona replied.
"In that case, would you please change Madarame's heart?" the Shadow asked. Light started appearing from his body. "Please, before more people fall victim to him."
Before any of us could respond, he disappeared in a flash of light. There was a small ball of light floating where he stood.
"Huh? What's this thing?" Skull asked.
"It's the bud of a Treasure. Had we left it be, it very well may have blossomed into a Palace," Mona answered. "Joker, this will make a perfect reward!"
I nodded, walked forward, and grabbed the thing out of the air.
[Attachment Peral]
An unforgettable pearl that attaches to things.
- When equipped, the user is immune to Forget ailment.
.
Quest Completed.
.
"So, Nakanohara had a change of heart, right?" Skull asked.
"Most likely," Mona replied.
"How are we supposed to know we succeeded?" Panther asked.
"The lady posted the dude's name online. If he really does change, she'll prolly comment again," Skull reasoned.
"Hm, that's a good point," Mona said.
"Either way, trainin' against Shadows down here is the best! It's gonna be great prep for our next target!" Skull said excitedly.
"It's also nice to give courage to the people who post their problems online," Panther said.
"There's also the treasure we can find down here," Mona said, his eyes sparkling.
"Treasure that we can sell to help fund our heists as Phantom Thieves," I added.
"Sounds like things are going pretty great for us!" Skull said with a laugh.
"Before we go, there's one more place I want to show you guys," Mona transformed into the van.
~X~
~ Shibuya Station - After School ~
"Mementos, huh?" Ryuji tiredly sighed as he leaned against a kiosk. "I still don't really get that place. And what was up with that wall at the end?"
The wall he's talking about is the wall Morgana wanted to show us. When we arrived, it opened up, and the MetaNav said we had a new place to explore.
"It must've been there for a reason," Morgana said. "Hm, if Mementos is the public's Palace… it might be affected by the general public's belief in us."
"Is that why the wall opened up for us and why it didn't open up for you when you went by yourself?" I questioned.
"That's my best guess," Morgana replied.
"Why do you know so much about it, Morgana?" Ann asked.
"My memories are a little foggy in that regard…" he replied, his ears flattening a bit. "However, I need to know what lies at the depths of Mementos, no matter what."
"No matter what?" Ann asked.
"Mementos is not just everyone's Palace, it's the source of all Palaces. It used to be that Palaces like Kamoshida's with one ruler simply didn't exist," he explained. "So, if we can do something about the greatest cause of distortions, I'm certain my appearance will…"
Morgana trailed off, looking down at his paws. The three of us shared a look.
"...You wanted someone to save you too," Ann said.
Morgana looked surprised. "I-I just needed pawns," he said defensively.
"So that's why you kept pokin' your nose around with us," Ryuji said.
"Ann smiled down at the cat. "I'll help you. I hope you can regain what you lost."
Morgana was silent once again. He then looked at us. "Right, I'll be counting on you guys," he said, looking relieved. "Anyway, we now know we can perform minor changes of heart in Mementos. If we come across any eye-catching leads, it may be worth dealing with them for a bit of combat practice."
"There weren't any outstanding ones though," Ann replied.
"I bet we'll get tons of 'em if we change someone famous and make the Phantom Thieves well-known," Ryuji grinned. "The big fish are our main targets, after all."
"But first, you need to find a way to get through your exams," Morgana playfully reminded him.
"Right… studyin'..." Ryuji instantly deflated.
"I think that's everything. Let's head home, everyone," I said, picking up my backpack as Morgana jumped in. The others followed me to the train station.
~X~
Rei Interlude - This is My New Life
~ May 7 - Emiya Residence - Evening ~
Rei was lying down on her bed once more, going over the last three days of her life. Everything that happened during that time felt like a dream. After all, in the course of one day, she had been rescued from the Dursleys, discovered magic was real, was adopted by a Pendragon, one of King Arthur's descendants, and now she lives in this huge house.
If this really is a dream, she does not want to wake up. She does not want to go back to England. She hates it there.
Her relatives are a big reason for this. Her Aunt and Uncle treated her like an indentured servant, and that's putting it nicely. She did all the chores, cooked all the meals, and cared for the garden her aunt loved to brag about. She didn't get her own room. She was stuck in that cupboard under the stairs. Her school life was terrible. Her relatives would always tell her teachers how much of a troublemaker she was, and Dudley and his friends would always play their game of "Rose Hunting." Let's not forget the emotional abuse, constantly insulting her birth parents and calling her a freak.
The change from her old house to her new house is like night and day. Her adopted mom was a lot of fun to be around. It's just too bad that her mom can't spend more time with her since she still has to go to school and everything. She still has to sleep somewhere else, so Rei doesn't get to see her much, but it's okay. She knows how much her mother cares about her.
Miss Saber was like a strong silent type. Although, she seemed more animated when food was put in front of her, and she would eat serval servings. Rei noticed that her mom was the same as well when it came to food. Maybe it's a Pendragon thing? Lately, Miss Saber has been looking around for a job.
Mister Sebas was relatively quiet. He was always serious about his job. However, Rei did see him with a small smile from time to time. He would also let her go with him when he goes out for his morning errands. She has a lot of fun just walking around the streets of Tokyo. If only she could just speak the language.
And then there's Aphrodite or Aunt Affy, as she insists on being called. She's… good… maybe. She does shower Rei with so much love and affection, but… It's just too much for Rei. This is something she has never gotten in her life, so she's completely unused to it. It's just so weird that this woman is giving her so much. But she is a friend of her mom's, so it should be okay.
A knock on the door pulled Rei out of her thoughts. She got up and opened it.
"Hey, Rei!" Yuki greeted with a smile.
"Mom!" Rei hugged her, and Yuki hugged back.
"Come with me downstairs. I got to show you something cool."
Yuki held out her hand. Rei grabbed it and was led downstairs to the entrance hall.
"What the heck!?" Rei shouted in surprise.
Right in front of her was a large cyan wolf about 274cm tall, with yellow eyes, a tan underside, a lean frame, a pink tail, and pink braids going down the side of its body. Two pink fringes of fur are present on its back. Battle scars are visible on its sides, and part of its left ear is missing.
"This is Zacian," Yuki announced. "She's going to be staying with us."
The wolf stepped toward Rei, and she froze. Zacian stared, then sniffed her a bit. Finally, she backed off, seeming satisfied, and in a flash of light, she shrunk down to the size of a normal wolf and went off toward the kitchen.
Rei blinked. "Magic?" she's really gotten used to magic if her only reaction was to blink.
"Magic," Yuki nodded.
"How did you even find her?" Rei asked. Wolves don't get as big as the one in front of her.
"Well, it's more like she found me," Yuki answered.
Rei stared at the wolf again. Her life just keeps getting more surprising when Yuki's around.
"Ralts?" Rei heard something say. She turned and saw a new creature floating in front of her.
It was a humanoid with a white body. It had thin arms and legs that widened toward the feet. There was a wispy extension trailing off the back of its feet, creating the overall impression of a nightgown or oversized dress. Most of its face is covered by green hair that resembles a bowl cut, but sometimes she can see a pair of pinkish-red eyes underneath. There are two flat, red horns on top of its head: a large one toward the front and a smaller one at the back.
"That's Ralts. She's my… teammate? Partner? Something like that," Yuki answered the question Rei was going to ask.
"Partner!?" Morgana's head popped out of Yuki's bag. Of course, Rei only heard meows. " I thought I was your partner!? …A-are you replacing me?"
"Morgana, don't be so melodramatic," Yuki said. "Of course, you're my partner. I guess Ralts is more like a… familiar? It's a little hard to explain. Point is, you'll always be my partner," she explained, and Morgana looked relieved.
Yuki turned back to Rei. "Anyway, Ralts is pretty cool. Show Rei what you can do, Ralts!" Yuki encouraged.
"Ralts!" Ralts nodded, and all of a sudden, she disappeared.
"What?"
"Ralts has an ability called Trace. She can copy another person's abilities. In this case, she copied my Prese- uh… Invisibility," Yuki decided on that since Presence Concealment would be harder to explain to Rei.
"Wow! That's pretty cool," Rei said excitedly.
"Yup!" The Trace ability was the biggest reason why Yuki chose Ralts. The Pokemon can copy other abilities, while Yuki can copy weapons. It's the perfect match! "Come on, let's play some video games, and you can tell me what you've been up to.."
"Okay!"
…
Yeah, Rei really likes her new family.
~X~
Social Links:
? - -̴̢̾̅̚͜͝ͅ-̶̨̙͉̗̈̈́͐͝͝-̴̖͎̯̦̝͔̔͠-̵̡̈͋̓̓͒̕͝ (Phantom Thieves of Hearts) - Rank 1
0 - F̵͎̓ơ̷̥o̴̥̐l̸̫̍ (Igor) – Rank 3
I - Magician (Morgana) – Rank 2
V - Hierophant (Sojiro Sakura) – Rank 3
VI - Lovers (Ann Takamaki) – Rank 2
VII - Chariot (Ryuji Sakamoto) – Rank 4
XIII - Death (Rei Emiya) - Rank 1
XIV - Temperance (Artoria Pendragon) - Rank 2
XVII - Star (Issei Hyoudou) - Rank 3
~X~
Author's Note:
Chapter 12 is finally done. It would've come out sooner, but real life got in the way.
This one was about Persona 5 canon and setting up the Phantom Thieves. The next chapter will be some downtime and Social Links.
As always, constructive criticism is appreciated.
(Preview)
"So, Rei, remember how you can use magic?"
"Yeah?"
"Someone I know volunteered to start teaching you."
"Really? Who?"
Said Persona appeared in a swirl of amaryllis.
(x)
"Yo! Watch where you're going!"
"Hey, man. Are you okay?"
"M-My shoulder got wrecked. I think it's totally destroyed!"
"Hey, pull yourself together!"
"..."
"Damn, he's totally out of it."
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me. This is one of the most obvious scams ever."
(x)
"So… Who are you?"
"Oh, right, sorry. The name's Takayuki Yagami. I'm a private investigator."
(x)
"Sir Gawain's only living descendant is a ten-year-old girl living in a village close to the Blackmore Cemetary in Wales."
"...I see. Her name wouldn't happen to be Gray, would it?"
"Yes, how did-"
"And the emergency?"
"...There are old folktales that are spoken there about a ritual that can bring back King Arthur."